Can You Make Money with Surveys?

If you’ve been a visitor of Work-At-Home Success for some time, you’ll know that I’ve never been very optimistic about making a living doing surveys. But I get asked about them all the time, so I thought I’d post my thoughts to help answer questions. I’ve also posted a few survey companies you can check out if you’re interested in learning more about surveys.

What are surveys?

Companies need information and feedback on the products and services they sell. They get this feedback by asking consumers questions about the product specifically or their buying habits. Surveys are not new, but in the past they’d come in the mail.

Are surveys a scam?

No, at least not the legitimate ones. Like most everything else related to working at home, there are always a few bad apples trying to take advantage of others. Legitimate survey sites do not charge you money. I have found that some sites will charge money to access their database of survey sites. You have to decide for yourself whether this is worth it. In my experience a little research goes a long way. And some of these survey database sites sneak in free-to-try programs that can cost you money.

Can you work-at-home doing surveys?

This is a hard question to answer because you can make some money and get free stuff. But I haven’t yet anyone yet who supports their family on survey income. So if you need to pay the rent, I don’t think surveys are the best option. If you want mad money or less than a few hundred a month, then maybe it would be worth effort.

Do I have to give them all that information about me?

Yes, but within reason. The survey sites need to put you into a demographic (married, own a home, have 2 kids, etc) because companies survey specific demographic groups. But you always want to be careful about giving away information that could hurt you financially. The difficulty is that if you’re getting paid, the law requires the company issue a 1099 for which a social security is needed.  This is true of any paid work in the U.S. (Incidentally, you’re also supposed to claim prizes and winnings as income on your taxes).

What do I need to know that isn’t usually mentioned?

Most survey sites will tell you how you can make $5 to $75 per survey, but what they don’t tell you is that you may only qualify for one survey a week or less or maybe more, but you’re not going to do five $25 surveys a day seven days a week. Many don’t  pay per survey, but instead enter you to win money.  And some give you stuff instead of money. I’ve gotten a portable CD player (before there were MP3 players) and a Victoria Secret bra. I also got paid $5 once to do a week-long log of my TV watching habits. It was fun, but I didn’t earn much.

They also fail to mention the qualifying aspect. When companies survey consumers, they usually want a very specific group such as married moms with children under 10 years who own a home, a computer, a gaming system, and watch 20 hours of t.v. a week (this is just an example). Further you don’t know until you start the survey whether or not you’ll fit the demographic the company is looking for. Usually the first few questions are used to identify if you fit the target group.

The people I’ve met who seem to make the most from surveys and win a lot of free stuff tend to spend a lot of time at it and participate through more than one company. If you’d like to give it a try, you’re likely only to waste time (as opposed to money) and perhaps you’ll get a few bucks or free items. Remember though to never pay money to join a survey site and be skeptical about the free-trial offers that will bill you if you fail to cancel. Some survey database sites have those kind of offers as well.

Here are few survey sites you can try. The are free, BUT I cannot make any guarantees about their programs or your success in working with them. They are offered solely as information you can check out.

American Consumer Opinion
Consumer Views
FocusLine.com
Online Customer Surveys
Panda Research
Survey Savvy
Vindale

Is Your Home Office and Business Protected?

Did you know that your renter’s or home owners insurance may not cover all aspects of your home-based business? According to Nolo, if your home burns down, and your insurance company didn’t know there was a home office, you may end up with a voided policy.  But insurance isn’t just about protecting your property. Its also about you and your staff’s health as well as protecting you from liability.

• Insurance needs you should check out include:
• Property coverage and loss of business
• Auto coverage
• Liability coverage for products as well as seeing clients in your home
• Disability insurance
• Health insurance for you and your staff

There are many options for finding coverage. Some companies now offer a joint home/home business coverage, which may be cheaper than adding riders to your existing policy. You’ll want to shop and compare to find the best business insurance quote and group health insurance rates. Fortunately, there are many options available.

You’ll also want to protect your business from your employees. It’s not unusual these days for employers to do background checks on their employees through companies like IIX. These companies can provide verification of social security numbers, driving history, and criminal background checks.

Don’t take a chance on your business’ financial future by not having adequate insurance coverage. Do the research and make sure you’ve got all your assets covered.

Upcoming Work-At-Home Seminars

I’ll be conducting a series of in-person seminars at Piedmont Virginia Community College this fall.

Create or Find a Work at Home Job Saturday, September 25   9:00am-noon

Companies are hiring virtual workers to keep productivity up while saving on costs. Learn which companies use telecommuters, what jobs are available now, how to identify your skills and how to protect yourself from scams. Includes worksheets, handouts and free access to an online directory of resources. Go to www.pvcc.edu/wfs or call 434.961.5354  to reserve your seat in these workshops which will be held in the Stultz Center at PVCC.

Earning Income Online Saturday, October 2    9:00am-noon     $49

Discover how to find work or launch a business online using your existing skills and interests. Identify the assets that are potential money-makers, determine the best way to make money from your ideas, use free and inexpensive online tools to generate income and develop a plan of action. Includes worksheets and handouts. Go to www.pvcc.edu/wfs or call 434.961.5354 to reserve your seat in these workshops which will be held in the Stultz Center at PVCC.

Become a Virtual Assistant Saturday, October 16   9:00am-noon    $49

Do you have the skills to provide office and administrative support? If so, then a virtual assistant (VA) career may be right for you. Learn what a VA does and how to get started. Identify the skills you have and the services you can offer, who needs your services and how to get them to hire you. Gain business start-up basics and learn how to set your fees and get paid. Includes worksheets and handouts. Go to www.pvcc.edu/wfs or call 434.961.5354 to reserve your seat in these workshops which will be held in the Stultz Center at PVCC.

WAHS Podcast #106 Jill Hart from CWAHM.com

This week I interview Jill Hart from CWAHM.com and co-author of So You Want to Be a Work-At-Home Mom.

If you’d like to download any episode you’ll notice a new “Download MP3″ below the player. You can get the podcasts through iTunes as well.
Listen here:

You can also subscribe through iTunes.

Resources Mentioned On the Show

CWAHM.com
So You Want to Be a Work-At-Home Mom: A Christian’s Guide to Starting a Home-Based Business

Get a Free Work-At-Home Job

At any given time, there are hundreds of free work-at-home jobs posted online. In fact, to be a job, as in employment, it has to be free as legitimate employers never charge to hire people. Further these jobs are not hard to find if you know how and where to look for them. This is where many people get into trouble. They search for the wrong types of work such as typing and data entry in the wrong types of places. Home-based jobs are prevalent, but to avoid getting scammed, you need to take some time to learn about these jobs and how go get them.

1. Work-at-home jobs are like traditional jobs. Employers are looking for people with skills and experience to fill a specific job. As a result, you need to conduct a work-at-home job search like a regular job start by starting with the skills and experiences you have, and search for job types that need them.

2. Stay away from any “job” that says it’s typing, data entry, envelope stuffing, mailing, payment processing, rebate processing, repackaging agent, assembly work, and any job that asks you to use your personal bank account to help it do business. Most of these are scams, and others are deceptive work-at-home schemes. None of them are jobs. Occasionally you may find a typing or data entry project on a freelance job site, but its one-time project, not an on-going job.

3. Never pay money to get hired. While you can spend money on services that can help you get a job such as hiring someone to help with your resume or accessing a good telecommuting job database, you never want to pay money to get hired. Legitimate employers never charge to hire people.

4) Look for work where jobs are posted. Don’t use your search engine to find work-at-home jobs. Visit free job sites such as Careerbuilder. You do have to watch out for scams and business opportunities on the free job sites, but if you focus on your skills and follow the rules in the previous steps, you can weed out the non-jobs. There are also reputable work-at-home sites that frequently post screened work-at-home jobs.

5) To get hired, submit a professional resume that outlines all the skills and experience that make you a perfect fit for the job. Avoid giving a sob story about poor health or finances. Employers don’t care about that. They want someone who can do the job, so focus your efforts on showing what you have to offer an employer.

Today, the opportunities to get hired to work from home are endless and continue to grow. But if you are to get hired, you need to understand what work-at-home jobs are, why companies offer them, and how you can position yourself to get hired. By understanding the five telecommuting rules outlined here, you will find legitimate jobs faster and improve your chances of getting hired.

Free Teleseminar – Become the Go-To Business in Your Industry

It’s no secret that personal connections, work-of-mouth marketing, and referrals are the cheapest, most effective ways to build a business. This isn’t just about tweeting, although social media plays a part. Instead it’s about building a comprehensive marketing and customer service plan that keeps your business first and foremost in your clients’ and prospective customers’ mind.

I’ll be hosting a free teleclass on Become the Go-To Business in Your Industry on August 23, 2010 at 9 pm eastern.  In this TeleClass you’ll learn:

- Why connection marketing is replacing old-school marketing tactics.

- What connection marketing is and how it is the most effective form of marketing.

- Free and low-cost online and off-line connection marketing strategies that build loyalty and referrals.

- How to create a connection marketing plan that works for your business.

The teleseminar is FREE. To learn more or register visit GlobalTeleclass.com

WAHS Podcast #104 Turn Hobbies into Income with Jeff Block

This week I interivew Jeff Block from JustPaperRoses.com on turning your hobby into an income.

If you’d like to download any episode you’ll notice a new “Download MP3″ below the player. You can get the podcasts through iTunes as well.
Listen here:

You can also subscribe through iTunes.

Resources Mentioned On the Show

JustPaperRoses.com Don’t miss Jeff’s special offer to save 10% on an order. Use promo code: Success

WAHS Podcast #103 Ask the Pajama Mama

This week I answer listeners’ questions about working at home.

If you’d like to download any episode you’ll notice a new “Download MP3″ below the player. You can get the podcasts through iTunes as well.
Listen here:

You can also subscribe through iTunes.

Resources Mentioned On the Show

Allison O’Kelly of MomCorp on Flexible Work Options

Lift Inc

Remind Your Customers

Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy

If you don’t remind your customers that you are still in business they may forget. Repeat customers are the lifeblood of any business. Below are three effective strategies you can use to remind your customers that you are still in business and get them to buy over and over again.

1. Ask your customers to subscribe to your free publication. It could be a print newsletter, e-zine, newspaper, journal etc. You could send out the publication weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, etc. The articles in the publication should be informative and helpful to your readers. You can increase repeat purchases by including advertisements of new products and services that you offer.

2. Ask customers to sign-up to an e-mail update that tells them when you have made changes to your web site. Whenever you update your web site send them an e-mail to remind them to visit again. If you’re using this strategy it’s important to update your web site often. Add new content that would be of interest to your customers. You could also add free stuff to your web site like software, online utilities, ebooks etc.

3. Follow-up with your customers. You could follow-up by e-mail, direct mail or by telephone. It’s always important to get their permission to follow-up ahead of time. You could contact them and ask them if they were happy with their purchase. Send them online or offline greeting cards on holidays and birthdays. You could also follow-up with a free gift letting them know you appreciate their business. You can get repeat business from them if you include another product offer or back end product with each follow-up.

In conclusion, any of the three strategies above will increase the number of repeat purchases from your current customers. You can increase their effectiveness by combining all of them into your marketing campaign.

About the Author:

Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy has helped thousands of people in over 200 countries around the world start and run a successful home business. Discover 3 easy steps to start your own home business and subscribe to The Home Biz Guy’s Free Home Business Secrets Mini-Course at: http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-23595

Get Hired to a Work-At-Home Job

Imagine not only having the steady, regular income of a job, but the ability to do that job from home! It’s not as far-fetched a situation as you might think. Virtual work has been growing and is expected to continue growing. But many people who want a work-at-home job struggle to find legitimate work and get hired. Part of the problem is they don’t understand work-at-home jobs. The scammers give the impression that you can sign up to type, do data entry, process email or lick envelops.  The reality is that work-at-home jobs are like traditional jobs. They require skills, experience and going through a hiring process.  Here are some tips to increase your chances of getting hired to a work-at-home job.

1. Start with your skills. When looking for a traditional job, most people read the help-wanted section of the paper. But they don’t read every job opening looking for the one thing they can sign up to do now. Instead they focus on the job types that fit their skills. You need to do the same when looking for a work-at-home job. You need to determine what skills you have and what job types can use them.
2. Search for jobs in places where jobs are posted and focus on your job skills. There are many great free and fee-based career sites to find jobs, but you have to learn to weed the legitimate jobs from the scams. This is especially so on the free sites. If you stick to your skill base and don’t get sidetracked with promises of easy money, you should be safe. Avoid jobs that are known scams such as “clerical,” “typing, “data entry, “email processing,” rebate processing” and any job asking you to use your personal bank account to help it do business (that includes overpaying you and asking you to send the portion of the overpayment to someone else).  Any job that asks for money is not a job. Don’t fall of any of the gimmicks such as the fee is to determine your interest or to offset expenses. You would think a traditional employer was nuts if he asked for money while taking your application.



Get my FREE tips for searching for jobs as well as job search sites that I like. Click here!

3. Write a resume that sells you for the job. Too many people view a resume as a list of accomplishments. While it does list education and job experience, it’s more accurately a sales document, like a brochure. As such it needs to sell you as THE person for the job. To achieve that, tailor your resume or application to fit the requirements of each job. Focus on your skills and experience that directly meet the requirements the employer is looking for.  You want an employer to read your resume and say, “This person has everything I’m looking for. She’s a perfect match!” Don’t lie or embellish. Simply highlight the skills and experience you have that the employer wants.
4. Apply, apply, apply…and then apply some more. One of the biggest mistakes that job hunters make is applying for a job or two and then sitting back and waiting to hear from the employer. In a work-at-home job you may never hear back from the employer.  During the wait time you may miss an even better job opportunity. And finally, applying and waiting makes the job hunt longer. A successful work-at-home job hunt includes searching for jobs everyday so that you can apply right away before the hordes of other applicants. While you can be disappointed and discouraged if the process is taking a long time, you can’t let that stop you from continuing to hunt for work and submit the best resumes that you can. The only way to get hired is to apply. So you need to apply, apply, apply!

Millions of people are currently working at home in a job.  They’re customer service agents, virtual assistants, nurses, teachers, writers, transcriptionists and so much more. Finding and getting hired to a work-at-home job is possible, but you need to treat it with the same dedication and professionalism as a traditional job search.

Check out my tips for searching for jobs as well as job search sites that I like!

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