A Guide to Working from Home: Paid Surveys
The
home computing revolution and the advent of the Internet has made the
dream of “Working from Home” a very real and lucrative possibility for
millions of Americans. And this does not only apply to those who have
found they can now "Telecommute" in their chosen professions. Many have
been bitten by the next wave of entrepreneurial spirit that is sweeping
the nation, and are actually leaving their jobs to start their own home
based businesses. But choosing the right home based business can be a
challenge.
Paid
Surveys are becoming one of the most
attractive and easily started Home Based Businesses to supplement or
become a primary source of income.
AT A GLANCE
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|
|
Expected Hourly
Income |
$10 – 20.00 hour |
|
Start-Up Costs
|
High, Moderate,
Low |
|
Start Up Degree of
Difficulty |
Easy, Moderate, Difficult, Very
Difficult |
|
Potential Problems |
Internet Scams |
Getting Started
As with any home-based business
to earn a living doing Paid Surveys requires a few basics, in this case
primarily a computer with Internet access, basic computer skills, a
comfortable workspace, and some patience and perseverance. Unlike with
other home-based businesses Paid Surveying does not require much in the
way of advertising or marketing yourself. You will not need to create a
website, brochures, business cards, letterheads, or other sales or
marketing materials. You will however need to find the companies that
are offering the money for the product surveys. There are many sites on
the internet that offer opportunities for Paid Surveys, some are free
some require membership fees to gain access to the Survey companies.
This is the downside to Paid Surveys as a business, while there are many
such sites, there are just as many that offer outdated or useless
information, and some that are just down-right scams. Thoroughly
investigate any site before committing to a membership fee.
Start-up costs
Since the start-up materials
are minimal for Paid Surveys, start up costs are also minimal. There
will be the membership fees to gain access to the sites you choose, and
these are usually around 30.00 – 40.00 to join. As with any Internet
business, if you do not already have a high-speed connection you should
consider upgrading, it will make working much easier. Good deals on
broadband connections abound and can be had for as little as 25.00 –
30.00/month depending on the ISP’s in your area. As in any Home Based
Business – if you have left work to pursue Paid Surveys full time, and
do not have access to health benefits through a spouse, you need to
include the cost of health benefits in your monthly budget. More
information on Insurance for the Self-Employed can be found at
www.insurancebudget.com or
http://www.nase.org/
Hours and Income
As with any Home Based
Business what you get out is largely a factor of what you put in. Many
people are under the mistaken belief that working from home will require
less hours then their full time occupation. That may be so eventually,
and of course you eliminate the time of commuting, but if you want to be
successful at Paid Surveys, you must be willing to put in full time
hours. Most surveys will average pay around 10.00 –25.00 each. Proven
legitimate sites such as Survey Absolute (http://www.surveyabsolute.com/)
and
http://www.topdollarsurveys.com/?hop=credit that offer certain
guarantees – claim average earnings over 200.00 per day, for their
members with some members reporting earnings of far more. Bonuses, free
products, trips and other giveaways are often incentives for surveys in
addition to or instead of cash awards.
Potential Problems
The greatest pitfalls with Paid
Surveys as a home-based business is wasting money on joining “survey
sites” that do not deliver on their promises. Unfortunately while Paid
Surveying can be a legitimate source for home based income, it is also
one of the most common “internet scams” out there. Your best defense?
Common sense. If something seems too good to be true it probably is.
Stick with sites that make reasonable claims on earning and income
potential and offer trial periods and money back guarantees. Check with
your local Better Business Bureaus, or States Attorney General’s office
for any complaints about a given Paid Survey Source. You can also check
http://www.complaints.com/. Also keep in mind that even if you are
dealing with lists from legitimate Market Researchers, you must qualify
for a given survey and fit the demographics they are looking for, many
surveyors are turned down more often then accepted, but that is why you
must persevere and try as often as possible.
Other Resources
Reviewed Paid Sites -
http://www.topsitereviews.info/tsr1/psur/psur.html#reviews
Free Sites:
http://technicaljobsearch.com/paid_surveys.htm
Scams:
www.scam.com
Conclusion
Paid Surveys is probably not the best choice if you are looking for a
Home Based Business that will offer you primary income, though that
could be possible. However for its ease of start-up, minimal start up
costs, and minimal pitfalls that are easily avoided, Paid Surveys make
for a very good supplemental income opportunity.
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Fed
up with the rat race?