EPISODE 45 ~ MAKE MORE: Mystery Shopper: Check Out This Legitimate List Of Companies Hiring Mystery Shoppers

Brandee in Texas listened to episode 8 about making money as a mystery shopper and she wanted more resources for actually getting into the business.

I am eager to please, so here goes, Brandee.  I got back in touch with Pamela Olmstead, President of the Mystery Shoppers Coalition and she very generously gave me a long list of legitimate companies that hire mystery shoppers.  This is important, because this is a field where scammers have tried to charge people for lists of jobs.

Pamela’s list includes 41 different companies that are not only for real, they are also in good standing with her organization which represents mystery shoppers.  So the jobs are real and these companies pay up!

Here’s a sampling of a few names of legit mystery shopping companies, in alphabetical order: About Face, Blink Research, Confero, Inc, DSG Associates, Eagle Eye Retail Intelligence Team —love that name—  Falcon Video Solutions, Guest Check and the list goes on all the way through the S’s, with a company called “The Source.”   

It’s such a long list and I also want to give you each company’s web address.  So it doesn’t make sense to name all 41 companies here.  What I’m going to do is print the whole darn list at EasyMoneyShow.com/45

Legitimate Mystery Shopping Companies in Good Standing With the Mystery Shoppers Coalition:

AboutFace

aboutfacecorp.com/

Ace Mystery Shopping

www.aceplussurveys.com/

A Closer Look

www.a-closer-look.com/

Ann Michaels and Associates

www.ishopforyou.com/

BestMark

apply.bestmark.com?cl=IMSC_17to18

BLD Scheduling

www.bldschedulers.com/

Blink Research

blinkresearch.com/

Business Observations

businessobservations.com/

Clear Evaluations

www.sassieshop.com

/sassie/SassieShopperSignup

/Signup.php?EmsID

=Tmedc4tiv50=

Confero, Inc.

www.conferoinc.com/

DSG Associates

www.dsgai.com/

Eagle Eye Retail Intelligence/Talon

www.mysteryshopping.com/

Faith Perceptions

faithperceptions.com/

Falcon Video Solutions (Wholly owned Subsidiary of IMS International Enterprises LLC)

www.falconvideosolutions.com/shoppers/

Financial Shop Solutions

financialshopsolutions.com/

Franklin National Retail Solutions

www.fnrs.ca/

GFK Mystery Shopping

www.sassieshop.com/2gfk/shoppers/LoginShopper.norm.php

Guest Check

www.guestcheckinc.com/

Impact Marketing

www.impact-mrkt.com/

InfoResearch

Please email inforesearch@comcast.net to request to be a shopper or client.

iSN Global Solutions

isngs.com/services/mystery-shopping-support-services/mystery-shopper-registration/

LeBlanc and Associates

www.mleblanc.com/become-a-mystery-shopper/

MarketStat

www.marketstat.com/

Mystery Shopper Bahamas

myste45.wixsite.com/mysteryshopper

National Shopping Service Network, LLC.

www.mysteryshopper.net/

Person to Person Quality

persontopersonquality.com/

Preferred Investigations

www.preferredinvestigation.com/

Primo Solutions, LLC

www.primosolutionsllc.com/

Quantum Shopping Solutions

quantumshoppingsolutions.com/

Reflections Mystery Shopping

www.reflectionsms.com/

Sales Quality Research Group

www.salesqualitygroup.com/

SeeLevelHX

seelevelshoppers.com/

Sentry Marketing Group

www.sentrymarketing.com/

Sensors Quality Management, Inc.

www.sqm.ca/index.php/en/become-a-shopper.html

Service Connections, Inc.

www.serviceconnectionsinc.com/shopperExpectations.html

Servimer/ aka AMA Enterprises

servimer.com/Home/tabid/104/Default.aspxhttps://servimer.shopmetrics.com/login.asp

Service with Style

servicewithstyle.com/become-a-shopper/

ShopMetrics GigSpot

gigspot.com/

Shoppers’ View

shoppersview.com/

Strategic Reflections

stratreflections.shopmetrics.com/shopperSignup.asp

The Shadow Agency

www.theshadowagency.com/

The Source

www.thesourceagents.com/Account/Login

For those who need a refresher, companies hire mystery shoppers to go in and test their products, services and guest experience.  You can make good money as a mystery shopper AND save a ton of money, because you are often given  money to shop for things you need anyway, like groceries or dry-cleaning or oil changes.

One more bonus: The Mystery Shoppers Coalition is holding its annual conference in a couple of weeks, May 3rd through 6th in Atlanta.  If you want to get into mystery shopping, you will learn everything you need to know at this 3 day event.  AND, the best part is, it only costs $79.   I know my journalism and speaking conferences  cost WAY more than that. 

So, especially, if you live in striking distance of Atlanta, you should give it a go!  Wow, that sounded like an Ad.  No, Easy Money is ad-free!  I just genuinely believe this is a great opportunity to learn a fun new way to MAKE MORE.

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EPISODE 44 ~ MAKE MORE: How To Ask For A Raise: Make More By Using These Killer Tips To Literally Increase Your Salary

Our featured topic today is our make more segment and today I mean that very literally!  Let’s talk about how to MAKE more money by asking for and getting a raise.  So many of my “make more” topics are side hustles or entrepreneurial ideas, but I also want to give you ways to make more money at your existing job. Getting a raise is the main way, but so many of us get nervous just thinking about approaching our boss for a raise.  Not my guest!  Steve Robbins is a Harvard MBA, a former CEO, an executive coach and host of the “Get it Done Guy” podcast.  And he has promised me killer strategies for asking for a raise.

Talk about the three motivations most bosses have and how to exploit them: power, affiliation and achievement.

The late Harvard psychology professor David McClelland had an easy framework you can use.  McClelland said motivation comes in three flavors: power, affiliation, and achievement. Power People want things to happen their way. Affiliation People want to be popular and liked. And Achievement People want results. We’re all part power, part affiliation, and part achievement.   Interestingly, we are taught that American business is all about achievement; it’s all that matters.   But guess what—people don’t actually behave that way. They’re also driven by power and affiliation. “Working smart” means getting results, but even more, it means satisfying your boss’s needs for power and affiliation as well. 

Do you actually bring up how you’re helping your boss with the 3 motivations when you ask for a raise?

we rarely acknowledge power and affiliation goals out loud. Those goals are considered unprofessional, even though they drive so many of us. So you need to frame your job in terms of achievement goals that will get you paid, while making it clear that you’ll meet your boss’s power and affiliation needs along the way. Trust me—as long as you’re helping a power-oriented boss expand their empire, you’ll be able to find a meeting of the minds about what you need to do to get paid and move ahead.

Notice that I’ve said very little about meeting the organization’s needs. That’s because only an executive who understands the link between their own needs and the organization’s needs will value your attempts to do the right thing for the business. In the final analysis, it isn’t between you and the company; it’s between you and the people who will promote and pay you.

That group consists of more than just your boss. Your boss’s boss and other senior managers may be watching. Your Power boss may report to an Achievement executive. If your efforts are visible to the exec, helping your boss achieve in a way that her boss recognizes might be your best strategy.

Listen to more of Steve’s excellent strategies at EasyMoneyShow.com/44.

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EPISODE 43 ~ MAKE MORE: Make Money Online: Learn Why This New Site Is An Even Better Marketplace Than Craig’s List

What if there was a more targeted, refined way to sell stuff you no longer need?  And to BUY stuff you want, at a good price, from people you trust?  There is!   It’s called Facebook Marketplace and it is both my make more AND save more topic for this show.  My guests are Deb Liu, VP of Facebook Marketplace. Also joining us is Katie Mundo a successful Facebook Marketplace user.  

Here’s a sample of questions of what I asked our guests:

  • What makes selling on Facebook Marketplace different from Craig’s List?
  • Is Facebook Marketplace one big store like Ebay or are there regional sections?
  • I always ask, so that people understand how it works: how does Facebook make money when somebody sells something on Facebook Marketplace?

You can find Facebook Marketplace here.

To find out more, check out EasyMoneyShow.com/43!

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EPISODE 42 ~ MAKE MORE: Sell Gift Cards: Profit By Selling The Gift Cards Collecting Dust In Your Drawers

If you receive a gift card from a store that isn’t your thing, you don’t have to stick it in a drawer and forget about it.  You can make money off of it!  And if you want to SAVE money, you can buy other people’s unwanted gift cards for as much as 30 percent off and die them as gifts or shop with them.  My guest is George Bousis, founder and CEO of Raise, one of the best online gift card marketplaces.  Welcome, George!

First tell us about the huge amount of wealth trapped in unwanted, unused gift cards.

Nearly $1 billion worth of gift cards go unused each year. Just as consumers wouldn’t leave a check uncashed, they don’t have to leave a gift card in the drawer unused.  Consumers can use Raise to sell their unwanted gift cards and receive cash in return, to spend it on what they really want.  Now more than ever, people need to get the most out of their money. Raise helps put the purchase power back into the hands of the consumer, and that’s what giving yourself a raise is all about.

Tell us how Raise works from a money-making, gift card-selling perspective first, George.

On the Raise marketplace, you can sell gift cards for cash at the price you choose. Listing your gift card is FREE!  We accept gift cards and merchandise credit from any brand or restaurant, and you get paid when the gift card sells. Simply choose the selling price, and your gift card will be featured on our marketplace in front of thousands of savvy shoppers.

Do you accept ANY gift card, or only certain ones?

We accept gift cards and store credits from most brands, retailers and restaurants.  Raise currently accepts gift cards from more than 3,000 different brands! Since each brand has unique redemption rules and restrictions, we may need to place your listing in review.

Which kinds of gift cards sell best?

General interest gift cards that allow people to buy multiple kinds of merchandise tend to sell the best.  Niche gift cards to stores that only sell very specific things fetch less.

When somebody buys your gift card, do you have to mail the physical card to them?

Please keep in mind that if the gift card you’re selling will be listed as physical, you will need to download and print the shipping label provided by Raise.  Physical cards are shipped to the buyer via USPS and can only be redeemed in store.

When I sell a gift card on Raise, how do I get my money?

Once your gift card has sold, you will receive an email when your funds are available for withdrawal.  We currently have three payout options: Direct Deposit, check and PayPal.

I ask this of every company I interview.  How does Raise make money when I sell a gift card? 

It’s free to list your gift cards. However, once the cards sell we take a 12% commission from the selling price. If you sell in bulk this commission might be lower. Then, if you’re selling a physical card we charge the greater of $1.00 or 1% of the value of the card for shipping.

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EPISODE 40 ~ MAKE MORE: Solar Panels Can MAKE You Money Even If You Live in an Apartment!

Kiran Bhatraju of Arcadia Power is staying on and we’re transitioning from how Arcadia can help you save money to how Arcadia can help you make money.  Thanks for sticking around, Kiran!

My husband and I are actually researching installing solar panels on our roof right now.  Should we do it?  Will it not only save but make us money?

•  When you install a solar panel on your roof, you get money back in the form of tax credits and you save by not having to pay to power 100% of your home with more expensive traditional power.

• D.C. is the best place in the country to install solar panels, if you have the ability to do so!

•  And yes, you can make money. The upfront investment that you make in the panels will end up paying for itself, and then some, in time in the form of these savings.

• How quickly the panels pay for themselves depends on how much power the panel(s) generate each month.

  If we install solar panels, once they’ve paid for themselves, what’s the average amount of money we could make per year per panel?

• This number varies largely state by state. In D.C., prices for installing solar are actually significantly lower than the rest of the country. In 20-years you could be making upwards of 20 thousand dollars in savings with a small 3 kW system

• I recommend checking out EnergySage.com. It’s an excellent tool for evaluating your estimated upfront costs and expected return on investment. 

What if you live in an apartment and don’t own your own roof, so you can’t install solar panels on it?  What’s your solution for people in that situation?

• Great question. The vast majority of Americans can’t do rooftop solar. There’s only about 8% of Americans that can.  

• For the other 92% of Americans who want to tap into solar, we offer a nationwide community solar program on our platform.

• With community solar, anyone can ‘purchase’ a solar panel that is then hosted somewhere else.

• Your investment in one of our panels works the same way that it would if it were in your own home — you get money back every month depending on how much power the panel you purchased generates.

How much does it cost to buy a community solar panel through Arcadia?

• Our community solar panels cost around $100 each, depending on the project.

I know Arcadia describes it as “saving” money, because the less expensive solar power offsets the member’s more expensive traditional power.  But, really, aren’t your members MAKING money off of solar?

• Yes, technically they are!

• It feels like savings after you make an initial investment in community, because we credit your power bill each month with a certain amount of money that correlates with how your panels performed.

• This is money that you are making off of your solar panels, and we are simply crediting it towards your monthly power bill.

And how do they get this money they are making from solar?  Do you send them a check?  Credit their power bill?

• We credit your monthly Arcadia Power statement (i.e. your power bill).

OK, the question everybody’s been waiting for: how much can people make per month by investing in community solar?

• With community solar, it’s roughly an annual return of 3% percent. This is higher than the return that you would see if you invested your money in a savings or checking account, and you can feel good about investing in renewable energy making it onto the U.S. power grid. 

Kiran Bhatraju, CEO of Arcadia Power, thank you so much for joining me on Easy Money.  Folks, if you’re intrigued, I will link you to a list of the states that have deregulated power AND I will link you to Arcadia Power’s own website where you can learn more.

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EPISODE 39 ~ SAVE MORE: Hotels: Save On Travel By Booking Your Room, Then Re-Booking the SAME Room for Less

Save more money with The Easy Money Show

Here’s a way to save money on hotel rooms by taking advantage of the fact that room rates are always changing.  Just book a room and then a new website called Pruvo tracks price drops for you and helps you re-book the room when the price has gone down.  My guest is Doron Nadevi, Chief Marketing Officer for Pruvo.  Doron, welcome to Easy Money.  

 

Doron, tell us how Pruvo works.  It’s a little unusual in that you book yourself a hotel room first and THEN Pruvo goes Into ACtion.  Explain.

1.  Book a room

2.  Forward your email confirmation to Pruvo

3.  Pruvo searches for price drops for the exact same room at the exact same time.

4.  Pruvo alerts you to re-book the room at a lower rate.

 

So you re-book the room at the new, lower rate and then cancel your old reservation.  Does this mean your original reservation must be the refundable type in order for Pruvo to work for you?

Yes, Pruvo´s only requirement to “do our magic” is that your reservation be a free cancellation reservation.

 

Does Pruvo work no matter how you booked your room originally?  Through a search engine, an online travel agency or through the hotel’s own website?

Correct.  Our system can process ANY hotel reservation ANYWHERE in the world in ANY language, as long as it is a free cancellation reservation.

 

Pruvo’s entire business model is based on the fact that hotel rooms often go down in price.  How common is that?  Do you have a statistic for us?

There is a 40% chance of a price reduction after a hotel reservation has been made. 

 

What is the average price drop you snag for your customers?

The Average price drop is 12%, and it can reach up to 67% off the total reservation amount

 

And what are your greatest hits?  The biggest dollar savings you’ve found for people so far?

$950 in a hotel in Koh Samui in Thailand!

 

How do the savings Pruvo finds compare to what you could get using AAA or AARP or member discounts at hotels?

• Pruvo can process any reservation, even if they were made with special membership discounts like AAA or AARP.

• Many times the prices with these memberships are fixed discount rates. , plus, since we have many price drops of 30-50%, rarely to membership discounts reach that amount. 

• So, AAA/AARP members who book their hotel with their rates should use Pruvo as an “insurance policy” to assure that they are getting the best deal available.  If not, Pruvo will make sure to notify them so they can get the better deal.

 

Does Pruvo’s software just scan for posted prices on all the online travel agencies?  Or do you go beyond that?

• We monitor prices 24/7 on more than 25 online travel agencies, which would be hard for an individual to do.

      Pruvo´s algorithm also searches hidden deals and membership discounts

• And we check for other things like obscure promo codes that consumers often miss.

 

When people re-book their rooms, they do so through your “Rebooking Wizard.”  What is the advantage of using that?

Great question. 

• When we alert someone of a better price and they are directed to the rebooking wizard in our site, they will see there the provider of the better deal, the payment terms (pay now vs pay at the hotel), special conditions (promotional code, coupon codes), final price and a strict reminder that FIRST they need to rebook the cheaper option and only AFTER they cancel the original one. 

• When clicking on the offer provided by the OTA, they will be taken to the OTA page with their relevant hotel reservation (Hotel and dates), so all that is left to do is choose the exact same room and pay.

 

How much does it cost to use Pruvo?

Pruvo is 100% FREE.

 

How does Pruvo make money?

Pruvo makes money by receiving a commission from some of the main suppliers of the hotels where reservations are usually made, such as Hotels.com or Expedia.

 

How long has Pruvo been around and how much money have you saved your customers so far?

Pruvo launched in May 2016 and as of the 31st of January 2018, we have saved our customers $650,000 on their hotel reservations.

 

Doron Nadivi, Chief Marketing Officer for Pruvo thank you so much for joining me on Easy Money.  And, thanks also for providing a guest blog post about hotel savings hacks and a You Tube video explaining Pruvo further.

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EPISODE 38 ~ MAKE MORE: Remote Jobs: Stay Flexible And Work For A Top Company By Telecommuting To Work

Today, I want to reveal the top companies for remote jobs in 2018, which could well be the top companies for remote jobs well into the future.

This list comes courtesy of FlexJobs.com, which compiled it by analyzing its own jobs database of more than 49-thousand posted positions.  FlexJobs looked for what it calls “remote-friendly” listings, which means the opening must offer some level of telecommuting.  So, some of these jobs are 100 percent work from home, others are mostly home-based and some give working from home as an option.

Interestingly, FlexJobs says about a quarter of the companies on the list also made the list the previous four years.  This shows working from home is shifting from a budding trend to an accepted practice.  In fact, FlexJobs says working from home now tops using public transit as the preferred commuting option in most large metro areas. 

One more thing, before I rattle off the list of employers: FlexJobs looked at the TYPES of positions most likely to be offered on a work-at-home basis.  There were some surprising ones that you wouldn’t normally think of as home-based: namely teacher, nurse and program manager!  More expected work-at-home positions were: writer, developer, analyst and sales rep.

OK, with no further ado, here are FLexJobs’ top five remote employers:

•VIPKID, an English language learning services company.

•Appen, a technology services company.

•Conduent, an IT company.

•Rev, a startup that itself works to give professionals more opportuneities to work from home.

And

•LiveOps, which offers remote customer service agents.

There are more well-known companies on the list, like Amazon, Dell, Intuit, United Health, Hilton and Williams-Sonoma.  Check out  the entire list of companies with remote jobs.

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EPISODE 37 ~ MAKE MORE: Earn Money Online: Make Quick And Easy Cash By Reviewing Videos With Your Opinion

Companies are hungry for information about what consumers want.  It used to be that they would hire a focus group vendor, gather a group of people, and have a moderator ask them questions —all while spying on the group through a one-way mirror.  That still goes on but there’s a new way companies are getting the insights they seek and it’s a money-making opportunity for YOU.  Namely video reviews.  I touched on this in Episode 29 and got so much positive feedback that we’re going deeper.  A company called DScout pioneered the process.  DScout stands for digital scout and with me today is Cam Balzer, VP of marketing for DScout.  Welcome, Cam!

Cam, describe what Digital Scouts do for Dscout and your clients?

• Dscout sends people—we call them scouts—on “missions”… sets of activities that researchers are interested in learning more about.

• Scouts complete these missions with their iPhones or Androids by taking a few moments to capture a photo or video and answering a few questions, turning their opinions, ideas and aha moments into a catalyst for change.  Plus they get rewarded.  To be a scout, all you have to do is get dscout on your mobile device and start applying to studies today!   You can find us in the App Store or on Google Play.

For researchers, these missions give tremendous insight into how people use products and services that they can turn into improvements to their company’s products or into new products or services

How did DScout get the idea for doing consumer research this way?

• Dscout was launched about 6 years ago just as smartphones were getting more popular and powerful… with cameras in every pocket

• An innovation and research consulting group in Chicago called Gravity Tank saw the opportunity to use all those cameras as a research tool to study people’s everyday experience as it happens instead of in artificial settings like focus groups

• Product and Technology companies loved the idea and it’s grown and evolved from there.

Give us a case study.  Describe a scouting job that’s available on DScout as we speak and what the scouts are required to do for the assignment.

• Sure. the Opportunities change frequently…

• but one that’s live today is headlined “Calling all TV Surfers.”  

• We’re looking for scouts to show us how they watch their favorite TV shows and movies! What is convenient and what are pain points about the way they watch?

• In the application we’ll ask some questions about the services you use and how you use them. And then to upload a video of yourself answering one of those questions.

• Then in the mission, we’ll ask you to record several moments where you’re watching tv or using your tv service.

How sophisticated do these videos need to be?

• Basically selfie style.  slightly more thoughtful versions of the videos you might record for snapchat or instagram stories.

• From 30 seconds to a minute, sometimes 2 minutes, while you’re doing something: narrating it and showing us

• Usually ask you take a few minutes to compose their thoughts before recording.

• we really care about what you think, so we want to make sure your message comes through. and a thoughtful video in an application can improve someone’s chances of getting chosen for the paid mission.

Ah, so people have to apply for missions.  What percentage of people are typically chosen?

• really depends on the study and how broad the audience is. Sometimes we’re looking for very specific kinds of people and if you fit the criteria, you’re in. broader activities can be more competitive… but maybe one in five or ten on average

• But the applications are pretty quick to complete so people typically apply for as many as they can

The scouting assignment you described has 2 parts.  What are they, to give people an even more concrete idea of what the job takes?

• Sure!

• Usually you’ll get a warm up section where we ask your general thoughts or for background info about an activity or need or opinion

• Then you’ll typically be asked to capture a series of moments on a topic: 2 times  It might be documenting all the steps in a process…. Doing your laundry or shopping for a specific item for example. Or show us your unboxing experience of a new product.

• Or we’ll ask you to inventory items: maybe frozen foods in your freezer or your favorite workout clothing

• Finally, we’ll often ask you to reflect on the moments you captured and the broader topic overall. How do you feel about your tv streaming in general.

• All stuff that’s pretty easy to do in your everyday life

About how long does it take to complete a DScout assignment?

• Varies quite a bit:

• some missions might only have one part, that could be completed in 15 minutes.

• other missions might have multiple parts requiring 1-2 hours of your time over the course of 1-2 weeks, all at times that are convenient to you.

• the payment is pretty proportionate to the amount of time or effort we think a mission will take. If you have to go out of your way to do the task, the compensation will typically be larger

• The streaming study will probably take an hour or hour and a half over the course of 5 days

OK, tell me what everybody wants to know: how much does the ___-minute assignment above pay?

• If your application is accepted and you complete the required steps in the allotted time, you’ll earn $40

How do scouts receive their pay, by the way?

• We pay scouts via paypal within 2 weeks of completing the mission.

I’ve seen testimonials from your scouts who say they enjoy this work for more than just the money.  What’s the other draw?

• Our best scouts just really enjoy sharing their ideas and experiences, for a variety of reasons:

? scouts sometimes get the opportunity to try a prototype or get a new product in their home to unbox and try. People have even got a brand new, pre-release internet connected fridge.

? They like that they can influence the way companies solve problems.  They like sharing their understanding of what’s important in a solution.

• And two of the coolest reasons we’ve heard from scouts:

? ** They like learning new things about themselves

? *** They like being pushed out of their comfort zone to do new things — may be uncomfortable at first but leads to feeling of accomplishment (record video in a store, sketch a product idea)

Who are some of the clients that a scout might work for through you?

• Clients are reluctant to reveal themselves so they can gather “pure” responses from scouts

• But we’ve got some over their logos on our site: range from Sperry to Square to Sonos to Salesforce

But back to the money.  Share a success story.  How much money are some of your most successful scouts making on DScout?

• we’ve had some scouts earn in several thousand dollars

• More typically, people can earn several hundred in six months or a year

How on earth can people make that much money $30 and $40 dollars at a time?

• The key is that many of these assignments take just 5 to 10 minutes A DAY over 3,4 days or a week.

• And scouts earning a lot more are getting into bigger, longer studies and doing a lot of them

• Either way, the best part is that you do them as you go about your normal life.  In fact, you SHOULD do them as you go about your normal life, because that’s what our client companies want to see: real opinions from real people.

How long has DScout been around and what are your stats so far?

• We’ve been offering these scouting opportunities since 2012

• We’ve had over a hundred thousand scouts use dscout,

• they’ve completed more than 12,000 missions.  

• We’ve paid those scouts a total of more than $2.5 million.

Are your currently looking for new scouts?  If so, how do people sign up?

• YES. Always new studies being run.

• Download the app and simply enter your email and create a password to get started. You’ll then see all the projects that you might qualify for and you’re free to apply to as many as you like.

• Just keep in mind that researchers are looking for articulate, honest, thoughtful responses to the videos, so it’s best to pick projects that interest you

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EPISODE 36 ~ MAKE MORE: Side Hustle: How To Make Sure Your Side Hustle Doesn’t Conflict With Your Day Job

When we talk about “making more,” often we’re talking about a side hustle, an extra gig you do in addition to your day job to bring in additional revenue.  Well, it’s important to make sure your day job and your side hustle don’t get in each other’s way.

Many thanks to Jenny Odegard of forbes.com for this great advice.  She points out that the simple act of researching, developing or arranging your side business on your employer’s computer, could mean your your employer gets a piece of the action.  Yikes!  Here are several ways to steer clear:

  1. Only work on your side job on your personal computer.  Even hooking up your personal computer to the company WIFI could expose you to problems.  Along the same lines, don’t use the company software, company phone or cell phone or even the company copy machine to pursue your side hustle business.  At the very least, the company could fire you for not making good use of work hours and resources.  Worst case scenario, your boss could have enough proof to claim that the invention or idea you came up with belongs to the company instead of to you.  The solution: Buy your own computer and other equipment —they’re cheap these days.
  2. Work on your own time on your own computer or other equipment.  Odegard, who is an attorney, says waiting until after work hours and then working from your employer’s desk is not good enough.  Go home or to a co-working space and do the work there.
  3. Read your employment documents.  Even if you didn’t sign a formal contract, you may have received an offer letter or an employee handbook or —more ominous— what’s called an intellectual property assignment agreement.  Make sure you have copies of these documents and know what’s in them BEFORE there’s a problem, not after.
  4. Final suggestion: don’t work on your side hustle with coworkers at the office.  Odegard says it’s actually OK to pursue a side hustle with co-workers.  Hey, probably half the startups in Silicon Valley start this way.  But collaborate away from the office.  Keep a clean line of separation.  Don’t even discuss your side hustle with these colleagues at a company-sponsored happy hour or holiday party. 

Bottom line: it’s called a side hustle because it’s NOT part of your main career.  Keep it that way in regard to equipment, time, and colleagues —and keep it safe.

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EPISODE 35 ~ MAKE MORE: Unboxing Videos: Earn Extra Cash By Opening Boxes On YouTube

Now it’s time for our “Make more” segment, and who would have thought that people can add thousands more to their income simply by opening boxes?

The global Unboxing trend is sweeping the web. With viewership growing by 57% over the past year, these short and simple videos are exactly what you might think: someone opening a box to reveal what’s inside. Unboxing categories are endless.  From style and shoes to new tech equipment and quirky knick knacks, anything and everything can be found …now with a suspenseful reveal on the internet.

Becoming an unboxing character has massive perks. E-commerce merchandisers hire and sponsor individuals to film themselves revealing their products for marketing and exposure. Not only are they getting paid to simply open a box, but you get to keep all that’s inside! Some unboxers are becoming YouTube sensations adding tens of thousands to their annual income.

Take Toy Box Collectibles, two individual YouTubers who teamed up to make videos featuring toys being taken out of their boxes. What started as a family-fun channel turned into over 600,000 subscribers and 100,000,000 video views!   How’s that for exposure!

I ran the Toy Box collectibles numbers through a YouTube earnings calculator and it showed that with stats like that they can easily make a quarter of a million dollars a year!  JUST from advertising.  Not counting being paid by product manufacturers!  Um, Opening boxes who knew! 

And, of course, It’s easy to start out in the unboxing industry, simply find a camera, open a box and show some personality! 

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