If you’ve been with Work-At-Home Success for awhile, you know I’m not a big fan of mystery shopping and surveys for making a living. I feel the same way about focus groups. So if your goal is to pay your rent or build a steady reliable income to live on, this isn’t the article for you. However, if you’re looking to make extra money or get free stuff, then you might want to consider participating in focus groups.
What is a focus group?
Focus groups are pulled together by companies or their marketing agents to get feedback on their product or service before it’s launched. Usually, the groups comprise of a specific demographic group.
What do focus groups pay?
The pay for participation in a group varies. Phone surveys tend to pay less than $20 for 15 or 20 minutes of your time. The higher paying focus groups are usually done in person and pay $50 to $100 for an hour or so of your time. Some groups pay more, up to several hundred dollars, but also usually involve more time (several hours).
What are the advantages of focus groups?
It’s a fun way to make some extra cash while also helping a company discover if it has a good product and the best way to market it. Further, they’re free to join. Your only expense would be travel. Some focus groups are done online or by phone, which eliminates travel.
What are the disadvantages?
Most of the high paying focus groups take place on site, which means you need to live near a focus group facility. Plus you have to factor in the time and travel costs of getting there.
Most groups are made up of specific demographics, so if you don’t fit the demographic, you won’t be able to participate. It also means, you need to give them a lot of personal information such as your age, gender, income levels, race, pets, number and ages of children, etc.
Finally, it’s not possible to turn focus group participation into a career, so you’re not able to rely on it for steady income.
Still think you might be interested in participating in a focus group?
While you can’t make a living giving your opinion, it can be a great way to make extra money for bills or fun activities. If you think you might be interested, below is a list of focus group resources you can check out. Remember, many require that you live in a specific area, so you’ll want to read the requirements to make sure you fit what the agency is looking for.
Please note, that this list is provided as a resource to you, but I can’t make any guarantees about the programs. Always read terms and conditions carefully and do your due diligence to research before joining. Remember, focus groups are free to join, so if at any point you’re asked for money, walk away.
Find Focus Groups – This is a great place to start your search as it lists current focus groups needs. Plus you can search by location, narrowing down opinion studies in your area.
Google Usability (you don’t need to be tech savvy to participate)
Mind Swarms (video participation)
People’s Views (UK)
Research House (Canada)
Schlesinger Associates (worldwide)
If you’re looking for quick ways to make some extra income, be sure to check out WAHS’s article Have a Few Minutes? Here are 70+ Places to Make a Few Bucks!
