Taking surveys from your home have been presented as a modern day goldmine.

"Not only will you be able to sit in your bed with the laptop in bed when you work, you'll earn amazing amounts of money each day".

But is this true?

Why would someone pay for your opinion?

The answer is easy; Companies need your input in order to be successful. They need to know what everyday people want in their products, what they prefer, and what will prompt them to buy the products and services the company offers. This is called market research. By providing companies with this information, you are providing them with a valuable service. It gives them an edge on the competition and aids them in the success of their products and services.

If you have missed "the focus groups" in Trump's the Apprentice, go back and see all the old episodes to refresh your memory.

What's a focus group?

A focus group is made up of a group of individuals that have been selected by a company sponsoring the research or the research company hosting the group to discuss a given topic (survey).

The topic will relate to the company that is holding the focus group. You may or may not know what the point of the focus group is, or which company it's being held for. You're just there to share your opinions and discuss them with others in the group.

These sessions can be held online or in a research center. Focus groups can take a few hours, but they can pay over $100 per hour, so it's well worth your time.

Now you know what a survey is, why they are needed and that companies use focus groups to conduct the surveys.

A good survey will allow the company to make more money (a lot more money in many cases) and this is why they can afford to pay for your job.

Can anyone take surveys?

Sure. But most surveys are targeted towards a special group of people, sex, demographic and so on. So you will not be a good match for all surveys. But there are a large number of generic surveys where the company is looking for all types of people to get a response.

Are there many questions in a survey?

The number of questions will be different from one survey to another. You'll most likely never see less then 10 questions and not more then 50. Filling out the questions online can take as little as 10 minutes all the way to hours if there are many questions and you have to think a lot when answering them.

How will I be paid?

Whether you get paid by the survey or by the hour will depend on the company that you are completing the survey for or participating in the focus group with. In addition to cash, focus groups pay with cash, discounts, drawing entries, products or prizes.

There are several way you can earn money. Be part of a focus group, take an online survey, test products and even preview movie trailers. Not all companies can offer all of these options but they do exist.

Check out some compiled listing of known survey companies and compare them using the knowledge in this article before you decide to try one.