Kgb, a New York-based directory assistance company, is helping college students earn extra money in today’s terrible economy, according to Reuters. Thousands of college kids hoping to earn some extra cash are working part-time as “special agents”. No, they’re not mini-James and Jane Bonds. “Special agents” are part of the company’s 542542 text answer service.

Kgb works as so: if you have a question, you text it to 542542 and one of the special agents are there waiting to reply.
For each question they answer, students can earn money. Yes, it’s that gloriously easy.

The CEO of Mobile and Digital at the organization, Bruce Stewart, said in the article that he’s heard from a lot of college kids around the country that kgb is a good alternative to other part-time jobs. Hours are flexible...that way, you can still go to class and be that editor of the paper, too.

Kgb was founded in 1992, and if you consult the service, you can find anything from the latest movie listings, price comparisons and directory assistance. Kgb is also very popular in the United Kingdom, with the brand 118 118, which was introduced seven years ago, according to kgb’s Web site.

Will the service catch on with cash-strapped American students?

Our Take:

I think this is a pretty fun and creative way to earn money. I know there are probably a lot of college students out there hoping to make some extra cash while attending class and doing extracurricular activities. Kgb’s flexibility seems like a good fit. I’m curious how the pay process goes though, if it’s on a text answer basis, or once a month. If it’s by answer, it could be beneficial so students can get money when they need it. However, if it’s bi-weekly or monthly, it may not be worth it to college students in need of a quick fix.