A few years ago, I used to earn money as a secret shopper.
What this means is that companies used to pay me to go into stores, restaurants and even fuel stations, and pretend to be a customer.
They used to give me specific things that I had to inquire about and sometimes I even had to buy things or have meals or attend seminars, and whatever I bought I got to keep, as well as getting paid for "shopping."
And I found that being able to write, really helped me because after each "shop" I had to write a report about what I did, what happened while I was in the store, the cleanliness of the business, or what the meal or seminar speaker was like.
I'd never before considered that this type of work involving writing, but it did.
So I thought I'd share this with you in case you hadn't thought about it before either because I received regular work from the same companies all the time asking me to visit different branches of their businesses and it was always fun to write about it later.
I used to sit in my car and make notes after I'd visited somewhere just so that I didn't forget important details.
And being a writer, this type of work probably suited me more than other people who weren't good at writing.
The only reason I don't do it any more is because I now live in a small town where there isn't a need for secret shoppers.
I also spent a few years doing online surveys, which, as a writer, I found easy to do. And unlike secret shopping, I didn't have to leave home to do it.
If you want to get paid to "shop" just do a Google search for secret shoppers in your area.
Or go online and look for paid surveys. But don't settle for small paying surveys that only pay a couple of dollars for your time. Instead, look for companies that pay 10 times that - or much more - for each survey you fill out. Surveys can also include being sent items to try out before you write about them, and you usually get to keep the product too.
The easiest way to do this sort of work is to use sites that find the surveys for you, so all you have to do is go online and give your opinion.
One such company is Take Surveys For Cash who are so sure of their service, that they'll offer you a $50 survey just for signing up.
But as a word of warning, when I used to do surveys, I used a separate email address just for that purpose, and when I stopped doing surveys (the company I was using no longer did any in my country), I shut the email address down so that it would never be spammed. I didn't like the thought of too many people having my email address, so I thought it prudent to have a temporary one.
But don't let that put you off if you want to use your writing skills for secret shopping and paid surveys, it can be a great way to earn money from your writing.
What this means is that companies used to pay me to go into stores, restaurants and even fuel stations, and pretend to be a customer.
They used to give me specific things that I had to inquire about and sometimes I even had to buy things or have meals or attend seminars, and whatever I bought I got to keep, as well as getting paid for "shopping."
And I found that being able to write, really helped me because after each "shop" I had to write a report about what I did, what happened while I was in the store, the cleanliness of the business, or what the meal or seminar speaker was like.
I'd never before considered that this type of work involving writing, but it did.
So I thought I'd share this with you in case you hadn't thought about it before either because I received regular work from the same companies all the time asking me to visit different branches of their businesses and it was always fun to write about it later.
I used to sit in my car and make notes after I'd visited somewhere just so that I didn't forget important details.
And being a writer, this type of work probably suited me more than other people who weren't good at writing.
The only reason I don't do it any more is because I now live in a small town where there isn't a need for secret shoppers.
I also spent a few years doing online surveys, which, as a writer, I found easy to do. And unlike secret shopping, I didn't have to leave home to do it.
If you want to get paid to "shop" just do a Google search for secret shoppers in your area.
Or go online and look for paid surveys. But don't settle for small paying surveys that only pay a couple of dollars for your time. Instead, look for companies that pay 10 times that - or much more - for each survey you fill out. Surveys can also include being sent items to try out before you write about them, and you usually get to keep the product too.
The easiest way to do this sort of work is to use sites that find the surveys for you, so all you have to do is go online and give your opinion.
One such company is Take Surveys For Cash who are so sure of their service, that they'll offer you a $50 survey just for signing up.
But as a word of warning, when I used to do surveys, I used a separate email address just for that purpose, and when I stopped doing surveys (the company I was using no longer did any in my country), I shut the email address down so that it would never be spammed. I didn't like the thought of too many people having my email address, so I thought it prudent to have a temporary one.
But don't let that put you off if you want to use your writing skills for secret shopping and paid surveys, it can be a great way to earn money from your writing.
