Energy Drinks and Food Stamps

This is for all of you over-achievers and my mom & pop corner store vendors, too! Everywhere I go, people want to know if energy drinks can be purchased using food stamps and the answer is - YES! Monster, Red Bull and other energy drinks can be purchased using EBT/SNAP food stamp benefits. See the  guidelines below:

When considering the eligibility of energy drinks, and other branded products, the primary determinant is the type of product label chosen by the manufacturer to conform to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines: 

• Energy drinks that have a nutrition facts label are eligible foods
• Energy drinks that have a supplement facts label are classified by the FDA as supplements, and are therefore not eligible [Source] 

So energy drinks are nutritious, huh? They are, says the USDA.  I'm not balking at all!  I am grateful that the reviews I conduct help facilitate the food stamp program in local communities.

I am grateful that my field services business takes me to all of the local mom and pop stores around town. Everyone wants or needs to participate in the EBT/SNAP food stamp program.

The next time you see a new "We Accept EBT" sign on a corner store around Los Angeles and surrounding cities, you'll think of me!

In fact, I have so many EBT/SNAP food stamp reviews to conduct, I could use a green Monster energy drink right about now. However, it's a little late. Perhaps I will just go to bed and try again tomorrow!

What is your energy drink of choice? Post a comments below.

by Michelle Brown
#FieldServices #FoodStamps #EBT
Source: http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/eligible-food-items

Volume, Positive Risks, and Field Services

Volume and Field Services

After eight years of experience in mystery shopping and one year of conducting commercial inspections, I was introduced to the concept of volume, with respect to field services. As a grad student in the University of Phoenix MBA program, I learned about and enjoyed the Risk Management module with managing positive risks being a focus.

"I need volume." "We have volume." "Do they have volume?"were mantras and questions hungry and thirsty individuals had. Independent contractors were hungry for volume and mortgage field services companies with volume needed independent contractors.

Americans were losing their homes at a rate unheard of in the past. Thousands upon thousands of mortgage foreclosures. Those homes with mortgages needed inspecting, cleaning, boarding, and maintaining. Basically, there were tons of volume in mortgage field services. If you were about your game, or liked to eat, you'd be in on this feast.

That was in the past. Mortgage field services has slowed down tremendously. However, if you can snag yourself an attractive mortgage field services contract, with volume and other manageable tasks, you are winning. If you are able to acquire any type of field services contract with decent (ie...consistent) volume and manageable tasks, you are on your way to being a successful and professional field services representative.

Positive Risks

Now that I contract with several field services type companies, the work is starting to get plentiful. Enter the positive risks. When I first started out an old field services veteran gave me a few pointers. One thing I was told was to diversify or work for several companies, completing different types of inspections or field services work. I have done that. As of today, I inspect cars, businesses, heavy equipment, damaged freight, foreclosed property and other real estate, conduct EBT/SNAP (food stamp) vendor reviews and FDA recalls. I don't turn down anything, but my collar!

It's exciting and can be overwhelming at times when you are in the field working a contract and the phone is ringing off the hook with more work! You should be so lucky. Well, I am that lucky. Yesterday was a day full of Tesla inspections and EBT/SNAP (food stamp) reviews. All of those people love to see me coming. When I step on the scene, their business deals are taking off! New cars and new revenues abound! I LOVE MY JOB!

One of my steady partners, We Go Look, called with new assignments that are coming out. We Go Look is quickly becoming one of my favorite field services type companies to contract with. As a beginner and depending on your area, the work might be competitive to snag - but keep at it! Plus, do a GREAT job. I've been successfully conducting "looks" for We Go Look for a couple of years and have been promoted to the "Pro Team". I no longer have to sit on top of my email vying for field services work in Los Angeles with We Go Look. They call me! Your city, circumstances, and assignments will differ - but keep at it!

The USDA has started a new program and their requests for reviews are increasing. We Go Look is acquiring new clients and as such, my workload is increasing. What do you do when you are getting all the work you can handle and then some? Will you have an overflow plan or a back up? Is it time to hire staff? Answers to these questions are the things Positive Risk Management is made of. I'll have to consider hiring sub-contractors. Maybe I'll have to turn down some work. A bird in the hand is worth more than two in a bush, right? I have to find a happy medium. Maybe I can cut down on my sleep.

Sleepless nights are the things that dreams-come-true are made of!

So the moral of today's story is to diversify! Be willing to take on new assignments and work your way up to the better ones. Those things will get you all the volume you can handle. But, do have a contingency plan. Spend some time thinking about your positive risks and managing them. What will you do if you get too much field services work? You should be so lucky!

5 Things Mystery Shopping Has Afforded Me – Pt. 1

Time

Time was the number one thing.

More time! I could always use more time.

But chances are, if given 27 hours in a day - we'd need 30!


Read about more things mystery shopping can provide. I did it and so can YOU!

5 Things Mystery Shopping Has Afforded Me – Pt. 1

What is your Travel Radius?

How far will you travel to complete a contract?

As a mystery shopper or other field services professional, you must determine your travel radius. How far are you willing to travel to complete a contract? Now that my field services business is in full swing, I visit all parts of Los Angeles county. I've been known to complete contracts in San Bernardino, Orange, Riverside, and Ventura counties as well.

I began as a mystery shopper, using a list like this: The Hot New Mystery Shopping List. That was 15 years ago and I've worked my way up to contracts with the USDA, FDA, and the US Marshalls, among others. If you’d like to earn extra cash by working from home, check out mystery shops in your area and build!

When you have reached the top of your “Field Services” game, you can comfortably set your travel radius at 50 miles from your home. You should expect to have various types of contracts (commercial, mortgage foreclosure, insurance, automobiles, mystery shops, etc.) all over your city and surrounding cities. The farther your travel radius, the more options you have.  If you are a beginner, a travel radius of 10 miles or so from your home is advisable. Anything could go wrong and you want to minimize your output,  limiting your time and resources.

As a rule, I route my contracts the night before using Google maps and visually rearrange them in a circle, starting and ending with my home office.

In 2007 when I conducted 100’s of mortgage foreclosure inspections weekly, I used Microsoft Streets and Trips to route my inspections. I found Microsoft Streets and Trips very user-friendly when juggling dozens of addresses per day.

Castforce.com is a field services company that I've signed up with and looks very interesting. You should check it out in your city. Although I have not personally been awarded a contract from Castforce.com to perform field services work, I would jump at the right opportunity. As with any contract or business relationship you should always perform your own due diligence. You should also determine, upfront, how much time and energy you are willing to gamble building your own work from home business.

I've highlighted some things I found interesting about Castforce.com:

CASTFORCE HAS LIVE CHAT SUPPORT AVAILABLE

CASTFORCE DASHBOARD 

• Contractor Status
• Work Orders Awarded
• Work Orders Reported
• Invoices Received/Paid

CASTFORCE AVAILABLE PROJECTS 

• Available Projects Offered in Your Service Area
• Apply For Any Available Projects Listed
• (You are not assigned to these projects unless they move to the “Work Orders Awarded” section.)

CASTFORCE PAYMENT GUIDELINES

• Each project has a scheduled payout date.
• The invoice payout is processed once a month.
• Contractors filing as individuals will have payment credited to your Skylight card on the Friday following the 15th of each month. Contractors filing as businesses, will have checks mailed on the Friday following the 15th of each month.
• The payout schedules are shown on the calendar in green.
• Castforce does not offer direct deposit.

YOUR CASTFORCE CONTRACTOR PROFILE   

Allows you to change your:

• Profile Picture
• Address
• Phone Numbers
• Travel Radius
• Password
• Email Address
• Independent Contractor Status (Whether or not you are available for contractor work)

After many years of mystery shopping, I've segued into field services, full time. I make my own hours and I've determined my travel radius to be 50 miles from my home office. A 50 mile travel radius is optimum for field services companies looking for independent contractors. If they are willing to pay me $30 to $50 per contract, I’ll travel. Some field services companies might pay lower fees, but have a higher volume of contracts to be completed. These are some of the nuances that you must maneuver when working from home as an Independent Contractor in field services, or as a mystery shopper.

by Michelle Brown

Self Employed or working from home – What is your motivation?

Self Employed or working from home – What is YOUR motivation?

Is your motivation spending time with Framily? Here I am yesterday with an old classmate from more than 30 years ago. I bumped into him at a local Starbucks, near our new Metro Rail facility on Crenshaw Blvd in Los Angeles. Boy, what a great time we had. I’m grateful that I was able to meet him instead of having to be at someone’s job, that mid-day afternoon. #winning

Is your motivation purchasing a new Mercedes Benz E350, off of the showroom floor? I understand the minor economics behind buying off the showroom floor, BUT I want to feel it. I desire to see it. Seek to smell it. This is something like what I want. Don’t judge me. 

What about new digs in a new area or with a view? Say, for instance, the View Park-Windsor Hills area of Los Angeles. View Park-Windsor Hills was dubbed one of the richest Black communities in America. I like that. Maybe Baldwin Hills, CA. The view is amazing and they’ve even had their own reality show! 

I also like the charming cottages and duplexes in Hancock Park. That’s where the democrats frequent when in town. Recently, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held a book signing for "Hard Choices"  at Barnes & Noble in the local shopping plaza, “The Grove”. In addition, the La Brea Tar Pits and Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) are situated in nearby Miracle Mile.

Making my own schedule and being able to enjoy my time without backlash or having to request permission motivates me. Also being a biker chick motivates me. I haven’t taken a lesson, but a friend did allow me to cruise around a gas station on his Kawasaki 600. It wasn't very big, but I felt cool “riding” it. I was given explicit instructions NOT to use the throttle. With the bike in gear I was able to just coast on the bike as the engine had a natural rev.

When I thought I was out of sight I snuck some gas to the engine using the throttle. No jerking. It was smooth as butter! He saw me and I was scolded, anyway. I know he was secretly  geeked and excited. I was too. I showed my excitement a little differently, though, by hopping up and down around the parking lot.

Just like my one, two, or three golf lessons and never having played a round of golf…or maybe like idling around the parking lot on a motorcycle and never having rode on the open road – I feel like I stay suited up to play in the big game, but always end up BENCHED!

One day I’ll get my shot like FIFA World Cup substitute soccer player, Marcos Urena from Costa Rica who scored the winning goal upsetting the highly favored Uruguay earlier this month. As of late, Costa Rica defeated Greece advancing to the quarter finals.

I’ve got to get in the game. Motorcycles, lessons, gear, new houses and travel are not cheap. I AM motivated.

What motivates you to work from home or be self-employed? I'd ask, "What motivates you to work for someone else?" but that would be another post.

by Michelle Brown

Source:

http://atlantablackstar.com/2014/01/03/10-richest-black-communities-america/5/

What I like most about being Self Employed

What I like most about being self-employed, working from home or being an independent contractor is my independence and freedom! I am free to start work when I choose.

After I've relaxed with my hot water & lemon, along with a hot and fresh, home-cooked breakfast. After I have blogged a bit and after I have taken a long, luxurious shower. I might, then, decide to do some work out in the field.

As a 15 year veteran mystery shopper and field services representative, my contracts are highly coveted. I represent the USDA, FDA, and Wells Fargo Bank, regularly.

Along with the freedom of making my own schedule, being self employed and working from home allows me to conduct business around my daily travels, and vice versa. Yesterday I blessed four EBT/SNAP (food stamp) vendors with a review. One was located around the corner from my home and two others were located on the same street. That is the pinnacle of field services work – contracts in close proximity. The more contracts and the closer, the better. I had one re-run and stopped at a new Goodwill store in addition to the credit union and the $.99 Only store.

I had my usual Subway veggie patty

sandwich for “lunch” and didn’t, otherwise, snack too bad. I was so busy earning the money and spending it, too, I didn’t stop to eat until 5:00pm. My first meal was at 8 or 9:00am! It is my prayer to have more things to do than to just eat. I'm about 135-140lbs, down from 200, but that's another story!

Stay tuned!

by Michelle Brown

Photo Credit: http://subway.com

Home Improvement Assemblers Wanted Nationwide

Home Improvement Assembler HC

We are currently seeking individuals to be Home Improvement Assemblers for Home Improvement Stores all across the country.

The Home Improvement Assembler is contracted to assemble BBQ grills, wheelbarrows, lawn furniture and various products as requested in Home Improvement Stores.

Home Improvement Assembler will:

·         Maintain client objectives by ensuring all authorized client items are assembled to specifications

·          

·         Increase sales volume through gaining incremental assembly work

·          

·         Ensure store call information is accurate and provided daily for proper piece rate payment

·          

·         Provide timely feedback and suggested solutions on Market issues to your direct report

·          

·         Maintain store coverage as assigned by your direct report

·          

·         Must be proactive in alerting Management of any unsafe act or condition to prevent injuries

·          

Home Improvement Assembler Qualifications:

·         High School Diploma or equivalent job-related experience

·          

·         Previous retail assembler experience preferred

·          

·         Demonstrates skills and behaviors pertaining to Achieving Results, Initiative, Assembling product

·          

·         A dynamic, upbeat salesperson that exudes high energy and execution excellence

·          

·         Strong self-management skills

·          

·         Ability to work full-time or part-time retail schedule, Monday through Sunday

·          

·         Ability to stand, walk, bend and/or stoop, crawl and/or climb, kneel, push, pull, operate mechanical machinery. Use feet and/or legs for repetitive motion left right simple grasping (pushing pulling arm controls), fine manipulation

·          

·         Daily access to a PC computer with internet/email access

Want MORE INFORMATION? Take a look at an intro video.

For immediate consideration please apply online at our career website:www.asmnet.com/careers 

by Michelle Brown