Wednesday, June 24, 2009

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Mystery Shopping

"Like this shirt? I got it at the mall, free. We're going to dinner tonight, free.” “Oh look, another check in the mail and another PayPal deposit.” “C'mon kids, we're going to BurgerLand, free!” “This new hammer, free!” “A bouquet of flowers? For Me? How beautiful and free."

Nothing in this world is free, right? Correct. But how about getting something almost free, or free with little effort? The aforesaid sentences indicate some common scenarios in the households of mystery shoppers. In its simplest form, Mystery Shopping, or being a secret shopper, is merely evaluating a product or service, and then getting paid for it. The only stipulation is that one must be covert about it.

The list of assignments is literally endless. The mystery shopper could be asked to go to a fast food restaurant, a clothing store, an employment agency, a car repair establishment, receive a bouquet of flowers, get his eyes checked, be a potential renter in an apartment complex, or eat out at a fine dining restaurant.

The companies reimburse the amount for the items purchased by the shopper while on the job and also give a small bonus ranging from eight dollars to fifteen dollars. If the amount spent for dining in a restaurant is forty dollars, then the company would reimburse that amount along with a bonus amount of ten dollars after the detailed report is submitted on time. Rest of the times, only the amount spent for purchasing some items would be reimbursed. Each company compensates differently.

However, there are a few downsides in this profession. Sometimes one would be offered a gig where he would have to stay in a store for twenty minutes and interact with different employees. After going home, he needs fill out a three page report detailing every single tidbit that happened.

One might have driven forty miles round trip and he would get a check for ten dollars when all is said and done. Ten dollars is definitely not worth the time and gasoline spent. Also one might be asked to go to a boatload of fast food restaurants and purchase fattening foods. Therefore it is essential to evaluate where he would want to go and determine if he is willing to do the assignment for the agreed upon compensation.

Becoming a Mystery Shopper is simple. Typing the keywords "Mystery Shoppers" or "Mystery Shopping" or "Secret Shopping" in a Search Engine browser would make the searching ob easier. They would display a plethora of companies that work in this arena. Apart from this, some fine guides to becoming a mystery shopper are also available on the internet.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Advantages of Being a Mystery Shopper

Thinking of becoming a mystery shopper is the stepping stone to earning great benefits in true sense. In addition to terrific hours, the convenience of taking a family vacation without asking the boss and having more fun at any job than most people will ever dream of having, one can enjoy the potential for a decent income at a job that offers plenty of free perks. Below are just a handful of detailed benefits for mystery shoppers.

Flexible work schedule: On getting a job as a mystery shopper, one can enjoy being able to arrive at work according to the personally set schedule. In other words, setting one’s own convenient hours and work as much or as little as desired, are two of the greatest benefits to being a mystery shopper.

Variety: Instead of sitting in the same old office and staring out of the same old window every day, mystery shopping offers a literal change in scenery. If it’s evaluating a retail store one day, the next day it could be dining in a fine restaurant or enjoying a movie in a theater – all these while being paid for it!

Income potential: Whether one desires to participate in mystery shopping as a way to earn a few extra bucks or would like to take it up as a part or full-time career, he is free to make a choice. The more mystery shopping companies one signs up with, the more income is inevitable. As is the case with anything, the reward(s) received would largely be determined by the efforts made.

Being in business for oneself: The fact is that an individual is his best boss. When one works as a mystery shopper, he would be working on his own convenient schedule and have more control over the income. Self-employed individuals receive tax advantages, receive higher rates of pay and are much more likely to enjoy their work.

Free stuff: Choosing to be a mystery shoppers land one into assignments that requires one to evaluate either a product or service. Specific instructions would be given as to what items, if any, are required to be purchased in accordance with the evaluation. Whatever be the product, one would almost always be reimbursed for the cost of the items by the company who hires him. This means that in addition to being compensated financially for the job, one would also often enjoy the benefits of freebies.

Interesting work: At the end of the day, which side of the customer counter would one prefer to be on? Would it rather be the cashier ringing up the purchase or would it rather be shopping and getting paid for it? The latter is the most appealing option. The work of a mystery shopper is never boring because it varies from one day to the next. One can never get bored by seeing the same people every day or doing the same activities. Mystery shopping will keep one stepping high and well over any slumps that a traditional job may offer.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Few Common Misconceptions of Home Based Businessmen

Home based businesses can afford greater flexibility over our lives and can really give us a sense of freedom. With this sense of freedom there are also pitfalls that many home based business owners make, which can really set them back.
Following are some common mistakes that lead to such pitfalls-
When a new work at home is started, many people soon realize that one business just isn't economically viable and instead of calling it a day, start a different business with better prospects or go back to the workforce they instead hold onto their dream like it's the last glamor of hope in their lives. These people can be easily spotted pumping their savings into a business or they get some known person who has worked hard for their pay check to invest into their business. They hold onto the hope that one day the business will grow, but it is seen that it never does. If the business isn't viable then it can be said that the person has bought himself a job where he is overworked and for some people, they may even be volunteering for the pleasure of owning a business because they can't even draw an income. During the start-up period many business owners choose to reinvest the profits back into their business and some businesses take longer than others to break, but the fact whether the business is going to work, remains unpredictable. The moral is that it is not wise to hold onto an empty dream if it isn't performing.
A person might have a home based business but that doesn't mean he has to think small. The greatest shame is seeing home based business owners who only think small because they see themselves as a small business owner. The reality is that many great well known companies started out in dorm rooms, in someone's garage or on the kitchen table. There is no reason to create limitations on oneself if he desires to create a large company. In this case the moral is that great things can start off small and all one needs is to dream big and take one day at a time. for more Visit at selecetonlinejobs.com

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

GETTING ACQUAINTED WITH THE HOME EMPLOYMENT OPTIONS

Modernization has made man more independent and today, he no longer hesitates to take his own decisions. Decisions taken prove to be right only when one is confident about the factors, rather available options, which lead him to take the appropriate decision. Similarly in case of choosing the desired avenue in the work home arena, it’s important to know the options as there are three main avenues available for home employment. Whichever avenue one zeroes in on will ultimately change his future.
If a person decides to seek out a work at home company as an employee, he needs to understand that this decision is no different from seeking an outside job. The only difference is the lack of supervision and the benefit of not having to commute; though his expectations and duties would be no different from that of a job on the work site.
If one has decided to work on a company assignment or contract his services with a company, then there is enough room for flexibility and less pressure. Though there might be certain terms that must be agreed to and the responsibilities can get demanding, it is important to go through the contract from the client carefully before signing or vice versa. It is best to be professional, create contract agreements and have everything lined out right at the beginning.
Reading the IC (Independent Contractor) contract can keep one in good standing with the company as well as keep him knowledgeable of provisions when leaving a company. This is because some companies have this regulation of restricting having more than one job or project at the same time, discussing job details online or off along with disapproval of working with a rival/competing company after resignation or termination. Some contracts may even prohibit working in the same field altogether, whether it is a competitive company or not. If found violating any of the aforesaid regulations signed in the agreement, one would be prosecuted. Therefore one should be aware before and after signing such contracts.
Finally if one decides to engage himself in his own business, in other words, become an entrepreneur, then he would virtually be required to make his own feasible rules. In case when one creates his own business, he can be his own boss and can work when he wants. But that doesn’t make it less difficult. In fact, he would have an even tougher time as in the beginning, he would be doing most of the work - it is like wearing ten different hats all at once. However, if one has belief in his product and service, it'll be worth it in the end. For this, a thorough research of the field and the competition, and knowing the rules of getting registered in the desired area, are advisable. Above all, one should realize that despite what great idea or invention he has, it does take time and patience to reach success. So Join Selectonlinejobs.com

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Working from Home, Taking Online Paid Surveys and Getting Paid

With changing times, technology has brought forth a massive change in the job scenario with endless opportunities of employment. Be it working as an employee of a firm or working from home part-time/full time, the choices depend on one’s necessities of leading the lifestyle. However those who are fed up with the daily routine of running to a different workstation, reporting on time and answering the seniors regarding work every single day, can opt for ‘work from home’, an unmatched home-based work option.
Work at home is not a cup of tea for one and all. It needs proper organisation and the mindset of adhering to the work schedule. Working from home is basically meant for those who decide to make a transit from a regular outside job to a home based job and would like to stick to it for a long time. It allows an individual the flexibility to choose his own hours of work and manage the schedule as per his daily domestic activities.
One of the most popular home based jobs reported so far is the paid online surveys. A lot of people have found an excellent source of income through online surveys at home. Many corporate giants need consumers’ opinions about their products, for which they pay cash to those who take up the surveys. Paid surveys benefit both the companies and the respondents who do the surveys. The companies learn the consumers’ opinions and work on improving their products or services thereby making a bigger name out of their brand, while the respondents are paid handsome cash for carrying out the online surveys.
The surveys are generally sent to a respondent’s mail id post his registration with the site. Out of a list of surveys which are sent, the respondent can choose to complete a desired survey and get paid for it.
It hardly takes five to twenty minutes to complete a survey. Each survey allows one to earn five to seventy five dollars. However the payment varies based on company standards. There are certain focus groups which pay two hundred and fifty dollars or more.
Quite obviously the earnings depend on the number of surveys taken up and completed. But it is for sure that filling out a lot of surveys each day would help earn substantial cash amounts daily. The best way by far to do this is to join a good paid survey membership site.
Signing up with a good and legitimate membership site requires the payment of a certain amount of membership fee followed by which a list of surveys is sent. This list is screened and includes only good surveys. Hence it becomes possible to avoid countless hours surfing the internet to participate in surveys. Taking up ten paid surveys daily, each of which pays ten dollars, one would be able to earn a whopping hundred dollar every day. This is an excellent start for beginners. If it takes around ten to thirty minutes per survey, one would have to work about three to four hours daily thereby investing the remaining time in other necessary activities.
Join:- selectonlinejobs.com