Can You Form a Home Business with Mystery Shopping?
Are you sick of all those online jobs advertised by an seo company claiming to be able to make you easy money? Want a home businesses but not sure what to do? Maybe you should consider Mystery shopping instead. Mystery shopping is a popular buzz word that is often thrown around in the entrepreneurial world. Why? Well, if you can establish a successful career as a mystery shopper, basically you would get paid to have fun. Whether you’re shopping for new merchandise, eating at a restaurant or even watching a movie, mystery shopping promises a job that is far from what you can expect in the corporate world. Can you image it? Getting paid to buy cosmetics that you were going to buy anyway, or receiving money to get quotes on caravan insurance? It seems almost too good to be true.
Yet, is the field of mystery shopping worthy of its hype? It depends. If you are so proficient that you get hired on a 9-to-5 basis, then yes, mystery shopping could be very lucrative. In fact, I even saw an ad at my local Afees advertising for a full-time mystery shopper. So, I know that such a dream is possible.
Things might be more difficult if you try to use mystery shopping as a home business. This is what my husband tried to do a few years ago. After sifting through dozens of mystery shopping ads, he finally found a legitimate lead through Voalition.com. He decided he would apply.
A few weeks later, he got an assignment. He had to buy a product from Best Buy and evaluate the overall experience. Of course, he had to pay for the item upfront, but he did get reimbursed later on.
A second assignment came a little while later. This time he had to order food from Popeye’s. Again, he received a small stipend for his time as well as compensation for the meal. But he still wasn’t impressed enough to continue taking further assignments, so he ended up quitting.
Now, this may seem weird, especially to those who feel that mystery shopping is a work-from-home panacea. But what newbies don’t know is that you’re not guaranteed an assignment. You’re just added to a list, and if something is available then the company will call or email you.
However, there is a way to get around this, if mystery shopping truly is your passion. Instead of applying to one company, you may need to apply to 100 or more. You may also need to network directly with the stores in your area, asking them in person if they have any need of a mystery shopper. Either way, if you keep doing this, eventually the numbers will be on your side.
In conclusion, it is possible to work from home with mystery shopping. However, you will have to do your homework, and maintain an open-mind. Don’t limit yourself to one company unless you’re doing mystery shopping as a hobby, (where a steady stream of assignments doesn’t matter).