irtual Customer Service Rep. There are several companies who hire home-based workers to take customer service calls. You probably don't realize it, but when you call a company's customer service, that person may be working from a spare bedroom in her home. One of these companies, Alpine Access, currently employs more than 7,500 work-at-home customer service agents around the country that take in-bound calls (no outbound or cold calling) for companies like J. Crew, Express Jet, 1-800-Flowers and the IRS. You can learn more and apply online at
www.AlpineAccess.com. Another company,
www.LiveOps.com offers the same type of opportunity; however, call agents operate as independent agents, developing and managing their own businesses. As a call agent with LiveOps you will be self-employed for tax purposes.
While the typical hourly rate for virtual consumer service reps is $9, agents can earn up to $20 with incentives and bonuses, depending on talk time and performance.
Mock Juror. There are websites that will pay you to sit on mock juries. You can earn fees ranging from $10 to $60 depending on how much time is required. Be sure to read all of the disclaimers and details before agreeing to sit on a focus group:
www.ZapJury.com;
www.Trialpractice.com;
www.eJury.com;
www.OnlineVerdict.com.
Survey Taker. If you have a little spare time and want to save up a stash of cash, there are trustworthy sites where you can get paid for taking surveys. Just remember this rule of thumb: Never respond to a site or opportunity that requires you to pay a fee up front to get started. Check out these sites:
www.your2cents.com,
www.npdor.com,
www.surveysavvy.com,
www.acop.com,
www.viewpointforum.com,
www.ePoll.com,
www.greenfieldonline.com,
www.mysurvey.com.