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Wanna Make Money Online?

An educational blog on different ways to make money online and avoid the scams out there. People can post their comments, ideas and ways they are making money online or the scams they fell for.

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Location: San Joaquin Valley, California, United States

I am a single Mother of 3 wonderful kids, ages; 15, 16, and 17yrs old. When I was married we tried to have kids for over 6 yrs with no luck. We figured there were a lot of great kids that needed homes so we decided to adopt. We adopted a wonderful one yr old boy in 2004, then adopted his newborn sister a few months later. A week after we got her, I found out I was pregnant! So I went from having no kids, to having 3 kids in less than a year. Be careful what you pray for! I am Family Peer Support Specialist at a non-profit for people with co-occurring diagnosis' such as an addiction and depression, anxiety, etc. Anna is a big believer in the Law of Attraction and has seen it do amazing things in her life.

Monday, February 20, 2006

Mystery Shopping: Frequently Asked Questions - By Cathy Stucker


What is mystery shopping?

Mystery shoppers go into businesses as customers. They interact with employees, make a purchase and possibly a return, then fill out an evaluation form describing what happened during the visit. Mystery shoppers get paid for providing this service.

What kinds of businesses use mystery shoppers?

Any business that deals with the public may use mystery shoppers: stores, restaurants, banks, hotels, salons, home builders, apartment complexes, gas stations, casinos, auto dealers, auto service centers, movie theaters, health clubs, pet stores, amusement parks, optical providers and more. You can get paid to get your hair cut or your eyes examined, have dinner, go to the bank, have your car worked on or fill up the gas tank, watch a movie, get your dog groomed, and lots of other things you like to (or have to) do.

How much will I earn?

Fees for a mystery shop (including purchase reimbursement when a purchase is required) may range from about $10 or $20 on up to $50, $100 or more. Fees will depend on the time required, difficulty, etc. The time required to complete a shop and fill out the form may be a few minutes to an hour or longer.

Many shoppers do this in their spare time, and earn a few hundred dollars per month. Some consistently earn more—often a lot more. It is not unusual for a part time shopper to make $500 to $1000 or more per month.

There are some mystery shoppers who shop full time and earn a living this way. It's not easy, though, to be a full time shopper. You will have to juggle lots of assignments with different requirements, due dates and report formats, so you must be very organized and disciplined.

What are the requirements to be a mystery shopper?

You can be any (adult) age, male or female. You need to be observant and able to follow directions. You must be reliable. You don't have to have a degree or any special training, but good writing skills are important.

The Certifications offered by the Mystery Shopping Providers Association, are helpful but are not required.

Mystery shopping companies use the Internet to recruit shoppers, make assignments, and complete reports. Internet access is becoming a necessity to work with most mystery shopping companies.

How do I become a mystery shopper?

Apply to as many mystery shopping companies as you can. Legitimate mystery shopping companies will not charge you to apply, so do not pay to sign up with a company that says they will get you mystery shopping jobs.

When you get your first assignments, do them on time and do a great job. That will make you a successful professional shopper.

Copyright Cathy Stucker.

About the Author: Cathy Stucker has been a professional mystery shopper since 1995. She is the author of The Mystery Shopper's Manual, the only book endorsed by the Mystery Shopping Providers Association. Sign up for a free mystery shopping course at http://mystery-shopper.idealady.com/

Source: www.isnare.com