If you have heard great things about mystery shopping, you are not alone. For some people, mystery shopping is a job that they never really thought was a legitimate or real way to earn money until recently. It seemed almost too good to be true to earn a living while you shop at stores and dine at restaurants. For others, friends and family members may have mentioned the job in passing, and now you want to try it out. Regardless of why you started looking more seriously at mystery shopping as a money-making opportunity, the fact is that now you want to know how to get started. The good news is that there are a few easy steps that you can take to get the ball rolling with mystery shopping.
Find Providers
As a mystery shopper, you will be an independent contractor, so you will not need to apply to work with a company in a traditional sense. However, you will need to find one or more mystery shopping providers to work with. These providers act as a go-between or middleman between you and the clients. They connect those who want your services with you and other mystery shoppers. You can easily obtain a free, complete list of legitimate providers through the Mystery Shopping Providers Association online. Keep in mind that there are other sources that sell a list of providers to you, but the MSPA offers the list free of charge. You may need to complete a brief application to sign up as a mystery shopper with these providers, but the process is fast and simple in most cases.
Find Jobs
Usually, you will learn that you are approved to work as a mystery shopper through your providers within a matter of minutes or hours, although in some cases, it may take a day or two. As soon as you are approved, you should be able to log into the provider’s website to search for jobs. When searching for jobs, be sure to read through the assignment details. Pay attention to the compensation, the amount of work required and the location of the job to determine how cost-effective the assignments are for you. Once you have found a great assignment, simply select it online.
Complete Your Assignment
Completing your first assignment or two as a mystery shopper can be stressful and even a little confusing, but you will quickly get the hang of it. Keep in mind that the assignment requirements may seem detailed, but it is imperative that you complete the requirements exactly as they are written. Pay attention to the date and time when the assignment should be completed. After your site visit is completed, you will need to complete your report for the assignment online. The report questions almost always follow along with the assignment requirements. As long as you completed the requirements according to the instructions, you should not have trouble with your report.
The fact is that mystery shopping is an easy job to get started with, and no experience is usually required. If you have been looking for a great part-time job, take a closer look at mystery shopping today.