Participating in focus groups is a great way to make a little extra side cash for doing something really easy. But you’re not the only one who benefits from the arrangement. Businesses use focus groups to gain insight into things that they wouldn’t be able to in other ways.
Think about it. If you come up with a product and want to test it out, you aren’t going to get the most unbiased feedback just going to family and friends. A focus group provides a company with the opportunity to research new products, marketing, customer service, and a lot more. Insights are then used to improve the product and increase sales. Focus groups are valuable, so it’s appropriate that companies pay for the service. You can earn anywhere from $30 to $150 per hour depending on the focus group, and that’s why we included it on our Side Hustle Master List.
Concept | |
category | Business Services |
Takeaways | Must seek opportunities; be comfortable with method of product testing in some circumstances; can require in person attendance; paid surveys are conducted online (pay less but are more frequently available). |
complexity lowhigh  | Capital Required lowhigh |
skill required lowhigh | time required lowhigh |
return potential lowhigh |
 | learn more |
How Do I Find Work?
It does take some searching to find the right opportunity. Many that are online aren’t really focus groups, and will just give you a few bucks for answering surveys or trying apps on your phone. What we want are the groups that pay over $50 an hour for your time. Usually, groups that meet in person and take a couple of hours give a good rate of pay. For these, you probably have to meet a certain specification like being a mom, using lawnmowers, or being a smoker. There are also some good virtual opportunities. You’ll try a product or service and provide your thoughts via chat or video over the web. It can be a little tricky to find these groups, so we’ve included links below to make your search easier.