For most mystery shoppers, mystery shopping is a part-time job. It may be a second job to supplement income, or a job that can be done conveniently around retirement, going to college, taking care of kids, and any number of other things. For a handful of mystery shoppers, mystery shopping is a full-time job, where full-time hours are devoted to the job every week. If you are considering making the leap to becoming a full-time mystery shopper, here’s what you need to know.
How Much Money Do You Want (And Need) To Earn? Everyone has a bottom line number they are shooting for each month. Whether you are looking to earn a few hundred dollars , a thousand dollars, or more each month, this is an important figure to know.
Is There Enough Work? For many mystery shoppers, there simply may not be enough assignments to complete nearby. Take a good, hard look at the number of assignments available on a regular basis from your providers. Figure how many assignments you would need to complete on an average day to make your income goal. Is the amount of work required to make your income goal realistic for your own schedule? And is the amount of work required available in your area? And while the assignments may be there, consider the amount of competition you face in requesting and getting those assignments. Consider how many assignments you can realistically get your hands on and also have time to complete in a day, a week, and a month. As a full-time mystery shopper, you can expect to have a few travel days where you make a short road trip to complete out of town assignments from time to time. However, if you consistently will need to travel 30, 50, or more miles on a daily or almost daily basis, this may not be financial worthwhile to you.
If you live in a fairly well-populated area, you may be able to find additional assignments by signing up with more mystery shopping providers.
Do You Have What It Takes? Provided the assignments are available in your area, your income potential as a mystery shopper will be limited by how much time and effort you put into the job. Do you have the diligence to keep your nose to the grindstone and work to meet your minimum income requirement each and every month? Do you have the commitment to the job to work every day even when you don’t have a manager or supervisor hovering over your shoulder? If not, you may find yourself in some financial hot water.
Most mystery shoppers can handle mystery shopping as a part-time job. However, when you take the extra step to making mystery shopping a full-time job, you take on added time commitments and responsibilities. You also may be more dependent on mystery shopping income than part-time mystery shoppers are. So before you take the plunge into becoming a full-time mystery shopper, do some homework and make sure it is the right decision for you.