Free Mystery Shopping Jobs
The internet is a wonderful place to find free mystery shopping jobs and related information. This $600 million industry offers professional shoppers with the opportunity to work flexible hours and earn money while doing it. A wealth of information on free mystery shopping jobs is just a click away. In fact, not only information, but also links to free mystery shopping jobs and associations are readily available. Mystery shoppers are freelance, independent contractors who agree to evaluate certain businesses before completing a findings report. This report will contain such information as customer service, employee courtesy, product selection, merchandising and more. If there is an area that needs improving, this will be noted in the report and give the business owners an independent look at what could be improved within their franchise. Free mystery shopping jobs resources may contain such information as listings for local jobs, message boards where professional shoppers may interact, upcoming conferences and special events for shoppers and more. Mystery shoppers are paid for each business that they evaluate and, while some resources require a fee, there are many free mystery shopping jobs guides that can be found with minimal research. While this industry is popular and steadily growing, many are still unfamiliar with the process and even wonder if it’s legitimate. The truth is that business owners actually appreciate the industry because it gives them an edge in knowing which areas need improving. During a known inspection, everyone will be on their best behavior. However, a mystery shopper who poses as a customer gives no clues that he/she is evaluating the business and, therefore, is provided with an actual picture of daily operations. Major chain stores and hotels hire mystery shopping jobs professionals to work directly with them. In fact, they are happy with the industry and use it to conduct regular visits to their various franchises. Not all mystery shopping evaluators are in-house professionals, however. There are individual companies who organize, and hire, mystery shoppers to evaluate businesses. These individuals are compensated on an individual basis at a predetermined amount for each mystery shopping jobs job that they complete. This type of assignment classifies the shopper as an independent contractor, which is also known as being self-employed. Mystery shopping is a very large industry and can be very competitive, especially if you live in a large area where everyone is competing for free mystery shopping jobs information. If you are interested in seeking work as a mystery shopper, an internet search may provide results for free mystery shopping jobs information your area. In addition, local marketing firms or radio commercials may reveal information on free mystery shopping jobs in your local area.
About the author:
Terry Dunn is webmaster of http://www.mystery-shopping-online.com a free informational resource for those who want to know more about Mystery Shopping and Mystery Shopping Jobs.
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February 14th, 2009
Shopping Search Engines, The Benefits and Explanations
The Shopping Search Engines are a new breed on the Internet market, they are a research tool for both consumers and retailers. Using a shopping search engine the consumer can search at once more than one merchants, products and look at the prices in only one place. The shopping search engine is a software that puts together a number of online stores. They sell the products from thousands of merchants through their interface. To get their products listed in the shopping search engines the retailers usually pay a per click fee and startup fee. In some cases the shopping search engines rate the quality of the merchants and promote them if the their ratings are high.
If you would want to buy something you no longer need to go to regular search engine, search through the results and find the product on the retailers website. The shopping search engine will show you directly the merchant checkout page saving you money.
Here are some of the benefits, listed:
Consumer Benefits:
Minimal click online shopping
Multiple merchants in one place
Multiple products in one place
Merchant ratings
Product ratings
Prices include shipping and tax, if you fill in zip code box on screen
Smart Buy is highlighted for you at Shopping.com - shows best rated merchant with cheapest price
Saves consumer time and money, avoid long shopping lines and traffic during Christmas shopping season.
Retailer Benefits:
Retailers have a new online marketing and sales channel for their products
If retailers have a good site conversion rate, likely to have good shopping search conversion rate
Instead of delivering the consumer to the merchant’s door, like regular search engines do, the shopping search engines deliver the consumer directly to the product, giving information about whatever price the product may have and if it’s in stock or sold out. The consumer also provides information about which merchant offers the best deal and if the merchant is highly rated.
Some of the online shopping search engines are: Shopping.com, Bizrate.com or Shopzilla.com,http://www.getinstant.info, Google’s Froogle, Yahoo Shopping, Nextag.com and Pricegrabber.com.
About the Author
http://www.getinstant.info is a shopping search engine that provides just about anything you would need. The value is in our content.
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February 14th, 2009
Stop Spending Your Money on Higher Gas Prices - Use the Internet
Gasoline prices continue to rise, costing you money. At the risk of dating this article, previously unseen U.S. gas prices of over $3.00 are now common in some areas. I know those in Europe and elsewhere pay much more, but we can agree over the past year that many countries have recently seen huge spikes.
Rising gas prices affect all of us in some degree. Unless you walk, your cost of commuting to work increases. The prices of goods climb due to increased transportation costs. How can you decrease the impact on your pocketbook?
Luckily the Internet offers many different ways to help ease your burden. Note that many of these sites are geared towards the United States.
1. Search for Cheaper Gas Prices Online
Cheaper gasoline prices may be available but tough to find. Instead of driving from station to station checking for cheap prices or traveling 20 miles out of the way, try the following sites:
GasBuddy.com - http://www.gasbuddy.com/
GasPriceWatch.com - http://www.gaspricewatch.com/
Carefully read the times reported for the gasoline prices! The cost of gas can rise or fall sharply (though it tends to do more of the former) in the span of a few hours.
2. Use Mapping Services to Plan Your Trips More Wisely
It just makes sense that if you know where you’re going and don’t get lost, you’ll require less gas getting there. Browse these websites to help you plan your journey; some even display satellite maps to further assist your travels:
Google Maps - http://maps.google.com/
MapQuest - http://www.mapquest.com/
MSN Maps and Directories - http://maps.msn.com/
Windows Live Local - http://local.live.com/
Though very helpful, use the above sites as a guide as 100% accuracy is never guaranteed.
3. Find Nearby Stores
Don’t travel miles and miles out of the way and spend more money on gas to go somewhere when an equivalent store is just around the corner!
Google Maps - http://maps.google.com
For example, I can query “pizza 30338″ to find several eating establishments in or nearby Dunwoody, GA.
InfoSpace - http://www.infospace.com/
Using InfoSpace’s “Near an address” feature on their front page, enter in your street address and type of business, and find close-by businesses never previously noticed while on the road. This beats driving elsewhere and spending more money on gas!
4. Stay Out of Traffic
Tired of idling? We all want to arrive at our destinations sooner, avoiding gas-guzzling traffic jams. These websites provide traffic information, provided you live in supported metro areas:
MSN Autos Traffic Reports - http://autos.msn.com/everyday/trafficreport.aspx
Traffic.com - http://www.traffic.com/
Yahoo Maps, Driving Directions, and Traffic - http://maps.yahoo.com/
Check your local department of transportation as it may display traffic information online. This can include cameras, incident information, and/or road closures. Perform a Google search similar to the following:
California dot
Tennessee dot
New York dot
5. Shop over the Internet with No Shipping Costs
When done properly, shopping online can save you money otherwise spent on gasoline. Many shops now offer free USA shipping (restrictions may apply) if you spend a certain amount of money, increasing your savings! Some online shopping sites with free shipping offers at the time this article was written (listed for informational purposes only) are:
Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/
Barnes and Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
Shoes.com - http://www.shoes.com/
Tower Records - http://www.towerrecords.com/
World of Watches - http://www.worldofwatches.com/
Zappos (shoes) - http://www.zappos.com/
MSN Shopping has a dedicated “Free Shipping Center” directory with even more businesses - http://shopping.msn.com/content/shp/?ctid=18
Though fuel prices rise, let the Internet help you cope. Compare gas prices online. Arrive at your destinations quicker and cheaper using on-line maps. Find nearby businesses with near-address searching, conserving gas. Shorten your commute time with online travel information. And, travel less often by taking advantage of online shopping with free shipping. Use these Internet techniques to stop spending your money on higher gas prices.
Copyright 2006 Andrew Malek.
Andrew Malek is the owner of the MalekTips computer and technology help site at http://malektips.com/. MalekTips offers over two thousand tips on saving time and money and getting more enjoyment out of your computer, digital camera, and the Internet.
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January 3rd, 2009
Usability � Not Such A Complicated Thing
Usability � is one of the latest notions that busted into our lives recently, besides Search Engine Optimization and Accessibility. All three notions appear to be very important for everyone who struggles to gain some clicks or impressions on the web, but all the theory standing beside these notions seems to me a little bit too much. And I�m going to explain why.
I recently started to work on a project about usability - theory and practice in online stores - trying to prove that every marketing department not considering usability as a major point in developing an online store will cause major loses for their company. SEO is very seriously treated by these marketing departments but usability and accessibility, even if they do not represent a new term in web developing, are still considered unimportant factors in business strategy.
Even if it took many years for SEO to be treated seriously by marketers, I think no business can afford to waste years when it comes to their website usability. Why is that? Make some calculations please. Considering the fact that more then 50% of online customers abandon their shopping carts and it is estimated that online shopping will represent a 30 billion dollars business in the next 5 years, how much money a company will lose by not taking into considerations the user needs and expectations? Who is willing not to be part of this huge profit by ignoring online customers?
What is to be done for these marketers? There are a lot of articles about usability on the web and a lot of websites for testing purposes. I did that myself. I took a website, www.nicewallpapers.info and tested users� responses to every little change made in layout, labeling or link structure. And I�ve applied all the new stuff in my customers� websites. But most important is that I�m aware that usability matters and I have to center my websites on what user wants and needs.
About The Author
Lucica Ibanescu
I am studying usability of online stores as part of my university graduating project and applying it in layout design at my daily job at Analecta � a well known web design studio.
My playground is http://www.nicewallpapers.info
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January 3rd, 2009
Destination Holiday
Hey you, where you going on holiday this summer? Kayaking in the Andes, golfing in Russia or sunbathing in Thailand? Is this going to result in a washout drinking spree, a fall-in-love with local girl heartache story or a thief stole my purse anecdote?
How many times do people utter �where shall we go this year�? Is it to be hot or cold, adventure or boring, sun, sex, sand or shopping? A bit of one and a bit of another might be good, or two of one and three of another might be even better, but not sand and no shopping although I might need some new shoes! Mum wants the shopping, dad wants the golf and all the wee bairns want something that the parents do not � help!
A holiday is not an easy task to have. In actual fact it is more probable that the actual organizing and the dreams before hand are far more fun than the holiday eventually turns out to be. If by chance two like minded people plan and go on a holiday then the chances are that it will be a good one. But getting two like minded people together is quite impossible these days, so most holidays thus end in disaster.
In days gone by��people used to be satisfied with the annual trip to Blackpool (for those in Scotland to Portobello: always take a wooly jumper and mitts). There was no need to disguise �home away from home� in these sea-side beach towns, it was home. Nothing was different, the weather was constantly miserable, the food fully fat and glutinous with no health aspect involved and the people whose paths crossed could have been the next door neighbor. So those holidays were not quite the trails that they have become, since planes started to herd so-called tourists around the world.
After the local seaside town ��. came the search for sex, sweat and coca cola in hot places. Places like Spain, the Canary Islands and Malta opened their doors to white and unhealthy Brits by the thousands. Then sent them back home after two weeks, out of pocket, looking like beetroots and without them ever having met a local of the country. This was probably a wise decision by the host countries as nothing is more embarrassing than seeing an extra large family (size not quantity) with the remains of a steak dinner, some HP sauce and a milk shake splurged and streaked across the embarrassingly and alternate pale white and red colored skins that typically adorn the British like a national flag. The similarity between a quite spoken group of Spaniards playing chess in a Tapas Bar and a family of loud, obnoxious, skimpily dressed and drunk Brits is like an ant hill and Mount Everest. There isn�t any.
Then along came the organized tour! As suntan lotion and insect repellant firms, overjoyed at such good business from this new and lucrative search for sun and sand, considered opening up some hotels of their own in mosquito infested jungles, along came the organized tour. The mass collection of supposedly similarly minded holiday goers into collective bunches to be shepherded around to the economics that they had previously prescribed. Lonesome and desperate teenagers, middle aged work-alcoholics or old aged pensioners who had minimal choice in the matter found themselves squashed onto planes and buses, packed four thick into single hotel rooms and shouted at in different languages before being returned home: well shaken and stirred.
This idea of the organized tour soon expanded to encompass the rest of the world. Large collections and arrangements of those searching for the exotic (foreign ladies of Asian mystery, Greek hunks with slippery voices), those who like to shop or undergo warp speed adventures that normal humans run miles to avoid became popular. New centers of fascination sprung up where swamps used to be, uninhabited Islands suddenly became pearls of the orient and hotel chains pre-empted all with hurriedly built square boxes and fish and chip restaurants whilst Tenants or Guinness rapidly overtook the local drink as that most consumed.
More recently the organized tour has paled��� there are still many available, more choices than ever before and millions of tourists return home irate or emotionally drained but more travel makers are opting for cheap tickets and un-organized tours. Families are now traveling at rock-bottom prices to far-flung destinations with nothing but the guarantee of hotel room at the other end. Recently wed couples, professional couples or just plain old couples travel lightly to Islands, to find the sun and romance, fathers and mothers take children on trips that span the world for educational purposes and single men search for love with money. Shopping paradises reward those with cash to spend, beaches get professionally cleaned during nights and ready for the mornings influx of crazed sun addicts and bungee ropes get worn out.
And now! Money can be spent, plans intricately arranged and preparations detailed to the minute but still the dream of an impending holiday tends to surpass the end result.
As I sit on my rickety little wooden sun lounger ��.. watching the incy bit of sun that has managed to force its way through the dense cloud above shine on the still waters of the Channel. As I sit watching the Ferris wheel spin with its one customer and as I sit here sucking happily on my stick of Blackpool Rock I wander why anybody would want to go so far to get so little. Why would anybody want to spend so much money to travel so far away when right on their doorstep is the perfect answer?
One day, all these tourists and tours will return. One day places like Alton Towers, Brighton beach, Portobello and the Yorkshire dales will become the dreams of holidaymakers and I will have to pack my bags and travel far and wide to find the peace and tranquility (albeit with a shiver) that the old British holiday towns now have. One day the cleaners of British beaches will have to cope with piles of discarded coke cans, dropped crisp packets and broken glass bottles: one day they will have to fight to see the sand beneath. And one day in the future I will be able to travel to Thailand and not find an empty coke can on the beach, I will be able to walk in the Himalayas without tripping over discarded crisp packets and one day I will not see broken glass bottles in the Wild Life sanctuaries of Africa.
One day when the tourists come to their senses and see the value of their own country I will have to leave. But until that time I will sit here under my umbrella that is ready for the sun should it appear and enjoy the peace and tranquility of my surrounds.
About the Author
Ieuan Dolby is the Author and Webmaster of Seamania . As a Chief Engineer in the Merchant Navy he has sailed the world for fifteen years. Now living in Taiwan he writes about cultures across the globe and life as he sees it.
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December 27th, 2008
Home Decor Stores
Home decorating can be fun especially if you know where to start. If you are planning to decorate your home, first you have to know what style you want and how you foresee your home after decorating. Then, you can look at your old stuff and see what has to go and what changes you want to make. Obviously, things that are old and unattractive are the first on your to-go list. After this, you ready to look for home d�cor ideas, and the best place to begin your search is at home d�cor stores. Home d�cor stores can offer you a wide selection of home d�cor items ranging from candleholders to photo frames. You can also find home d�cor accessories like art pictures, area rugs, textiles, handmade candles, figurines and wall hangings.
Before you buy any of these items, make sure that you compare prices from different home d�cor stores. Think about the stores with discounts and clearance sales � you just might get these items at a fraction of the cost. But of course, you should also look for a reliable home d�cor store because you could be sacrificing the quality of your home d�cor items to save a few pennies, only to realize later that the items you purchased easily get damaged.
Nowadays, many people consider shopping at online home d�cor stores, especially if they have a very busy work schedule and can�t find time to visit a local store. All you have to do is to browse through websites and look for the home d�cor items that you need. And once you decide which items to purchase, you can simply place your order online and have it delivered to your door.
Home Decor provides detailed information on Home Decor, Home and Garden Decor, Home Decor Ideas, Home Decor Stores and more. Home Decor is affiliated with Discount Home Furnishings.
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December 27th, 2008
Get more Savings…
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Looking around for COUPON CODES can get tiring! So we found the perfect site that has several hundred of the LARGEST online retailers. This site has all the latest coupon codes, free shipping deals, discounts, overstocks, clearance items. The best part is that there are NO "memberships"!!! You don’t have to fill out any long forms, or supply any personal info. Just click on the link for the deal you are interested in! We will take you right to it. Simple as that.
Make sure to share this site with all your friends! No reason why everyon can’t save a little money! They are always adding more coupon codes, percent off deals, and free shipping… so check back often!
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November 17th, 2008
Get this long sleeve lift up double opening nursing top $48.00 at Mothers Work.
Get more Savings…
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Looking around for COUPON CODES can get tiring! So we found the perfect site that has several hundred of the LARGEST online retailers. This site has all the latest coupon codes, free shipping deals, discounts, overstocks, clearance items. The best part is that there are NO "memberships"!!! You don’t have to fill out any long forms, or supply any personal info. Just click on the link for the deal you are interested in! We will take you right to it. Simple as that.
Make sure to share this site with all your friends! No reason why everyon can’t save a little money! They are always adding more coupon codes, percent off deals, and free shipping… so check back often!
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November 17th, 2008
Furnish Your Vision, Fulfill Your Desire
Home! Sweet home. What else could be the connotation of this seemingly simple word? For many, home is not where you live but where you yearn to be at the end of a long grueling day, it is not a dream but a vision, it is not a part of your life but an addendum of who you are rather than what you are, it does not vindicate your existence but expound your entity and hence it is imperative to us that we meticulously plan and execute the search and furnishing of the same.
Now, that can be a task too many. Comfort is not bestowed on but earned and pleasure is not a prerogative but a return in lieu of what you gave to this world. Making your home a utopia of pleasure and comfort is a process that demands honesty and willingness. The colour you have chosen to adorn your house with, the furniture you have picked to meet needs and fit space available, the gadgets you have selected to make tasks easier, from a pin to a pen, an amalgam of aesthetic and pragmatic approach works better towards making this process more effective.
These days the term Cash back Portal is heard more often than not and I see no harm in giving this buzzword a try when it comes to shop online and make the process more convenient and yielding. Subject to your priorities you can opt for one of the innumerable portals offering anything and everything you need. Catch is, go through their policies and offers mentioned there and make the most out of it. I would personally go for portals with a more user friendly website and a rather uncomplicated policies and offers. They still have way to go and that�s where I could gauge an opportunity to get associated with them, as they would be willing to project themselves as more customer-centric than revenue generators.
Read more on online home shopping
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November 16th, 2008
Holiday Planning Tips For Parents
Ahhh, the Holidays�� The Thanksgiving turkey comes out of the oven golden brown, with an enticing aroma that fills the entire house. All the china is in pristine condition and not a single piece in the set is missing. The family is gathered for holiday pictures, the children are poised perfectly; hands to themselves, not a hair out of place and their smiles are shining brightly for the camera. Then just as the photographer is about to capture the shot� you wake up! Let’s be realistic ladies. Without proper planning, the holidays are anything but a holiday. Just look at the list of things that need to be done: Shopping, cooking, cleaning, decorating, sending holiday mail, the list goes on and on.
Let me clue you all in on a few key questions that you should ask yourself in order to have a holiday season free of stress and worry, and instead filled with fun and laughter:
What types of holiday celebrations do you want? For example: Do you want to have an immediate family only holiday affair or an extravaganza including immediate and extended family plus a few friends? Once you’ve thought everything through and decided on the type of holiday gathering you would like, you can then start making your plans.
If you are ready to get a head start on organizing yourself, your family and your holiday check lists, then keep reading:
Holiday Cards: Start early! I use a holiday card list that I derive from saving names and addresses from holiday cards my family has received in past years. I created a simple, computerized list that is easy to edit and print onto address labels. Be sure to stock up on stamps so that when you have your cards signed, stuffed and addressed you can affix a stamp to them and make one, simple trip to the Post Office.
Holiday Gifts: There’s nothing like getting a HUGE credit card bill in the mail at the start of the New Year. Many of us tend to want to be generous when shopping for holiday gifts. While your generosity will be appreciated at gift giving time, keep in mind that it is very easy to succumb to “impulse buying” and go all out on your holiday shopping. While your intentions may be good, your pocketbook may be singing a different song. Set a budget and stick to it � your bank account will thank you for it after the start of the New Year.
Wrap it up: Wrap your gifts and place nametags on them immediately after you bring them home, then store the gifts in a secure spot. This will cut down on those late night wrapping sessions that I am sure we ALL have experienced a few times, if not every year.
Baking & cooking: If you will be cooking during the holidays, it is important to plan your meals ahead of time. Be sure to stock up ahead of time on all the necessary non-perishable baking ingredients such as flour, sugar and spices. Create a list of your holiday menus and a list of the ingredients you will need to prepare each of those meals. Also, try to think of a few dishes that can be prepared ahead of time and then frozen as an extra timesaving measure
Delegate: This is one of my favorite tips. Be sure to enlist the help of your family or friends. Sit down and discuss what needs to be done then ask for volunteers. If no hands are raised, simply assign small tasks to each of them. Whether it is arranging for a babysitter so that you can escape for a child free day of shopping, passing the shopping list onto another family member or friend so that they can pick up the items for you, or letting the children decorate your home. Be sure to get the whole family involved in the holiday preparations so that you will not be overwhelmed.
Enjoy: Whatever you decide to do, remember to relax and enjoy yourself. You and your family will have much fonder memories of this holiday season if you are not spending it pulling your hair out.
About The Author
Aurelia Williams, certified Personal Life Coach and owner of Real Life Coaching who offers free consultations and Real Life Solutions, a Family Resource site that helps you lead an emotionally & physically healthier, more productive and less stressful life. You can visit her site at http://www.reallifesolutions.net.
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November 16th, 2008
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