Fast Cash from Focus Groups

Did you know that you can make fast cash from focus groups?  Let me explain…

A couple of days ago, I spent much of my day participating in a focus group.  I first learned about the focus group from a sponsored Facebook ad.  I saw an opportunity to make decent money ($175) for the purpose of market research, so I entered my information in the form to see if I fit the criteria they were looking for. Turns out I was. Booked the week before via a focus group coordinator, it was all done by email. I simply gave her my confirmation details and my PayPal information so that I could be paid once the focus group meeting was complete.

On the morning of the scheduled focus group, I headed out to the hotel where it was being hosted in one of the conference rooms.  It was easy to find, and I parked in the hotel parking garage. The front desk validated my parking ticket for free upon entering the building.  I made sure to arrive early because I did not want to risk being late as people who arrived after 9:30 am could not enter the room or participate. There was also the promise that the first four people would get a free Starbucks gift card, but a few others were there before me so I, unfortunately, didn’t get one of those.

I had no idea in regards to what the focus group was about, so it was quite surprising to find out that it was for a mock trial of a local civil case.  Actual attorneys presented each side of the case and we listened to recordings of depositions from some of the main players in the case, namely the plaintiff, the defendant, and a couple of key witnesses.  My assumption is that the purpose of this was for the attorneys to get a better idea of where the case may fall and where the potential holes are.

After each segment was presented, we had to fill out a form regarding what we thought about the case at that point. At the end of the day, we spent some time in verbal discussions with the focus group coordinator so that she could get some more in-depth feedback. We also had to reach a unanimous verdict regarding one specific question about the case, which we did rather quickly.

The focus group was for six hours exactly and all participants received $175 via PayPal after it was over. A  box lunch was provided at the hotel by the market research company that hosted the focus group. An audio-visual professional recorded the entire session.

All in all, I thought it was an easy and interesting way to spend a day.  I would definitely do it again! I recommend you keep an eye out for focus group opportunities wherever you live.

 

What is a Focus Group?

A focus group is an information-gathering strategy commonly used in market research. A focus group is a small group of people who come together with the sole intention of providing their feedback on a product, service, or idea. There is always a moderator in attendance who will ask questions and keep the conversation going. Focus groups obtain real customer feedback. This allows the researcher to understand what may happen with the product, service, or idea in a real setting.   A focus group can help a company work out the kinks in a product before it goes to market. Focus groups can also get feedback from random people on a new service. It can even help a legal team see what a case may look like through the eyes of a jury before it goes to court.

 

Where to Find Focus Groups

To find focus groups to participate in, I recommend looking for market research companies near you.  The best place to start is Google for this one. Start searching and just see what you can find!
When I first moved to Texas, I submitted my information to a few of the local market research companies.  Over the years, I have been awarded a handful of opportunities. They have been sporadic, but they always pay well for a small amount of work that always involved me giving feedback on something. I recommend signing up with a few companies near you so that you will be in their database. This could eventually result in paid focus group opportunities for you too.

Even if you are not near a metropolitan area, I suggest signing up anyway.  Since COVID, companies are using Zoom more than ever before. It’s very possible that there are online focus group opportunities for you out there as well.

 

Focus Group Examples

I have participated in three focus groups to date. One I did a few years ago was to gather feedback on what people think about frozen dinners. I took part in a technical focus group, where I got to play with a new phone and provide feedback. Most recently, I took part in a mock jury trial.

 

Focus Group Payment

I have always made around $200 to participate in a focus group. Payment would obviously be different depending on the opportunity.