A Guide to Working from Home: Product Testing
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.
Product Testing
is 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 + Free
Products |
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Start-Up Costs
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High, Moderate,
Low |
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Start Up Degree of
Difficulty |
Easy, Moderate, Difficult, Very
Difficult |
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Potential Problems |
Internet Scams |
Getting Started
Belive it or not thee are 100’s
of companies that will give you Free Products and even pay you to test
tehm. As with any home-based business to earn a living as an At Home
Product Tester 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 Testing Products at Home does not require much in the way of
advertising or marketing yourself. To obtain and Test Products at Home
you will not need to create a website, make 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
tests. There are many sites on the internet that offer opportunities for
Product Testing and Market Research, some are free some require
membership fees to gain access to the companies offering products and
pay fees to test them. This is the downside to becoming an at home
Product Tester 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just as many that offer outdated or useless information, and some that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 Test Products at Home, 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.
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 as a Paid Product Tester, you must be willing to put in full
time hours. You can expect average earnings over 200.00 per day, and
some people do claim to make far more testing products. Of course for
the most part you get to keep the products sent to you for testing.
Bonuses such as free trips and other giveaways are often incentives for
testing products in addition to or instead of cash awards. Also, if you
get to keep products sent to you for testing you have the additional
income passivity of listing the products for sale on auction sites like
eBay.
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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