What on earth do paid surveys and alternative farming have to do with one another? Maybe more than you may think. So stay with me for a few moments. 20 years ago a buddy and I ran an alternative farming course at college. We were only students but decided that farming was in a near fatal state of disrepair. To this end any new ideas to monetise the assets of farmers were needed.



As such we investigated as many different types of alternative ways to make money as you can imagine, and a few you probably can't. These ranged from farming: budgies, Rottweilers, Angora goats, ostriches, water buffaloes for mozzarella and many more. All these animals produced a product or progeny for the farmer and as such were a viable business, in theory.

But...

One feature that all these business plans had in common, and in most was the MAJOR factor in the profit equation, was the sale of breeding livestock - which was really the business opportunity concept - to other farmers.

And that is where they two worlds collide.

Paid surveys main profit centre is in recommending the opportunity to another person and receiving a commission. As such almost anything you read on this subject is by someone who wants to sign you up, and make a profit for themselves. I am sure you are no fool and have the full array of sceptical questions. However there are many tricks and styles of overcoming people's apprehension, and thus convincing them that this opportunity is just what they need. I only know as I have fallen for many of them.

There may be honest people, but there are also dishonest, and by far the most common is the exaggerator or elaborator. This last category is particularly high due to the entrant selection pressure - or the lack of it.

People look at these opportunities usually due to a lack of funds and in order to make money. The main reason for this is a particular temperament type. And the characteristics of this type, who are disproportionately likely to be advertising, is the tendency to elaborate, exaggerate and in extreme cases tell outright lies. The second type is the entrepreneur who also may have no compunctions of economising on the truth to make a buck.

Paid surveys can also be a novel way of marketing to people. You are actually targeted as a potential customer.

Yes there are a few genuine study groups but there are far more there purely to trap you. If there is even a hint of having to pay to sign up fee up for a paid survey don't just walk, run at full tilt in the opposite direction!