Make Money Online Doing the ChaCha

Special thanks to friend CyberGwen for informing me of the following way to make money online...

This isn't quite Dancing with the Stars online, instead it's a website called "ChaCha", a place where people go to get answers. You might ask, "Isn't that handled by Google already?" Well, yes and no. Google is a very powerful search engine, but many people search and search for what they want and can't quite get the answer they are looking for. Sometimes you find yourself with a ton of listings that mention the terms you searched, but you don't have the precise info you wanted. ChaCha makes sure they do.

ChaCha is geared mostly to the mobile phone/computer user looking for info on the go. An example the site gives is: "What hotel in downtown Cleveland has a business center?" Some people may find themselves sifting through search results to get the answer they really need, and if you're simply using a mobile phone, you want an answer faster. With ChaCha, a live guide will help the person get the info quickly and accurately, or at least send them along the proper path for it. ChaCha is free to use. If you'd like to try it from your own cell phone, text your question to 242-242 (spells ‘ChaCha’) or call 1-800-2ChaCha (800-224-2242) from your mobile phone to ask any question and you will receive the answer as a text message. Standard text message rates or voice minutes may apply. The ChaCha site also offers a search engine box as well which serves the same purpose as texting or calling in your query.

Now to make money with ChaCha, you'll first need to register as a guide, be accepted, and then pass their tests to get in. Almost seems like an elite spy academy or Mission Impossible. The application to become a guide asks for your particulars such as name, email, zip code, level of education, interests, internet connection, times available and other pertinent info. I'm currently in the app review process, and then I'll get the series of tests afterwards, to make sure I'm a good fit for ChaCha's community. Once I'm in, the ChaCha begins!



According to my friend, and the source for writing this entry about ChaCha, she earns 20 cents per query she handles, but it can add up quickly. You could see it as fun, and a new type of instant message game, where you're getting payed to do an online scavenger hunt. It may become a nuisance to some to be interrupted online if they do a lot of other work. However, the great part about making money at ChaCha is that you're on your own schedule. You can log in for 15 minutes or 15 hours and field search queries that come your way. According to the site's Fast Facts there's about 30,000 people working as guides already, in each of the 50 states. One of the notable names on their team of investors is Jeff Bezos who we all know as the man behind online retailer, Amazon.com.

I'll provide more of an update about my experiences with ChaCha once my application status changes. But it looks like yet another worthwhile and legitimate way to earn yourself some extra income, especially if you enjoy finding info online. Or you can also go the more traditional route and launch into one of the careers offered at ChaCha, which has its homebase in Indiana. But, if you'd rather just look stylish than work for ChaCha, they also offer "ChaCha gear", a special section of the site which sells Specialty Tees, Active Wear and Accessories.