First, I'll begin with a company called ChaCha
What is ChaCha?
What is a ChaCha "guide"?
A guide is the person behind the texts answering the questions! ChaCha has 15,000 active guides, with thousands searching each week and hundreds online at any time. ChaCha Guides work from home or any favorite spot with a high-speed connection.
Am I right for ChaCha?
The requirements for a ChaCha guide are as follows:
- Loves researching online
- Fluent in English
- Excellent writing skills
- High speed internet connection
What are the benefits of working for ChaCha?
There are so many great benefits to working for ChaCha! First of all, you will be setting your own hours and controlling how much money you make! ChaCha is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week and you can log on to work whenever fits your schedule. There are no hourly minimums or maximums. While training, you will be getting tips for professional journalists. And you will have relevant work experience for your resume.
Is there a sign-up fee to get started with ChaCha?
NO! And I've always believed if a company is going to charge YOU to start working for THEM... something isn't right. Beware of these companies.
How much will I get paid working for ChaCha?
ChaCha pays their guides $0.20 per completed query. You can get paid one of two ways. A direct deposit into your checking account once your account reaches $100 OR using the Pay Me Now feature which allows you to get paid whenever you want and you don't have to have a specific account balance. There is a $2.00 fee for this option.
Do I need a referral to work for ChaCha?
You are not required to have a referral to work for ChaCha, but they do have a referral program. If you do choose to sign up, guides get a 10% referral bonus for everyone who signs up using their email address. Meaning, for every $100 one of your referrals makes you get paid $10. Theoretically, if you have 20 people on your team and they're making just $100 a month, you could be making an extra $200 just from referrals.
How do I sign up?
Visit: http://search.chacha.com/guidesignupnow
Fill out the form and this is where you can enter your referral (me!) as well, tavia.redburn@cox.net
What's the training process like?
If your initial application is accepted (and it could be 2-3 days before you find out) you will receive an email inviting you to take a test with three sections. If I remember correctly, one part was a typing test, one part was an English/grammar test and one was a ChaCha test (they give you information to read about their company and you answer questions about it). If you pass this test, you'll receive an email inviting you to take the simulator test. This is the part most people fail. They give you a lot of information to read and review before taking the simulator and I HIGHLY suggest reading it all thoroughly. If you fail the simulator there are no second chances... (at least not with the same email address ;-P) According to ChaCha.com, only one out of ten guides is accepted. Take this entire process seriously, if you're serious about working for them. I treated the whole thing like a job interview, because it is!
How do I know if I've been accepted?
It usually takes 3-7 business days after you complete the simulator to find out if you're accepted. It takes so long, because each simulator is graded individually by a ChaCha employee. Once graded, they will send you an email if you passed or failed.
If you have any questions PLEASE contact me and I would love to help you!
Mystery Shopping
What is mystery/secret shopping?
Retail stores, restaurants, car dealerships, etc. hire companies to audit their businesses and make sure their individual stores are meeting that particular companies standards. Shoppers (us!) are hired by these companies to perform these shops.
How do I become a mystery shopper?
Most people think you have to pay an initial fee to become a mystery shopper. You do not! You should never have to pay a company to work for them. Also, some dishonest people compile a list of companies and charge you to view the list. And, most of the links they'll give you are broken. Here is a list of mystery shopping companies:
A&A Merchandising Ltd. - www.aamerch.com/
A Closer Look, Inc.- www.a-closer-look.com/
A & M Business Services - www.ambussvcs.com
A Step Above Service Evaluations - www.serviceevaluations.com/
A Top Shop - www.atopshop.com/
Acra, Inc.- www.secretshopacra.com/ ----A Lot of California shops
Ann Michaels & Associates, Ltd.- www.ishopforyou.com/
Associate Consumer Evaluations - www.acemysteryshopping.com/
Amusement Advantage - www.amusementadvantage.com/
Anonymous Insights - www.a-insights.com/
Anonymous Shoppers & Assessments of Pittsburgh - www.asapittsburgh.com/
Apartment Shoppe - www.apartmentmysteryshopper.com/
Ardent Services - www.ardentservices.com/
Assure Quality Systems - www.aqsshopper.com/
At Your Service Marketing - www.aysm.com/
Bare Associates International - www.baiservices.com/
Barry Leeds & Associates - www.barryleedsassoc.com/
Best Mark - www.bestmark.com/
Beyond Hello - www.beyondhello.com/
Beyond Marketing Group - www.beyondmarketinggroup.com/
BMA Mystery Shopping Services - www.mystery-shopping.com/
Business Insights Group - www.businessinsights.com/
Byers Choice Inc - www.byerschoiceinc.com/
Campus Consulting - www.shopaudits.com/
Capstone Research - www.capstoneresearch.com/
Captain D's Seafood - www.captainds.com/
Certified Reports, Inc.- www.certifiedreports.com/
Check-Up Marketing - www.checkupmarketing.com/
CKA Group, Inc.- www.ckagroup.com/
Commercial Services System - www.commercialservicesystems.com/
Consumer Impressions - www.consumerimpressions.com/
Consumer Research Group - www.crg2000.com/
Corporate Research International - www.mysteryshops.com/
Count on Us - www.ucountonus.com/
Coyle Hospitality Group - www.qualityaudit.com/
Customer 1st - www.consumer-1st.com/
Customer Perspectives - www.customerperspectives.com/
Customer Service Experts, Inc.- www.customerserviceexperts.com/
Customer Service Perceptions - www.csperceptions.com/
CV Marketing Research Inc.- www.cv-market.com/
Data Quest, Ltd.- www.dataquestonline.com/
Datatron - www.usd-datatron.com/
David Sparks & Associates - www.sparksresearch.com/
DSG Associates - www.dsgai.com/
Eyes R Us, Inc.- www.eyesrusinc.com/
The Field Force - www.thefieldforce.com/
First Bank - www.efirstbank.com/
Focus on Service - www.focusonservice.com/
Franchise Compliance, Inc - www.franchisecompliance.com/
Full Scope Mystery Shopping - www.fullscopemysteryshopping.com/
G3 Mystery Shopping - www.sparagowski.com/
Grantham, Orilio & Associates - www.goashoppers.com/
Graymark Security Group - www.graymarksecurity.com/
Green & Associates - www.greenandassociates.com/
Greet America, Inc.- www.greetamerica.com/
Hilli Dunlap Enterprises - www.dunlapenterprises.com/
Howard Services Service Sleuths - www.howardservices.com/homess.html
Imaginus - www.imaginusinc.com/
imyst - www.imyst.com/
Infinity Assurance Group - www.infinityag.com/
Infotel - www.infotelinc.com/
Instant Reply - www.mysteryshopservices.com/
IntelliShop - www.intelli-shop.com/
J M Ridgway Company - www.jmridgway.com/
Jack's Mystery Guest - www.jacksguest.com/
Jancyn Evaluation Shops - www.jancyn.com/
JC & Associates - www.jcandassociates.com/
Ken-Rich Retail Group - www.ken-rich.com/
LeBlanc & Associates - www.mleblanc.com/
Locksley Group Ltd. - www.locksleygroupltd.com/
Maritz Research - www.virtuoso.maritzresearch.com/
Marketing Systems Unlimited - msultd.com/
Mar's Surveys - www.marsresearch.com/
Market Viewpoint - www.marketviewpoint.com/
Mass Connections - massconnections.com/
Melinda Brody and Company - www.melindabrody.com/
Mercantile Systems and Surveys - www.mercsurveys.com/
Merchandise Concepts - www.merchandiseconcepts.com/
Michelson & Associates - www.michelson.com/
Mosaic InfoForce - www.mosaic-infoforce.com/
Mystery Guest, Inc - www.mysteryguestinc.com/
Mystery Shopper Metropark - www.metropark.com/nggroup/
Mystery Shoppers - www.mystery-shoppers.com/
Mystique Shopper - www.mystiqueshopper.com/
National Shopping Service Network, LLC - www.mysteryshopper.net/
Nationwide Services Group, Inc - www.nationwidesg.com/
Northwest Loss Prevention Consultants - www.nwlpc.com/
Pacific Research Group - www.pacificresearchgroup.com/
The Pat Henry Group - www.thepathenrygroup.com/
PatronEdge - www.patronedge.com/
The Performance Edge - www.pedge.com/
Person to Person Quality - persontopersonquality.com/
Petro Truck Stops - www.petrotruckstops.com/
Pinkerton - www.pktnshop.com/
Premier Service Consulting - www.premierservice.ca/
Promotion Network, Inc. - www.promotionnetworkinc.com/
PROS Professional Review & Operational Shoppes, Inc. - www.proreview.com/
PulseBack - www.pulseback.com/
Quality Assessments Mystery Shoppers, Inc. - www.qams.com/
Quality Assurance Consulting - www.qacinc.com/
Quality Insurance Inspection Specialists - www.qsispecialists.com/
QualityWorks Associates - www.qualityworks.com/
Quest for Best - www.questforbest.com/
Reality Check Mystery Shoppers - www.rcmysteryshopper.com/
Restaurant Cops LLC - www.restaurant-cops.com/
Restaurant Evaluators - www.restaurantevaluators.com/
Retail Biz Consulting - www.retailbiz.com/
Rickie Kruh Research and Marketing Group - www.rkrmg.com/
Ritter & Associates - www.ritterandassociates.com/
Rocky Mountain Merchandising - www.rockymm.com/
Reality Quality Assurance - www.rqa-inc.com/
Satisfaction Services - www.satisfactionservicesinc.com/
Second to None - www.second-to-none.com/
Secret Shopping Company - www.secretshoppercompany.com/
Secret Shopping Services - www.secretshoppingservices.com/
Sensors Quality Managements - www.sqm.ca/
Service Advantage International - www.servad.com/
Service Alliance - www.serviceallianceinc.com/
Service Check - www.servicecheck.com/
Service Evaluation Concepts - www.serviceevaluation.com/
Service Excellence Group - www.mysteryshopsplus.com/
Service Impressions - www.serviceimpressions.com/
Service Intelligence Secret Shop Net - www.secretshopnet.com/
Service Performance Group - www.spgweb.com/
ServiceProbe - www.pwgroup.com/sprobe/
The Service Quality Department - www.service-quality.com/
Service Research Corporation - serviceresearch.com/
Service Sleuths by Howard Roberts - www.howardservices.com/homess.html
ServiceTRAC - www.servicetrac.com/
SG Marketing - www.sgmarketing.com/
Shoppers, Inc. - www.shopperjobs.com/
Sights on Service - www.secretshopper.com/
Sinclair Service Assessments - www.ssanet.com/
The Soloman Group - www.thesolomongroup.com/
Sparagowski & Associates - www.sparagowski.com/
Speedmark Information Services - www.speedmarkweb.com/
Spies in Disguise - spiesindisguise.com/
SystemChec by Orillio & Associates - www.systemchec.com/
TNS Intersearch - www.intersearch.tnsofres.com/
TES/Rapid Chek - www.rapidchek.com/
Texas Shoppers Network - www.texasshoppersnetwork.com/
Trend Source - www.trendsource.com/
Video Eyes - www.videoeyes.net/
It takes time, but the best way to start is filling out "New Shopper Forms" for these companies. Some of them will contact you, and some of them you need to visit their websites regularly and check their job boards.
Hits4Pay
Hits4Pay is a company that pays you to view online ads. You receive an email to view the ads and they pay you $0.02 per ad you view. It is by no means anything that's going to make you a significant amount of money, but it's nice for a little something extra! Also, for every person who signs up with you as a referral, you get $0.01 for every ad they view. And for every person they sign up you get $0.01 for every ad THEY view. If you're interested click the image below. Everything about it is 100% free and they give you a $10.00 bonus when you sign up! :-)
