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