| A freelancer is an independent contractor. Have you | | | | provide businesses with much needed information on |
| been looking for freelance employment? Are you | | | | customer service and help increasing sales. A mystery |
| thinking you have the skills and discipline to work | | | | shopper covertly evaluates the cleanliness of a |
| independently? With a computer, high speed internet, | | | | facility, how products are placed, the staffs |
| phone, fax and skills you can work from home in | | | | helpfulness and knowledge. It is an opportunity for a |
| almost any field with companies in almost any | | | | business to improve services and provide training. |
| country. Companies benefit by working with | | | | The shopper provides detailed reports answering the |
| freelancers or contractors because they are not | | | | questions posed in guidelines for conducting each |
| responsible for employment/tax costs. Make sure | | | | shop. |
| your home environment fits with the type of work | | | | This is not a field in which youll get rich. You may find |
| you want to do. If you plan to do phone work, you | | | | steady work if you provide great reports, follow job |
| cant have sounds of small children or dogs barking in | | | | guidelines exactly and live in an area where frequent |
| your background. Companies still want their home | | | | shops occur. Signing up with multiple mystery |
| workers to appear to be working in the companies | | | | shopping service providers should bring you more |
| offices. | | | | frequent mystery shopping jobs. |
| Writing/Editing/Proofreading | | | | How Much Do Mystery Shopping Jobs Pay? |
| If youre hoping to find job listings for writers or | | | | Mystery Shopping pay rates vary depending on the |
| freelance photography jobs there are opportunities | | | | type of assignment and establishment. Sometimes it |
| online. In previous times freelance writers and | | | | is just reimbursement for money spent during the |
| photographers contacted magazine and book | | | | shop. You are given a set spending limit and are told |
| publishers with samples sent via the mail. Now, you | | | | if it will be reimbursed. For example, you shop an |
| can search the web and find organizations hiring | | | | express lube service. Your oil change and lube will |
| freelancers of all sorts. Freelance writing, editing and | | | | cost $29. You are reimbursed $29. In another case |
| proofreading are valuable services to many | | | | you shop a supermarket, you pay for the job is $11 |
| businesses. Companies cant afford to distribute | | | | and up to $6 of your purchase will be reimbursed. |
| documents and marketing materials that contain | | | | Your total pay for the job is $17. Shopping auto |
| errors. An extra pair of eyes help to find errors that | | | | dealerships, property management firms, and other |
| could be costly or embarrassing. They need accurate | | | | such establishments often pay a rate anywhere from |
| and professional workers to create and polish written | | | | $30 to $75. Other examples: retail stores pay $10 |
| materials. | | | | -$30/shop, fast food $5-$15/shop, casual dining |
| There is a wide range of pay. Low paying jobs range | | | | restaurants pay $15 to $30 with a meal allowance of |
| from $10 per article to $200 per educational paper. | | | | $15 - $20. |
| High paying jobs range from $600 to $1,000 per | | | | Virtual Assistant |
| article. Ghost writing a novel can get you thousands. | | | | If your administrative skills are strong you may |
| Web Developers | | | | consider being a Virtual Assistant. A Virtual Assistant |
| With technological advances telecommuting jobs | | | | (VA) supports one or more businesses remotely. |
| became possible and prevalent. Freelance | | | | Duties may include secretarial work, meeting and |
| opportunities have moved beyond writing and | | | | travel planning, project management and web |
| photography. Other freelance employment areas to | | | | maintenance. As an independent contractor youll |
| explore include jobs for web developers. Web | | | | decide with whom youll work and how and when |
| developers usually offer HTML and programming | | | | youll work. |
| services to create interactive or database driven | | | | Clients are most often small businesses and will hire a |
| websites. Web developers are programmers and | | | | Virtual Administrative Assistant to save money. Since |
| work with web based code like ASP, .NET, Cold | | | | you are working from home you use your own |
| Fusion, DHTML, Javascript, PHP, SQL and more. Web | | | | equipment and the client incurs not employment |
| development and web maintenance are viable | | | | costs like taxes and benefits. You are responsible for |
| freelance jobs ideal for work at home. | | | | your own taxes as an independent contractor. Virtual |
| Someone who wants to be a developer has to have | | | | assistants can support just about any industry. The |
| a good eye, think like a programmer and have some | | | | ones hiring VAs most often include real estate, |
| graphic design capabilities. If you only know HTML | | | | coaching, financial services, accounting and legal. |
| then you wont get very far and will find that you | | | | You can learn how to become a VA and earn |
| have a lot of limitations to the types of sites you can | | | | certification through one of many online training |
| build, says Joey Costa, owner of The Tek in Cary, | | | | organizations. These organizations work with your |
| NC. In addition to HTML, you should know C | | | | existing skill and teach you how to create, operate |
| programming, pearl, and good graphics programs like | | | | and become successful in your VA business. Many |
| Photoshop. | | | | refer you to your first virtual assistant job. You |
| Mystery Shopping | | | | should research training providers well before paying |
| Consider also, mystery shopping. Mystery shoppers | | | | for training. |