Account-Based Marketing: Back To Basics

Worried that your advertising isn't working or that your website is weak? Then it's time to start using account-based marketing, advises columnist Peter Isaacson. He lays out three key components to get you started with ABM.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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Think Outside the Box by Buying 'Open Box'

Save some green by purchasing refurbished goods and those that have already been opened.

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How to Invest in Bond Funds During a Bear Market

Bonds could be a safe haven for investors looking for stability, but you have to know the basics.

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Why Buying Expensive Clothes for Kids Is Dumb

Children outgrow shirts and shoes before they get any real use. 

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Twitter B2B Top-Dog Targeting: Thursday’s Psychographic Hot House

Ever had a product or service to promote to the C-Suite within a large corporation and wish you could reach the CEO, CFO, CMO, or all of the above? In last week’s post, we showed you how to target the C-Suite on Facebook, Nail B2B Authority Targeting: Psychographic Targeting Hot House. In this...

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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4 Reasons Working from Home is Perfect for Empty Nesters

By Christy Schutz In the past, I have written about the changes that take place as our children leave the house and we transition to that “Empty Nester” status. I have one more child at home who is entering her sophomore year of high school, so, it is something I think about quite often. As […]

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13 Weird Mystery Shopping Gigs: Get Paid to Go to Spas, Casinos and Amusement Parks

When you think of mystery shopping, you probably imagine going to a restaurant and quietly checking out the environment, service and food. You’ll get a free meal, maybe a few bucks and that’s it.

But you might be surprised by many of the other niches in mystery shopping, and some of them are more interesting and more profitable.

For example, I recently reported on being a “mystery worshipper” for $45 per church service. You secretly rate the church, and it uses the information to improve its services and attract new members.

Sometimes a mystery shopping company specializes in one niche, while other times they have several departments. Here’s a look at some of the more unusual mystery shopping opportunities.

1. Get Paid to Enjoy Spa Treatments

Coyle Hospitality evaluates companies in travel-related niches, and one of its specialties is spa mystery shopping. These assignments are all over the world, so this could be a good one if you want some freebies and extra income while you travel.

The company also offers hotel and restaurant assignments, but if you just want the spa treatments, don’t worry. The sign-up page says evaluators “may request assignments at their discretion.”

As for potential earnings, the page says “All mystery shopping assignments pay a fee plus reimbursable expenses as directed by the client.”

2. Make Money Going to the Movies

As a “certified field associate” for Market Force, you go to theaters to watch movies and trailers, to count patrons and sometimes to set up movie posters. Some visits are traditional mystery shopping assignments, while at other times the management knows you’re there and your task might be something like; “Watch and record all advertisements shown prior to the feature.”

The Penny Hoarder founder Kyle Taylor says he was paid $30 to attend a Harry Potter premiere, but the pay varies and can be lower than that. Of course, getting to watch movies for free in exchange for counting ads or patrons isn’t such a bad deal.

3. Get Free Beer

The “Bar Integrity Mystery Shop” is one MSP Services’ specialties. As a mystery shopper, you’ll pose as a regular customer while secretly rating each bar on speed of service, friendliness, accuracy, cleanliness and other factors.

MSP Services does other types of mystery shops, but the application page makes it clear “you can choose the shops that best fit your schedule.” That means you can skip the restaurant assignments if you just want to go to bars.

4. Mystery Shop at Home

Web Mystery Shoppers specializes in evaluating companies doing business online. Working for them as a web mystery shopper, you basically visit websites and interact with them while recording your “thoughts, feeling and suggestions.”

I’ve previously written about this kind of website testing, and like other companies that hire for these positions, Web Mystery Shoppers pays a reasonable rate, promising, “Most jobs take about 30 minutes and pay $10-$15.” The problem, in my experience, is that assignments are not available very often.

5. Ride Roller Coasters for Free

Riding roller coasters is just one of the possible duties you’ll have working as an amusement park mystery shopper for Amusement Advantage. The company works strictly in the amusement industry, a niche that “includes theme parks, amusement parks, water parks and family entertainment centers.” In other words you could have some fun assignments.

The company says it often pays only expenses, but that “includes reimbursement for reasonable expenses associated with completing the assignment such as parking and purchases you need to make at the facility such as tickets, food, merchandise and games or attractions charges.”

In other words, you (and sometimes a partner) get a free day of fun, and sometimes additional pay, including a $5 bonus for quickly submitting your evaluation.

6. Get Paid to Go to the Doctor

The Baird Group does medical mystery shopping.

As a medical mystery shopper, you’ll “pose as patients on the phone to hospitals and clinics, or observe on-site interactions to help us create more positive patient experiences and stronger provider/patient relationships,” according to their careers page.

Sometimes, “mystery patients will present as patients with symptoms of a non-threatening matter,” similar to working as a standardized patient. The website does not mention what you’ll be paid, but as with many mystery shopping companies, you’ll need a PayPal account to collect.

7. Make Money Test Driving Cars

BestMark is one company that does automotive mystery shopping. You go to car lots and pose as a potential buyer, which means you test drive a car and listen to a sales pitch, and so on.

Kyle Taylor says he made $60 for each dealership he visited when he was doing automotive mystery shopping.

8. Mystery Shop Banks

Customer Impact does financial institution mystery shopping. As a shopper, you evaluate banks, credit unions, and investment companies for their service, facilities and more. Assignments are both for in-person visits and phone call shops.

9. Evaluate Apartments

Jancyn has a division focused on apartment mystery shopping. You pose as a potential tenant and go through the process of looking at apartments.

Don’t be sloppy filling out the shopper application. Jancyn says, “Our mystery shoppers are evaluated for their integrity, writing skills and attention to detail before becoming independent contractors with us.”

10. Mystery Shop Real Estate Agents

You can be paid to look at houses and rate the agent who shows them to you by working with AdvancedFeedback.

You might do phone call shops or become an “Advanced Undercover Video Specialist” and work in the field. The latter position requires you to get a couple certifications first, and the application page says, “At this time, please do not apply for our video shops unless you are experienced AND own your own equipment.”

11. Paid to Gamble

OK, they’re not really going to cover your losses if you gamble, but both Imyst and BestMark have casino mystery shopping opportunities. You might be evaluating the slot attendants, the table games or the casino’s restaurants and bars.

12. Mystery Shop the Government

Shopper Confidential does mystery shopping of government agencies and services. As a shopper, you might use websites, make phone calls and visit offices of municipal, provincial and federal governments in Canada and the US.

The website FAQ says, “Typically, Shoppers receive payments of $15-$20 per assignment, plus any expenses incurred are reimbursed.”

13. Get Paid to Go to Concerts

BestMark has been targeting the producers of “Sporting events, concerts, conventions, plays and many other public events” for its mystery shopping service.

“If you’re fortunate enough to snag an assignment where you get to cover a concert, football game or another public event, you’ll be tasked with making note of how facilities are operated from the perspective of a patron,” the company says.

Have Fun but Be Careful

Mystery shopping scams do exist, so be careful. It’s usually a good idea to stick with companies that are members of the MSPA (Mystery Shopping Providers Association).

In any case, here are some simple rules you can follow to avoid being scammed:

• Never pay to become a mystery shopper
• Never pay to see a list of mystery shopping jobs
• Never agree to cash a check and send money back

You generally don’t make much money as a mystery shopper. Kyle Taylor made $5,000 per month auditing liquor stores (and got free beer), but most gigs pay very little for your time. For most shoppers, it’s not a way to pay the bills, but a fun way to generate some extra income and get some freebies.

Your Turn: Have you ever been a mystery shopper, and what’s the most unusual gig you’ve had?

Steve Gillman is the author of “101 Weird Ways to Make Money” and creator of EveryWayToMakeMoney.com. He’s been a repo-man, walking stick carver, search engine evaluator, house flipper, tram driver, process server, mock juror, and roulette croupier, but of more than 100 ways he has made money, writing is his favorite (so far).

The post 13 Weird Mystery Shopping Gigs: Get Paid to Go to Spas, Casinos and Amusement Parks appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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Fishy smell over Coles’ sneaky backflip

COLES said it was doing the right thing when putting this popular product on its shelves. But now, the supermarket giant has been accused of its misleading customers.

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30 ways to increase your take-home income

A sudden promotion or raise might seem unlikely, but there are many ways to boost your paycheck that you might not have considered. Read on to discover 30 ways to increase your take-home income — some of these might even improve your quality of life at the same time.

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Estimates for outlays on sports, entertainment vary wildly

Bill Foley's bid for a National Hockey League team in Las Vegas is moving into "Phase 3" with league officials, which leaves us with this question: What does Phase 3 mean?

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5 Mistakes You Don’t Know You Are Making in the Grocery Store

Hey there!

It’s Kyle, founder of the The Penny Hoarder & lead instructor over at the Grocery Budget Makeover. This year I’m on a mission to transform the way you shop for groceries and to help you save thousands of dollars!

There are 5 mistakes you are making in the grocery store each week, and I bet you don’t know what they are. Or how much they could be costing you in grocery savings each month.

I’ve got a short video for you to watch, explaining each of the 5 mistakes.

After you watch the video, you can download the FREE cheat sheet that outlines the mistakes AND then tells you how to fix them.

Drop your email below and I’ll send you a video telling you all about those mistakes, plus a free cheat sheet that will help you identify and fix these silly little mistakes!

You in?

The post 5 Mistakes You Don’t Know You Are Making in the Grocery Store appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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How can you improve the Google ranking of your online business?

Improving Google rankings is an obsession for many online businesses, and for good reason. See how you can improve your Google ranking at HowStuffWorks.

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How can you improve the Google ranking of your online business?

Improving Google rankings is an obsession for many online businesses, and for good reason. See how you can improve your Google ranking at HowStuffWorks.

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Popular rooftop-solar program gets green light to continue for now

Nevada's popular rooftop-solar program will proceed under existing rates and rules for the short term even though a cap on net metering was hit last week, the state Public Utilities Commission decided Wednesday.

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Marketing Day: Facebook Tests Siri-Like Personal Assistant, Marketing Insights From Top CMOs & More

Here's our recap of what happened in online marketing today, as reported on Marketing Land and other places across the web.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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Las Vegas jobless rate holds steady at 7 percent

The Las Vegas Valley's jobless rate held steady at 7 percent from June to July.

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Organic Trade Group Rallies Members & Supporters For “Myth-Busting” Social Media #OrganicFestival

Brands like Organic Valley, Taste of Nature, Honest Tea and Amy's Kitchen are joining the OTA in saturating social media with organic information in September.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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21 Great Teacher Discounts: Stock Up on Classroom Supplies for Less

Did you know teachers spend an average of $513 out of their own pockets each year for classroom supplies, instructional materials and professional development?

More than 99% of public school teachers spend their own money on classroom decorations, books and materials — a total of $1.6 billion each year, according to the Education Market Association.

If you’re a teacher — or you know a teacher — who needs to stock up on the essentials, check out these great teacher discounts.

And it’s not all butcher paper and crayons — snag some new duds for the school year, spruce up your computer or buy some comfy shoes from these companies.

1. Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft

Sign up for a Jo-Ann Teacher Rewards Discount Card to get 15% off all purchases.

You must provide proof that you’re a certified, credentialed or licensed teacher, home-school teacher or childcare provider.

2. Ann Taylor Loft

Shop at Ann Taylor Loft and receive 15% off all full-price purchases.

You can also take advantage of the company’s sweepstakes, $50,000 in annual grants and teacher appreciation nights. Check with your local store for details.

3. Apple

Education pricing isn’t just for teachers; school administrators, staff, home-school teachers, college students, students who have been accepted into college, and even parents of college students can all save up to $200 on a Mac and get a free pair of Beats headphones.

To take advantage of this special offer, select your school from the website’s menu. However, it’s only available until September 18, so act quickly if you want to save!

4. Barnes and Noble

Educators at pre-K through grade 12 schools, including teachers, guidance counselors, principals and reading coaches, can take advantage of Barnes and Noble’s great educator deals.

You’ll typically receive 20% off the list price of most hardback and softcover books, toys and games. Homeschooling parents can receive the discount as well as long as they provide proof of their homeschooling.

5. Cost Plus World Market

Bay Area educators can apply for a 10% discount card to use at Cost Plus World Market. This applies to teachers in San Francisco and Oakland Unified School Districts, but if you’re in another district, ask to see whether your store offers a similar deal.

6. Dell

Public school teachers get great discounts on Dell computers, software and peripherals. Check out Dell University to see available deals.

7. Half Price Books

Save 10% on your whole reading list with an Educator’s Discount Card at Half Price Books. Public or private school teachers, librarians and university teaching assistants just need to show a pay stub or employee ID to get the discount card.

8. J.Crew

Head into a J.Crew or J.Crew Factory store to receive a 15% discount. You’ll have to head to a store in person, though — you can’t get the discount online.

9. Office Depot

Office Depot offers a variety of teacher discounts (ask at your local store for details). In addition, on Teacher Appreciation Days from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1, teachers receive 25% off a qualifying purchase along with a free calendar.

10. Staples

Shop at Staples and receive 10% back in rewards on teaching and art supplies as well as 5% back on other items. You can redeem those rewards on future purchases, just like a gift card.

11. STA Travel

Have the best spring break ever with STA Travel’s Teacher Discount Card.

Full-time teachers, lecturers, professors and tutors can purchase this card for $25 to get great discounts in 133 countries and at 125,000 locations. Enjoy special deals at hotels and hostels, discounts on museum admission and many other ways to save.

You don’t even have to leave home to take advantage of these deals — enjoy free Redbox rentals and discounts on Columbia Sportswear, among many other savings opportunities.

12. The Container Store

Have the most organized classroom around by joining the Organized Teacher Program at The Container Store. The program offers special deals and discounts, but act quickly because it ends on Dec. 31, 2015.

13. The New York Times

Keep your students on top of current events by snagging The New York Times at the special education rate of 99 cents for four weeks, followed by 50% off thereafter.

14. FedEx Office

Teachers, professors, faculty and staff members can enjoy a 15% discount at FedEx Office. Whether you need to print up fancy posters or send a package to your class’ pen pals, you’re covered.

15. Michaels

Decorate your classroom at with supplies from Michaels, where you’ll receive 15% off your purchases every day. This includes a variety of classroom products such as bulletin board materials and educational games, though some exclusions apply.

16. National Geographic

Pay only $1 per digital issue of National Geographic with the educational discount the magazine offers, or enjoy its wide array of free multimedia resources online.

17. Banana Republic

Bring your teacher ID into Banana Republic to enjoy 15% off your purchase. This only applies to in-store purchases, though, so you’ll have to join the rest of the back-to-school shoppers at the mall.

18. Adobe

Snag great deals on Adobe software products with the company’s educator discount program. You can save up to 60% on certain products, but must provide verification of your employment.

Home-school teachers can take advantage of the discount as well, but you’ll have to show you belong to a home schooling association and have planned a full year’s curriculum.

19. Lenovo

Faculty and staff at K-12 schools or colleges can join Lenovo’s Academic Purchase Program to receive discounts on laptops, tablets, desktop computers and more.

20. Aerosoles

Get some comfy shoes for this school year at Aerosoles, where teachers receive 15% off footwear priced $39.99 or higher. Just bring in a pay stub or place a phone order to take advantage of this deal.

21. The Limited

Educators receive 15% off every in-store purchase at The Limited. Just show your teacher ID to the store associate when you check out.

How Else Can You Save?

While these 21 deals offer great ways to save, you might also want to consider these tactics:

Ask for a Discount

Many other stores offer educator discounts, and some don’t advertise — many times you have to ask in person to get the deal.

If in doubt, ask. The worst they can say is “no”!

Check With Your Local Teacher’s Association

Many retailers and businesses offer special deals for teachers in nearby districts.

For example, this great list from the Florida Department of Education shows deals for Florida educators, including free admission to the Kennedy Space Center and Legoland, and discounts on Walt Disney World and other vacation hotspots.

It also lists deals on hotels, car rentals and retail, and special pricing for the Daytona International Speedway, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Heat and other sporting events. Ask your local teacher’s association to see if they have a list of ways you can save.

For more ideas, check out these two great lists of teacher discounts.

Your Turn: What’s your favorite teacher discount? How much has it helped you save?

Kristen Pope is a freelance writer and editor in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

The post 21 Great Teacher Discounts: Stock Up on Classroom Supplies for Less appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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Stephen Hawking's fantastic vision of black holes

Want to know what happens after you pass through a black hole? Just look around you. You might land in another universe that is similar to our own, if Stephen Hawking is right. Or in a very different one.

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US stocks rebound after six-day losing streak

U.S. stocks rebounded in afternoon trading Wednesday after slumping for six straight days on concern that growth in China was slowing more quickly than previously thought.The three major U.S. indexes dropped six days in a row heading into Wednesday. That's the longest market slide in more than three years. The Dow has fallen about 1,900 points over that period, while the slump wiped more than $2 trillion off the value of S&P 500 companies.Wednesday was the second day that [...]

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