With a new year just around the corner, you may be thinking about ways to improve yourself in the coming year. As a mystery shopper, there are a number of resolutions you can make to your mystery shopping business that will make mystery shopping more enjoyable and profitable for you in the coming year.
Get Organized! With the new year comes the chance to start you organizational system with a blank slate. Spend some time now preparing for January’s mystery shop assignments by preparing your file system. If you don’t have a filing system you currently like for your receipts and paperwork, start fresh with new a new filing system. When you create a system that is very easy for you to keep up with, you will be more likely to stay organized as the new year progresses and your mound of paperwork grows.
Even if your paperwork looks more like a cluttered mess of a fire hazard right now, the new year gives you a chance to file that paperwork away in a “2008” file, and start fresh with a new file system. You will feel less stressed when your paperwork is neatly organized, so spend some time creating a system you will enjoy for the next 12 months.
Get With The Times! Take a look at your home office. If your home office doubles as the kitchen table, or if you are still using dial-up internet access, it may be time to update your office and bring it current with the technology of 2009. Consider a spacious work desk and comfortable chair; a multi-function machine that combines faxing, printing, and scanning capabilities in one; a digital camera; a stop watch; and a flat screen monitor to save desk space. Keep in mind that many older techno-gadgets use up quite a bit more energy than newer models, so it may save you money in the long run by updating today.
If you don’t have the funds today to completely update your home office, make it a goal to replace a few of your outdated items in the coming year.
Something New For The New Year. Mystery shopping has a tendency to get rather stale after awhile. Unlike many other jobs, mystery shopping does have the benefit of taking you out into various parts of the world to interact with new people on each assignment. Yet if you work with the same providers, you likely have the tendency to complete the same assignments over the course of a year. There is comfort in doing the same assignments over and over, but in that comfort comes monotony and later boredom.
Spice up your mystery shopping life by signing up to work for a couple of new providers this month. Make a point of trying out at least one new type of assignment each month. Not only will you keep the doldrums away, but you will make money and built relationships with your providers and schedulers as you complete more assignments.
With these resolutions, or with your own unique resolutions, you are sure to have a fabulous new year as a mystery shopper!
Truer words. . .
I resolve to sign up with some more companies. My only fear is that there may not be any new ones opening given the present state of the economy.
I am, however, hopeful!
Cheers! Here’s to a Grand New Year for all!
I have signed up with some new companies, and I’ve taken on some assignments that I never suspected I’d be able to complete when I first started. I’ve learned so much from doing the mystery shop assignments. And I have learned that it’s good to try new ones. Sometimes you get caught as a mystery shopper just by being repetitive.
The tips on getting organized really are good ones. Shops actually take less time if you can be organized and have your materials at hand.
Happy New Year to All,