Whether you’re new to mystery shopping or you’ve been doing it for years, you likely have wondered at some point if there is a magic number of mystery shopping provides you should work for. Is it better to focus on just a handful or will you get more money in the long run by branching and working for as many providers as you can. The simple answer is that there is not a magic number.
Making Time For The Job Boards. Simply signing up to work for a mystery shopping provider is of little use to you if you don’t have time to scour the job boards and sign up for assignments. Look at your own personal schedule, thinking about the time you have available to commit to mystery shopping. If you have more time to work on job assignments, it may be worthwhile for you to add a few more providers to your work list. On the flip side, if you don’t have enough time as it is to regularly check the job boards of the providers you’re already working for, it makes little sense to add more providers to your work list.
Find The Right Providers. Something to consider, however, is that if you are spending all of your time looking for assignments and very little time completing assignments, you may not be signed up to work for the “right” providers for you. To make the most money as a mystery shopper, you want to find the ideal providers that offer plenty of assignments in your area, as well as the type of assignments you enjoy working.
You can do a little homework on providers before spending your time signing up for them by using the resources available on the mystery shopping web forum. Your fellow mystery shoppers on the online forum are more than happy to share tips and advice on providers they have worked with. However, part of locating the right providers for you will be trial and error as well. If you sign up for a provider and spend more time viewing their job boards than working on paying assignments, you may want to cut that provider loose and move on.
New Mystery Shoppers. If you’re new to mystery shopping, you may not know what type of assignments you prefer working on. You also may not have a good idea based on personal knowledge of what makes a provider “good.” It’s advisable to sign up with just a couple of providers initially. After you’ve complete a few assignments for each provider, you will not only have a better idea on what type of assignments you enjoy doing, but will also have a good idea on which providers are able to provide you with enough work to properly compensate for the time you’re spending searching through their job boards.
Don’t be afraid to end a relationship with a provider if that business relationship is not in your best interests, providing you with a sufficient number of the type of assignments you enjoy doing.