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Archive for April, 2009

04 15th, 2009

How would you like to get paid to go shopping? That’s right! Get paid to shop for clothes, eat in restaurants, watch movies, play golf, travel, and so on.

You can have your cake and eat it too! Enjoy the best of both worlds. Make money and have fun at the same time as a mystery shopper.

What is a Mystery Shopper?

Sometimes known as a secret shopper, a mystery shopper looks like any other customer but is working undercover to perform market research or other tests on business establishments.

For example, a mystery shopper may check on the quality of service and products at a particular fast food outlet.

Were the staff friendly, courteous and helpful? Were the washrooms clean? Was the food hot and tasty? Did the staff attempt to upsell? Was the order filled accurately and quickly?

Why the Need for Mystery Shoppers?

Companies are concerned about the quality of your shopping experience. If there is a problem, they would like to know about it so that they can take corrective action and keep you as a customer.

For this reason, businesses hire mystery shoppers to check on their locations and report the results.

As well, comparison shopping can reveal pricing and service differences of the competition.

Mystery shoppers sometimes uncover safety or security concerns and other helpful information.

How To Make Money as a Mystery Shopper

You can make money as a freelance mystery shopper. Contact market research companies and other businesses to obtain clients.

As an independent contractor, you will invoice clients your fees for services rendered. As well, you will be reimbursed for any direct expenses incurred (such as the cost of store purchases).

It is also possible to run your own market research company and subcontract out the work. You would need to get business clients who are willing to pay for these secret shopping assignments. Then, find suitable people who are willing to perform those assignments for you.

Variety is the Spice of Mystery Shopping

Your assignments as a mystery shopper can be varied and interesting.

One time you may eat in a fast food restaurant. Another time you may be asked to see how long it takes to get service from a company by telephone.

Perhaps you may be asked to shop at a website to check out its user friendliness. Still another assignment may require you to rate the helpfulness of store staff.

So, if you would like to have fun while making money, consider becoming a mystery shopper.



04 10th, 2009

What should you look for when trying to buy discount body jewelry from wholesale outlets? There are safety issues involved with body jewelry therefore you need to know what materials the body jewelry is made of before purchasing. The most common materials used are 316 LVM stainless steel, titanium, 14 and 18 carat gold, Lucite and Plexiglas.

316 LVM stainless steel is the most popular metal. This stainless steel metal is the same used by surgeons for medical implants and therefore is deemed safe for the body. This metal is a good bet when looking for wholesale body jewelry.

Titanium is lighter than stainless steel but stronger. Titanim is a very strong and durable metal and does not cause a reaction in humans. Surgeons use titanium when performing joint replacement surgery and for inserting pins and rods. Even those with metal allergies or sensitivities can wear titanium which comes in different colors for your body jewelry bling. Therefore, titanium can be a good chose for your body jewelry. You can find grade 2 titanium at outlet prices which is the same grade the surgeons use. Niobium is comparable to titanium but more scare. Sometimes you can purchase niobium at wholesale prices.

Gold, whether it be the 14 or 18 carat variety is always in style and can be found at wholesale outlets. Practice particular care when purchasing gold body jewelry from foreign providers. Different countries have looser restrictions with gold carat classifications. Therefore, an item may claim to be 14 carat gold but in all actuality be of lower quality. Many wholesale body companies use this scam to take advantage of customers and keep their prices down. This will not necessarily hurt your body, but no need to hurt your pocketbook either if you exercise caution.

Wholesale body jewelry outlets carry lots of items made from Lucite and Plexiglas. Normally, these are used for ear pieces and the ends of barbells. Lucite and Plexiglas offer many shapes and colors. Wholesale outlets often carry so many of these items because they have fallen out of vogue for the retail stores. Not a matter of safety just taste.
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04 5th, 2009

Do any of you remember Marilyn Monroe sexily purring “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend?” Do you have any idea what that did the engagement ring market. Guys are still paying for that statement. Sure back in the 50s women knew it wouldn’t be sensible to wear such a large engagement ring but that didn’t mean a gal couldn’t yearn for it. Today a women wouldn’t feel in the least bit guilty about wearing such a diamond, in fact there are many a women that judge how well they are loved by the size of the rock they are wearing because they “know” what Marilyn knew, that “diamonds are in fact a girls best friend.”

When we see the engagement rings worn by stars like Madonna or Catherine Zeta-Jones we take notice and their choices influence the trends that follow. Celebrities are the leaders in setting fashion and jewelry trends. Madonna with her Edwardian engagement ring and Catherine Zeta-Jones’s antique styled 10 carat diamond ring has revived the desire to own a beautiful antique engagement ring. In fact it’s one of the hottest engagement ring styles in 20 years. The size of the diamonds in current styles has also grown from the average one carat to over three carats. That’s a pretty big rock that’s going to set you back a bit. But girls know they deserve it!

If you aren’t sure whether bigger is better than have a look at the jewels at this years Oscars which are said to total over $50 million dollars in value. Wonder how many vaults it took to keep those locked up for the night? With bling being the in thing one has to stop and wonder how the heck normal average working guys plan to pay for these rings. When their fiancés are asked the standard answer is “doesn’t matter I’m worth it. That’s great if your guy is earning a 6 figure salary but wait what if he’s not. What if he’s joe average living from pay day to pay day. What should he do move into the bush and give up his home, perhaps take up walking and sell his car?

Wait guys maybe you can get away with a really good quality cubic zirconia. No guarantees but it might be worth a try. Most of the high end ones can only be identified by a quality jeweler. Then again maybe she won’t care as long as it’s big and impressive. Ok girls lets be real here. Dreaming and lusting for that big 5 carat rock is just fine. No problem with dreaming, but when it comes time for your man to buy that ring remember that the ring is not what you are marrying so perhaps it’s time to consider the quality and quantity of the husband to be rather than the ring. Big diamond or little diamond it doesn’t matter as long as the two of you are blissfully happy. Let the celebrities wear their big diamonds and let them sparkle and shine in the lime light. It doesn’t matter because you got your man! That’s what counts!