Business in Egypt has ground to a halt. Food and consumer goods stack up in ports. Gas stations have not had deliveries for days and supplies dwindle. Simple economic theory suggests prices will soar and they have.
After an initial lukewarm reception when he first returned to Egypt, Nobel laureate and opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei has picked up some much-needed support from the Muslim Brotherhood. That support creates a somewhat united secular-religious opposition to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
An emboldened ElBaradei is now openly critical of the Obama administration. "It’s better for President Obama not to appear that he is the last one to say to President Mubarak, it’s time for you to go," Dr. ElBaradei said.
ElBaradei Begins to Unify Opposition
The New York Times reports Opposition Rallies to ElBaradei as Military Reinforces in Cairo
Egypt’s powerful Muslim Brotherhood and the secular opposition banded together Sunday around a prominent government critic to negotiate for forces seeking the fall of President Hosni Mubarak, as the army struggled to hold a capital seized by fears of chaos and buoyed by euphoria that three decades of Mr. Mubarak’s rule may be coming to an end.
The announcement that the critic, Mohamed ElBaradei, would represent a loosely unified opposition reconfigured the struggle between Mr. Mubarak’s government and a six-day-old uprising bent on driving him and his party from power.
“Today we are proud of Egyptians,” Dr. ElBaradei told throngs who surged toward him in a square festooned with banners calling for Mr. Mubarak’s fall. “We have restored our rights, restored our freedom, and what we have begun cannot be reversed.”
Dr. ElBaradei declared it a “new era,” and as night fell there were few in Egypt who seemed to disagree.
“It’s better for President Obama not to appear that he is the last one to say to President Mubarak, it’s time for you to go,” Dr. ElBaradei said.
Ports Shut Down, Food Prices Soar, Business Grinds to a HaltThe internet is shut down, so are cell phones, and so are ports. Goods stack up at docks, and supplies of fuel are at critical levels. After six days of riots, the Political Crisis Now Has Serious Economic Repercussions.
For four days now, containers arriving on ships have been stacking up at Egypt’s largest port, shipping company employees and truck drivers here said. With distribution networks barely functioning and the Internet down since Thursday night, much of business in Egypt has nearly ground to a halt.
“A big part of the production system is government-run, and this is frozen, including many of the bakeries making the subsidized bread,” said Hoda Youssef, an economist at the Arab Forum for Alternatives, an independent think tank and a lecturer at Cairo University. “Here in the short term — today, tomorrow, the coming few days — we might have a serious problem with shortages of food, water and fuel,” Ms. Youssef said.
“We did not get any new gas for the last two days,” said Mustafa Ahmad Hamadi, the owner of an Alexandria Mobil station, adding that he usually received about 2,600 gallons a day and now has only about 1,300 gallons left. He said that he had owned the station for 12 years, but has “never seen a situation like this before.”
“When I called the company, they told me there is no more distribution at this point and they don’t know when they can deliver again,” he said, as cars lined up for his remaining fuel and arguments broke out among customers despite employees’ efforts to keep them in line.
A taxi driver with two women waiting in the back seat said he had been to 12 gas stations since Saturday, and this was the only one with gas. “I am really worried,” said the driver, Muhammad Youssri Said, 29. “This car is the income for me and my family. No taxi, no money, no food.”
Potential Runs on BanksBanks are now shut down as is the stock market. However, Egypt’s Banks Risk Deposit Run when they do open.
Egypt’s banks may risk a surge in customer withdrawals when they open for business, placing them among companies worst hit by the nationwide uprising against President Hosni Mubarak.
“A run on the banks would be the biggest concern, which is possible in the current situation,” Robert McKinnon, chief investment officer at ASAS Capital in Dubai, said in a telephone interview. Authorities are likely to keep the financial system closed to avert the risk, he said.
Egypt’s banks and markets stayed shut yesterday after six days of clashes in the most populous Arab country that left as many as 150 people dead.
Asked about the risk of a bank run, Mohamed Barakat, chairman of state-run Banque Misr and head of the country’s banking association, said in a telephone interview that Egyptian lenders are “very liquid,” with average loan-to-deposit ratios of 53 percent.
Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List What to do with those coupons that you impulsively bought off of Groupon, Living Social, Ideeli, or any of the many other discounted ‘deal of the day’ sites? Sell ‘em!
That’s right, there’s a site for everything these days, and selling coupons, while initially relegated to online bulletin board sites, such as Craig’s List, have established their own re-sale sites and are open for business.
In case you’re not in the know about these daily deal sites, they provide a great, affordable way to discover what a city has to offer by selling heavily discounted deals for services and products in your area or online - With deals like Living Social’s Amazon price buster, offering a $20 gift card for $10 and surpassing one million gift cards sold, there are sure to be some “miss-buys.” You thought you wanted, or needed it, but in the end it was something you were never going to use.
After doing a little investigation, I came up with several names of deal for “resale” businesses, with a few emerging as the leaders of the pack. DealsGoRound, CoupRecoup, and Lifesta are suddenly making an impact in the market.
Yael Gavish, co-founder of Lifesta, says she saw a need for a forum focused on the aftermarket. She had a friend visiting her in New York, who had purchased a Groupon certificate. Unfortunately, when the friend arrived, they discovered the restaurant was closed for renovations. Her friend was out the money, but the idea was created.
"People buy daily deals and they all work on the impulse buy," explains Yael Gavish of Lifesta.com. "So you think you're definitely going to this, but then, it turns out that 20-40 percent of these daily deals are never really used." Their site has seen a monthly growth of 50 percent, mainly through word of mouth.
A great solution for “buyers remorse” if I ever saw one!
bench craft companyBreaking news: Obama quits smoking. ... Breaking news: Obama quits smoking. Share. posted at 5:30 pm on February 8, 2011 by Allahpundit printer-friendly � He had to do it. If his system wasn't in peak shape, he'd never have been able to ...
Fox News has learned that President Obama will call on Congress to support a permanent normal trade relations status with Russia and that his U.S. trade ambassador will tell Congress Wednesday the White House will intensify efforts this ...
New York Yankees news from around the internet on 2/9/2011, including Rob Neyer on Derek Jeter's attempt to bounce back from a disappointing 2010 season.
bench craft company Business in Egypt has ground to a halt. Food and consumer goods stack up in ports. Gas stations have not had deliveries for days and supplies dwindle. Simple economic theory suggests prices will soar and they have.
After an initial lukewarm reception when he first returned to Egypt, Nobel laureate and opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei has picked up some much-needed support from the Muslim Brotherhood. That support creates a somewhat united secular-religious opposition to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
An emboldened ElBaradei is now openly critical of the Obama administration. "It’s better for President Obama not to appear that he is the last one to say to President Mubarak, it’s time for you to go," Dr. ElBaradei said.
ElBaradei Begins to Unify Opposition
The New York Times reports Opposition Rallies to ElBaradei as Military Reinforces in Cairo
Egypt’s powerful Muslim Brotherhood and the secular opposition banded together Sunday around a prominent government critic to negotiate for forces seeking the fall of President Hosni Mubarak, as the army struggled to hold a capital seized by fears of chaos and buoyed by euphoria that three decades of Mr. Mubarak’s rule may be coming to an end.
The announcement that the critic, Mohamed ElBaradei, would represent a loosely unified opposition reconfigured the struggle between Mr. Mubarak’s government and a six-day-old uprising bent on driving him and his party from power.
“Today we are proud of Egyptians,” Dr. ElBaradei told throngs who surged toward him in a square festooned with banners calling for Mr. Mubarak’s fall. “We have restored our rights, restored our freedom, and what we have begun cannot be reversed.”
Dr. ElBaradei declared it a “new era,” and as night fell there were few in Egypt who seemed to disagree.
“It’s better for President Obama not to appear that he is the last one to say to President Mubarak, it’s time for you to go,” Dr. ElBaradei said.
Ports Shut Down, Food Prices Soar, Business Grinds to a HaltThe internet is shut down, so are cell phones, and so are ports. Goods stack up at docks, and supplies of fuel are at critical levels. After six days of riots, the Political Crisis Now Has Serious Economic Repercussions.
For four days now, containers arriving on ships have been stacking up at Egypt’s largest port, shipping company employees and truck drivers here said. With distribution networks barely functioning and the Internet down since Thursday night, much of business in Egypt has nearly ground to a halt.
“A big part of the production system is government-run, and this is frozen, including many of the bakeries making the subsidized bread,” said Hoda Youssef, an economist at the Arab Forum for Alternatives, an independent think tank and a lecturer at Cairo University. “Here in the short term — today, tomorrow, the coming few days — we might have a serious problem with shortages of food, water and fuel,” Ms. Youssef said.
“We did not get any new gas for the last two days,” said Mustafa Ahmad Hamadi, the owner of an Alexandria Mobil station, adding that he usually received about 2,600 gallons a day and now has only about 1,300 gallons left. He said that he had owned the station for 12 years, but has “never seen a situation like this before.”
“When I called the company, they told me there is no more distribution at this point and they don’t know when they can deliver again,” he said, as cars lined up for his remaining fuel and arguments broke out among customers despite employees’ efforts to keep them in line.
A taxi driver with two women waiting in the back seat said he had been to 12 gas stations since Saturday, and this was the only one with gas. “I am really worried,” said the driver, Muhammad Youssri Said, 29. “This car is the income for me and my family. No taxi, no money, no food.”
Potential Runs on BanksBanks are now shut down as is the stock market. However, Egypt’s Banks Risk Deposit Run when they do open.
Egypt’s banks may risk a surge in customer withdrawals when they open for business, placing them among companies worst hit by the nationwide uprising against President Hosni Mubarak.
“A run on the banks would be the biggest concern, which is possible in the current situation,” Robert McKinnon, chief investment officer at ASAS Capital in Dubai, said in a telephone interview. Authorities are likely to keep the financial system closed to avert the risk, he said.
Egypt’s banks and markets stayed shut yesterday after six days of clashes in the most populous Arab country that left as many as 150 people dead.
Asked about the risk of a bank run, Mohamed Barakat, chairman of state-run Banque Misr and head of the country’s banking association, said in a telephone interview that Egyptian lenders are “very liquid,” with average loan-to-deposit ratios of 53 percent.
Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List What to do with those coupons that you impulsively bought off of Groupon, Living Social, Ideeli, or any of the many other discounted ‘deal of the day’ sites? Sell ‘em!
That’s right, there’s a site for everything these days, and selling coupons, while initially relegated to online bulletin board sites, such as Craig’s List, have established their own re-sale sites and are open for business.
In case you’re not in the know about these daily deal sites, they provide a great, affordable way to discover what a city has to offer by selling heavily discounted deals for services and products in your area or online - With deals like Living Social’s Amazon price buster, offering a $20 gift card for $10 and surpassing one million gift cards sold, there are sure to be some “miss-buys.” You thought you wanted, or needed it, but in the end it was something you were never going to use.
After doing a little investigation, I came up with several names of deal for “resale” businesses, with a few emerging as the leaders of the pack. DealsGoRound, CoupRecoup, and Lifesta are suddenly making an impact in the market.
Yael Gavish, co-founder of Lifesta, says she saw a need for a forum focused on the aftermarket. She had a friend visiting her in New York, who had purchased a Groupon certificate. Unfortunately, when the friend arrived, they discovered the restaurant was closed for renovations. Her friend was out the money, but the idea was created.
"People buy daily deals and they all work on the impulse buy," explains Yael Gavish of Lifesta.com. "So you think you're definitely going to this, but then, it turns out that 20-40 percent of these daily deals are never really used." Their site has seen a monthly growth of 50 percent, mainly through word of mouth.
A great solution for “buyers remorse” if I ever saw one!
bench craft company>
Breaking news: Obama quits smoking. ... Breaking news: Obama quits smoking. Share. posted at 5:30 pm on February 8, 2011 by Allahpundit printer-friendly � He had to do it. If his system wasn't in peak shape, he'd never have been able to ...
Fox News has learned that President Obama will call on Congress to support a permanent normal trade relations status with Russia and that his U.S. trade ambassador will tell Congress Wednesday the White House will intensify efforts this ...
New York Yankees news from around the internet on 2/9/2011, including Rob Neyer on Derek Jeter's attempt to bounce back from a disappointing 2010 season.
bench craft company[reefeed]
bench craft company
bench craft companyBreaking news: Obama quits smoking. ... Breaking news: Obama quits smoking. Share. posted at 5:30 pm on February 8, 2011 by Allahpundit printer-friendly � He had to do it. If his system wasn't in peak shape, he'd never have been able to ...
Fox News has learned that President Obama will call on Congress to support a permanent normal trade relations status with Russia and that his U.S. trade ambassador will tell Congress Wednesday the White House will intensify efforts this ...
New York Yankees news from around the internet on 2/9/2011, including Rob Neyer on Derek Jeter's attempt to bounce back from a disappointing 2010 season.
bench craft companyBusiness in Egypt has ground to a halt. Food and consumer goods stack up in ports. Gas stations have not had deliveries for days and supplies dwindle. Simple economic theory suggests prices will soar and they have.
After an initial lukewarm reception when he first returned to Egypt, Nobel laureate and opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei has picked up some much-needed support from the Muslim Brotherhood. That support creates a somewhat united secular-religious opposition to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
An emboldened ElBaradei is now openly critical of the Obama administration. "It’s better for President Obama not to appear that he is the last one to say to President Mubarak, it’s time for you to go," Dr. ElBaradei said.
ElBaradei Begins to Unify Opposition
The New York Times reports Opposition Rallies to ElBaradei as Military Reinforces in Cairo
Egypt’s powerful Muslim Brotherhood and the secular opposition banded together Sunday around a prominent government critic to negotiate for forces seeking the fall of President Hosni Mubarak, as the army struggled to hold a capital seized by fears of chaos and buoyed by euphoria that three decades of Mr. Mubarak’s rule may be coming to an end.
The announcement that the critic, Mohamed ElBaradei, would represent a loosely unified opposition reconfigured the struggle between Mr. Mubarak’s government and a six-day-old uprising bent on driving him and his party from power.
“Today we are proud of Egyptians,” Dr. ElBaradei told throngs who surged toward him in a square festooned with banners calling for Mr. Mubarak’s fall. “We have restored our rights, restored our freedom, and what we have begun cannot be reversed.”
Dr. ElBaradei declared it a “new era,” and as night fell there were few in Egypt who seemed to disagree.
“It’s better for President Obama not to appear that he is the last one to say to President Mubarak, it’s time for you to go,” Dr. ElBaradei said.
Ports Shut Down, Food Prices Soar, Business Grinds to a HaltThe internet is shut down, so are cell phones, and so are ports. Goods stack up at docks, and supplies of fuel are at critical levels. After six days of riots, the Political Crisis Now Has Serious Economic Repercussions.
For four days now, containers arriving on ships have been stacking up at Egypt’s largest port, shipping company employees and truck drivers here said. With distribution networks barely functioning and the Internet down since Thursday night, much of business in Egypt has nearly ground to a halt.
“A big part of the production system is government-run, and this is frozen, including many of the bakeries making the subsidized bread,” said Hoda Youssef, an economist at the Arab Forum for Alternatives, an independent think tank and a lecturer at Cairo University. “Here in the short term — today, tomorrow, the coming few days — we might have a serious problem with shortages of food, water and fuel,” Ms. Youssef said.
“We did not get any new gas for the last two days,” said Mustafa Ahmad Hamadi, the owner of an Alexandria Mobil station, adding that he usually received about 2,600 gallons a day and now has only about 1,300 gallons left. He said that he had owned the station for 12 years, but has “never seen a situation like this before.”
“When I called the company, they told me there is no more distribution at this point and they don’t know when they can deliver again,” he said, as cars lined up for his remaining fuel and arguments broke out among customers despite employees’ efforts to keep them in line.
A taxi driver with two women waiting in the back seat said he had been to 12 gas stations since Saturday, and this was the only one with gas. “I am really worried,” said the driver, Muhammad Youssri Said, 29. “This car is the income for me and my family. No taxi, no money, no food.”
Potential Runs on BanksBanks are now shut down as is the stock market. However, Egypt’s Banks Risk Deposit Run when they do open.
Egypt’s banks may risk a surge in customer withdrawals when they open for business, placing them among companies worst hit by the nationwide uprising against President Hosni Mubarak.
“A run on the banks would be the biggest concern, which is possible in the current situation,” Robert McKinnon, chief investment officer at ASAS Capital in Dubai, said in a telephone interview. Authorities are likely to keep the financial system closed to avert the risk, he said.
Egypt’s banks and markets stayed shut yesterday after six days of clashes in the most populous Arab country that left as many as 150 people dead.
Asked about the risk of a bank run, Mohamed Barakat, chairman of state-run Banque Misr and head of the country’s banking association, said in a telephone interview that Egyptian lenders are “very liquid,” with average loan-to-deposit ratios of 53 percent.
Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List What to do with those coupons that you impulsively bought off of Groupon, Living Social, Ideeli, or any of the many other discounted ‘deal of the day’ sites? Sell ‘em!
That’s right, there’s a site for everything these days, and selling coupons, while initially relegated to online bulletin board sites, such as Craig’s List, have established their own re-sale sites and are open for business.
In case you’re not in the know about these daily deal sites, they provide a great, affordable way to discover what a city has to offer by selling heavily discounted deals for services and products in your area or online - With deals like Living Social’s Amazon price buster, offering a $20 gift card for $10 and surpassing one million gift cards sold, there are sure to be some “miss-buys.” You thought you wanted, or needed it, but in the end it was something you were never going to use.
After doing a little investigation, I came up with several names of deal for “resale” businesses, with a few emerging as the leaders of the pack. DealsGoRound, CoupRecoup, and Lifesta are suddenly making an impact in the market.
Yael Gavish, co-founder of Lifesta, says she saw a need for a forum focused on the aftermarket. She had a friend visiting her in New York, who had purchased a Groupon certificate. Unfortunately, when the friend arrived, they discovered the restaurant was closed for renovations. Her friend was out the money, but the idea was created.
"People buy daily deals and they all work on the impulse buy," explains Yael Gavish of Lifesta.com. "So you think you're definitely going to this, but then, it turns out that 20-40 percent of these daily deals are never really used." Their site has seen a monthly growth of 50 percent, mainly through word of mouth.
A great solution for “buyers remorse” if I ever saw one!
bench craft company
bench craft companyBreaking news: Obama quits smoking. ... Breaking news: Obama quits smoking. Share. posted at 5:30 pm on February 8, 2011 by Allahpundit printer-friendly � He had to do it. If his system wasn't in peak shape, he'd never have been able to ...
Fox News has learned that President Obama will call on Congress to support a permanent normal trade relations status with Russia and that his U.S. trade ambassador will tell Congress Wednesday the White House will intensify efforts this ...
New York Yankees news from around the internet on 2/9/2011, including Rob Neyer on Derek Jeter's attempt to bounce back from a disappointing 2010 season.
bench craft company
bench craft companyBreaking news: Obama quits smoking. ... Breaking news: Obama quits smoking. Share. posted at 5:30 pm on February 8, 2011 by Allahpundit printer-friendly � He had to do it. If his system wasn't in peak shape, he'd never have been able to ...
Fox News has learned that President Obama will call on Congress to support a permanent normal trade relations status with Russia and that his U.S. trade ambassador will tell Congress Wednesday the White House will intensify efforts this ...
New York Yankees news from around the internet on 2/9/2011, including Rob Neyer on Derek Jeter's attempt to bounce back from a disappointing 2010 season.
bench craft companyBreaking news: Obama quits smoking. ... Breaking news: Obama quits smoking. Share. posted at 5:30 pm on February 8, 2011 by Allahpundit printer-friendly � He had to do it. If his system wasn't in peak shape, he'd never have been able to ...
Fox News has learned that President Obama will call on Congress to support a permanent normal trade relations status with Russia and that his U.S. trade ambassador will tell Congress Wednesday the White House will intensify efforts this ...
New York Yankees news from around the internet on 2/9/2011, including Rob Neyer on Derek Jeter's attempt to bounce back from a disappointing 2010 season.
bench craft companyBreaking news: Obama quits smoking. ... Breaking news: Obama quits smoking. Share. posted at 5:30 pm on February 8, 2011 by Allahpundit printer-friendly � He had to do it. If his system wasn't in peak shape, he'd never have been able to ...
Fox News has learned that President Obama will call on Congress to support a permanent normal trade relations status with Russia and that his U.S. trade ambassador will tell Congress Wednesday the White House will intensify efforts this ...
New York Yankees news from around the internet on 2/9/2011, including Rob Neyer on Derek Jeter's attempt to bounce back from a disappointing 2010 season.
bench craft company bench craft company bench craft company
bench craft company bench craft companyBreaking news: Obama quits smoking. ... Breaking news: Obama quits smoking. Share. posted at 5:30 pm on February 8, 2011 by Allahpundit printer-friendly � He had to do it. If his system wasn't in peak shape, he'd never have been able to ...
Fox News has learned that President Obama will call on Congress to support a permanent normal trade relations status with Russia and that his U.S. trade ambassador will tell Congress Wednesday the White House will intensify efforts this ...
New York Yankees news from around the internet on 2/9/2011, including Rob Neyer on Derek Jeter's attempt to bounce back from a disappointing 2010 season.
bench craft company Do you like to shop? Would you like to make a little money at the same time you're spending it? If this sounds interesting, and if you'd also like to help businesses do a better job of serving their customers, then mystery shopping may be for you.
What is mystery shopping, and why is it important?Most businesses have standards about how their locations are supposed to operate. However, it can be hard for them to ensure that these standards are being met. Some have their own evaluators, but this can be expensive, because they have to hire, train, and pay these people, who are usually members of upper-level management. Plus, the stores usually know in advance when the evaluators are coming. This means they can prepare by cleaning up, stocking, and treating customers well-which may not be the way they usually operate.
Mystery shoppers, on the other hand, can't be prepared for. Store personnel usually don't even know they're being evaluated. Mystery shoppers go into the stores, interact with the staff, and buy something, all without saying anything about what they're really there for. They seem to be just "regular customers." The difference is that after they get home, mystery shoppers send a report about their experience to the mystery shopping company, who passes the information along to the business who owns the store. The business can then decide how to act on that information.
This is a really useful service for the business because the evaluations are done secretly and by an unbiased person who is not on their payroll. They pay the shopping company for the service, and the shopping company pays the shopper.
What does mystery shopping involve?If you decide you want to do mystery shopping, you register with one or more shopping companies. They will send you offers for "shops" in your area, providing just enough information for you to decide whether you're interested. If you are, you contact them and apply for the shop. If you're qualified for the shop, and no one else has been assigned (most shops are "first come, first served"), you'll get the assignment. Then the shopping company will send you the specifics, including the date and time of the shop, the name and address of the store, and what you must do while you're there.
Keep in mind that this is not a simple shopping trip. You won't be able to just walk in the door, browse for a while, pick up a few items, pay for them, and go. Mystery shopping is very detail-oriented work, and while you're shopping you may be required to make certain observations and interact with the staff in certain ways. Here are examples of what you may be asked to observe and report on:
- the date and exact time you arrived and left
- the condition of the floors, dressing rooms, and restrooms
- how prices were displayed
- how many cashiers were present when you arrived and when you left
- the names or descriptions of staff members you interacted with, possibly including exact conversations
Because these observations are so important to the evaluation process, you'll need to find a way to minimize distractions. This means you'll probably need to shop alone (unless the shopping company has requested otherwise) and refrain from talking on a cell phone when you're doing a shop. You also need to have a good memory, since you can't take notes during the shop; that might give you away.
Mystery shoppers can be used to evaluate all kinds of businesses. The most obvious ones are retail stores, but shoppers have also been sent to restaurants and car dealerships, and have even been used for vision and health screenings. (Unlike most others, car dealership shops don't require a purchase.)
How much does it pay?The average is $10-$20 per shop; the pay may be higher if there are special circumstances involved.
Are there expenses involved?Most mystery shoppers are required to make a purchase; the amount of the purchase is usually specified with the initial information. Some companies will reimburse for purchases, but often the shopper is expected to either keep them or return them later. There are also less tangible costs, like travel expenses and the shopper's time. And if you make more than a few hundred dollars a year, you'll have to pay self-employment taxes. Mystery shoppers are always contract workers, not directly employed by the companies they shop for.
In addition, it's useful to have a credit card. Some shopping companies, in fact, require that purchases be made that way.
What about career advancement?Some people really enjoy mystery shopping, and do fairly well with it. If you decide to take this more seriously, there's a certification program through the Mystery Shopping Providers Association that will improve your credentials and make you more valuable to the shopping companies - which should get you better offers.
Where to get more informationThe best site for mystery shopping information, including actual assignments, is Volition.com. This site also has a message board where you can get to know other mystery shoppers and find out about mystery shopping companies.
Mystery shopping scamsYou may find online ads for services that will get you started with mystery shopping - for a fee. But actually, you don't have to pay to start doing this work. Mystery shopping companies don't charge you to register with them.
If the paid services do anything at all - and some of them are nothing more than scams - all they will do is put you in touch with the shopping companies. This is something you can do on your own, without paying for it. It can be hard to locate the shopping companies, even on a search, but the information is there; start with Volition, read some of the posts, and check out the links.
Final observationsMystery shopping does have its drawbacks. It may not be a good choice if any of the following applies to you:
- You're not detail-oriented, or you're easily distracted.
- You don't want to make purchases you'll have to return later.
- You don't have a credit card.
- You're not comfortable with playing a role (some shops may require that you be a "difficult customer" to evaluate how the staff handles the situation).
If none of these applies to you, though, mystery shopping can be a good source of supplemental income, especially if you don't work outside your home. You can work as much - or as little - as you want, and in whatever locations you want. And if you find you don't like it, or if something more lucrative comes along, you can always cancel your accounts with the shopping companies; there's no need to give two weeks' notice.
If you need to make a little extra money, but also need work with flexible hours, check out mystery shopping. It may be just what you're looking for.
