Has anyone besides me been called by a telemarketer in the last two months? Most likely than not, that person was not a telemarketer, but a market research representative. Far too often we are getting these two groups of individuals confused which is why I believe that phone based market research is dying very quickly and if any company is considering doing market research (which thousands do every day), they need to begin taking it online! PERIOD!!

Face it! The times are changing! It is no longer acceptable to cold call an individual for telemarketing or market research purposes. 99% of the US population has no tolerance for someone calling their home, let alone, giving ten to fifteen minutes of their time to take a survey while on the phone.

Well, it's a good thing we have the internet and a good thing that technology is always changing an improving! Today market research companies are taking a large amount of their surveys online, while compensating willing individuals for taking them. How marvelous for companies like General Motors or Alltel Wireless? They can mock up a survey and have market research companies send it to willing individuals to to take it. They could not make it any easier!!!

But what about those individuals who take the paid surveys. How do they get paid? Well, the market research companies are paid by the client for every survey that is completed. They take a portion of the payment and compensate their survey takers three or four dollars for their time. It is a rather brilliant business model and I wish I had thought of it first! Best yet, these survey takers can actually make a pretty good amount of money if they are taking surveys for a handful of companies. I always joke around that my wife calls the money we make from surveys "play money" it is true, she takes it and runs down to Nordstrom and it is gone just as fast as we can make it. But for those who are in desperate need of extra money, you could use it to pay power or gas bills.

Basically, the message I am trying to convey is two fold... For those companies considering using market research to collect info about your current or future consumers, take it online... You will be happy you did! For those who are interested in taking surveys...STOP WAITING! The longer you wait, the more money you will miss out on. I suggest to sign up with ten or so survey companies and start making money today!