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Advertising on Your
Car Make Money
by Driving Around Town |
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Mystery shopping
(sometimes called secret shopping) is an excellent way to make
extra money. It is very easy to do, you need no previous
experience, no special knowledge and no expensive equipment.
Mystery shopping can be performed by anyone who is able to go
shopping. The mystery shopping companies employ men and women of
all ages and descriptions as secret shoppers in order to obtain
feedback from a wide range of different people on a wide range of
services. Some mystery shopping assignments have to be undertaken
by people who are accompanied by children in order to report back
on specific facilities in places such as theme parks or family
restaurants. (If you don't have children of your own in the right
age group, don't worry: you are allowed to borrow them from
relatives or friends.) If you enjoy shopping, mystery shopping
will be a fun way for you to make extra money.
Mystery shopping consists of getting paid to go into a business (eg
a shop or restaurant), without the employees knowing that you are
anything other than an ordinary shopper, and reporting back to the
mystery shopping company. A focus group is when you get paid to
sit down with other people who are also getting paid and discuss
new products or services, many focus groups are actually held
online, so you don't even have to leave home for carry out the
assignment.
The reason mystery shopping companies and survey companies exist
is to provide companies with impartial feedback on their
employees, products and services. That way they can see where
there might be problems and make the necessary changes to improve
things.
Mystery shopping companies will pay you to shop, eat at
restaurants, have a drink at a bar, visit the cinema, take a trip
and take part in focus groups. If you are sent out to do mystery
shopping, you might be required to visit a particular shop and
just make enquiries about an article to test the staff's customer
service level but, if you are instructed to make a purchase, you
are allowed to keep the articles and will be reimbursed for the
cost. If you are sent to do mystery shopping at a restaurant or
bar, you will be given a budget figure to spend on your food and
drink and that money will be reimbursed to you by the mystery
shopping company on top of your fee for the assignment. You might
be asked to sample new products and these items will be sent to
you free of charge. As part of your mystery shopping, you might
find yourself receiving free
samples to test of anything from detergent to
chocolate. (This can also happen if you join survey companies.)
Mystery shopping jobs are obviously easier to find if you live in
or near a fair sized town where there are a large number of shops,
restaurants etc but, if you live in a rural area, you can still
earn money taking part in online focus groups which can be found
through online paid survey companies.
After you do a mystery shopping assignment you answer some
questions on a form provided by the mystery shopping company and
file your report with them. These reports are usually set up as a
series of questions with a box for you to add any relevant details
the company might request. The reports can usually be completed
very quickly and it is best to complete your report straight after
you finish your mystery shopping so that you don't forget any
detail. Some mystery shopping companies require you to report to
them by phone immediately after you have completed the mystery
shopping assignment but, generally, the companies expect you to
submit a written report by post or email.
The way to approach mystery shopping is to remember that basically
you are like a reporter. You must never add your feelings or
recommendations to a mystery shopping report. Your job is to just
answer the questions, report the facts and describe what actually
happened during your mystery shopping expedition.
If you accept a mystery shopping assignment but then are unable to
complete it, make sure you immediately notify the mystery shopping
company so that they can make alternative arrangements to avoid
letting down their client.
When you start doing mystery shopping, make sure you accept all
suitable assignments including last minute jobs and any less than
glamorous assignments you might be offered. The top class
assignments will be offered to reliable mystery shoppers so you
will need to prove yourself and build up a good reputation by
making a good job of the lower quality assignments and getting
your report in on time. At the start, you might find yourself
being asked to do mystery shopping a the local fast food outlet or
department store. Once you build up a reputation as a reliable mystery
shopper, you can look forward to assignments
where you are paid to visit expensive restaurants and designer
shops. You might even be lucky enough to get a free trip and hotel
accommodation as a mystery shopper.
Always keep in mind that, although mystery shopping is a fun and
easy way for your to make extra money, it is a business and you
need to behave in a businesslike manner when carrying out your
mystery shopping assignments and reporting the results to the
mystery shopping company. Your mystery shopping reports will be
helping to shape the future of the businesses you visit and you
have the chance to make a positive impact on decisions relating to
improvements to services and facilities which will be of benefit
to you.
If you are chosen for a free car, you must
agree to drive the vehicle an average of 1,100 miles per
month and wash the vehicle twice per month. Drivers
must also make their vehicles available once a month for a
visual inspection.
To qualify as a driver (moving
billboard) you must be a licensed driver, have current
insurance and agree to have your DMV record reviewed (you
cannot have more than two moving violations in the last
year and a half). You also have to agree to keep the
GPS system on at all times (presumably so that if
you steal the car, the company can track you down).
If you receive the free car, you will
have to purchase insurance through AdSmart.
Contracts are from 6 to 24 months long.
Your car, or the free car, will be wrapped in a highly visible,
digitally printed, high quality, vinyl material manufactured by
3M. The vinyl material does not damage the vehicle and can
be removed in approximately 4 hours.
Whether or not you and your car are
accepted into the program depends on the need (number of paying
advertisers) in your area. And there is a catch to applying
- you must reside within 50 miles of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
Wilmington, Delaware, New York, New York, Baltimore, Maryland or
Washington, D.C.
Apply at http://www.adsmartoutdoor.com/drivers.htm
Other similar companies are http://www.ads2go.com
(pays $50 per month) and www.adwraps.com
(pays up to $400 per month).
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