Getting Organized and Helping You Stay Organized

Professional mystery shoppers juggle several assignments at once and must keep track of expenses and income for tax purposes. Organization is the key to success. Can you imagine if you made a mistake in your records and forgot to file your taxes? What if you promised to perform a shop and forgot to show up? Many other people are affected by what you do and don’t do each day, so it’s important to figure out what type of organizational system works best for you. Some people like to keep everything in the computer. Others prefer to see it all on a calendar right in front of them. Others use a book called a ‘Day Planner’ to keep track of business and personal activities.

The method doesn’t matter as much as the fact that you’ve got a system in place that keeps you on track.

Office Equipment Required To Run Your Mystery Shopping Business

When you choose to become a mystery shopper, you are basically setting up your own home business. Mystery shopping requires numerous reports and the most successful shoppers know how to keep all of this information organized. This means you’ll need, at minimum, a place to work, access to a phone and access to a computer. Like any home business, you may or may not need certain office equipment, depending on the requirements of the companies for whom you work.

Some of the equipment you might need may include the following:

• Answering Machine (or voice mail system)
• Cell phone
• Scanner/Fax
• Stopwatch
• Digital Recorder
• Digital Logger
• Digital Camera
• Digital Scales/Thermometers/Other Digital Measuring Equipment

Must you run out and buy all of these items in order to get started as a mystery shopper? Certainly not. Over time, as you become more adept in the business and take on varying assignments, you will discover that each company has their own way of doing things and their own requirements. The more equipment you own, the more you can say ‘Yes’ when opportunities for assignments arise.

Mystery shoppers work as independent contractors. You will pay your own income, Social Security and Medicare taxes on the income you generate. Of course, you will be treated as a small business and can deduct regular business expenses to offset your income. Expenses such as travel expenses, office expenses (supplies, equipment, postage, etc.), business purchases, and computer usage fees may all be deductible. Expenses related to your home office may also be deductible.

Do I Need a Computer and an Internet Hook-Up?

Most mystery shopping reports are completed over the Internet; however, some companies require you to use Microsoft Word or Excel. Having those programs on your computer and knowing how to use them will be a big advantage. Many reports require data, tables and pictures in the formats these programs provide. Open Office is a similar program, which is free to download, and it provides a compatible format.

There are also several programs that can help ensure your PC runs smoothly listed below:

Registry Mechanic
This program makes correction to your computer’s registry, which is a series of codes telling your computer’s programs and operating systems what to do and how to handle data. The problem with Windows is its notoriety for leaving behind registry keys that are no longer used, incomplete or instruct your computer to unnecessarily execute files – all at the cost of performance. This program is available through a yearly subscription, but it ensures your computer runs at its optimal speed.

AVG/E-Wido
Available for free download, this antivirus program provides an active scan in the background, and has the added advantage of being able to work with other programs without coming up as a virus itself when scanned.

How To Obtain Online Mystery Shopping Jobs

With the popularity of the Internet, the large majority of mystery shopping work is obtained and completed online. Your best chances for receiving assignments online involve checking your email regularly and responding to job offers promptly.

You will not only want to apply to many online companies, but check in with them on a regular basis.

Become familiar with a software program known as Prophet, a database program used by mystery shopping companies to assign work. While no one company shares its database with another, you can sign up through the developer’s website at http://apply.archondev.com. Instead of being in only one of many databases, this application process will put you in every database using the Prophet software.

It is necessary to keep all information and profiles submitted to online systems updated and accurate. Include your MSPA certification number when you obtain one. Many databases also allow you to advise companies as to what equipment you have, such as a video recorder, fax or cell phone. As professionalism is important, you should obtain an Internet browser spell check program.

Tools Of The Mystery Shopping Trade

The modern mystery shopper has plenty of tools at their disposal, including:
• video cameras
• digital photography
• cell phones
• audio recorders

Video Cameras:
The newer cameras are smaller and more easily concealed than ever. These provide the benefit of a picture and recorded sound. Many can be concealed in purses, jackets or shopping bags. Most come with a USB cable which can be interfaced with your PC. This allows you to review the footage or sound they pick up. Some models can function as a regular digital camera.

Digital Cameras:
Digital cameras are also getting smaller. The benefit of newer storage allows you to take hundreds of pictures before running out of memory, especially when stored in a .jpg format. Like video, you can also connect these to your PC via a USB cord. These are handy for photographing on assignments involving loss prevention.

Cell Phones:
Cell phones perform the same functions as video cameras and digital photography devices and are virtually everywhere. Many also record audio, and allow you to conduct surveillance out in the open. Most are small enough to obscure the visibility of your message or pretend conversation with an answering machine from employees.