Like to shop? Wish you could do it for a living? Don't let your talents go to waste - learn to earn by shopping for others. How to Become a Personal Shopper, an e-book by Fabjob.com, makes it seem easy to fine-tune your shopping savvy into making the grade as a professional.

Interesting chapters discuss how to spot fashion trends, how to present yourself, how to find clients and help them define their needs.

Clientele can vary, depending on your local demographic and personal inclinations. Grocery shopping for the elderly, picking up school supplies for harried mothers, and buying holiday gifts for busy CEOs are all options you can consider, according to author Laura Harrison McBride.

Some tips from the book:

• If you go into business for yourself, the name you choose helps determine the client demographic you can attract.
  
• A catchy, professional phone message, on a dedicated phone line, will help your home business show a classy image.
  
• As a personal shopper, you need to present the image you want your clients to admire. This means wearing fashionable outfits are part of your job description :)
  
• There are endless niches in this business. You could specialize in helping professionals aquire a power wardrobe, shop for people planning vacations (and other concierge-type services), buying corporate gifts or selecting a week's worth of gourmet foods.
  
• Window shopping is crucial to success in this career. You need to know what's available, what's on sale, and where to find what potential clients might need on a moment's notice.
  

One thing I like about the Fabjob books are the depth of information they provide to making a change to new careers. They provide actual samples you can use as templates, including -

• Sample resume
  
• Sample of what to say when talking to a prospective client
  
• Sample list of questions to ask vendors
  
• Sample list of questions to ask new clients
  
• Sample client information
  
• Sample invoice
  
• Sample contract

Their website also offers tons of free content about job changing in our current economy. This article outlines questions to ask yourself if you are considering a career change.

The e-book costs $29.95. You pay online and the book arrives at your email address a just few minutes later. Not a bad deal in this world of instant gratification.

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Jill Florio, August 2003


FabJob.com publishes e-books (and a number of books in print) that can help you break into a "fab" job. Visit Fabjob.com for information or to purchase a copy of the aforementioned book.