Sunday, September 24, 2017

HubSpot is a Must Have for Entreprenuers Around the Web

Web technology is growing exponentially. There are all sorts of types of growth. These incidents, ideas and innovations are moving in leaps and bounds. Changes take place within days and sometimes within hours. One of the regions identified as displaying enormous opportunities to earn now and in the future is in the capacity of inbound and outbound sales and marketing.


A little about the company

HubSpot is a company established in  2006. Within a little more than a decade the co-founders, Brian Halligan and Dormesh Shah have amassed a net worth of $15.6 billion after only five years in the business. Business has been good for the small start up. In fact, there was an acquisition of Oneforty a Twitter app in 2010.

The company targeted areas of small business in it's initial construction, but soon moved on to larger clients. Companies of approximately 1000 employees are contracted with the site. 

What does it do for me?

Software gives each visitor the capacity to build a personalized website.  Additionally, other services are provided not generally discovered elsewhere. For instance, one of the most sought after is the social media marketing processes. Other subjects in connection with social media marketing and web design are web analytics, landing pages and good ole search engine optimization.


Something extra

The reason HubSpot is a step above the rest lies in the fact expertise is shared via online web education. Classes are offered to develop, teach or enhance knowledge in the field of inbound marketing tactics. There are also resources for additional learning and professional recognition in certain areas.

With places for group discussions and expert feedback for questions, it is a profitable for newbies and novices alike. Using tools and online classes, personal certification is possible for inbound marketing regions of expertise. Professors are on hand for group board discussions. The Harvard Review took the time in 2010 to applaud the online techniques built for users to earn certification or accreditation in the field.

The site is easy to navigate and follow. There is a clean feel and visual appeal to it. Following directions, procedures and processes are made clear and concise.

For example, there is a device capable of searching through a website and shares site performance. Aptly named the Web Creator, it shows and scores the performance of any website. There is a Twitter tracking system and other handy online devices.
 
Reviews

Tech reviews have been great for the company. A pat on the back is well deserved in this area. Customer reviews are just as important.

Clients using the system are full of feedback. The common theme seems to be the opportunity to discover and tweak analytic data is an enormous plus. Though, there is a drawback to getting the controls to pull the data as requested. This is possibly a user issue and not a system issue. Further investigation is being done by the company.

A plea to take advantage of the training courses and professional help delivered via consulting hours. Most discover this is invaluable info and only enhances the blog or site.

In conclusion

The overall goal of the business is to invest in individuals in order to develop personal skills capable of creating inbound marketing for personal blogs, sites and other web platforms. 

Overall more targeted marketing is a vehicle any owner needs and is able to use to build a better platform,

Friday, September 15, 2017

Ace Mystery Shopper Evaluator

There are all sorts of mystery shopper companies. There was an enormous interest in the profession with a small number of businesses in the field only a few short years ago. Things certainly have changed. With the invention of new and better advertising efforts put forth primarily by social media more than a few items are different in the field of mystery shopping. The stay at home workers have taken an enormous interest in what's going on.

Countless individuals do not recognize these are real or actual jobs. The story of reviewing new and better products free of charge with the only cost personal feedback does not seem possible. It seems too good to be true. Only a few variations on this description exist, but for the most part this is how these types of companies work it. It is a win/win circumstance for the business and the worker.

A little background on Ace

One of the older ones is Ace Mystery Shopping.  It has been around for a little less than 20 years. Began in 2001 by Tiffany Steward and Julie Simbro. Julie and her husband have recently purchased enough shares to make Julie the CEO/COO.  Headquarters are based out of Warrensburg, Missouri.


A number of Fortune 500 companies are working with Ace. Employment opportunities include mystery shopping jobs in the U.S. Canada and Puerto Rico. The list of vendors working alongside of the business are varied indeed. 

Shops include hotel, casino, vendor,retail, hardware, home improvement, tourism, real estate shops, dining shops, auto dealership, pharmacies and even phone shopping areas. All of these are only a fraction of who Ace works with

Bonus for new hires

Incentives are what get new and keep old employees dedicated to a business. There are financial rewards for a current employee referring a new one. The website leaves more info where this is concerned.Procedures, guidelines and exceptions are all listed there.

Variations most shoppers find unique

A great way to get insider info on shoppers is through exit interviews and intercepting customers. Both of these actions tell a store quite a bit about the overall shopping experience as well as detailed info on a store's looks, merchandise available, employees and even restroom or dressing room improvements or short falls.

Updates or changes made since original inception

One of the biggest gripes mystery shoppers working for the company displayed has been on the payment system. With this is mind, alterations have been done to gain employee retention. 

The former system was named Pay Quicker. Plenty of great employees admit this was the only downfall to the job. This has been a carnival. The follow up to Pay Quicker was Dwolla. This was also a bust. Therefore, the third up to bat was paper checks. This is unusual in this day and age, but it was given the green light.

Payment

There is a 30 day turn around time for payment. The reimbursement is lower for easier shops such as a uniform shop. This is generally anywhere from $10 to $20. Apartment shopping is one of the higher paid ones.


Elite Shoppers

There are the average shoppers on the payroll and some which are above the bar. In order to get above that bar, a few individuals need to get a boost. This is something which comes in the form of a friend or mentor or even doing it yourself.

Excellent writing skills are a must. Along with this attribute the company searches for those people who are reliable and have respect for Ace staff communication.

In conclusion

Take a look at Ace and what it has to offer. Whether or not this is a good fit or not varies from party to party. Currently on Mystery Shop Forum there are not tons of negative opinions about the business

Any person working at home interested in making money with Ace will need to contact the office/website directly. Find details surrounding processes and procedures directly from the site.

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Get Paid to Test New Products

I have had several work from home jobs. One of the funnest and possibly the best was product testing. Tons of companies are searching for those stay at home moms and dads to test new company products and give feedback. A viewpoint, positive or negative earns a pay check. What could be better? The idea sounds crazy, but it actual works out great for both parties.

These are more than a few of those great entrepreneurs crazy enough to allow a consumer to sit back and get info from the horses mouth. This is not where a model displays an item and says how wonderful it is. There is no great display of how soft skin is after using body wash or how tasty the new Almond Joy happens to be. These are real manufacturer's items for sale in stores or testing prior to be put on shelves.

Take a peek at these with a brief overview and see if any fit into your lifestyle. Working from home does not always need to be behind the wheel of a car or behind a desk.

The Pink Panel

  The Pink Panel is a company with a Facebook following. By signing up and using Facebook to follow, there is an inside invite for testing. 

This is a fun place for girls, like the pink suggest. Item examples include, facial cleansing brushes, skin care products and even flat combs and hair straighteners. 


The typical pay is in gift cards ranging from $25 to $100. This is a wonderful way to not only shop for personal items, but Birthday and Christmas for friends and family got a whole lot easier. For those not into gift cards, beauty products are also available as a reward.

Influentser

This is a retail presence which specializes in household stuffs. Test Downy,Pantene and even Cutex to name but a few. The application process is easy as pie. Complete a questionnaire about lifestyle and what is already located on an individual's household shelves. Based on the info provided people are picked to test specific retailers things.
 
A box chocked full of samples arrives at the individual tester's door. These are items selected specifically for you to use and give feedback.  

note=some folks working with Influenster admit to a request from the business before getting the job. There are times when a "selfie" with some objects are required. For instance, if admitting to using Tide with Downy, a selfie with the article must be sent in.

Minute Rice Club/Riceipe Club

For all of the rice lovers on the planet, the Minute Rice company has a reward. The test persons working for the company need to cook a recipe including the product. 

After joining the recipe club for Minute Rice look under the tab listed as product taste test/customer surveys. Not every submission is chosen, but there have not been too many not selected for participation.

BzzAgent

A whole lot of people in this line of work admit to receiving small sized items for testing. These are not necessarily sample size (not enough to write home about), but not family sized either. This is a company mailing out all full sized items.

These are not to be returned, these are keepers in exchange for giving BzzAgent a personal viewpoint after using.

Marie Claire

This is one of the most popular because the free stuffs are all related to makeup. This includes but not limited to mascara, blush, highlighter and even handbags. The Marie Claire Velvet Rope Club is all there is and more for hoards of testers who love makeup.


Some of the products are simply bonuses sent to members without a request for a review. Sign up and find out more about the specifics.

Glamour

This is one of the top magazines around the world for when it comes to looking your best. Glamour has dedicated itself to be in the top percentile because of the companies who do business with the publication. This happens because folks out in the world who have linked up with them to give an opinion about objects under all sorts of categories.


One of the top ones is makeup. Glamour Glam Spotters are asked to invest in looking into things young women are interested in. The biggest on the list is makeup. The Glam Spotters are designed to take care of this segment of health and hygiene.

The focus is hitting on what has not hit the store shelves yet. This means receiving the newest of the new. Unique and one of a kind items are also given out. A great deal do not even request feedback after use.

Vogue Insiders

This is another business with a focus on health and beauty. This is one testers really enjoy. Not only are there full size products mailed to the home, but these are on the high end of the cost scale. 

The more expensive boxes of lotions, facial washes, makeup, brushes and more are sent directly to the door. The cost is short surveys and possibly joining more than one panel.


Swaggable




There is a company dedicated to food and fun. This is Swaggable. Not only are snacks for people on the list, but there are even treats for doggies as well. 


Sign up is simple and so is getting those great freebies to try. Simply read over what is being offered for the time period and click on "want to try". The food is sent to the front door and the company waits on an opinion. 


Companies participating include 18Rabbits, Haribo and Kettle. 


In closing

Tons of various businesses are looking for all sorts of individuals to take a peek into products and services. These are not throwbacks or off brands. It is the real thing. Oodles of these come in the form of clothes, makeup, food, shoes and so much more. Even doggie treats are on the list. Products are mailed out and the business requests clients to use them.


The only small thing asked in return is feedback. Let them know what the average everyday person things or feels about them. Answer surveys in some circumstances while others only want to give away free samples. These fall under the category of mystery shoppers, but most admit it is free shopping for a number of reasons.





Read each item and company rules and procedures carefully. This is important to assure reimbursement is correct. Both parties need to understand what is involved in the transaction.

Some are subject to time limits and other restrictions. Make the first experience the best and do a great job. Companies will share a great tester with others businesses looking for the same services. 

Every one differs for what is to be done, how soon and what they are looking for in particular. Most folks are surprised by how fun it is. I was involved in picking the variety of new Mountain Dew flavors and the M and M campaign for a new color added to the bag. 




thanks pixabay for the pics

Saturday, April 30, 2016

Better Business Bureau Warnings about Summer Jobs

Summer is almost upon us and countless folks are looking for ways to earn extra income. There are new individuals in the marketplace competing for the same work from home jobs as the rest of us. The new college graduate, stay at home parents with extra time on hand, retirees and of course students looking to make a little money this time of year. Along with people joining the summer workforce, there are evil doers out there looking to scam and manipulate innocent individuals.  The Better Business Bureau is warning to be on the lookout for confidence artists and know the difference between an honest job opportunity and a decoy.

How to spot them

It is very simple for these rip off artists to swindle someone into their trust if a person is not aware. The biggest tip off says president of the BBB is an offer which is simply "too good to be true".  She is talking about big money offers for minimal work, no experience necessary or working from home with wonderful hours. This does not mean there are offers in the marketplace with some of these characteristics, but the majority of business opportunities do not fit into all of these categories rolled into on.

Numerous people admit to simply having a "nagging" feeling of something amiss and avoiding disaster. If in doubt about a business, do not go ahead with the venture. Contact the right authorities for advice on the legit or not.


The way in for the tricksters is generally through an online job offer as mentioned previously. Though, other sources included phishing scamming via email and even phone stings. 

Examples of some of the swindles 

Along with giving the public warning of these crooks the BBB has also identified some examples the office has been made aware of;

Payment transfer cheat

This is one which has been around for a couple of years. The mark is targeted by crooks and asked builds up a confidence or trust. For a simple favor there is a payment in gratitude. Eventually there is a need for the workers bank account number for direct deposit of funds. Of course the employer only needs a portion of the monies and the worker is able to keep the difference for going to all the trouble to help.

What actually takes place is the bank account info is gathered and monies stolen from the workers account by the new employer.. Some even go further by sending a bogus check which means wire fraud and theft are charges against innocent persons. 

Personally Invited

The cheat sends out a mass email to accounts purchased from other unscrupulous employers to people interested in finding a job. The recipient has been personally chosen for the job. They will admit to seeing resumes on the web and other flattery. Miraculously there is a perfect match for the job you seek. Simply fill out and easy application with the company and get started.

Form ask for personal info. These include but are not limited to social security numbers, address, bank account numbers and even mother's maiden name..Do not fall for it. If a valid company is mentioned at anytime, call the business to verify.

Great work abroad

Looking to work in exotic spots like Italy or the South of France for the summer? These are promised made and never kept by the con. The trick on this one is promising these out of country dream jobs and the local company is asking for a simple referral fee for setting everything they do to assure you get the job.

Business do hire outside of the country. Though, companies with legit work do not charge for referral fees or any sort of money up front. Additionally, any one using a post office box for sending payment is not representing a valid company. Most people ask why work with a middle man instead of the business directly?

Verification process

This one works like this. The trickster is looking for any and all personal info you give to them. They ask for mother's maiden name, bank account info, etc. Any material they are able to gather to start a case of identity theft or robbery is where this one is headed.

The reason given for needing this info is a driver's license or passport is not enough to verify an identity for this particular company. Walk away as quickly as possible from this one.
 

How to find out if a business is legit

Being proactive is a good place to begin. The easiest is check for a company website. Though some cons go as far as to make a fake one, most will not. No website generally means no company. 

One tip given by the BBB was surprising. They have advised to look out for jobs with generic titles. Thieves have flocked toward job titles such as secret shoppers or care giver. There are more than a few actual jobs these these titles, but most are not hiring via another company.

An enormous give away is most of the con men are not capable of being professional enough.


Too overzealous in pursuit

Hiring managers who simply will not take no for an answer generally deserve a closer look. Most workers are actively pursuing work and tend to be the aggressor in the job search. A balance tilting in the other direction with a sort of frenzy feel to it it not normal. 

Out of country jobs or foreign sounding names of businesses who simply cannot take no for an answer from you are big giant red alert.

Resources for help
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Remember- The BBB is always there to lend a helping hand. There have been thousands identified and in the enormous database of info the office has on hand. Contact the Better Business Bureau for assistance.

Every state has an Attorney General's Office which is able to investigate a possible swindle not yet identified by the BBB. The phone number and address are accessible. Scores of folks who have contacted the State Attorney General's Office have been fundamental in stopping cheats by bringing suspected issues to the state authorities for investigation.

In conclusion

Employment changes and opportunities are big changes in any individual's life. Take the time to investigate and do the homework before diving in head first. Countless people have been taken advantage of simply because an extra ten minute inquiry was overlooked.

There are several sources listed here which are a great place to start and are free of change. Follow natural instincts if all else fails. Those feelings in the pit of the stomach are for flight or fight. Take heart if this one turns out to be a bust because of a scam, another will come along eventually.




 

Sunday, August 16, 2015

Write Greeting Cards at Home for a Living

There are all sorts of folks working from home in this age of technology. There are literally hundreds of thousands of ideas to explore for anyone interested in earning money via a work from home business opportunity. Although the choices are many, each one is not for everyone. Success begins with bringing together the right person with the right idea. Education and info is power in this area. Making an informed decision when choosing a niche is one of the key ingredients to making things turn out right.



One of the best ways to discover a good fit for an individual is to investigate a variety of ideas. An innovative notion for earning terrific monies is writing greeting cards. This is a concept overlooked quite a bit and one of the easiest ways to create a start up based from home. The overhead is inexpensive, education minimal and the experience is not as much as most believe. Take a good look at what goes into beginning this work from home business opportunity. 

Writing Greeting Cards for a Living


This is an interesting idea. How about creating a greeting card for a company? This is a brief overview on how to get this sort of concept going. This is only one of millions of notions in the niche.