Earlier this week I went to a nice restaurant, enjoyed a free dinner and took home a bunch of free products. How did I do it? I served on a focus group. We were asked our opinions on some of the products and about our buying habits. It was a fun night filled with great food and good discussion. I was able to participate in this focus group due to a connection through church, but if you want to participate in a focus group there are other ways.

One site I found that looks useful is GreenBook.org. GreenBook.org is a directory of market research companies. You can search by metropolitan area, by state or by market research specialty. This site makes it easy to locate specific research companies that may be looking for people to participate in focus groups. For instance, if you live in the Atlanta area, a quick search would bring up PVR Research. If you visit the company’s website, they have an online form to register for participation in focus groups.

Another site that may be helpful is FindFocusgroups.com. The site works a little like a job board, listing open focus groups and surveys, along with the pay rate. In some cases the surveys and focus groups listed here are geographically specific, but in other cases they are conducted online or via telephone and anyone can participate. Many of the links on this site will take you to Craiglist postings.

Participating in focus groups and surveys can be a quick way to make some easy money. Just make sure you don’t fall for any scams. Never pay money to participate and use caution when selecting a firm to work with.