Business Cards
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I did have business cards made and I was really glad that I did. I did not have Mystery Shopper put on them but I did have Business Compliance Audits. I was only asked for one once and it was when I was doing a Business Varification. I don't think he would have let me do the varification without the card. I had just had them for a couple of days and I left them in the car and did not take them in with me. Almost as soon as I introduced myself he asked if I had a business card to varifiy who I was. I just told him I had one in the car and I would get it for him.
I also heard (at a gold workshop) that having business cards helps prove to the IRS that MSing is your job, not your hobby.
A business varification is where you set up an appointment with the owner of a business that is allowed to check into other peoples credit records. You have to go to the bank or what ever the company is and take pictures and interview the owner and asked specific questions to prove they are a legitimate business. It is kind of interesting and is a nice break from Mystery Shopping. I do a couple of them a month to give me a change of pace. There are a couple of the MSing Companies that also do this.
I was curious about this too. Exactly what title would be legitimate to put on a business card, especially if you just wanted one card and work for several different companies? I was thinking of getting carss, but need a suggestion. Thanks!
I think Business Compliance Audits is legitimate. That pretty well covers also anything that we do. It also looks professional. I also use that term if any of my friends ask me what I do. I do not use the term Mystery Shopping at all. I have also told my family not to tell anyone I do Mystery Shopping because I do a lot more then that with price audits, varifications and some merchandising. The only merchandising I do is simple counts.Sometiomes it is a matter of just dropping off barcodes for the next month. I do not do anything where I have to do resets and this type of thing. I don't want any type of job where I have to be at the same location more then 15-20 minutes. I usually schedule 10-20 shops a day and can't spend too much time each place.
Wow, thanks, dquiring. I still have a business name that I was thinking of using, if needed, combining my remaining customers and mystery shopping, and calling it ____ Business Services, keeping my Notary Public permit, etc. I have done one business verification, and it set me to thinking. I told my boss at my part-time job that I was doing "business audits but not the CPA kind" and he said, "Oh, secret shopper!" I like "business verifications" better, but it doesn't cover some of the other things. I guess I could list it under the business name along with notary and another activity.
My brother-in-law in another state hires mystery shoppers for his new home developments. I'm sure there are other companies that aren't franchises that would rather use a local person they know. The problem is in telling them what I do because then they would "know". I have lots of assignments, but I have to travel, and there's the cost of gas.
Thanks for the information!
I have another question for you, dquiring. You do 10-20 shops a day. How do you plan? I have trouble with travel time across the city, lunch only shops, before 5PM only shops, etc. When I have another job, I am also limited.
BobG, you may have been confused because the word was misspelled. It is "verify".
My brother-in-law in another state hires mystery shoppers for his new home developments. I'm sure there are other companies that aren't franchises that would rather use a local person they know. The problem is in telling them what I do because then they would "know". I have lots of assignments, but I have to travel, and there's the cost of gas.
Thanks for the information!
I have another question for you, dquiring. You do 10-20 shops a day. How do you plan? I have trouble with travel time across the city, lunch only shops, before 5PM only shops, etc. When I have another job, I am also limited.
BobG, you may have been confused because the word was misspelled. It is "verify".
I have to have a map and a calendar by me at all times. I live in a rural area so do have to travel about 250 up to 400 miles in a day. I need to do all the shops I can on each trip to cover the expenses. I usually try to have at least one or two Gas Stations on the route also, so they reimburse me for part of the expense. I always take someone else with me to drive so that I can be working on reports in between stops. It works out well as long as I can keep moving. I marked down all of the towns on a map and then use a highlighter to show me the path so I can do a circle and make it a round trip.
Thanks, dquining. I've done those travel loops before. Getting someone else to go with me would be a problem. I've used other people when they were required, but not everyone likes this or has the time. I suppose you are taking a relative or a close friend and paying them to drive.
I am lucky and do not have o pay a driver. My husband is semi-retired and he goes with me when he can. The days he can't go I have two sons who are both in their thirties but have flexable schedules at their jobs so at least one of them is usually available. We take their cars and all I have to do is fill it up with gas when we get home. I try not to schedule my shops on the last day they are due so if for some reason I can reschedule and push my shops all back one day for the week. I usually try to keep two days sometime during the week to just do reports so if need be I can use one of these days for shops also. I also have a couple friends I can call if I just do a short run 150 miles or so and they just go along for the ride. Then I usually have to stop after each shop and write my notes before I go on. They don't like driving my car so we just go out and have a good time.
This is some information for new shoppers based on my experience.
I have done every kind of shop available and have never needed a business card. I have never needed a business card for the IRS. All I need is accurate records and receipts at tax time. Any legitimate company who sends you to do a shop will provide you will all the documentation needed to successfully complete the shop. I do not believe business cards would be a legitimate tax write off unless you could prove you were required to have them.
It would take a minimal of 8 hours to travel 250 miles and do 10 shops. I would have to drive 60 mph at all times. I could only spend 10 minutes at each shop. My reports would have to be completed while on the road meaning I would need a driver, a laptop and constant Internet connection.
It would take 14 hours to travel 400 miles and do 15 shops. Again I would have to drive 60 mph at all times and only spend 15 minutes at each location and do my reports on the road.
I just wanted to let the new shoppers know how unrealistic this is. Most jobs that can be done that quickly only pay between $10 to $20 and that estimate is high. Jobs that pay more require more time inside and more time doing the report.
I once did 12 shops in one day. I traveled 50 miles round trip. I spent 3.5 hours on the road because each shop required 10 to 30 minutes in the location and 10 minutes in between shops. I spent 30 minutes prior printing reports and organizing my route. I spent another 4 hours doing reports. I made about $175 including reimbursements and was very worn out at the end of the day. This was also a rare occasion I could find that much work in one day.
There are enough articles out there that send unrealistic messages about what MSing is really all about. Let's be real and do our best not to embellish so the new shoppers won't get discouraged and feel like failures because they aren't finding dozens of shops a day, or even in a month.
I have done every kind of shop available and have never needed a business card. I have never needed a business card for the IRS. All I need is accurate records and receipts at tax time. Any legitimate company who sends you to do a shop will provide you will all the documentation needed to successfully complete the shop. I do not believe business cards would be a legitimate tax write off unless you could prove you were required to have them.
It would take a minimal of 8 hours to travel 250 miles and do 10 shops. I would have to drive 60 mph at all times. I could only spend 10 minutes at each shop. My reports would have to be completed while on the road meaning I would need a driver, a laptop and constant Internet connection.
It would take 14 hours to travel 400 miles and do 15 shops. Again I would have to drive 60 mph at all times and only spend 15 minutes at each location and do my reports on the road.
I just wanted to let the new shoppers know how unrealistic this is. Most jobs that can be done that quickly only pay between $10 to $20 and that estimate is high. Jobs that pay more require more time inside and more time doing the report.
I once did 12 shops in one day. I traveled 50 miles round trip. I spent 3.5 hours on the road because each shop required 10 to 30 minutes in the location and 10 minutes in between shops. I spent 30 minutes prior printing reports and organizing my route. I spent another 4 hours doing reports. I made about $175 including reimbursements and was very worn out at the end of the day. This was also a rare occasion I could find that much work in one day.
There are enough articles out there that send unrealistic messages about what MSing is really all about. Let's be real and do our best not to embellish so the new shoppers won't get discouraged and feel like failures because they aren't finding dozens of shops a day, or even in a month.
Making the world a better place to shop, one assignment at a time!
I am sorry if you feel like it is impossible but an example of my schedule is: Monday morning I will leave home at 7:30 and drive 45 miles for my first stop which is a fast food breakfast stop. It will take me about 40 minutes. I then drive 35 miles to my next stop and do a fast audit and count phones and get a manager signature which takes about 10 minutes. My next 12 stops will each take about the same amount of time for the same audits, but the towns are all about 20 to 40 miles apart. My last stop is 170 miles from the first one. Then I end up with another fast food stop that is done at night. Those will probably be the only times we stop to eat. My last stop is 70 miles from home so I will probably get home about 10:30-11:00 PM and then start doing reports. I realize this is not the kind of schedule everyone wants but it works for me. I will actually be in three different states before I get home. I have 93 shops to do between the 1st and the 10th of July. I do take a laptop only when I do overnight trips which I will be doing two of them during this time. I will be gone from the 3rd-5th and then again 8th-10th. I realize if you have another job this is impossible but this is my fulltime job.
Thanks, dquining. I was wondering how you did that. With 93 shops between the 1st and the 10th (you may not be answering me for a few days!), does this mean that you don't take any shops the rest of the time because you need the rest? I find that I need rest if I try to do it all.
Right now, I have 14 shops for July, not counting my eight regular merchandising jobs. I'm afraid to take too many this month because I have Spanish class three nights a week and the whole last week will be taken up with a Master Gardener class.
I did 25 mystery shops in June, plus the merchandising, and had two seasonal part-time jobs, both of which are ending next week. The most I have been paid is $949.65 in May, most of which was for March. I have mystery shopped off and on for about a decade, but it wasn't until this January that I decided to do as much as I can with it. I am having a contest with myself to see how well I can do. I still haven't registered with all the companies I've found out about. I am beginning to get most of my shops from company emails and phone calls, so I don't have to search from the whole list every day.
I am learning new things all the time. This weekend, I got clues from two schedulers' emails about how to get more shops with their companies.
I worry about my car wearing out and not being able to replace it. I backed into a pole. The body shop was going to charge me $1,100. I bought a tail light and a trunk lid for $50 from a wrecked car, and an unemployed mechanic who owes our family favors did the work for free. When he realized that the trunk lid would have a different lock, he just straightened the old one out. Now I will touch up the missing paint with a bottle from the parts store. The car is getting too worn to go on valet parking shops.
I would really like to make a living wage at this, because the stress is so low. So far, it won't replace teaching or journalism, both of which I've done. Those occupations didn't support us in the way I'd like, either.
Right now, I have 14 shops for July, not counting my eight regular merchandising jobs. I'm afraid to take too many this month because I have Spanish class three nights a week and the whole last week will be taken up with a Master Gardener class.
I did 25 mystery shops in June, plus the merchandising, and had two seasonal part-time jobs, both of which are ending next week. The most I have been paid is $949.65 in May, most of which was for March. I have mystery shopped off and on for about a decade, but it wasn't until this January that I decided to do as much as I can with it. I am having a contest with myself to see how well I can do. I still haven't registered with all the companies I've found out about. I am beginning to get most of my shops from company emails and phone calls, so I don't have to search from the whole list every day.
I am learning new things all the time. This weekend, I got clues from two schedulers' emails about how to get more shops with their companies.
I worry about my car wearing out and not being able to replace it. I backed into a pole. The body shop was going to charge me $1,100. I bought a tail light and a trunk lid for $50 from a wrecked car, and an unemployed mechanic who owes our family favors did the work for free. When he realized that the trunk lid would have a different lock, he just straightened the old one out. Now I will touch up the missing paint with a bottle from the parts store. The car is getting too worn to go on valet parking shops.
I would really like to make a living wage at this, because the stress is so low. So far, it won't replace teaching or journalism, both of which I've done. Those occupations didn't support us in the way I'd like, either.
I try to do all of my shops in the first three weeks of the month. I usually go out four days a week and then take a couple off just to catch up on reports. I usually do about 120 to 130 shops a month. Over 90 of them are for one company so that is a good check each month. I also own my own craft supply and office supply store so I have that open also the days I am at home. I had it added on to the house a few years ago. I turned our garage into a store. I was doing daycare 5 days a week also until school got out. I have enough people to help me out so if I needed to be gone during the day I could. The company I do the most shops for can't be done until after 4:00 PM so it worked out during the school year with the daycare kids. Believe it or not I am supposedly retired I just changed my tires and started over. This is more like fun then work. I have not worked for anyone else for over 30 years because I always seem to find something to do. I am not getting rich but it does help pay the bills. The worst part of this is trying to keep the reports up to date. I just taught myself how to use the computer so I am not real good at it but I make it work. I was having my son help me with the computer stuff and decided it was time to do it myself. I am starting to not take jobs if I only have one or two from a company. The check just is not worth it. If I can stick with two or three companies I feel like it is worth it when the checks come in. I can usually do a couple thousand a month between three or four companies. Wow, I better close this book.
dquiring,
I don't know how you do it, but I think it's great if you can and manage to stay organized and handle a schedule like that. One thing I don't understand though is how do you get the reports done when most of them have to be reported within 8-12 hours from the time they were done; some by mid-morning or so the next day. You say you take a couple of days to catch up on reports. What's the time limit you have for reporting with the companies you work for? One day I did five shops which were all in the same vicinity, maybe about 15 mi. from my home. I think I was gone about 5 hrs. between the time it took to do the shops, fill out the form when I got to my car, and review the paperwork for the next shop. By the time I got home, I was pretty worn out both physically and mentally. Then I still needed to enter everything online. Plus when I enter online, I still need to add and change alot of info from my initial notes so it is quite time consuming.
I work part-time at my regular job and do MS part-time. I sometimes do a shop before or after work. I also shop on my days off or weekends. My comfort zone is about 3-4 shops a day. I also will only travel about 20-25 miles, one reason my MS is limited.
I don't know how you do it, but I think it's great if you can and manage to stay organized and handle a schedule like that. One thing I don't understand though is how do you get the reports done when most of them have to be reported within 8-12 hours from the time they were done; some by mid-morning or so the next day. You say you take a couple of days to catch up on reports. What's the time limit you have for reporting with the companies you work for? One day I did five shops which were all in the same vicinity, maybe about 15 mi. from my home. I think I was gone about 5 hrs. between the time it took to do the shops, fill out the form when I got to my car, and review the paperwork for the next shop. By the time I got home, I was pretty worn out both physically and mentally. Then I still needed to enter everything online. Plus when I enter online, I still need to add and change alot of info from my initial notes so it is quite time consuming.
I work part-time at my regular job and do MS part-time. I sometimes do a shop before or after work. I also shop on my days off or weekends. My comfort zone is about 3-4 shops a day. I also will only travel about 20-25 miles, one reason my MS is limited.
When I am gone on over night trips I have a laptop and scanner that I take along. The company I do the most shops for I have 48 hours to get my reports in. That is what helps the most. I don't take many where I have to get them in within 8 hours. I do have a few that have a twelve hour time frame but they are usually very short forms and I can do them quickly.
I'm with you Sandy - I am new to this and do it part time as fun. I only do 10-15 shops in a week. I like it when I have a date range of up to a week for shops as I can group them better that way.
I'll often do several of the same type - like 3 coffee houses/ gas stations - that way the shopper instructions are the same and I find it less time consuming.
Sometimes, I might have several different shops from different compaines in a mall and on those days, I'll often bring my laptop into the food court and type up my notes - I find this gives me a break and then I can just cut&paste the narratives when I get home. Or if it's a Sassie Shop, I'll input some details and complete at home.
I'll often do several of the same type - like 3 coffee houses/ gas stations - that way the shopper instructions are the same and I find it less time consuming.
Sometimes, I might have several different shops from different compaines in a mall and on those days, I'll often bring my laptop into the food court and type up my notes - I find this gives me a break and then I can just cut&paste the narratives when I get home. Or if it's a Sassie Shop, I'll input some details and complete at home.
dquiring,
I really didn't mean to doubt it could be done. I am so glad you clarified the route. I just wanted the new shopper to understand what you are doing is very time consuming and a lot of work. This business is so advertised as easy money and it is not. As we can all see by your schedule, it takes time, energy, commitment and major organization. It also requires having your foot in the door of a company where you can find that many shops to do in one month. I have also narrowed my list of who I shop for. I agree, it is just not worth doing one job for one company for a single check of $10 to $15.
I work a full time job. When I really put myself into this business, I can still manage to pull off 30 to 45 shops a month and earn $750 to $1000 a month. The problem is, it becomes my whole life for that month. I have decided, except for times when I need extra cash, it is just not worth it. It is so sad that fees keep getting lower and lower or more companies want to pay you by just reimbursing you for buying something in their store.
Anyway, thanks for replying with a schedule and being more specific so the new shopper understands exactly what it takes.
I really didn't mean to doubt it could be done. I am so glad you clarified the route. I just wanted the new shopper to understand what you are doing is very time consuming and a lot of work. This business is so advertised as easy money and it is not. As we can all see by your schedule, it takes time, energy, commitment and major organization. It also requires having your foot in the door of a company where you can find that many shops to do in one month. I have also narrowed my list of who I shop for. I agree, it is just not worth doing one job for one company for a single check of $10 to $15.
I work a full time job. When I really put myself into this business, I can still manage to pull off 30 to 45 shops a month and earn $750 to $1000 a month. The problem is, it becomes my whole life for that month. I have decided, except for times when I need extra cash, it is just not worth it. It is so sad that fees keep getting lower and lower or more companies want to pay you by just reimbursing you for buying something in their store.
Anyway, thanks for replying with a schedule and being more specific so the new shopper understands exactly what it takes.
Making the world a better place to shop, one assignment at a time!
Yes, this really can become a full time business but ONLY if you really work at it. I just got home at midnight last night after three days on the road and over 700 miles on my car. I now have two days to get caught up on the reports I did yesterday. I worked until 10:00 last night until my shops were closing. Then I had a two hour drive home. I leave again for another three days on Sundays. I got home at midnight last night and worked on getting receipts attached to reports and submitting the ones that needed to be submitted right away until 3:30 this morning. It is almost getting too much for an old lady who is suppose to be retired but so far we are having fun until report time.
dquiring,
Just wondering with all the traveling that you are doing, how much do you average each month
Just wondering with all the traveling that you are doing, how much do you average each month
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