Newbie: Is my Shopping Goal realistic?
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Common, yes and yes.
Simply a different type of business to own. Screw tension. With this business, if you do not like the job, you are not obligated to do it again. Try to have some fun with it.
Simply a different type of business to own. Screw tension. With this business, if you do not like the job, you are not obligated to do it again. Try to have some fun with it.
Thanks. By "tension" I meant with my current business life. It's been 20 years and very successful and great staff and all of that. *But* things change. Things are getting tougher....... and I have certain health problems that I'm told are getting triggered, etc. I've still got kids, etc so I'd rather not croak - - knowing I had an "out".
Im still full-time in business *but* I've started researching Mystery Shopping. All I did was sign up at IntelliShop.....I see a bunch of $10 shops ...hence I was wondering how common it is to get $30-$40 per shop.
Im still full-time in business *but* I've started researching Mystery Shopping. All I did was sign up at IntelliShop.....I see a bunch of $10 shops ...hence I was wondering how common it is to get $30-$40 per shop.
@BabyBooey19 wrote:
Thanks. By "tension" I meant with my current business life. It's been 20 years and very successful and great staff and all of that. *But* things change. Things are getting tougher....... and I have certain health problems that I'm told are getting triggered, etc. I've still got kids, etc so I'd rather not croak - - knowing I had an "out".
Im still full-time in business *but* I've started researching Mystery Shopping. All I did was sign up at IntelliShop.....I see a bunch of $10 shops ...hence I was wondering how common it is to get $30-$40 per shop.
Totally depends on where you live, in my area there are a good number of shoppers, and rarely do I see a shop where I can profit 30-40. I would say it's more like 10 on average per shop in my area (southeast).
Orlando - lightly shopping NC
You need to investigate video shopping if you want to average at or above the rate you mentioned. Otherwise, the options for that compensation is pretty limited to auto dealerships and apartment complexes.
proudly shopping in the D.
A lot of shops get bonused at the end of the month so you definitely would get more per shop but then you run the risk of not a lot available or in an area far away. Then you would have to add shops to your trip to make it worthwhile but that would require hunting. All completely doable but may seem daunting at first before you become accustomed to who offers what shops / where / which ones don't get taken so you can get a higher fee.
Kim
I think it realistic to make 500.00 a month without pushing and without expecting large bonus. Ipsos has lots of jobs from $12.00 to 15.00 which are easy and sometimes two (different dept's) in the same store. Dealerships and a non-target apartment bring in another 100.00. Sign with a lot of companies, and go from there.
Live consciously....
Super easy to make that if you work at it. Like Irene mentioned Ipsos has a slew of jobs that start at $12 and go up slowly as the month goes along. Even taking 3 of those $12 shops a day 4 days a week 4 weeks a month or 16 days half a month you would make over $500 pre gas and expenses. There is a slew of shops which depending on ares your in can be bundled near each other. It is not hard to make the cash just takes effort and not being lazy.
Shopping Western NY, Northeast and Central PA, and parts of Ohio and West Virginia. Have car will travel anywhere if the monies right.
Last week I worked two days. I drove 340 miles one day, and 240 miles the second day. I made $75, $75, $70, $35, $35, and $35, $40 and $35; I will be reimbursed $52. That's almost $450 in two days. With drive time, prep, and reporting, it was about 20 hours of working. (But it's hard for me to count the reporting time, because I do it in my pj's, with the TV going, and sipping a glass of wine -- which may account for most of my typos, LOL!)
Go below to the Official List of Mystery Shopping Companies, and sign up with the top 15 "most talked about" companies (conveniently, in a separate section at the top of the list).
You may find more jobs than you could possibly schedule.
Caveat: No, I did NOT get $75 per shop as a "newbie". I mostly get that because I'm willing to drive to small towns out in the middle of nowhere, and ask for and get travel pay (or bonus, or whatever you want to call it).
Oh, and welcome to the forum!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/03/2019 02:35AM by ceasesmith.
Go below to the Official List of Mystery Shopping Companies, and sign up with the top 15 "most talked about" companies (conveniently, in a separate section at the top of the list).
You may find more jobs than you could possibly schedule.
Caveat: No, I did NOT get $75 per shop as a "newbie". I mostly get that because I'm willing to drive to small towns out in the middle of nowhere, and ask for and get travel pay (or bonus, or whatever you want to call it).
Oh, and welcome to the forum!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/03/2019 02:35AM by ceasesmith.
Wow, thank you everyone for the quick and great responses please keep them coming. Hopefully down the road if I'm into this I can also contribute tips and intel to you all.
Your point about getting the $75 shop makes total sense - being willing to drive out of the way to a place that is not exactly Times Square 
.
Question.....if you do well at the "entry level" shops....meaning a shopper does a handful of $10.00 shops, does them well and timely......does that give the shopper "cred" with the schedulers.....and does that mean schedulers might "help" you get the better shops, or bump up your rate or expense reimbursements?
.
Question.....if you do well at the "entry level" shops....meaning a shopper does a handful of $10.00 shops, does them well and timely......does that give the shopper "cred" with the schedulers.....and does that mean schedulers might "help" you get the better shops, or bump up your rate or expense reimbursements?
Yes, and yes. Positive relationships with schedulers will be one of your wisest investments.
@BabyBooey19 wrote:
Question.....if you do well at the "entry level" shops....meaning a shopper does a handful of $10.00 shops, does them well and timely......does that give the shopper "cred" with the schedulers.....and does that mean schedulers might "help" you get the better shops, or bump up your rate or expense reimbursements?
Yes. Communication and reliability are the keys to success in this business. Also, after signing up with a lot of companies, if you see a shop you are interested in, take one and see how it goes., or check here on the forum for other shoppers point of view on the assignment. Some new shoppers make the mistake of starting too fast and taking on more than they can handle. Then they end up not completing work or turning in poor work, and their credibility is shot.
proudly shopping in the D.
Your goal is very realistic. Apartment shops start at $40. Pair a nearby $12 cell phone shop, and that's $52 right there. As others stated, the last week of the month, the bonuses shoot upwards. An $11 storage facility shop will go for $24.
"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton
@BabyBooey19
Hello and Welcome! $500 should not be difficult at all. Get yourself signed up with a bunch of companies - if you just start with the "15 Most Discussed" on this forum, you'll suddenly see a whole lot more than just what Intelli-shop offers. The mystery shopping world is huge.
$500/mo: Note that there is a thread on this forum about a $500 day.
$30 shops: There are thousands. They tend to require more work than $10 shops, but they are plentiful. I regularly do shops for upwards of $100.
I work full time and can still pull in more than $2000 mystery shopping in any given month, if I so choose. I've only been doing this about three years, so I know I have more to learn. 99% of my learning came from this forum. Quite a few very experienced shoppers share their experiences and knowledge here.
If you want to start making decent money, your first steps are to learn (check out the "new shoppers" area of this forum) and to sign up for more companies - there is a list of over 200 linked to the bottom of this page. Then, ask questions!
Good luck!
Hello and Welcome! $500 should not be difficult at all. Get yourself signed up with a bunch of companies - if you just start with the "15 Most Discussed" on this forum, you'll suddenly see a whole lot more than just what Intelli-shop offers. The mystery shopping world is huge.
$500/mo: Note that there is a thread on this forum about a $500 day.
$30 shops: There are thousands. They tend to require more work than $10 shops, but they are plentiful. I regularly do shops for upwards of $100.
I work full time and can still pull in more than $2000 mystery shopping in any given month, if I so choose. I've only been doing this about three years, so I know I have more to learn. 99% of my learning came from this forum. Quite a few very experienced shoppers share their experiences and knowledge here.
If you want to start making decent money, your first steps are to learn (check out the "new shoppers" area of this forum) and to sign up for more companies - there is a list of over 200 linked to the bottom of this page. Then, ask questions!
Good luck!
Hard work builds character and homework is good for your soul.
I can usually do 3 x $15 shops faster than 1 X $45 shop.
I did 27 shops this weekend, at an average of $20 a shop.
I worked less than 8 hours each day (Fri and Sat).
They were all super easy shops that I have done 100's of times already. They required no prep other than a mapped out route for efficiency.
I did 27 shops this weekend, at an average of $20 a shop.
I worked less than 8 hours each day (Fri and Sat).
They were all super easy shops that I have done 100's of times already. They required no prep other than a mapped out route for efficiency.
I just wanted to chime in here. It highly depends on your location and how much competition there is. In my old state if I really wanted to I probably could have cleared $1000 a month, however in my new state I'm having a tough time clearing $400 a month. I would highly suggest signing up for a bunch of companies first and then searching your location or surounding area to see if many opportunities exist..
Shopping Idaho and Oregon/Idaho border region.
Live your dream! For now, everything is possible. Give yourself a chance to find out about things. And never compare yourself with others. You are unique and work independently. How you manage your time and energy is your business. What is available is another story altogether... so just enjoy what there is to do near you and if you can travel, enjoy those assignments, too. Enjoy!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/03/2019 04:27PM by Shop-et-al.
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/03/2019 04:27PM by Shop-et-al.
@SoCalMama wrote:
I can usually do 3 x $15 shops faster than 1 X $45 shop.
I did 27 shops this weekend, at an average of $20 a shop.
I worked less than 8 hours each day (Fri and Sat).
They were all super easy shops that I have done 100's of times already. They required no prep other than a mapped out route for efficiency.
This!!!!!! Take this advice right here! Do NOT throw out the $10 shop just because it is below 'your expectations' for pay.
You said you wanted to do 1 shop per day. Well, I could take 1 apartment shop that takes me 45 minutes on site and another hour (or more) writing the report for $40. OR I could take 7 quick and easy gas stations. (There are 2 brands that I can do shop & report in under 15 minutes).. these are listed as a super low base pay but always go higher. I would typically make $105+ for 7 of them.
I'd rather make $105 and do 7 shops in just under 2 hours than make $40 and do 1 shop.
@luckygirl0100
I'm not sure what apartments you do, but that's far too long. I do many, many apartment visits -for EPMS. On-site is about 20 minutes and the report takes about 45...
The other thing you have to watch if you are picking up lots of smaller shops is how much time (and gas!) you burn by driving from location to location and finding parking. Your 15 minute visits are less exciting if you have to drive ten minutes between each.
Folks who type and write and living in areas with traffic are likely to do better with the $45 shop than the three $15 shops.
I'm not sure what apartments you do, but that's far too long. I do many, many apartment visits -for EPMS. On-site is about 20 minutes and the report takes about 45...
The other thing you have to watch if you are picking up lots of smaller shops is how much time (and gas!) you burn by driving from location to location and finding parking. Your 15 minute visits are less exciting if you have to drive ten minutes between each.
Folks who type and write and living in areas with traffic are likely to do better with the $45 shop than the three $15 shops.
Hard work builds character and homework is good for your soul.
@BabyBooey19
Note that all the folks posting here, though they approach things differently, have success shopping.You'll need to experiment and see what works well for you in your area.
Note that all the folks posting here, though they approach things differently, have success shopping.You'll need to experiment and see what works well for you in your area.
Hard work builds character and homework is good for your soul.
Your goal is very realistic and with video shopping, you can easily obtain an extra 500 per month. When I started organization was a big hurdle and I was wasting a lot of time and gas. Take the time to research the various companies and see what they offer in your area, then start building routes for the day. It was more efficient for me to work 2 or 3 full-time days with routes than doing random shops throughout the month. Good luck and have fun - mystery shopping does not have to be deadly serious - just be honest and reliable.
@BabyBooey19
You mentioned kids... I am guessing that they have activities to which you drive them. Then while they are at the activity, you sometimes sit somewhere and wait, perhaps, even, with a coffee. As I got started, I had one kid young enough that I did just that. I simply changed one habit: Instead of going to Starbucks and sitting down with a $5 latte and (maybe) a $4 munchie, I'd do a single $15-$20 shop and have it completed before my son's activity was over. This made for a $20-$30 swing every time I needed to take him somewhere- and it cost me no time.
You mentioned kids... I am guessing that they have activities to which you drive them. Then while they are at the activity, you sometimes sit somewhere and wait, perhaps, even, with a coffee. As I got started, I had one kid young enough that I did just that. I simply changed one habit: Instead of going to Starbucks and sitting down with a $5 latte and (maybe) a $4 munchie, I'd do a single $15-$20 shop and have it completed before my son's activity was over. This made for a $20-$30 swing every time I needed to take him somewhere- and it cost me no time.
Hard work builds character and homework is good for your soul.
@MFJohnston wrote:
@luckygirl0100
I'm not sure what apartments you do, but that's far too long. I do many, many apartment visits -for EPMS. On-site is about 20 minutes and the report takes about 45...
The other thing you have to watch if you are picking up lots of smaller shops is how much time (and gas!) you burn by driving from location to location and finding parking. Your 15 minute visits are less exciting if you have to drive ten minutes between each.
Folks who type and write and living in areas with traffic are likely to do better with the $45 shop than the three $15 shops.
I have completed exactly 4 apartment shops... (and won't do any more) They were for Ellis and Merc. It most likely took me longer to type them up than you as you do so many and have a nice flow going... I do not and did not like them enough to learn how to shorten up my time writing. I was stuck onsite each time with **lovely** employees that talked my ear off and took forever with tours of the community including the pool, club area and playgrounds.
In Chicago I can drive literally .3 - .5 between gas stations. Less than 2-3 minutes between stations for some of them. I've done large routes of 30+ in less than a day. In the burbs where I live it takes me 10-15 minutes to drive between gas stations, so I do these spread out over several days on my way to take & pick up the kids from school/swim/basketball/baseball/girl scouts/etc... It's all about the area.
@dawnhu wrote:
I just wanted to chime in here. It highly depends on your location and how much competition there is. In my old state if I really wanted to I probably could have cleared $1000 a month, however in my new state I'm having a tough time clearing $400 a month. I would highly suggest signing up for a bunch of companies first and then searching your location or surounding area to see if many opportunities exist..
This is what I was trying to explain earlier. People talking about 40 dollar apartment shops all day, when in my neck of the woods they are 25 at best, from the exact same MSC, so YMMV. Just do the best you can, and make relationships with the schedulers, but no one can guarantee you can make this much, it is totally on you and your area (and it's saturation of shoppers).
Orlando - lightly shopping NC
Location is the key as we say in Real Estate.....telling someone what one makes is a waste of time, as that person is able to travel to difficult locations, where perhaps a woman would not want to go for the danger, gas and time aspect.
You need to find your comfort level and build. Where I live, apartment's are not bonus'd and go for 45.00, way too much work for me....I'd rather do three big box stores, maybe two jobs in same store for 15.00 apiece, easy, report much easier than an apt., and no driving, all in my town.
You need to find your comfort level and build. Where I live, apartment's are not bonus'd and go for 45.00, way too much work for me....I'd rather do three big box stores, maybe two jobs in same store for 15.00 apiece, easy, report much easier than an apt., and no driving, all in my town.
Live consciously....
Since apartment, senior living homes and car dealerships are shops I don't enjoy, and I don't do video, I don't seek them out. With that being said, I can easily make over $500 by doing routes of lower paying shops with quick reports. ($12-$20) Try adding some gas station audits to your repertoire to offset gas expense.
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The more I learn about people...the more I like my dog..
Mark Twain
The more I learn about people...the more I like my dog..
Mark Twain
Yes and when you do , they will at times call you with bonused shops
@MFJohnston wrote:
@luckygirl0100
I'm not sure what apartments you do, but that's far too long. I do many, many apartment visits -for EPMS. On-site is about 20 minutes and the report takes about 45...
The other thing you have to watch if you are picking up lots of smaller shops is how much time (and gas!) you burn by driving from location to location and finding parking. Your 15 minute visits are less exciting if you have to drive ten minutes between each.
Folks who type and write and living in areas with traffic are likely to do better with the $45 shop than the three $15 shops.
Not me. I'd rather pick up 20 X $10-$20 in Anaheim or Long Beach or Inglewood (there's plenty of traffic there) than do 4 apartment shops in a day.
I'm happy to stop before work, after work or during lunch from my regular job to do a gas station, mailing shop or El Pollo Loco any day. 1-3 extra jobs is a "non-shopping day" for me. It's basically an extra $10,000 a year for jobs that require minimal effort after doing them 100's of times. I'm fried after work most days. No way I'd do an apartment shop or anything that required a lot of focus for more than 20 minutes after a 2 hour commute and a 9 hour intense day of science.
@SoCalMama
We are definitely different people.
I would much rather do the four apartments... I don't like making stops to shop on the way to work - even if I need gas and I value my down time at lunch and avoid shopping them.... However, I hate long commutes. If I am likely to be stuck in a long commute, I'll pick up an apartment shop (or two) either near work or in the opposite direction of the heaviest traffic. I'll stop at a coffee shop and have a light meal while writing up my reports and head home after the traffic calms down. I find I'm much more relaxed this way when I get home.
We are definitely different people.
I would much rather do the four apartments... I don't like making stops to shop on the way to work - even if I need gas and I value my down time at lunch and avoid shopping them.... However, I hate long commutes. If I am likely to be stuck in a long commute, I'll pick up an apartment shop (or two) either near work or in the opposite direction of the heaviest traffic. I'll stop at a coffee shop and have a light meal while writing up my reports and head home after the traffic calms down. I find I'm much more relaxed this way when I get home.
Hard work builds character and homework is good for your soul.
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