Taking paid surveys online is a very hot "work at home" opportunity. The main reason is because you really can make money for a few minutes of work, whenever you want with no limitations. Sound intriguing? It is. That's why so many people are learning how to take paid surveys online. The best part is that all you need is a valid email address.

So how do you get started in this "get rich quick" deal? Well, the first thing to do is understand it's not a "get rich quick" deal. Being successful with paid surveys requires 3 key factors:

"Patience: A majority of the work will be data entry, such as filling out forms and/or writing short essays or commentary.

"Attention to Detail: The research company is relying on your using survey answers for their studies and typos will lead to misinterpretations and unusable data.

"Organization: Since you will be working for yourself, you'll be responsible for keeping track of what companies you've registered with and accurate record of money earned.

If you can handle these 3 things, you're ready to start getting paid for what you think.

It's also important to understand something else. You are a very vital resource for a marketing company because you have certain preferences, tastes, likes and dislikes that are specific to you and in many cases, specific to your age group, ethnicity, race, gender, etc. This information is helped to shape the development, advertising and distribution of new and existing products. With so much involved in getting a product to the shelf, it's easy to see why your opinion is so valuable.

The next thing to do is start signing up for paid survey panels, while keeping an eye out for scams and fraudulent websites. I list many of the legitimate survey panels in the paid survey directory. Some registrations will require you to confirm via email, some will ask you for to fill out a profile, but they all are free to join, completely confidential and require no money from you, ever. You simply pick the surveys you want to take, answer the questions and wait for your check in the mail. I know it sounds easy, and that's because it is - relatively. Most of the work is done in the beginning, when you are signing up for panel after panel. Don't lost hope! It's all worth it.

Here are 11 of the best paid survey panels that I recommend signing up with first. Follow all the steps involved for each panel to ensure a successful registration.

Panda Research
NFO My Survey
Opinion Outpost
Consumer Opinion
Greenfield Online Surveys
Ipsos Surveys
NPD Research Online
Global Test Market
Survey Savvy
Lightspeed Research
Survey Club

An important note to keep in mind is that once you make over a certain amount (usually $600/yr), you are required to report that amount as income on your federal taxes (and state, most likely). Just keep good records and save all the check stubs you receive from the research companies so you can total everything up in the end and you'll be good to go.