By luke alo
Selling guppies may seem like an unusual way to make money, but for BYU student Josh Haney, it pays the bills.
Haney said he came up with the idea after discovering guppies reproduce more quickly than other fish. That makes guppies the best type of fish to sell, he said.
'My mind''s always trying to think of how to make more money,' Haney said. 'If there''s money out there, why can''t I have some of it?'
Haney, like many BYU students, is forced to work multiple jobs to pay for tuition and housing.
In addition to selling baby fish, Haney works for a telemarketing company, sells phone cards and juggles a janitorial job on campus.
The real juggling that goes on, Haney said, is working as much as possible and still earning good grades.
'When tuition and rent are due, you''re still trying make ends meet,' he said. 'So instead of staying in class, you have to go to work to pay for the class.'
Haney is enrolled in a chemistry class and admits his grade is suffering because of work.
Another difficulty of being a poor student, he said, is the cost of getting a business started.
Haney had to buy the two original guppies, a fish tank and food for the proud guppy parents and their offspring.
In addition, his telemarketing job required the purchase of a cell phone and expensive accessories.
The telemarketing involves calling people he finds in the phone book to convince them to hear a timeshare presentation.
Haney is paid according to how many people attend the presentation.
Despite the challenge, Haney said it''s worth it to try to get his finances in order.
'Money, it seems, makes the world go round,' he said. 'You really just need to satisfy your daily responsibilities. Then you don''t have to worry about those things, and you can study better.'
Nancy Hatch, employment services manager at the Student Employment Office, said janitorial jobs, like Haney''s, are not often desired.
'It''s been difficult for the students,' Hatch said. 'It depends on the economy, but we used to struggle to fill jobs. Now, there aren''t enough for the demand.'
Hatch said students in need of a job should develop a strong resume and take a proactive approach to finding work.
Daniel Good, 24, a senior from Exeter, Calif., majoring in psychology, said unlike Haney, he hasn''t had trouble finding work.
'I''ve just been really lucky,' Good said. 'People have come to me.'
Good works at the MTC doing janitorial work. He found an additional job when a man asked him to help with his yard work.
Although he does not worry about finding work, Good said he does worry about finances.
For Haney, the constant pursuit of creative ways to earn money continues.
'Things are looking up though,' Haney said. 'The guppies just had three babies yesterday.'