Deciding to become a service professional and running your own business is just the beginning. You've decided to become a personal shopper, now you need to know how to make money shopping for others.

The first part of all of this is to set your goals. How much is it that you are looking to make? How far are you willing to travel? Write your goals down int he form of a business plan. Having your goals written down is one of the best ways to accomplish them.

Starting your business will require a client base. Look at shopping for seniors who may not have anyone to take them out and have difficulty getting around. Other business professionals may be too buy to be able to complete their errands and require your services. Advertise on bulletin boards and at retirement homes. Let you friends and family know what it is that yo are doing.

There will be little to no costs to you to start your business. Business cards may be the only expense that you have initially. If you have a mobile phone for your clients to reach you on as well as a vehicle and an organizing device to keep track of orders and purchases then you are set to go. Your organizer may even be built into your phone if you have something such as a blackberry.

There will be fuel costs as well as costs to repair the wear and tear on your vehicle due to travel that you will have to cover out of pocket. These will be one of your most regular business expenses and should be expected. There is no need to worry though as profits should cover these expenses easily.

Advertising will be another concern. If you know who your client base is, how do you tell them about your business? Knowing how to make money shopping for others is great, but you need to have others to shop for in order to make this happen. Try advertising through online classifieds and at local retirement homes. Let friends and family know about your new business.

What fees are you going to charge for your service? Charging a base fee per order as well as a percentage for commission on the total order is a great way to earn a decent income. Especially since most of the clients that use your services will have more than one order.

Discounts are usually offered by stores via coupons or rewards cards and points. Use these to your advantage and participate int he programs if you find yourself going to that store frequently.

Your clients will be an additional form of advertising for you so be sure to provide them with quality service. They can help to spread the word about you and your business leading to many more clients.