by : Ray La Foy

We've all heard the hype about people who work at home, taking surveys for a living. Many claim to earn more than they did at their former jobs with about a quarter of the hassle and no drive time involved. Those who are most successful in this venture, however, tend to have a trick or two up their sleeves. This trick is an opinion survey company that helps them find the paid surveys to take.

But, what are opinion survey companies? How do they work? And, how does someone get involved in them?

An opinion survey company is one that serves as a middleman between other companies, including market research agencies. These opinion survey companies put their clients in touch with other companies that require their opinions to help them create new products or services or test existing ones.

Desired information can range from spending habits and opinions about products to information that will help the survey owner track trends in the marketplace.

Many opinion survey companies work by charging their members a flat-fee, a monthly fee or even an annual one. Then they solicit opinion surveys that pay from market research firms or directly from the companies that need the information.

These survey offers are sent directly to clients of the opinion survey company to either act on or disregard. By having a multitude of contacts, these opinion survey companies make it easier for their clients to find paying opportunities to share their input on products, services and trends.

Getting involved with a company that channels opinion survey options to their clients is fairly easy. There are a host of options on the Internet that interested parties can choose from. Finding the best of these opinion survey companies can be the trick though.

To locate the best opinion survey company, it's a good idea to shop around and see what's available. Look for companies that are established and have a pretty long list of companies they work with. The more options for paying surveys, the better it is for clients. Start up companies might not be able to offer the kind of flow that larger, more established ones can.

After a few opinion survey companies are selected, compare the fees they charge and how they charge them. The best very often only charge a single, flat fee to have a client's name put on their mailing list. It's also a good idea at this point to check into past clients' comments about the company. Do some research here, and check sources beyond the company's own site for endorsements.

Once a company is selected, opinion survey offers should arrive directly in clients' e-mail boxes daily, weekly or monthly. The frequency will depend on the company and the offers that are currently available. Those who take part should be under no obligation to answer opinion surveys they have no interest in.

Finding an opinion survey company shouldn't be difficult, but it does pay to do a little research before signing on. The best companies offer a variety of surveys on a regular basis, giving their clients lots of choices.