Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Earn Money Doing Surveys

The possibility of trying to earn money doing surveys can be tempting, but individuals should be sure to read the fine print before becoming involved with many on line organizations. Sales pitches that promise big money for minimal effort are usually too good to be true. That is not to say that there are not reputable organizations that are willing to pay individuals who take the time to answer questions on line. But these promises of supplemental income will most often have many strings attached. When a reputable organization is located, many will not yield any extra money for participants at all. Scams in this area abound and can involve asking participants to fork over a payment in exchange for information. It would be wise to avoid such offers. After paying for this information, many consumers find that the data is completely worthless. Another drawback for those who wish to earn money doing surveys is the length of the surveys and the amount of time that the hopeful on line entrepreneur must expend to complete them. Once completed, payment can be very low, in some cases only five to ten dollars for hours of work. Add to this the fact that it can be very difficult to find legitimate sources of this kind of income and many individuals end up feeling that activity of this nature is not a profitable way to make extra cash.

Unfortunately, many organizations that claim to help consumers earn money doing surveys have other motives. In some cases, these websites are simply attempting to collect a list of email addresses for their own purposes. These sites will take the information that is provided by hopeful participants and use it in a number of ways. Email addresses are often used to send out spam emails to unwitting participants. Street addresses are frequently sold to direct mail marketers and the addresses are used for solicitation via standard mail. The bottom line is, the hopeful on line business person will not receive what they had hoped to receive, that is the ability to earn money doing surveys on line. Other scams will include the sale of books or other resources that claim to contain trade secrets that will help the purchaser make money by filling out these surveys. A consumer should never fork over hard earned cash for such information. Careful reading and research is mandatory for anyone who is considering joining forces with the purveyors of on line questionnaires. No one wants personal information made available without their knowledge. But in many cases, this is exactly the motivation behind many promises of these Internet information gatherers. Even if a website is not asking for payment from potential participants up front, promises of big money are generally false.

When seeking out ways to earn money doing surveys, it is possible to find honest organizations. The first thing to look for is a site that does not require participants to make any kind of payments to the organization before getting started. But this quality alone is not enough. There are many other things that individuals should look for before becoming involved. Generally, if a potential participant finds a reputable organization, the possibility of making big money is unlikely. Frequently, a participant will fill out some basic information and then sit back and wait. When a survey comes along that is suited to the individual participant, that participant will receive notification, usually through email. Once finished, it can take a few weeks to receive payment for any completed on line questionnaires. Some sites do not pay in cash but will offer prizes or coupons instead. For this reason, anyone who desires to earn money doing surveys will need to take care when checking out a new provider. Of course, for many individuals the possibility of prizes and coupons as payment is an acceptable arrangement. But for those interested only in receiving cash, these organizations may not be the best way to become an on line entrepreneur. The bottom line is that the consumer should never even consider paying money up front for information or access to lists of providers.

There are websites that are dedicated to posting information and reviews of organizations that promote ways to earn money doing surveys. These sites will often contain blogs that solicit the experiences of participants in this area of marketing. Both scam alerts and tips on honest providers might be included on these sites. Specific organizations may be rated as to payment practices and dependability. Of course, this information should always be offered free of charge. While it would be wonderful to be able to depend on every Internet offer, many organizations are simply not to be trusted. Forgiveness and kindness are important attributes according to the Bible. "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:32)

Among the legitimate offers that are available, there are opportunities for children and young Internet participants. These opportunities may not include ways to earn money doing surveys, but there are other methods of compensation that may be attractive to young people. Many organizations are interested in the views of children and teens. Whether these sites are part of a larger company or are opinion gatherers that are geared toward youth, offering prizes can be an attractive way to ensure participation. In some cases, participants earn points by filling out questionnaires. These points can be traded for merchandise that is made available through on line catalogs.

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