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How many of you have started a mystery shop company?

October 28, 2016 09:38PM
Have you ever had a long day mystery shopping and said to your self, "I should start my own MS company!"

How did you feel when you first gained a new client?

Do you still mystery shop for other companies?

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October 28, 2016 10:41PM
There's a non-compete clause in most MSC's contracts, so it's doubtful that anyone currently shopping would have done so.

Now scheduling travel shops for the day after Christmas through mid-January.
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October 29, 2016 07:58AM
I started as a bookkeeper for a small local MSC. Massive never-ending work!
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October 29, 2016 12:17PM
Other companies would especially stop you from working for them once you are a competitor! And, they would probably tell more MSCs that you were now "the competition," and you would be dropped like a hotcake.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
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October 29, 2016 12:51PM
Why in the world would you want the headache of owning a mystery shopping company? I would rather be out in the field shopping! smiling smiley
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October 31, 2016 03:39AM
I would rather pluck all the hairs on my head one-by-one with tweezers. I feel bad for editors and schedulers. A new msc owner is likely doing both in addition to sales and accounting. I shudder to think.
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October 31, 2016 01:00PM
Not to mention getting a line of credit sufficient to pay shoppers on a reasonable and reliable schedule while awaiting payment from the clients. Lenders are very tight-fisted with small to medium business credit lines.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
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October 31, 2016 05:26PM
@SunnyDays2 wrote:

Why in the world would you want the headache of owning a mystery shopping company? I would rather be out in the field shopping! smiling smiley

Some people just want risk and attempt to build assets. As contractors or employees (there are exceptions, of course!), we don't benefit from the profit of the company outside of the fees / reimbursements we agree to, unless of course, you're a shareholder, part-owner, etc.

Personally, I'd rather stay a contractor in this field of work, but I do plan to build a business on the side in a completely different field and industry though.

Very infrequently shopping the Greater Denver Area, Colorado Springs and in-between in Colorado these days.
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November 02, 2016 02:02AM
I've been a business owner twice in my lifetime. I did well but had no life outside of work, and maintaining a relationship was difficult. I'm much happier and less stressed out now.
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November 03, 2016 06:36PM
I would rather get paid more than the pittance offered by so many of the companies. They really cheapen the profession. I wonder if the MSCs are aware of how little might be paid.

For example, I just saw a shop that pays $15 and is stated to take about two hours minimum to complete. Of course, that does not take into consideration transportation costs. (My car needs oil and gas etc.)

So, yes, I might have started my own company and stopped shopping for others, when I was younger and if I had known about such companies.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/03/2016 06:40PM by indy101.
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November 03, 2016 07:42PM
@indy101 wrote:

I would rather get paid more than the pittance offered by so many of the companies. They really cheapen the profession. I wonder if the MSCs are aware of how little might be paid.

For example, I just saw a shop that pays $15 and is stated to take about two hours minimum to complete. Of course, that does not take into consideration transportation costs. (My car needs oil and gas etc.)

So, yes, I might have started my own company and stopped shopping for others, when I was younger and if I had known about such companies.
Your post is confusing. So did you start your own MSC or not? If you did, why don't you pay us shoppers a higher fee than pittance?

As far as transportation costs, oil and gas, that is why you keep track of ALL business-related mileage. Give those figures to your CPA/tax consultant and they will be deducted from your taxes. Easy peasy.
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November 03, 2016 11:01PM
@Sybil2 wrote:

@indy101 wrote:

I would rather get paid more than the pittance offered by so many of the companies. They really cheapen the profession. I wonder if the MSCs are aware of how little might be paid.

For example, I just saw a shop that pays $15 and is stated to take about two hours minimum to complete. Of course, that does not take into consideration transportation costs. (My car needs oil and gas etc.)

So, yes, I might have started my own company and stopped shopping for others, when I was younger and if I had known about such companies.
Your post is confusing. So did you start your own MSC or not? If you did, why don't you pay us shoppers a higher fee than pittance?

As far as transportation costs, oil and gas, that is why you keep track of ALL business-related mileage. Give those figures to your CPA/tax consultant and they will be deducted from your taxes. Easy peasy.

It should have stated: "So, yes, I might have started my own company when I was younger and if I had known about such companies."

I once owned a store, I had an accountant, and it was incorporated. Thus, he notated the write offs. One would have to be making a whole lot of money shopping in order to justify deductions. I am not making that much money.
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November 04, 2016 04:02PM
@indy101 wrote:

I once owned a store, I had an accountant, and it was incorporated. Thus, he notated the write offs. One would have to be making a whole lot of money shopping in order to justify deductions. I am not making that much money.
Wrong. Even PT MS'ers like myself claim mileage and expenses which ARE deductible.
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November 04, 2016 07:06PM
@indy101 wrote:

I wonder if the MSCs are aware of how little might be paid.

This is the part which was confusing to me. Do you think that the MSCs are somehow not aware of how little they pay?..or are you suggesting they could get away with paying less?

I don't even want to get into the whole tax/write-offs discussion. It's been well covered already on the forum, but I would suggest anyone who's not taking deductions against their MS income read those discussions.

Overall, I think there is a great misunderstanding about how much income can be derived from running a MSC. Many are small businesses doing what they can to get by and with all the competition, many still go out of business paying shoppers the pittance they do. Just like shoppers, there are a few MSC owners that rise above the rest and make a decent income, but most probably make less than I do at my main job. I gladly walked away from running an MSC years ago and have no regrets about it....
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November 04, 2016 07:35PM
One would have be very naive, very young with no experience in business, able to get funding, willing to work 24/7 or as the movie says, "Dumb and dumber". Employing people to do these jobs is a risk in itself, and with the pay.....no thanks, big pass!!!

Live consciously....
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November 05, 2016 06:03AM
Aw, I feel so bad for the MSC now. Maybe I should give some of those bonus' back so they can stay in business.
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