How to Make Money by Taking Surveys

It almost seems to good to be true. Fill out forms giving your opinion. Get paid. People claim to make hundreds or thousands of dollars a month by working just a few hours a week.

Do I believe this to be true? Yes and no. I've signed up for several survey programs myself and have only made a few dollars here and there. But, I see that it is possible to make the kind of money people are claiming.

The reason why I didn't really make a lot of money is simple - I signed up for two or three legit companies and waited to see what they can give me. I learned today that there are hundreds of market research companies out there. In order to make a fairly good side income, you literally have to sign up for all of them.

The basic idea is that a well known company such as Walmart, Verizon, Burger King, etc will decide they want the consumer's opinion about something. So, they'll hire market research firms to administer things like surveys, focus groups, and mystery shopping to do the research for them.

Market research is a fact of life in the business world. When people are thinking of starting a business they develop their ideas by doing market research. When they want to launch a new product or change a packaging design, they'll want to do research to see if the new idea will sell or if the packaging is well recieved.

In order to find people who will give their opinions, these market research companies will pay you. Some offer gifts such as gift cards. Others enter y our name into a drawing. Still, some do pay you cash. The key is to find the companies that will offer the payouts that you want.

If you think that you are going to "get rich quick" or "make money fast" by doing these surveys, think again. Never, ever fall for any flashy marketing packages that will convince you of that.

Don't get me wrong - there are some great resources out there. But there are also some "not so great" ones. The trick is to be able to tell the difference. In my opinion, it is okay to buy a resource. Some offer a database of all of the legit market research firms that are out there. I just paid $34 dollars for one such resource. I appreciated the fact that I didn't have to do all of the research myself. Why find all of these companies myself and waste hours upon hours of my time when someone else did all the work?

It takes time to sign up for all of the market research companies. Even though people often make a few hundred dollars their first week in business, it isn't uncommon for it to take longer than that to start earning income. Just stick with it. Don't give up - the money will come if you're patient, diligent, and organized.

I made the choice to pay for a resource, as mentioned above. The service is called Paid Surveys Etc and I went with them because I heard good things about them. Upon researching I realized that they have a reputation as being a great company. There is currently a 50% off coupon if you want to take advantage of it - the membership is usually over $60 dollars.

They don't claim to be anything other than what they are - a place where you can go that has an extensive data base list. Yes, they do say that you can earn an extra $500 - $3500 a month. But, that only happens AFTER you spend some time building your business.

I don't regret making the purchase, but that doesn't mean that you have to run out and get it. You could easily find these market research companies yourself by asking around in forums and plugging in keywords such as "market research companies" or "get paid to take surveys" in the search engines. I just bought the product because I felt it would make my life easier.

If you want to make money completing surveys and joining focus groups, you need to treat it like a regular business. Here is a step-by-step guide that will help you build your business the right way. Keep in mind that a lasting business isn't necessarily one that starts making money quickly. This could take a while to get going.

Find Companies to Sign Up For

You have several choices in this regard. There are three basic types of places where you can go and make money by completing surveys. Here is a rundown on the legit ones:

• Market research companies such as Greenfield Online and Nielsen Ratings
• Get Paid to Sites such as Cash Crate and Treasure Tropper

If finding the companies yourself is getting too tedious, consider signing up for a place like Paid Surveys Etc or Survey Scout. Remember, those companies are tools that will make your life easier, not a way to guarantee success.

Sign Up for a Separate Email Account

Before you sign up for the market research companies, set up a special email account. I personally use yahoo but you can use whatever you are comfortable with. You can use your initials or your name - the goal isn't so that you can "hide". The goal of this email is to make it easier to keep track of all your surveys.

Check Your Email At Least Once a Day

Companies will email you when you are eligible for a survey. Sometimes, they expire after a few hours or so. So check your email often so you can take advantage of these opportunities when they come your way. Otherwise you'll miss out.

Don't Give Up

I can't stress this enough. When I originally purchased the product, I had a slgiht moment of panic. People were saying that sites like Paid Surveys Etc were scams. Upon further digging I realized a few things. People who were saying that more than likely tried to make money at it for a day or two and stopped because they weren't seeing the immediate cash.

Programs like Survey Scout and the one I purchased are not magical. I can't stress that enough. You need to go through and sign up for the market research companies yourself. You're responsible for checking your email and making sure you accept the surveys you're eligble for. If you give up before you start making money, that doesn't make the concept a scam - it means you quit!