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Mystery shopping is a legitimate way to make money; however, if you received a large check and were told to wire money somewhere, don't do anything until you read about mystery shopping scams.

Organize Your Mystery Shopping

Posted on January 29th, 2010 in Mystery Shopping Recordkeeping,Secret Shopper How-To by Cathy Stucker

A new year (or any time) is a good time to organize the paperwork, computer files and workflow for your mystery shopping business. Being better organized means you spend less time seeking assignments, doing shop visits, completing reports, and calculating taxes. Most importantly, you will not risk forgetting to do shops, or waste time trying to track down your notes to answer editor questions about your reports.

Here are some tips to get—and stay—organized.
…continue reading Organize Your Mystery Shopping

Mystery Shopper Spring Cleaning

Posted on April 17th, 2009 in Mystery Shopping Recordkeeping by Cathy Stucker

spring-cleaningSpring is here, and that means you may be thinking about cleaning and organizing. The freshness of spring seems to bring out a desire to get rid of the old and bring in the new. Here are some tips on spring cleaning for mystery shoppers.

Get rid of old paperwork. Shop guidelines and report forms, receipts, and other paper accumulates quickly. This is a good time to discard old papers. Most companies ask that you keep shop notes and other records for at least 90 days after the shop date. To be safe, you may keep them six months. …continue reading Mystery Shopper Spring Cleaning

It’s Not How Much You Make, It’s How Much You Keep

Posted on November 29th, 2008 in Mystery Shopper Taxes,Mystery Shopping Recordkeeping,Profitable Mystery Shopping by Cathy Stucker

accountant.jpgMaking more money is nice, whether you do it through getting more mystery shopper jobs or higher-paying assignments. However, it is possible to be more profitable without earning any more money.

How? Well, as a CPA friend of mine says, “It’s not how much you make, it’s how much you keep.” Here are some suggestions to help you keep more of what you make as a secret shopper.

Maximize tax deductions. You can deduct reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the process of running your business. These may include:

  • Computer and Internet expenses;
  • Office supplies (including paper, ink, toner, etc.);
  • Cell phone service;
  • Mileage or automobile expenses;
  • Training and education;
  • Voice recorders, digital cameras and other technology;
  • Batteries and supplies for technology;
  • A home office; and
  • Other costs.

…continue reading It’s Not How Much You Make, It’s How Much You Keep

How Long Should You Keep Mystery Shopping Notes and Documentation?

Posted on August 1st, 2008 in Mystery Shopping Recordkeeping,Secret Shopper How-To by Cathy Stucker

paperwork.jpgMystery shopping generates a lot of paper. Most of us print out shop guidelines and forms, and perhaps even copies of the reports we submit. Then there are the receipts, notes and other bits and pieces that accumulate.

What do you need to keep, and for how long? When is it safe to dispose of your mystery shop paperwork?

Most mystery shopping companies recommend that you keep all documentation from your shops for at least 90 days. Some suggest six months or longer. Some shoppers maintain files for one year or more.

Here are my recommendations to make sure you have what you need, without drowning in paper. …continue reading How Long Should You Keep Mystery Shopping Notes and Documentation?