Free Money: Part 2
By Wilma Ann Anderson

Read Part 1

Market Researchers for various companies and organizations are paying big bucks to hear YOUR opinions in focus groups. Focus groups are round table discussions with some of your peers who have similar interests, tastes, and consumer habits. Recruiters find a bunch of folks with certain similarities and gather them in a posh facility to talk about the subject of the day. The subject could be TV shows, product packaging, laundry detergent, SUVs, real estate, cell phones, toilet paper, technology issues, pharmaceutical trends, YOU NAME IT!

You need to be in the database of these recruiters. When they need to staff respondents for a particular study, they punch in certain criteria into the database and hopefully out pops your name. If you sign up and don't receive calls about studies, don't be discouraged. There are always more companies to sign up with and you may need to get a little more proactive. You can always call and ask if there are any studies coming up for which you may qualify. Certain companies request that you not call and you'll learn which ones along the way.

Many companies pay you cash, from $50-$250 for one to two hours of your time. Others pay by check. Some even come to your home and pay you for inviting your friends to participate. Remember it's not a sales pitch of any sort. They just want your opinions. I know lots of part-timers who pick up focus groups here and there as supplemental income. I've been doing focus groups for the last two years and have made enough supplemental income to remodel my attic. Enough said. Here are a few companies to get you started:

www.advancedfocus.com

www.focuspointe.com

www.greatopinions.com

Sign up today. You might get called in next week. It's that simple. No lie. I'm going to one this week.

Wilma Ann Anderson is the Editor-in-Chief and Cofounder of Mahogany Baby. She's also an accomplished singer, and works as a model and film executive. This mother of four has freelanced for ESSENCE and Working Mother magazines, enjoys crafting, and is based in New Jersey.