I am about to get a good amount of pay into PayPal and want to invest in another training course.

Any suggestions on which course to take? or Any that will open up more shops than others? or One that was of the most benefit to you?

Thanks for any advice in advance,

If you are anxious to invest money to open up more shopping opportunities, invest in video equipment. Some of the companies that sell the PV500 will offer training with the purchase... I would otherwise not advise paying for training.

Video shopping isn't for everyone, especially at the beginning. I know shoppers that love it and shoppers that hate it. I would suggest researching it first as the equipment investment is about $400-$500 depending on the type of equipment you get. I was lucky when I got my first camera - I bought the WiFi video camera which connects to your phone so you can flip it open at any point to make sure your target is in frame. They tried to convince me to get a cheaper version and I am so glad I didn't. I recently got a second WiFi setup as a backup for when I am on the road.

If you want to go that route you can watch videos on YouTube - the camera most people use is the PV500 so you can look that up or Video Mystery Shopping. Another wonderful way to broaden your horizons is to go to one of the conferences. Each conference offers courses where you can pick up tips for different types of shops. You can learn from the teachers and your fellow students. Each shopper has their own way of finding shops, organizing and routing. You'll find out about the apps that people are using and ways of role playing that you might not have thought of. You can question people as to different industries and why they like them. Both the IMSC and the MSPA conferences have video courses and you can buy your camera there at a discount. If you do some planning, you can usually do some shops at the airport, post security, and they pay very well. I made most of the cost of my last trip by doing some shops on the way there and then a few more on the way back.

If you keep doing shops you will eventually learn what you need to know but a conference can catapult you ahead very quickly. For me, the networking is priceless and is very motivating. Reading your posts, you definitely have a great attitude toward the industry and that will carry you far. I hope that whatever you invest in will broaden your experience and open many doors!

Doing shops and selling on eBay are my main income so cash is tight to say the least. Thanks for the advice. Are there any conferences held in the Phoenix area?

Doing shops and selling on eBay are my main income so cash is tight to say the least. Thanks for the advice. Are there any conferences held in the Phoenix area?

If that's the case, I would not spend the time on courses other than those required by specific companies when you want a particular shop. I've been doing this for two years and have invested in the following: MSPA Silver, Video Equipment.. I do this very part time and brought in $5200 the first three months of this year. You do not need to spend money to get yourself going in this industry.

If you are looking to increase your income, focus on doing every shop very well and on time. Sign up for as many companies as you can - there are well over 200.

You may not have the money to add video equipment right away (it is a $400 investment, give or take). However, video shops often pay double what other shops do and generally have shorter (sometimes non-existent) write-ups. Some companies will loan equipment to you to help you get started.

Which companies in particular loans you video equipment? Which companies do you recommend?

Wendy_15031532472383 @ Mar 29, 2018 1:56:17 AM

Video shopping isn't for everyone, especially at the beginning. I know shoppers that love it and shoppers that hate it. I would suggest researching it first as the equipment investment is about $400-$500 depending on the type of equipment you get. I was lucky when I got my first camera - I bought the WiFi video camera which connects to your phone so you can flip it open at any point to make sure your target is in frame. They tried to convince me to get a cheaper version and I am so glad I didn't. I recently got a second WiFi setup as a backup for when I am on the road.

If you want to go that route you can watch videos on YouTube - the camera most people use is the PV500 so you can look that up or Video Mystery Shopping. Another wonderful way to broaden your horizons is to go to one of the conferences. Each conference offers courses where you can pick up tips for different types of shops. You can learn from the teachers and your fellow students. Each shopper has their own way of finding shops, organizing and routing. You'll find out about the apps that people are using and ways of role playing that you might not have thought of. You can question people as to different industries and why they like them. Both the IMSC and the MSPA conferences have video courses and you can buy your camera there at a discount. If you do some planning, you can usually do some shops at the airport, post security, and they pay very well. I made most of the cost of my last trip by doing some shops on the way there and then a few more on the way back.

If you keep doing shops you will eventually learn what you need to know but a conference can catapult you ahead very quickly. For me, the networking is priceless and is very motivating. Reading your posts, you definitely have a great attitude toward the industry and that will carry you far. I hope that whatever you invest in will broaden your experience and open many doors!

I have not seen any MSC's that use iSS offer loaner equipment.. I won't directly point folks to non-iSS companies on the iSS forum. I got most of my initial information about video shopping on the MysteryShopForum, which is not affiliated with any specific companies.

Thanks everyone, this has been helpful

All of the above shoppers are correct. Don't invest $$$ in any courses unless they are required by the MSP. iSS has 2 excellent beginner videos to start with, and they are free!! MSPA has silver and gold certification courses which will also give you starter information, if you want that. However, most MSP on iSS don't use those courses, but other non-iSS clients might. The Mystery Shop Forum is an excellent resource to research those other shopping companies. Hope this update helps.