Think outside the side hustle box – Be in a focus group

The side hustle game is real. I bet you have friends who drive for ride shares or bombard you with the newest skin care/leggings/jewelry that you GOTTA HAVE via Facebook, right? But have you ever considered participating in a focus group? You won’t get rich but you can give opinions on things you already love or hate and make enough money to subsidize your favorite cocktail coffee habit. participate in research studies for money

Most focus groups are about five to eight of your newest best friends. You will get to sit around a conference table and have a moderator lead you through specific questions to ask your opinion about either a certain product or service. This is way more satisfying than a Yelp review because you get paid AND you can actually make a difference in the final outcome. Marketers need real user feedback in order to put the best they have to offer out there and your opinion matters! 

Most companies will have you fill out a profile first in order to see which products and services you are a fit for. They don’t want to waste time on someone who is unfamiliar with them and cannot give enough feedback unless they are conducting an awareness focus group. 

Also, be sure to only deal with reputable companies (Hi) before you give out any personal information. You certainly can use certain online public boards to find a focus group but you will have to do extra due diligence to verify that they are legitimate.  

Next time you find yourself thinking “I could sure use a couple extra bucks this week” consider participating in a focus group. It’s an hour or two of talking in exchange for a week’s worth of lattes and that seems pretty nice.