There are so many ways you can use to make money in this world. There is no end to the opportunities that always present themselves. You need to be observant enough because many miss them. Fortunately for you, you get to access information on some of the business opportunities here. Today I shall be sharing with you one of such business opportunities. Broadly I am referring to making money through product testing and reviews – being a product tester or reviewer, for short. There are vast untapped and unnoticed business prospects in this area so let us explore it.

Some Background

It is interesting how my first close encounter with cryptocurrencies was via being a product tester. Sometime in 2019, I was researching for an article on the digital nomad lifestyle. To best do that, I had to become an ethnographer of sorts. So I ended up joining an online community of over 150 000 digital nomads from all over the world.

During my early days there a post was made regarding an opening for a product tester. It was a German company called Satoshi Pay that was looking for online product testers for the Solar Wallet they were developing for Stellar Lumens (one of the many types of cryptocurrencies). I applied and was selected as one of the online product testers.

I did the product testing session via video conferencing using Google Hangouts with 2 product development staff from Satoshi Pay in Germany. It took just 30 minutes and my compensation was US$50 worth of Stellar Lumens. That was when it dawned on me that you can easily make money from being a product tester.

Ever since then I have occasionally done product testing mostly for digital products e.g. web apps and mobile apps. Let us get into some important details you ought to know about becoming a product tester.

Online Product Testing Platforms

The most immediate way you can go is by signing up on such platforms. There are plenty of them online; just do a simple Google search and you will find them. The ways they operate do vary and their compensation packages vary as well. Some might entail you getting products sent to you; you test them and provide feedback. In some cases, it can be you visiting certain digital products e.g. a website or app. Then you use it and provide feedback. Unfortunately, such platforms are not always open to all global regions since they are commonly found in the US. However, you can still find platforms where you can participate and get compensated.

What I Recommend

What I recommend is that you build your brand as a product tester. Product testing or becoming a product tester is quite simple. You use or interact with a product and provide honest feedback. The bonus is that you do not even have to lie or sugar-coat; companies will be looking for candid feedback. The possible scenario can be this: you are given a product then you are required to provide a written review and some accompanying media e.g. videos, audio, or images. You can say, be given 7 days to do the review or testing process.

So the idea is to build a portfolio which will serve as your track record. You put together your brand image; have the necessary digital presence and so on. Then you start approaching companies or businesses offering to do product testing for them. If done well you can end up becoming a reputable product tester. No longer will you be chasing companies but rather you will be getting invitations to do product testing. On average, it is reported that globally a product tester can bag over US$25 000 per annum. The only challenge is that you have not seriously considered doing this. There is untapped potential for being a product tester in Zimbabwe. You can be a generic product tester or you can niche in a particular area.

Give this business idea some serious thought this year. Build your brand and start knocking on doors you might be shocked to get overwhelmed by the number of invitations. Many people are sleeping on this possible means of making money in Zimbabwe. I just let you in on a secret, run with it!