by: Kenny Herbold
Do you think you are ready to make that leap to full self-employment? The profit from your part-time (up till now :-) business is matching or exceeding your regular paycheck, so you think it’s time to fire your boss and make do without that paycheck. Before you take that final step to personal freedom, make sure you truly understand what you are giving up. Your employer paid benefits may cost you more than you realize. For many people it will take more than $40,000 of profit per year to replace a $40,000 annual salary.
When I talk about your employer paid benefits I’m not referring to the “free” office supplies, subsidized soft drinks, or even the occasional free meal at the holiday party. The items that you need to consider are the benefits that are going to cost you the most money. Although if you really like soda I guess you might want to include this too! According to a survey published by the US Chamber of Commerce in January 2004, employer paid benefits averaged 42% of an employees salary in 2002. That means you need an additional 35 – 45% more than your current salary to make up for these lost benefits.
If this number shocks you, then let’s take a look at some of the typical benefits employers provide. Again, based on the US Chamber of Commerce's survey medical insurance cost approximately 15% of an employee's salary. However, employers also cover the cost of many other forms of insurance. They include
Disability,
Dental,
Vision,
Life,
Unemployment,
Long Term Care Insurance, and
Workers Compensation
You might be thinking that you pay premiums for these products already. Even if you do, your employer is most likely paying the lion’s share of the cost. Not to mention that many times the premiums you are paying are using pre-tax dollars. This means you end up paying less in taxes because the amount of your premium is deducted prior to calculating your taxable income.
When you own a home-based not only are are you going to be responsible for the full cost of all forms of insurance using after-tax dollars, you are going to be responsible for self-employment taxes. Self-employment taxes include the employer paid portion of Social Security and Medicare taxes. This means your bill for these taxes are going to double. Instead of paying 7.65% of your income for these, you will now pay 15.30%. And don’t forget about having to pay estimated taxes. You will have to file and pay taxes 4 times a year now, instead of just once. Not only do your taxes increase so do the headaches and the cost of filing!
The second highest benefit cost is your retirement benefits. Your employer’s 401(k) match guarantees an immediate return of up to 100% on your money, depending on how much your company will match and how much you contribute. If your company has a defined benefit pension plan, you are losing a guaranteed income in retirement. You are also taking on the additional risk because you are 100% responsible for investing the money to replace it.
These are only a few of the largest items that make up the 30 – 40% of your salary that will become your responsibility when you become self-employed. Your company might be paying for many other perks also. Some other things you might want to consider are
company car (this includes gas and maintenance)
annual or performance bonuses
professional training or expenses (including professional journal or society dues)
software license that let you use programs like Microsoft Office programs on your home computer
vacation pay (that’s right, you no longer get paid when you take days off)
All of these, and any others you might be able to think of will needed to be included in the total cost of becoming self-employed.
I hope you don’t think I’m trying to discourage you from finally being able to become your own boss. I just know that the excitement of finally making this move can make us forget about some of the “extras” we are receiving. You are considering a very serious change and need to make sure that the benefits are going to outweigh ALL of the costs.
Sunday, 10 August 2008
Job Tips For The Frustrated Job Seeker
by: Tom Smith
There is nothing more frustrating and depressing when you are out of work and trying to find a job and your job search is going no where. Don't feel bad, you are not alone and there is a good reason why searching for a new job can be so difficult. There is no doubt the job market has changed. 30 years ago when I applied for my first job I remember answering an ad in the paper, calling and speaking to a real person, going in for the interview, filling out a application, had the interview and was offered the $3.75 and hour shipping job. Things are not that simple today. Back then there was no voice mail, no email, you mailed in a typed resume, who had a fax at home? You called and talked to a real person. You may of filled out a application but not the dozen forms you need to today. And you never had to prove you were legally allowed to work in the United States.Today if you are looking for a job how to you stand out in the impersonal hiring environment that exists in most companies. If you apply online you are competing against dozens if not hundreds of others. Competition is stiff for a most jobs and a human may never even see your resume. Are there steps you can follow that will improve your chances? After being unemployed for several months after 3 years of self employment and becoming more depressed and frustrated in not finding a job, I took my job search to a new level which finally paid off in a new job. I had been self employed for 3 years but after a divorce and starting life over, my self employment was no longer working. I had to bite the bullet and start looking for a job. The first mistake I realized was my resume was not working. I had updated it to reflect my self employment which was not related to my previous career. I was trying to find a position similar to my previous career in the graphics and computer support industry. By starting my work history with my self employment it made it look like I had been out of the industry even longer and my skills even more outdated. I was just shooting myself in the foot. I changed my self employment to reflect my computer skills so while I had been out of the industry for awhile I wasn't out of touch. Some employers have doubts about people who have been self employed. They think they are going to go back to their own business or worse they only want a job so they can use company resources for their own gain. In my case I was able to explain that I had an opportunity to work at home and spend time with my preschool son, it had been for family reasons. Most employers respect that. To begin with you really need to take a hard look at your resume. If you have always worked in one area and are applying for a position similar to those you have had in the past then your resume may just need some updating and polish. There are a number of good books and websites on resume writing. If you really need help then a resume service may be money well spent. How many resumes do you have? There is no reason you can't have several. I was applying for a variety of unrelated positions. I would of looked "over qualified" or my experience would of been too unrelated for the position if I stuck with just one standard resume. I created a "general" resume that listed a variety of skills that could fit any number of non specific jobs. You can have one that is very specific for the industry you are applying for and there is no reason you can't change it to a specific company especially if it will be scanned in and checked for "keywords" Some companies scan for keywords or buzzwords related to the position, their company or industry. Even if you are the most qualified person for that position, if your resume doesn't have those keywords, it will never get seen.In addition to having a few different resumes you should have it in several different formats also. If you need to mail it in then a nice easy to read printed resume is in order. Same if you will be faxing it in. If you email your resume then your cover letter will be the body of your email and your resume will be attached. Most employers request it be in a word .doc format or text but you can also use a pdf format. If you have your own website why not post it online with a link in your email. That way if your attachment can't be read they can print it off the internet. For example the link could be http://www.yourwebsite.com/yourresume.html. You should also have a unformatted text only resume for uploading to online job sites. Be sure to include several ways to contact you. Home phone, cell phone, email. I had the unfortunate luck of having my cell phone and my home phone cut off for non payment within a few days of each other. As luck would have it someone I sent a resume to tried to contact me and couldn't get through. They did send me a email saying they couldn't reach me. I was able to call them and get a interview. Don't leave anything to chance. And if they leave you a message get back to them ASAP while your resume is still on their desk. When you get a interview, be on time, be prepared, do your research about the company you are interviewing with. You can usually find most everything you need off their company website. Come prepared with extra resumes, helpful if you have to fill out a application. Also have copies of your updated references. It is best to have more than 3. Some companies want professional references including past employers, others want personal references of persons not related to you. Be prepared for both.Where to find a job? Dig! And keep digging! You may never know where one will show up. In some ways the internet has made job searches easier with a variety of job sites to search. You should probably set up accounts at the large sites like hotjobs and monster which will allow you to post your resume and apply directly to postings Also take a look at sites like indeed.com. They are a search engine of sorts for jobs. They search several jobs sites at once. Saves time from going to each site. Post your resume so employers can find you. ASK! Don't be afraid to let everyone you know that you are looking for a job. Drop a email to anyone who might know someone who might have a job opening. You might be surprised how many people really do want to help you. Network your pants off! If you don't ask no one can help you. Search everyday. Try and send out at least one resume a day if not more. Pick up the early edition of the Sunday paper. Send out 5-10 at a time. And keep sending them even after you have interviews set up. You can easily fall behind two or three weeks if you stop sending resumes in hopes of that job offer coming through. Nothing better than telling someone, "I'm sorry I accepted another position" Apply for every job you are remotely interested in even if you don't think you are qualified. Every job listed always has a laundry list of qualifications and requirements. In a perfect world they would find the perfect person that would match every requirement. But employers know that person doesn't exist and they are looking for someone who closely matches and they feel will be a good fit. At the worst you will never hear from them. At the best they will offer you a job or maybe something different within their company. You can always turn it down. Even if it turns out to be something you really don't want to do, it might help you get by for awhile until a better position comes along. Never be afraid to apply to any job! Most of all don't give up hope, the right job will happen at the right time. Remember to take care of yourself. Go for a walk, get plenty of rest, do something you enjoy just for yourself. As long as you keep moving in a forward direction, if someone asks you what you have been doing to find a job you can proudly say "this is what I have been doing" Persistence will pay off. Good luck.
There is nothing more frustrating and depressing when you are out of work and trying to find a job and your job search is going no where. Don't feel bad, you are not alone and there is a good reason why searching for a new job can be so difficult. There is no doubt the job market has changed. 30 years ago when I applied for my first job I remember answering an ad in the paper, calling and speaking to a real person, going in for the interview, filling out a application, had the interview and was offered the $3.75 and hour shipping job. Things are not that simple today. Back then there was no voice mail, no email, you mailed in a typed resume, who had a fax at home? You called and talked to a real person. You may of filled out a application but not the dozen forms you need to today. And you never had to prove you were legally allowed to work in the United States.Today if you are looking for a job how to you stand out in the impersonal hiring environment that exists in most companies. If you apply online you are competing against dozens if not hundreds of others. Competition is stiff for a most jobs and a human may never even see your resume. Are there steps you can follow that will improve your chances? After being unemployed for several months after 3 years of self employment and becoming more depressed and frustrated in not finding a job, I took my job search to a new level which finally paid off in a new job. I had been self employed for 3 years but after a divorce and starting life over, my self employment was no longer working. I had to bite the bullet and start looking for a job. The first mistake I realized was my resume was not working. I had updated it to reflect my self employment which was not related to my previous career. I was trying to find a position similar to my previous career in the graphics and computer support industry. By starting my work history with my self employment it made it look like I had been out of the industry even longer and my skills even more outdated. I was just shooting myself in the foot. I changed my self employment to reflect my computer skills so while I had been out of the industry for awhile I wasn't out of touch. Some employers have doubts about people who have been self employed. They think they are going to go back to their own business or worse they only want a job so they can use company resources for their own gain. In my case I was able to explain that I had an opportunity to work at home and spend time with my preschool son, it had been for family reasons. Most employers respect that. To begin with you really need to take a hard look at your resume. If you have always worked in one area and are applying for a position similar to those you have had in the past then your resume may just need some updating and polish. There are a number of good books and websites on resume writing. If you really need help then a resume service may be money well spent. How many resumes do you have? There is no reason you can't have several. I was applying for a variety of unrelated positions. I would of looked "over qualified" or my experience would of been too unrelated for the position if I stuck with just one standard resume. I created a "general" resume that listed a variety of skills that could fit any number of non specific jobs. You can have one that is very specific for the industry you are applying for and there is no reason you can't change it to a specific company especially if it will be scanned in and checked for "keywords" Some companies scan for keywords or buzzwords related to the position, their company or industry. Even if you are the most qualified person for that position, if your resume doesn't have those keywords, it will never get seen.In addition to having a few different resumes you should have it in several different formats also. If you need to mail it in then a nice easy to read printed resume is in order. Same if you will be faxing it in. If you email your resume then your cover letter will be the body of your email and your resume will be attached. Most employers request it be in a word .doc format or text but you can also use a pdf format. If you have your own website why not post it online with a link in your email. That way if your attachment can't be read they can print it off the internet. For example the link could be http://www.yourwebsite.com/yourresume.html. You should also have a unformatted text only resume for uploading to online job sites. Be sure to include several ways to contact you. Home phone, cell phone, email. I had the unfortunate luck of having my cell phone and my home phone cut off for non payment within a few days of each other. As luck would have it someone I sent a resume to tried to contact me and couldn't get through. They did send me a email saying they couldn't reach me. I was able to call them and get a interview. Don't leave anything to chance. And if they leave you a message get back to them ASAP while your resume is still on their desk. When you get a interview, be on time, be prepared, do your research about the company you are interviewing with. You can usually find most everything you need off their company website. Come prepared with extra resumes, helpful if you have to fill out a application. Also have copies of your updated references. It is best to have more than 3. Some companies want professional references including past employers, others want personal references of persons not related to you. Be prepared for both.Where to find a job? Dig! And keep digging! You may never know where one will show up. In some ways the internet has made job searches easier with a variety of job sites to search. You should probably set up accounts at the large sites like hotjobs and monster which will allow you to post your resume and apply directly to postings Also take a look at sites like indeed.com. They are a search engine of sorts for jobs. They search several jobs sites at once. Saves time from going to each site. Post your resume so employers can find you. ASK! Don't be afraid to let everyone you know that you are looking for a job. Drop a email to anyone who might know someone who might have a job opening. You might be surprised how many people really do want to help you. Network your pants off! If you don't ask no one can help you. Search everyday. Try and send out at least one resume a day if not more. Pick up the early edition of the Sunday paper. Send out 5-10 at a time. And keep sending them even after you have interviews set up. You can easily fall behind two or three weeks if you stop sending resumes in hopes of that job offer coming through. Nothing better than telling someone, "I'm sorry I accepted another position" Apply for every job you are remotely interested in even if you don't think you are qualified. Every job listed always has a laundry list of qualifications and requirements. In a perfect world they would find the perfect person that would match every requirement. But employers know that person doesn't exist and they are looking for someone who closely matches and they feel will be a good fit. At the worst you will never hear from them. At the best they will offer you a job or maybe something different within their company. You can always turn it down. Even if it turns out to be something you really don't want to do, it might help you get by for awhile until a better position comes along. Never be afraid to apply to any job! Most of all don't give up hope, the right job will happen at the right time. Remember to take care of yourself. Go for a walk, get plenty of rest, do something you enjoy just for yourself. As long as you keep moving in a forward direction, if someone asks you what you have been doing to find a job you can proudly say "this is what I have been doing" Persistence will pay off. Good luck.
Home Business Start up--Relocation Consultant
by: Shawn Price
Copyright 2005 Shawn PriceThe Relocation Consultant Home BusinessVital Information:• Start-up Investment: $300-$700 (advertising costs)• Break-even time Two weeks to one year• Estimate of Annual Revenue and Profit: $15,000-$25,000 Part time $40,000-$50,000 Full TimeWho needs a Relocation Consultant?• a single parent who has a demanding job with working hours that directly conflict with apartment or home rental research, would find the services useful.• Workers who have been replaced or who are going to be relocated.• People who are returning to work from an extended stay away, due to an injury or illness.• Companies who are expanding or relocating.• Companies who have traveling employees.• People living in heavily populated cities.What does a Relocation Consultant do?A Relocation Consultant's duties consists of locating neighborhoods, apartment and home dwellings, childcare services, religious organizations and selecting a moving company for individuals, families, and employees for relocating businesses.More specifically, as companies continue to downsize and or relocate, there's a growing need for the services provided by a Relocation Consultant.Often, companies contract with Relocation Consultants so that the consultant's services are readily accessible in the event that an employee or numerous employees are relocated.The Relocation Consultant will match an employer or an employees’, living requirements and requests as closely as possible.Additionally, a Relocation Consultant's services are solicited for individual's who are relocating for reasons other than employment.Many individual's seek the services of a Relocation Consultant due to time restrictions which prevent them from locating desired living arrangements.Getting started in the Relocation Consultant Business• Advertising your BusinessRun Classified ads and 1-2 inch ads in newspapers and magazines in both the Metro areas as well as suburban areas. Good examples are Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, New York....Internet Classifieds work well also.Consider leaving brochures at various Hotels and Motels.• Tips for running a Successful Relocation BusinessOne of the keys to success in this business is your ability to network with others around the country.Successful Networking will provide you with the ability to thoroughly examine an area prior to running advertisements.So...it's important to develop business relations the country. Of course, the internet and email provide the perfect vehicle for this type of relationship building.Understand that your learning curve NEVER ENDS. You will need to regularly develop your business skills. Don't be fooled into thinking that "a good product sells itself.”"Consumers buy you" is what I used to teach to my telemarketers.I've listed on my site, a few Home Business Courses to get you off to a good start.Don't stop there. Continue to research and develop skill.For example, I dedicate at least 5 hours weekly toward increasing my personal business building techniques.• Visit the Relocation Council.This Organization has been in operation for a number of years. They have a Newsletter and other training materials to help you to develop your skills.On their site, you'll notice that there is an option to become Certified. In the event that you decide that you want to expand your part time business into a full time career, having employees...you can prepare for your certification with the Relocation Council also.erc.org 1-202 - 857- 0857Note: When you are ready to begin larger ad campaigns, visit, Standard Rate and Data srds.com SRDS has a database of media rates for at least 100,000 publications.The Relocation Consultant Work At Home Business is a very inexpensive Business to start. It's fairly straight forward and it has the potential to create a full time income while working part time. This one is Really worth considering.• If you decide that this is the Work from Home business opportunity for you, continue reading our Ezine for continued Home Business Start-Up's since there will be ideas and information in each issue that you can tweak a little to benefit you within your Business of Choice.To eliminate some trial and error, in our Ezine, also provide you with ongoing Small Business support…deals on business tools, marketing research information, and more.• You will need to create a Business Plan if you are serious about creating a profitable Home Based Business.I found a good Business Plan workbook that you will find quite useful. Writing Business Plans can be frustrating… I won’t lie. Thus Using a workbook and/or software is by far the popular choice for those who don’t want to pay $700-$1,500 to have one professionally prepared.• Ensure that you take your business to the internet. I’ve evaluated a few web hosting Companies and I’ve listed their advantages as well as their disadvantages. You’ll also find discount computer hardware locations.You may find that marketing your business using RSS is an unthinkable opportunity to overlook. You’re right. I’ve listed free RSS readers and software that you can use To get your feeds up and going WITHOUT the need of studying all the techie stuff. Just visit our Resource Page.If you have not read AND STUDIED, the World's Famous, "Think And Grow Rich", you can receive it Free:This is a must read. Creating a proper mind-set is critical. In addition to your studying your business, you will need to develop a mind for business.Wealth is NOT about Money. Download it And see for yourself.Bridging the GAP between Opportunity and Success,
Copyright 2005 Shawn PriceThe Relocation Consultant Home BusinessVital Information:• Start-up Investment: $300-$700 (advertising costs)• Break-even time Two weeks to one year• Estimate of Annual Revenue and Profit: $15,000-$25,000 Part time $40,000-$50,000 Full TimeWho needs a Relocation Consultant?• a single parent who has a demanding job with working hours that directly conflict with apartment or home rental research, would find the services useful.• Workers who have been replaced or who are going to be relocated.• People who are returning to work from an extended stay away, due to an injury or illness.• Companies who are expanding or relocating.• Companies who have traveling employees.• People living in heavily populated cities.What does a Relocation Consultant do?A Relocation Consultant's duties consists of locating neighborhoods, apartment and home dwellings, childcare services, religious organizations and selecting a moving company for individuals, families, and employees for relocating businesses.More specifically, as companies continue to downsize and or relocate, there's a growing need for the services provided by a Relocation Consultant.Often, companies contract with Relocation Consultants so that the consultant's services are readily accessible in the event that an employee or numerous employees are relocated.The Relocation Consultant will match an employer or an employees’, living requirements and requests as closely as possible.Additionally, a Relocation Consultant's services are solicited for individual's who are relocating for reasons other than employment.Many individual's seek the services of a Relocation Consultant due to time restrictions which prevent them from locating desired living arrangements.Getting started in the Relocation Consultant Business• Advertising your BusinessRun Classified ads and 1-2 inch ads in newspapers and magazines in both the Metro areas as well as suburban areas. Good examples are Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, New York....Internet Classifieds work well also.Consider leaving brochures at various Hotels and Motels.• Tips for running a Successful Relocation BusinessOne of the keys to success in this business is your ability to network with others around the country.Successful Networking will provide you with the ability to thoroughly examine an area prior to running advertisements.So...it's important to develop business relations the country. Of course, the internet and email provide the perfect vehicle for this type of relationship building.Understand that your learning curve NEVER ENDS. You will need to regularly develop your business skills. Don't be fooled into thinking that "a good product sells itself.”"Consumers buy you" is what I used to teach to my telemarketers.I've listed on my site, a few Home Business Courses to get you off to a good start.Don't stop there. Continue to research and develop skill.For example, I dedicate at least 5 hours weekly toward increasing my personal business building techniques.• Visit the Relocation Council.This Organization has been in operation for a number of years. They have a Newsletter and other training materials to help you to develop your skills.On their site, you'll notice that there is an option to become Certified. In the event that you decide that you want to expand your part time business into a full time career, having employees...you can prepare for your certification with the Relocation Council also.erc.org 1-202 - 857- 0857Note: When you are ready to begin larger ad campaigns, visit, Standard Rate and Data srds.com SRDS has a database of media rates for at least 100,000 publications.The Relocation Consultant Work At Home Business is a very inexpensive Business to start. It's fairly straight forward and it has the potential to create a full time income while working part time. This one is Really worth considering.• If you decide that this is the Work from Home business opportunity for you, continue reading our Ezine for continued Home Business Start-Up's since there will be ideas and information in each issue that you can tweak a little to benefit you within your Business of Choice.To eliminate some trial and error, in our Ezine, also provide you with ongoing Small Business support…deals on business tools, marketing research information, and more.• You will need to create a Business Plan if you are serious about creating a profitable Home Based Business.I found a good Business Plan workbook that you will find quite useful. Writing Business Plans can be frustrating… I won’t lie. Thus Using a workbook and/or software is by far the popular choice for those who don’t want to pay $700-$1,500 to have one professionally prepared.• Ensure that you take your business to the internet. I’ve evaluated a few web hosting Companies and I’ve listed their advantages as well as their disadvantages. You’ll also find discount computer hardware locations.You may find that marketing your business using RSS is an unthinkable opportunity to overlook. You’re right. I’ve listed free RSS readers and software that you can use To get your feeds up and going WITHOUT the need of studying all the techie stuff. Just visit our Resource Page.If you have not read AND STUDIED, the World's Famous, "Think And Grow Rich", you can receive it Free:This is a must read. Creating a proper mind-set is critical. In addition to your studying your business, you will need to develop a mind for business.Wealth is NOT about Money. Download it And see for yourself.Bridging the GAP between Opportunity and Success,
Get real about Home Businesses!!!
by: Michelle Cornes
Copyright 2005 Michelle CornesAre you thinking it might be time to take control and work for yourself? The degree to which YOU are up for this challenge is everything. Here are some of the things about yourself that you really need to be thinking about: How much do you really want to redesign your life? How much does this mean to you? What will you and your life look like 5 years, 10 years down the track if you stay on the track you are currently on? (and let's face it... most of us work our tails off for 40 odd years, pay our bills, pay our taxes... and die without leaving any substantial financial legacy behind us. In my view - that's a pretty odd plan for a life... and a long way from what we imagined we would do with our lives in our earlier days!)So - how much do you want a different future - and what sacrifices are you prepared to make to achieve that? Do you want much more from your life and efforts - without making any extra effort?If that's the case - I suggest you stay employed by someone else. If you are prepared to learn new skills and develop a higher value to the marketplace than you currently command - then self employment could be for you.How teachable and receptive are you to new ideas and new ways of thinking and behaving? You want more - you have to become more!! Are you prepared to learn and grow and develop as an entrepreneur?In business - you don't get paid for turning up... you get paid for the value you bring to the marketplace. Are you prepared to understand that and work on learning how to add value to what you offer the marketplace? The marketplace pays on value - not on need, or hours used.Are you a stayer or a quitter? Are you going to finish what you start and see it through? Focus, patience and self discipline are common to people who are successful in any field of endeavour (sport, the arts, business... doesn't matter!)You will never truly succeed at anything if you are prone to tantrums and giving up as soon as something doesn't go the way you expected or wanted... and things in business will sometimes go wrong!Are you EXCITED and PASSIONATE about the future that could be yours if you work for yourself and get it right? Are you liberated by the idea that you can become more valuable and with work and time can totally reshape the future for yourself and your loved ones? Do you BELIEVE you can change your destiny and do something "different" - or do you think that's not really possible for you? Has life got you by the throat - and you can't see any possible way of that changing... or are you ready to fight for your future and make it a reality?The emotion and belief you have for this new direction as a real and totally valid future for you... is what will "make" you or cause you to fail.So... if you feel you stack up on the "you" issue... then the other major issue is... What on Earth do I do to find the right business?Investigate... then investigate again :) Get a feel for what your options are, how viable or desirable those options are for YOUR circumstances and resources.My experience on this was that there are some real scams and dodgy "businesses" on offer out there - and essentially - they weren't too hard to pick out. I also found quite a number of business opportunities that required major capital (and I mean MAJOR!) and major financial inputs over probably quite a few years - just to stay afloat. I personally could not afford to operate a negative cashflow business for 6 months - let alone a number of years! It just wasn't what I could do - and unless I could do that - those businesses would never survive. Not what I was looking for...I found that this all narrowed down the field quite considerably..in fact I was starting to wonder if I would ever find what I was looking for... but I ploughed on. I learnt a few things:-: My business needed to be based on real products or services that there was a PROVEN market for. I also had to like and feel good about them. I wanted to enjoy and be proud of what I did.Those products/services needed to be something that required repeat business, customer longevity. In other words - I wanted good products/services that the market had already demonstrated it wanted - and was actually in a GROWTH phase. I was not interested in getting into an industry that was well over its hay day. I was building for the future!I wanted something I could grow and develop into. Something I could start with the resources I had (a little time, a little money, and a lot of ambition!). Something that would allow me to develop a business income around my existing obligations to start with - but which would allow me to buy back my life in chunks over time.If I wanted to earn a lot more from a business - I understood it would not come about overnight. It was going to take some time and some learning of new skills. That was over 18 months ago now, I found my perfect business and have never looked back.
Copyright 2005 Michelle CornesAre you thinking it might be time to take control and work for yourself? The degree to which YOU are up for this challenge is everything. Here are some of the things about yourself that you really need to be thinking about: How much do you really want to redesign your life? How much does this mean to you? What will you and your life look like 5 years, 10 years down the track if you stay on the track you are currently on? (and let's face it... most of us work our tails off for 40 odd years, pay our bills, pay our taxes... and die without leaving any substantial financial legacy behind us. In my view - that's a pretty odd plan for a life... and a long way from what we imagined we would do with our lives in our earlier days!)So - how much do you want a different future - and what sacrifices are you prepared to make to achieve that? Do you want much more from your life and efforts - without making any extra effort?If that's the case - I suggest you stay employed by someone else. If you are prepared to learn new skills and develop a higher value to the marketplace than you currently command - then self employment could be for you.How teachable and receptive are you to new ideas and new ways of thinking and behaving? You want more - you have to become more!! Are you prepared to learn and grow and develop as an entrepreneur?In business - you don't get paid for turning up... you get paid for the value you bring to the marketplace. Are you prepared to understand that and work on learning how to add value to what you offer the marketplace? The marketplace pays on value - not on need, or hours used.Are you a stayer or a quitter? Are you going to finish what you start and see it through? Focus, patience and self discipline are common to people who are successful in any field of endeavour (sport, the arts, business... doesn't matter!)You will never truly succeed at anything if you are prone to tantrums and giving up as soon as something doesn't go the way you expected or wanted... and things in business will sometimes go wrong!Are you EXCITED and PASSIONATE about the future that could be yours if you work for yourself and get it right? Are you liberated by the idea that you can become more valuable and with work and time can totally reshape the future for yourself and your loved ones? Do you BELIEVE you can change your destiny and do something "different" - or do you think that's not really possible for you? Has life got you by the throat - and you can't see any possible way of that changing... or are you ready to fight for your future and make it a reality?The emotion and belief you have for this new direction as a real and totally valid future for you... is what will "make" you or cause you to fail.So... if you feel you stack up on the "you" issue... then the other major issue is... What on Earth do I do to find the right business?Investigate... then investigate again :) Get a feel for what your options are, how viable or desirable those options are for YOUR circumstances and resources.My experience on this was that there are some real scams and dodgy "businesses" on offer out there - and essentially - they weren't too hard to pick out. I also found quite a number of business opportunities that required major capital (and I mean MAJOR!) and major financial inputs over probably quite a few years - just to stay afloat. I personally could not afford to operate a negative cashflow business for 6 months - let alone a number of years! It just wasn't what I could do - and unless I could do that - those businesses would never survive. Not what I was looking for...I found that this all narrowed down the field quite considerably..in fact I was starting to wonder if I would ever find what I was looking for... but I ploughed on. I learnt a few things:-: My business needed to be based on real products or services that there was a PROVEN market for. I also had to like and feel good about them. I wanted to enjoy and be proud of what I did.Those products/services needed to be something that required repeat business, customer longevity. In other words - I wanted good products/services that the market had already demonstrated it wanted - and was actually in a GROWTH phase. I was not interested in getting into an industry that was well over its hay day. I was building for the future!I wanted something I could grow and develop into. Something I could start with the resources I had (a little time, a little money, and a lot of ambition!). Something that would allow me to develop a business income around my existing obligations to start with - but which would allow me to buy back my life in chunks over time.If I wanted to earn a lot more from a business - I understood it would not come about overnight. It was going to take some time and some learning of new skills. That was over 18 months ago now, I found my perfect business and have never looked back.
Home Based Franchising
by: Shawn Price
Copyright 2005 Shawn PriceIs Home Based Franchising for you?Do you desire Home Business Ownership but cringe at the thought of starting from scratch?Possibly a Home based Franchise is your answer.A Franchise is a business in which "... the franchisor, the owner and developer of the franchise system licenses [you] franchisees to use trademarks, service marks, logos, or advertising owned or developed by the franchisor." (International Franchising Association, Franchising basics).With some franchise programs, the business operates using the Franchisor's brand name only.Other programs are less restrictive and allow for the usage of both a trade name in addition to the franchisor's brand name.Common to all franchise programs, the franchisee[ you] is responsible to pay the franchisor, advertising fees, initial fees, service fees, and or royalty fees.You are responsible for payment whether your business is profitable or not.Additionally, many franchisor's provide educational programs to franchisees before the inception of the business.Often times, they've done demographic studies and other studies to ensure that you have greater odds of returning a profit.Major Franchise Types• Unit FranchisingIs the most simple type of franchise in which the Franchisor grants the franchisee the right to operate a single operation at a specified location or within a particular territory.• Area Development FranchisingIn accordance with a "development schedule", the franchisee agrees to establish a predetermined number of "unit franchises" within a particular territory.• Subfranchising/Master franchizingIs quite similar to Area Development Franchising with the major difference being that the franchisor grants the subfranchisor the option of opening the unit franchises herself or selling the the franchises to third parties. (Common with International franchising)• Affiliate FranchisingThis type of set up is typically used by an owner of an established business who decides to join/affiliate with a franchised chain.This allows for the benefit of the franchises brand. This is common with many real estate.• NonTraditionalThis type of set up is customized between the franchisor and the franchisee.Franchises are not the same as Dealerships and distributorshipsA dealership or distributorship differs from a franchise in that there is no FEE involved. Dealers purchase products usually from the manufacturer at wholesale prices.Note however, that a dealership can become a Franchise IF a FEE is paid to the franchisor AND the distributor is dependent upon the franchisor's pay structure.Considerations when buying a franchise• There's a benefit to purchasing a franchise that is well known• Will the franchisor provide ongoing education and support?• Were demographic studies performed?• How many of the franchises have closed operation? Why?• Have you STUDIED the franchiser's Comprehensive Disclosure Statement? It's required by Law that prospective Franchisee's are provided Comprehensive Disclosure, a copy of the franchisor's Standard Franchise Agreement, Audited statements, a list of the names of all of the Franchisees, as well as a copy of all documents that require the franchisees' signing.By law, each of the above must be provided at least 2 weeks prior to purchase date.• I've heard the saying, "if you buy a McDonald's, be prepared to eat burger's for breakfast lunch and dinner." In other words, your business requires commitment.Additional Sources of information•Success Magazine•International Franchise Association www.franchise.org•Franchise Sales Press *Get this magazine since it is known for its focus on franchise opportunities. Further, they perform regular interviews with both franchisees as well as with franchisors.•SBA Small Business Association•Brokerage firms and analysts Since stock information on A public company is useful.•Franchise Lawyer •Federal Trade Commission Public Reference Branch•UFOC "Uniform Franchise Offering circular -- the material that is provided by law, by the franchisor to the qualified franchisee. This is likely the most telling of all information gathered.•Attorney General's Office•BBB located in the city of the Franchisor's headquarters.•Your Banker should have access to the Dunn and Bradstreet Report on the particular Franchisor.•Contact the franchisor's franchisee's listed in UFOC. *** Prepare a list of relevant questions prior to calling.Purchasing a franchise usually equates to a reduction in investment risks since the" system" and Franchise name is established, training and ongoing support is provided, market research has been conducted... Conversely…franchise ownership can be costly. Consequently, it is critical that you investigate the franchise thoroughly prior to purchasing.There is a continual rise in the number of franchises. Obviously, there's a HUGE market for this method of business ownership. When approached methodically and practically, Franchise ownership can be Very lucrative and much simpler than beginning a business from the ground up.Be wise and ensure that you conduct sufficient research prior to committment.If you’ll need financial backing, then you will need to create a business plan. There’s a handy Business Plan workbook available at our site.
Copyright 2005 Shawn PriceIs Home Based Franchising for you?Do you desire Home Business Ownership but cringe at the thought of starting from scratch?Possibly a Home based Franchise is your answer.A Franchise is a business in which "... the franchisor, the owner and developer of the franchise system licenses [you] franchisees to use trademarks, service marks, logos, or advertising owned or developed by the franchisor." (International Franchising Association, Franchising basics).With some franchise programs, the business operates using the Franchisor's brand name only.Other programs are less restrictive and allow for the usage of both a trade name in addition to the franchisor's brand name.Common to all franchise programs, the franchisee[ you] is responsible to pay the franchisor, advertising fees, initial fees, service fees, and or royalty fees.You are responsible for payment whether your business is profitable or not.Additionally, many franchisor's provide educational programs to franchisees before the inception of the business.Often times, they've done demographic studies and other studies to ensure that you have greater odds of returning a profit.Major Franchise Types• Unit FranchisingIs the most simple type of franchise in which the Franchisor grants the franchisee the right to operate a single operation at a specified location or within a particular territory.• Area Development FranchisingIn accordance with a "development schedule", the franchisee agrees to establish a predetermined number of "unit franchises" within a particular territory.• Subfranchising/Master franchizingIs quite similar to Area Development Franchising with the major difference being that the franchisor grants the subfranchisor the option of opening the unit franchises herself or selling the the franchises to third parties. (Common with International franchising)• Affiliate FranchisingThis type of set up is typically used by an owner of an established business who decides to join/affiliate with a franchised chain.This allows for the benefit of the franchises brand. This is common with many real estate.• NonTraditionalThis type of set up is customized between the franchisor and the franchisee.Franchises are not the same as Dealerships and distributorshipsA dealership or distributorship differs from a franchise in that there is no FEE involved. Dealers purchase products usually from the manufacturer at wholesale prices.Note however, that a dealership can become a Franchise IF a FEE is paid to the franchisor AND the distributor is dependent upon the franchisor's pay structure.Considerations when buying a franchise• There's a benefit to purchasing a franchise that is well known• Will the franchisor provide ongoing education and support?• Were demographic studies performed?• How many of the franchises have closed operation? Why?• Have you STUDIED the franchiser's Comprehensive Disclosure Statement? It's required by Law that prospective Franchisee's are provided Comprehensive Disclosure, a copy of the franchisor's Standard Franchise Agreement, Audited statements, a list of the names of all of the Franchisees, as well as a copy of all documents that require the franchisees' signing.By law, each of the above must be provided at least 2 weeks prior to purchase date.• I've heard the saying, "if you buy a McDonald's, be prepared to eat burger's for breakfast lunch and dinner." In other words, your business requires commitment.Additional Sources of information•Success Magazine•International Franchise Association www.franchise.org•Franchise Sales Press *Get this magazine since it is known for its focus on franchise opportunities. Further, they perform regular interviews with both franchisees as well as with franchisors.•SBA Small Business Association•Brokerage firms and analysts Since stock information on A public company is useful.•Franchise Lawyer •Federal Trade Commission Public Reference Branch•UFOC "Uniform Franchise Offering circular -- the material that is provided by law, by the franchisor to the qualified franchisee. This is likely the most telling of all information gathered.•Attorney General's Office•BBB located in the city of the Franchisor's headquarters.•Your Banker should have access to the Dunn and Bradstreet Report on the particular Franchisor.•Contact the franchisor's franchisee's listed in UFOC. *** Prepare a list of relevant questions prior to calling.Purchasing a franchise usually equates to a reduction in investment risks since the" system" and Franchise name is established, training and ongoing support is provided, market research has been conducted... Conversely…franchise ownership can be costly. Consequently, it is critical that you investigate the franchise thoroughly prior to purchasing.There is a continual rise in the number of franchises. Obviously, there's a HUGE market for this method of business ownership. When approached methodically and practically, Franchise ownership can be Very lucrative and much simpler than beginning a business from the ground up.Be wise and ensure that you conduct sufficient research prior to committment.If you’ll need financial backing, then you will need to create a business plan. There’s a handy Business Plan workbook available at our site.
STARTING A BUSINESS? WHAT NEW (AND EXISTING) BUSINESS OWNERS SHOULD KNOW
by: Dianne Goodman, CPA
Starting a business can be overwhelming enough trying to get up and running but when you think about all the tax requirements, your cup may runneth over. Here is what you must know in order to start your own business on the right foot and avoid paying penalties and interest which can cost more than paying an accountant to do things right the first time.WHAT FORM OF BUSINESS SHOULD YOU SET UP WHEN STARTING YOUR BUSINESS?There are several different options including a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, S corporation or limited liability company. In general a sole proprietorship works fine if you are very small, not too profitable and aren’t concerned about legal liability issues. A partnership is like being married to the other partners. If you aren’t that cozy with them, you may want to set up another type of entity. Corporations are best suited for business owners who want personal legal protection and have profit available beyond what they will need for their personal use. See http://www.dgoodmancpa.com/smallbusinessretirementplan.htm for an example of what you can do with that available profit tax deferred until retirement. S Corporations are best when you are operating at a loss and want business owner legal protection. Limited liability companies will protect the business owner from personal legal liability and, if structured properly, can be a partnership, corporation or owner for federal income tax purposes.DO YOU NEED AN EMPLOYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (EIN) WHEN YOU START YOUR OWN BUSINESS?You need an employer identification number if you have employees, have a qualified retirement plan, operate as a corporation or a partnership, or need to file employment or excise tax returns. You do not need an employer identification number if you are a sole proprietor and don’t meet any of the requirements above.WHAT METHOD CAN YOU USE TO ACCOUNT FOR YOUR INCOME AND EXPENSES WHEN YOU START YOUR SMALL BUSINESS?The two most common methods are cash and accrual. The cash method in general allows you to report income and expenses in the tax year you receive it. The accrual method in general allows you to report income and expenses in the tax year you earn or incur it even if you haven’t received payment or paid it yet.WHAT KINDS OF FEDERAL TAXES WILL YOU OWE WHEN STARTING A BUSINESS?All businesses must file a return. The form used depends on what form of business you set up when starting your business. The federal income tax is a pay-as-you-go tax. In general you must pay the tax as you earn or receive income during the year to avoid penalties and interest if your tax liability for the year exceeds $1,000 including self employment tax for sole proprietors, partners and S corporation shareholders. Corporations should make estimated quarterly payments if they expect to owe $500 for the year. Estimated tax payments are due quarterly. Penalties and interest can be hefty so you should make sure you comply in order to avoid wasting money on IRS penalties.WHAT TAXES ARE DUE IF YOU HAVE EMPLOYEES IN YOUR SMALL BUSINESS?Your small business must pay social security and Medicare taxes, federal income tax withholding, federal unemployment tax along with your state and local income taxes. The associated tax returns for reporting these taxes are in general filed quarterly. Your business is entrusted to pay these taxes on behalf of your employees and not only do you have penalties and interest that you will pay for not filing them timely but can also be committing a crime due to the fiduciary responsibility. You need to be sure you know what you are doing here as the consequences could be costly.WHAT RECORDS SHOULD YOU KEEP WHEN YOU START YOUR BUSINESS?Except in a few cases, the law does not require any specific kinds of records. The most important thing to ask yourself is can you go back to all of the original receipts from the number on your return. If you were to be asked by an IRS agent to provide all the details of a certain number on your return, and you can not do that, you will be at his whim on whether he will allow that deduction. An efficient accounting system with a solid audit trail which has been reconciled is the safest way to be sure you have done this.These are just some questions you may have regarding starting your new business. If you have more, e-mail me at dianne@dgoodmancpa.com and I will help you muddle through the tax and business issues you may have. After all, those of us that have our own business know it’s the only way to go but getting up and running can be a bit of a challenge.
Starting a business can be overwhelming enough trying to get up and running but when you think about all the tax requirements, your cup may runneth over. Here is what you must know in order to start your own business on the right foot and avoid paying penalties and interest which can cost more than paying an accountant to do things right the first time.WHAT FORM OF BUSINESS SHOULD YOU SET UP WHEN STARTING YOUR BUSINESS?There are several different options including a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, S corporation or limited liability company. In general a sole proprietorship works fine if you are very small, not too profitable and aren’t concerned about legal liability issues. A partnership is like being married to the other partners. If you aren’t that cozy with them, you may want to set up another type of entity. Corporations are best suited for business owners who want personal legal protection and have profit available beyond what they will need for their personal use. See http://www.dgoodmancpa.com/smallbusinessretirementplan.htm for an example of what you can do with that available profit tax deferred until retirement. S Corporations are best when you are operating at a loss and want business owner legal protection. Limited liability companies will protect the business owner from personal legal liability and, if structured properly, can be a partnership, corporation or owner for federal income tax purposes.DO YOU NEED AN EMPLOYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (EIN) WHEN YOU START YOUR OWN BUSINESS?You need an employer identification number if you have employees, have a qualified retirement plan, operate as a corporation or a partnership, or need to file employment or excise tax returns. You do not need an employer identification number if you are a sole proprietor and don’t meet any of the requirements above.WHAT METHOD CAN YOU USE TO ACCOUNT FOR YOUR INCOME AND EXPENSES WHEN YOU START YOUR SMALL BUSINESS?The two most common methods are cash and accrual. The cash method in general allows you to report income and expenses in the tax year you receive it. The accrual method in general allows you to report income and expenses in the tax year you earn or incur it even if you haven’t received payment or paid it yet.WHAT KINDS OF FEDERAL TAXES WILL YOU OWE WHEN STARTING A BUSINESS?All businesses must file a return. The form used depends on what form of business you set up when starting your business. The federal income tax is a pay-as-you-go tax. In general you must pay the tax as you earn or receive income during the year to avoid penalties and interest if your tax liability for the year exceeds $1,000 including self employment tax for sole proprietors, partners and S corporation shareholders. Corporations should make estimated quarterly payments if they expect to owe $500 for the year. Estimated tax payments are due quarterly. Penalties and interest can be hefty so you should make sure you comply in order to avoid wasting money on IRS penalties.WHAT TAXES ARE DUE IF YOU HAVE EMPLOYEES IN YOUR SMALL BUSINESS?Your small business must pay social security and Medicare taxes, federal income tax withholding, federal unemployment tax along with your state and local income taxes. The associated tax returns for reporting these taxes are in general filed quarterly. Your business is entrusted to pay these taxes on behalf of your employees and not only do you have penalties and interest that you will pay for not filing them timely but can also be committing a crime due to the fiduciary responsibility. You need to be sure you know what you are doing here as the consequences could be costly.WHAT RECORDS SHOULD YOU KEEP WHEN YOU START YOUR BUSINESS?Except in a few cases, the law does not require any specific kinds of records. The most important thing to ask yourself is can you go back to all of the original receipts from the number on your return. If you were to be asked by an IRS agent to provide all the details of a certain number on your return, and you can not do that, you will be at his whim on whether he will allow that deduction. An efficient accounting system with a solid audit trail which has been reconciled is the safest way to be sure you have done this.These are just some questions you may have regarding starting your new business. If you have more, e-mail me at dianne@dgoodmancpa.com and I will help you muddle through the tax and business issues you may have. After all, those of us that have our own business know it’s the only way to go but getting up and running can be a bit of a challenge.
Portrait of a Portfolio Career: An Answer to the “Perfect Job”?
by: Nina Ham
Copyright 2005 Success from the Inside OutDo you cringe when you look at your resume through the eyes of a prospective employer, afraid the wide range of jobs listed will disqualify you? Or have you put together a single-track career record but secretly long for more variety, more outlets for your varied interests and abilities?If so, perhaps you’re the perfect candidate to welcome a new identity: a portfolio careerist.While describing her new business over lunch the other day, Christine included some details of the career journey that brought her to it. Starting out doing debt consolidation for friends while tending her young children, she was catapulted into full-time work in Human Resources following a divorce. Moving from one corporate HR division to another, she specialized in employee benefits and severance packages. In recent years, tired of long hours and wanting more independence, she has moved into financial planning as an affiliate of a large financial network. While she is thriving in this new challenge, she did admit, with a smile somewhere between embarrassed and shy, that she had a “side business” as a personal color consultant. “I have too many interests to expect one job to make me happy. I’ve always had something going on the side!”Her allusion to non-monogamy was telling, probably accounting for the moment of slight embarrassment. Many of us are still laboring under the outmoded belief that we should make a career choice early in life and follow it faithfully in a more or less straight line. In fact, there are many persuasive arguments for portfolio careers becoming a wave of the future. The realities of the current employment environment, suggest that identifying yourself as the CEO of your career gives you a head start for pro-actively designing it. The entrepreneurial mindset is valued among companies looking to shift responsibility for career management onto you, and prepares you to make foresighted adjustments to changes in in-house and market conditions.Research studies indicate there’s a high level of satisfaction among people who voluntarily leave employment and become independent. As high as 65% of executives surveyed in a British study are “very satisfied” with the increased freedom, control and variety they’re able to create in their composite careers.Portfolio careers may be a model particularly well-suited to women’s lives. Women have always been good at doing more than one thing at a time. As companies’ family-friendly policies are diminishing, putting together a multi-strand career may provide the needed flexibility to tend to a family’s changing needs or a spouse’s job requirements. Designing a personal career portfolio gives women a way of working that fits our lives, rather than requiring our lives to adapt to our work.An initial reaction to the idea of abandoning the search for a “single strand” career and focusing instead on creating multiple strands may be to worry about the lack of security: no single paycheck to rely on, no predictable schedule or set of expectations, no one to report to for direction. The tough truth is that this security is becoming more and more of a myth in the contemporary workplace, as hiring is done project by project rather than for the long haul. Here are several options for addressing the issue of security:*Develop a skill set that’s in demand or suited to a growing industry. An example might be technical writing in biotech. *Actively nurture your network: keeping in touch with your contacts about new developments in your skills or interests, as well as finding opportunities to be of assistance to them. (Remember that being of service is very likely to activate a desire to reciprocate!)*Add to the numbers of people who know about you and your expertise by developing some speaking or writing topics.What does a portfolio career actually look like? It has several parts, bound together by a common thread (you), that’s adaptable to many different circumstances. It can be a combination of traditional employment, contract work, and self employment (e.g. a home-based business). The format can be to work simultaneously on various projects or simultaneously with several clients or with single clients in succession. Sometimes the strands of your portfolio even rotate seasonally: a garden design business in the summer, and technical writing in the winter. The possibilities are infinite, open to you to craft for yourself.In addition to offering variety and flexibility, the portfolio career model can place value on those endeavors that don’t (or don’t yet) generate income - service or pro bono work, for instance, or creative projects. Most importantly, the term “portfolio career” gives legitimacy to those enterprising folks who have diverse interests and talents and insist on expressing them, in spite of having to buck reputations as “jack of all trades, master of none”. People have embraced the “portfolio career” label with emotional relief, finding in it a term for the unifying and meaningful guiding force behind all their activities.So how do you go about creating a portfolio career? Here are some guidelines.• look at your work history: What is the common thread (or threads) connecting the work you’ve enjoyed most and done well at? Perhaps it’s money: making it, managing it, building healthy attitudes about it. • deconstruct the work you’ve done into tasks and list all the skills involved in those tasks. Don’t overlook the “people skills” like listening, motivating, team building, etc. Think of new settings where those skills are of value and/or get compensated.• What are the hobbies or side interests that are or could become income generators?• Plan a brainstorming session with a friend to come up with a number of revenue streams, and then mindmap them. (For mindmapping guidance: www.thinksmart.com/mission/workout/mindmapping_intro.html)• What are the natural rhythms of your life that might suggest some directions? (E.g. a client of mine got an ESL teaching certificate so she could spend cold mid-Western winters in a tropical Latin climate.)• If you’re considering multiple concurrent projects, make at least one of them a “no brainer”, something easy or very familiar.And, like any good idea, there are some cautions. Portfolio careers probably aren’t for everyone. How do you know if it might work for you? Here are some questions to think about.• Do I have a personality suited to a portfolio career (adaptable, risk tolerant, self-starting, enjoy variety/complexity)?• Am I good at improvising when I’m not fully prepared?• How do I handle financial insecurity?• Am I willing to adjust my standard of living if necessary?• How will I provide for health coverage and vacations?• How well do I structure and manage my time?Like the man who looks under the lamppost for his keys, rather than looking where he dropped them, maybe the perfect job has eluded you because you haven’t known where to look. Try on the idea of a portfolio career and see if it frees you to consider new possibilities, a new approach to creating work that fits you and fits your life.
Copyright 2005 Success from the Inside OutDo you cringe when you look at your resume through the eyes of a prospective employer, afraid the wide range of jobs listed will disqualify you? Or have you put together a single-track career record but secretly long for more variety, more outlets for your varied interests and abilities?If so, perhaps you’re the perfect candidate to welcome a new identity: a portfolio careerist.While describing her new business over lunch the other day, Christine included some details of the career journey that brought her to it. Starting out doing debt consolidation for friends while tending her young children, she was catapulted into full-time work in Human Resources following a divorce. Moving from one corporate HR division to another, she specialized in employee benefits and severance packages. In recent years, tired of long hours and wanting more independence, she has moved into financial planning as an affiliate of a large financial network. While she is thriving in this new challenge, she did admit, with a smile somewhere between embarrassed and shy, that she had a “side business” as a personal color consultant. “I have too many interests to expect one job to make me happy. I’ve always had something going on the side!”Her allusion to non-monogamy was telling, probably accounting for the moment of slight embarrassment. Many of us are still laboring under the outmoded belief that we should make a career choice early in life and follow it faithfully in a more or less straight line. In fact, there are many persuasive arguments for portfolio careers becoming a wave of the future. The realities of the current employment environment, suggest that identifying yourself as the CEO of your career gives you a head start for pro-actively designing it. The entrepreneurial mindset is valued among companies looking to shift responsibility for career management onto you, and prepares you to make foresighted adjustments to changes in in-house and market conditions.Research studies indicate there’s a high level of satisfaction among people who voluntarily leave employment and become independent. As high as 65% of executives surveyed in a British study are “very satisfied” with the increased freedom, control and variety they’re able to create in their composite careers.Portfolio careers may be a model particularly well-suited to women’s lives. Women have always been good at doing more than one thing at a time. As companies’ family-friendly policies are diminishing, putting together a multi-strand career may provide the needed flexibility to tend to a family’s changing needs or a spouse’s job requirements. Designing a personal career portfolio gives women a way of working that fits our lives, rather than requiring our lives to adapt to our work.An initial reaction to the idea of abandoning the search for a “single strand” career and focusing instead on creating multiple strands may be to worry about the lack of security: no single paycheck to rely on, no predictable schedule or set of expectations, no one to report to for direction. The tough truth is that this security is becoming more and more of a myth in the contemporary workplace, as hiring is done project by project rather than for the long haul. Here are several options for addressing the issue of security:*Develop a skill set that’s in demand or suited to a growing industry. An example might be technical writing in biotech. *Actively nurture your network: keeping in touch with your contacts about new developments in your skills or interests, as well as finding opportunities to be of assistance to them. (Remember that being of service is very likely to activate a desire to reciprocate!)*Add to the numbers of people who know about you and your expertise by developing some speaking or writing topics.What does a portfolio career actually look like? It has several parts, bound together by a common thread (you), that’s adaptable to many different circumstances. It can be a combination of traditional employment, contract work, and self employment (e.g. a home-based business). The format can be to work simultaneously on various projects or simultaneously with several clients or with single clients in succession. Sometimes the strands of your portfolio even rotate seasonally: a garden design business in the summer, and technical writing in the winter. The possibilities are infinite, open to you to craft for yourself.In addition to offering variety and flexibility, the portfolio career model can place value on those endeavors that don’t (or don’t yet) generate income - service or pro bono work, for instance, or creative projects. Most importantly, the term “portfolio career” gives legitimacy to those enterprising folks who have diverse interests and talents and insist on expressing them, in spite of having to buck reputations as “jack of all trades, master of none”. People have embraced the “portfolio career” label with emotional relief, finding in it a term for the unifying and meaningful guiding force behind all their activities.So how do you go about creating a portfolio career? Here are some guidelines.• look at your work history: What is the common thread (or threads) connecting the work you’ve enjoyed most and done well at? Perhaps it’s money: making it, managing it, building healthy attitudes about it. • deconstruct the work you’ve done into tasks and list all the skills involved in those tasks. Don’t overlook the “people skills” like listening, motivating, team building, etc. Think of new settings where those skills are of value and/or get compensated.• What are the hobbies or side interests that are or could become income generators?• Plan a brainstorming session with a friend to come up with a number of revenue streams, and then mindmap them. (For mindmapping guidance: www.thinksmart.com/mission/workout/mindmapping_intro.html)• What are the natural rhythms of your life that might suggest some directions? (E.g. a client of mine got an ESL teaching certificate so she could spend cold mid-Western winters in a tropical Latin climate.)• If you’re considering multiple concurrent projects, make at least one of them a “no brainer”, something easy or very familiar.And, like any good idea, there are some cautions. Portfolio careers probably aren’t for everyone. How do you know if it might work for you? Here are some questions to think about.• Do I have a personality suited to a portfolio career (adaptable, risk tolerant, self-starting, enjoy variety/complexity)?• Am I good at improvising when I’m not fully prepared?• How do I handle financial insecurity?• Am I willing to adjust my standard of living if necessary?• How will I provide for health coverage and vacations?• How well do I structure and manage my time?Like the man who looks under the lamppost for his keys, rather than looking where he dropped them, maybe the perfect job has eluded you because you haven’t known where to look. Try on the idea of a portfolio career and see if it frees you to consider new possibilities, a new approach to creating work that fits you and fits your life.
Tips for Saving Money on Car Insurance
by: Ray Shelton
Car insurance is required by all licensed drivers but many of them don’t know how to find the best rates available. Being complacent and purchasing car insurance without carefully investigating your options or maintaining the same car insurance for the remainder of your life could mean that you are paying too much for your car insurance. Comparison shopping, ensuring that you are receiving all the discounts you qualify for and maintaining a clean driving record are just a few of the money saving tips that can save you a fortune on car insurance.Comparison shopping for car insurance, even after you are already insured, cannot be underestimated. It is critical that you investigate all of your options before choosing an insurance provider to ensure that you are getting the best possible rate on your car insurance. There are so many factors considered in car insurance policies such as where you live, your driving record, your age and the type of car you drive just to name a few. With all of these factors to consider, it is very possible that you will find that there is a car insurance provider who will offer you a considerably lower rate than other providers.Even after you have secured insurance for your car, it is wise to periodically check the rates that other providers will offer you. Car insurance as well as your circumstances are perpetually changing and you may find that the provider who is willing to offer you the best car insurance rate varies periodically. Many car insurance providers offer a host of discounts to their clients who qualify for these discounts. These discounts can relate to your driving record, safety features of your car, your age or other factors. These discounts can result in a tremendous cost savings on your car insurance policy but while many insurance providers offer these discounts, they don’t always advertise them. This means that you may have to do research to determine what type of discounts you may qualify to receive. Carefully, review your car insurance policy to determine which discounts you are already receiving and then contact your car insurance provider to inquire about other discounts that may be available. For example if your driving record is devoid of accidents or tickets, you may qualify for a good driver discount. Also, if your car has certain safety features such as daytime running lights, you may also qualify for car insurance discounts. Your age can also qualify you for certain car insurance discounts. Some insurance providers also offer discounts to those who insure their house with the same company as they insure their car. Taking advantage of this type of discount can save you money on both your car and home insurance. Being aware of the discounts that are available and ensuring that you are receiving these discounts, can save you a great deal of money on your car insurance.Finally, maintaining a clean driving record is very important to receiving the best available car insurance rate. While it is true that each car insurance provider is unique in the factors that contribute to lower rates, the one factor that is consistent among all providers of car insurance is that a clean driving record is critical to your rate. Although accidents are sometimes unavoidable, it is imperative that you adhere to all traffic regulations and that you drive safely at all times. This will reduce the number of traffic violations that you incur as well as the number of accidents that you cause. Following these tips will help you to maintain a clean driving record that will keep the cost of your car insurance low. Many drivers lament paying their monthly car insurance bill because they feel as though the insurance isn’t necessary. Although car insurance is a financial burden that seems superfluous, it does pay off if you are ever in a serious car accident that has significant financial ramifications. For this reason, you should never consider allowing your car insurance to lapse and it is recommended that you search diligently to find the best available rate on your car insurance.
Car insurance is required by all licensed drivers but many of them don’t know how to find the best rates available. Being complacent and purchasing car insurance without carefully investigating your options or maintaining the same car insurance for the remainder of your life could mean that you are paying too much for your car insurance. Comparison shopping, ensuring that you are receiving all the discounts you qualify for and maintaining a clean driving record are just a few of the money saving tips that can save you a fortune on car insurance.Comparison shopping for car insurance, even after you are already insured, cannot be underestimated. It is critical that you investigate all of your options before choosing an insurance provider to ensure that you are getting the best possible rate on your car insurance. There are so many factors considered in car insurance policies such as where you live, your driving record, your age and the type of car you drive just to name a few. With all of these factors to consider, it is very possible that you will find that there is a car insurance provider who will offer you a considerably lower rate than other providers.Even after you have secured insurance for your car, it is wise to periodically check the rates that other providers will offer you. Car insurance as well as your circumstances are perpetually changing and you may find that the provider who is willing to offer you the best car insurance rate varies periodically. Many car insurance providers offer a host of discounts to their clients who qualify for these discounts. These discounts can relate to your driving record, safety features of your car, your age or other factors. These discounts can result in a tremendous cost savings on your car insurance policy but while many insurance providers offer these discounts, they don’t always advertise them. This means that you may have to do research to determine what type of discounts you may qualify to receive. Carefully, review your car insurance policy to determine which discounts you are already receiving and then contact your car insurance provider to inquire about other discounts that may be available. For example if your driving record is devoid of accidents or tickets, you may qualify for a good driver discount. Also, if your car has certain safety features such as daytime running lights, you may also qualify for car insurance discounts. Your age can also qualify you for certain car insurance discounts. Some insurance providers also offer discounts to those who insure their house with the same company as they insure their car. Taking advantage of this type of discount can save you money on both your car and home insurance. Being aware of the discounts that are available and ensuring that you are receiving these discounts, can save you a great deal of money on your car insurance.Finally, maintaining a clean driving record is very important to receiving the best available car insurance rate. While it is true that each car insurance provider is unique in the factors that contribute to lower rates, the one factor that is consistent among all providers of car insurance is that a clean driving record is critical to your rate. Although accidents are sometimes unavoidable, it is imperative that you adhere to all traffic regulations and that you drive safely at all times. This will reduce the number of traffic violations that you incur as well as the number of accidents that you cause. Following these tips will help you to maintain a clean driving record that will keep the cost of your car insurance low. Many drivers lament paying their monthly car insurance bill because they feel as though the insurance isn’t necessary. Although car insurance is a financial burden that seems superfluous, it does pay off if you are ever in a serious car accident that has significant financial ramifications. For this reason, you should never consider allowing your car insurance to lapse and it is recommended that you search diligently to find the best available rate on your car insurance.
How To Fulfill Orders In Your Sleep
by: Lynette Chandler
So you have a digital product to sell, but how do you make it automatically downloadable so you don't have to be sending out emails at all hours of the day (and night)? The solution is really very simple. Just use your autoresponder and the good news is most web hosting accounts already come with a basic autoresponder system. The general idea is to create a special dedicated email address where payment notifications will be sent to. Once the autoresponder detects email being sent to this address, it will immediately kick back a reply email that you pre-programmed with download information and that is it. You're in business. Easy as it is, this system does have a few flaws. For one, any email sent to that special address will return a reply with your product download information. Secondly, some payment processor's notification emails come from the payment processor themselves and it is only within the body of the notice will you find the customer's email. This is a problem because autoresponders that come with your web hosting account are not very sophisticated and can only reply to the originating email address. In plain English, this means all your order thank you emails will go to your payment processor, your customer receives nothing. And that is not good. Thankfully, there are autoresponder systems that are much more robust and truly intelligent. They can literally scan the payment notification email, extract your customer's information, add them to the database so you can follow up with them later and send out a reply immediately to the customer using the information it gathered. All of this is done immediately behind the scenes in a matter of minutes (and even seconds); all your customer sees and experiences is one seamless process. These intelligent autoresponders come in the form of monthly services or scripts. But what about securing the download? That is easy too. In many web host control panels, you will find a 'Protect Folder' or 'Password Protection' feature. By putting your downloads in a special folder and password protecting that folder, you will now keep spiders, robots and people who do not have access to the password out of your downloads. What if you want a stronger protection system? In that case, you can use a membership manager where people can create their own logins. You can also get scripts or hosted shopping carts that will generate unique download links that expire after a certain time. These systems can set you back from $50 to $200 or more. Up till now, all the options discussed only protect the download, not the product itself. If you're really concerned about piracy or if piracy is getting out of hand for you, the best way is to protect each download with its own unique key code. Fortunately there are services who can do that and integrate seamlessly into your existing checkout system. They cost $9.95 to $24.95 a month. If you are losing a big amount to piracy, the price may be small to pay. Some food for thought, there will always be a small percentage of customers who will try to do what they know is wrong. The more control you exert, the more resentful customers will feel. Regardless of copyright, people do not like to be limited over something they already paid for. You just have to weigh it out what matters to you, keeping the majority of good customers happy or you want to spend time on a few rotten apples and of course don't forget to spell out your copyright and terms of use clearly. That's about the best you can do.
So you have a digital product to sell, but how do you make it automatically downloadable so you don't have to be sending out emails at all hours of the day (and night)? The solution is really very simple. Just use your autoresponder and the good news is most web hosting accounts already come with a basic autoresponder system. The general idea is to create a special dedicated email address where payment notifications will be sent to. Once the autoresponder detects email being sent to this address, it will immediately kick back a reply email that you pre-programmed with download information and that is it. You're in business. Easy as it is, this system does have a few flaws. For one, any email sent to that special address will return a reply with your product download information. Secondly, some payment processor's notification emails come from the payment processor themselves and it is only within the body of the notice will you find the customer's email. This is a problem because autoresponders that come with your web hosting account are not very sophisticated and can only reply to the originating email address. In plain English, this means all your order thank you emails will go to your payment processor, your customer receives nothing. And that is not good. Thankfully, there are autoresponder systems that are much more robust and truly intelligent. They can literally scan the payment notification email, extract your customer's information, add them to the database so you can follow up with them later and send out a reply immediately to the customer using the information it gathered. All of this is done immediately behind the scenes in a matter of minutes (and even seconds); all your customer sees and experiences is one seamless process. These intelligent autoresponders come in the form of monthly services or scripts. But what about securing the download? That is easy too. In many web host control panels, you will find a 'Protect Folder' or 'Password Protection' feature. By putting your downloads in a special folder and password protecting that folder, you will now keep spiders, robots and people who do not have access to the password out of your downloads. What if you want a stronger protection system? In that case, you can use a membership manager where people can create their own logins. You can also get scripts or hosted shopping carts that will generate unique download links that expire after a certain time. These systems can set you back from $50 to $200 or more. Up till now, all the options discussed only protect the download, not the product itself. If you're really concerned about piracy or if piracy is getting out of hand for you, the best way is to protect each download with its own unique key code. Fortunately there are services who can do that and integrate seamlessly into your existing checkout system. They cost $9.95 to $24.95 a month. If you are losing a big amount to piracy, the price may be small to pay. Some food for thought, there will always be a small percentage of customers who will try to do what they know is wrong. The more control you exert, the more resentful customers will feel. Regardless of copyright, people do not like to be limited over something they already paid for. You just have to weigh it out what matters to you, keeping the majority of good customers happy or you want to spend time on a few rotten apples and of course don't forget to spell out your copyright and terms of use clearly. That's about the best you can do.
A Home Based Business That Works
by: Chris Rohrer
Everyone seems to be trying to work from home today. With the success most people are having from running a home base business everyone wants to get in on it. I myself have started up a home based business, but I keep my full time job. I have the time and freedom to do what I want to my business when I want. Starting a home business is not that easy though. You have to be willing to work hard to get it up and running to the point where it almost makes you money with out you doing anything. Once you have reached that part of your business that is when most people will start another home business. That is how they make even more money by running more then just one home business. It took me a good two months before my home business got off the ground and into gear.I have the found the perfect work from home business that anyone can do. With my hard work I put into my home business I started to see results a few months after I started. What is this business? It’s working with the e-currency exchange program. It is simple to start but hard at first because there is a learning curve. I bought a simple guide that showed me step by step how to start off in this amazing business. Once I was done I invested $400 and applied the steps that I learned, and watched my money grow to $4,000 in under Two months. The more you put in the more you will make. My little brother (21 years old) didn’t think it worked but gave it a shot and only invested $100 into it. Before he knew it his money turned into $700 in under 32 days. You can see just that little more put in will make a big difference. The great thing about the e-currency exchange program is that your money grows everyday by 1.5% - 4.0%. There is nothing better then watching my money grow day after day. This is the easiest home business that I found that really does work.
Everyone seems to be trying to work from home today. With the success most people are having from running a home base business everyone wants to get in on it. I myself have started up a home based business, but I keep my full time job. I have the time and freedom to do what I want to my business when I want. Starting a home business is not that easy though. You have to be willing to work hard to get it up and running to the point where it almost makes you money with out you doing anything. Once you have reached that part of your business that is when most people will start another home business. That is how they make even more money by running more then just one home business. It took me a good two months before my home business got off the ground and into gear.I have the found the perfect work from home business that anyone can do. With my hard work I put into my home business I started to see results a few months after I started. What is this business? It’s working with the e-currency exchange program. It is simple to start but hard at first because there is a learning curve. I bought a simple guide that showed me step by step how to start off in this amazing business. Once I was done I invested $400 and applied the steps that I learned, and watched my money grow to $4,000 in under Two months. The more you put in the more you will make. My little brother (21 years old) didn’t think it worked but gave it a shot and only invested $100 into it. Before he knew it his money turned into $700 in under 32 days. You can see just that little more put in will make a big difference. The great thing about the e-currency exchange program is that your money grows everyday by 1.5% - 4.0%. There is nothing better then watching my money grow day after day. This is the easiest home business that I found that really does work.
Short Sale Success Secrets with Foreclosures
by: Richard Odessey
If you're active in real estate investing, you may already realize one of the biggest issues real estate investors face: Finding Great Deals. Foreclosures at a 52-year HighWith foreclosures at a 52-year high, there are thousands of deals available on the market, if you know where to find them and how to secure them. The first challenge you'll face once you locate the property is that most of these homeowners are mortgaged to the hilt. They have no equity, and big loan payments. In fact, many actually owe more than the property is worth!Most investors will walk away from these deals because they see no obvious profit. That's because they don't know about the Short Sale.WHAT IS A SHORT SALE?The concept behind the short sale is simple: your goal as a real estate investor is to convince the bank to sell for less that is owed as payment in full. Of course, this concept is easy - buy the foreclosure from the bank at a big discount, sell the real estate, and make money! So how does it work?Success with short sales can be accomplished in the following steps: Step 1: Do your research. Many new real estate investors make the mistake of waiting until some subscription service sends you the list. The disadvantage is that a ton of other investors are also getting the list. If your first contact is to send a letter, forget it. Your letter will be lost in the huge pile the homeowner is getting from all sorts of other investors, credit repair etc. 99% of the time these go directly into the trash or a big basket unread. If you go directly to their door you've got a chance.So if you're going to mail, be the first to act when the default notices are printed in the local newspaper. Or be the first at your courthouse, if that's where they're filed first. The key to finding investment-worthy properties is to act quickly. Be disciplined and mail out the letters the very same day-in fact take them to the post office. In this business, the early bird really does catch the worm.Tip for Success: If you don't have a company that publishes your notices of default, check with local title companies or bankruptcy attorneys to see if they offer these services; you need somebody familiar with the subject that visits the courthouse often. Step 2: Develop your marketing strategy. When you have located foreclosures, make sure your timing is swift. Mail your initial letters of approach to the homeowner the same day you discover the property. Placing ads in your local papers also helps to generate leads and find homeowners eager to avoid the credit penalties involved with foreclosing. Tip for Success: A typical advertisement strategy taught in real estate training is to get listed in real estate or credit section of the classifieds. These ads typically have a bold, to the point headline, such as “Avoid Foreclosure” or “Stop Foreclosure, Today!” If you are targeting a specific property type, or reaching for higher market values, specify this in your ad. (Instead of simply “Avoid Foreclosure,” add your target market to the bottom of the ad. Example: “Avoid Foreclosure, call 1-800-555-1212. 500K and up.” You'll make more money in real estate by reaching for high-value properties, and an ad like this shows your prospects that you specialize in helping those with higher value homes avoid foreclosure.Step 3: Work with the homeowner. You can't get anywhere without the cooperation, and often gratitude, of the homeowner. The homeowner you are working with has obviously run out of options, but you'll need their trust and confidence if you plan to short sale mortgages. Remember, in these situations, you are often looked at as the “rescuer”. Make sure you explain the homeowner's part in the process thoroughly. Once they deiced to allow you to work with them, there is important paperwork you need them to fill out and sign:1. an “Authorization to Release” form that gives you permission to contact the lenders and the foreclosing attorneys.2. a sales contract - signed but leave the purchase price blank. You may need to change the numbers as you negotiate with the bank3. a financial statement - to show they can't afford to make the payments4. a hardship letter - to explain in personal terms what happened.Tip for Success: Remember that this is a stressful time for the homeowner. It's easy to get caught in the excitement of a prospective short sale profit. You can get them to make a decision when you are able to convince them that this is the right option for them Emphasize the benefits of working with you, and then ask for them to take action. Make sure to let them know that once your contract is signed, and the bank accepts it; they'll be free to move on with their life. Step 4: Negotiate with the bank. Although banks don't enjoy taking a loss, it is a simple fact of the lending business that short sales are a necessary evil for lenders. Indeed owning the property (a non-performing asset) is even more expensive than selling it for a loss. Consider:Banks use short sales to drop unwanted property quickly without having to deal with the REO office and go through the long process of putting the home back on the market. When you speak with the Loss Mitigation department, remember, this property is actually costing them money! Federal regulations require somewhere between $300,000 and $800,000 (or more!) to be held in reserve by lenders, which is many times over the actual price of the bad debt. When you call the bank and ask for the Loss Mitigation Department (the department that handles properties that are in foreclosure) tell the person handling the account that you are trying to help Mr. X with his foreclosure and you are willing to buy the property from him, but due to the condition of the property/declining values/etc. you are only willing to pay X amount. This is where your negotiations begin. Be firm and polite, but don't ever make threats to not buy or be forceful in your approach. Loss mitigators are often busy and overworked, and they want to see you as somebody who is minimizing the damage - and hassle - of the bad debt. Tip for Success: Larger banks are the easiest to deal with when working with short sales and foreclosures. This is because the larger banks have more resource, more experience, and more loans! While there are some larger banks that don't work with short sales at all, other banks, such as Wells Fargo or Fairbanks Capital, tend to work with a much larger volume of short sales. Once you have worked with enough short sales, you'll find that you have inside contacts at some of the larger banks; be friendly, ask them about their day, Develop a rapport. Sometimes, they'll open up about problems they're facing or current trends, which of course, you'll need to keep on top of! You don't have to be a real estate pro to see the potential for making money with short sales, and now you definitely have some great tools to get started. Great deals in real estate are out there, and with today's market, your potential for profit is limitless. Just keep in mind: do your research, market your services, and treat the homeowners and lenders with respect. When you use this approach with short sales, you can make a win-win for everybody, especially the officers at your own bank when you cash in on your profit! In the next article, we'll discuss the tricks and tips in convincing the bank to take a big discount on the short sale.Best of Success,
If you're active in real estate investing, you may already realize one of the biggest issues real estate investors face: Finding Great Deals. Foreclosures at a 52-year HighWith foreclosures at a 52-year high, there are thousands of deals available on the market, if you know where to find them and how to secure them. The first challenge you'll face once you locate the property is that most of these homeowners are mortgaged to the hilt. They have no equity, and big loan payments. In fact, many actually owe more than the property is worth!Most investors will walk away from these deals because they see no obvious profit. That's because they don't know about the Short Sale.WHAT IS A SHORT SALE?The concept behind the short sale is simple: your goal as a real estate investor is to convince the bank to sell for less that is owed as payment in full. Of course, this concept is easy - buy the foreclosure from the bank at a big discount, sell the real estate, and make money! So how does it work?Success with short sales can be accomplished in the following steps: Step 1: Do your research. Many new real estate investors make the mistake of waiting until some subscription service sends you the list. The disadvantage is that a ton of other investors are also getting the list. If your first contact is to send a letter, forget it. Your letter will be lost in the huge pile the homeowner is getting from all sorts of other investors, credit repair etc. 99% of the time these go directly into the trash or a big basket unread. If you go directly to their door you've got a chance.So if you're going to mail, be the first to act when the default notices are printed in the local newspaper. Or be the first at your courthouse, if that's where they're filed first. The key to finding investment-worthy properties is to act quickly. Be disciplined and mail out the letters the very same day-in fact take them to the post office. In this business, the early bird really does catch the worm.Tip for Success: If you don't have a company that publishes your notices of default, check with local title companies or bankruptcy attorneys to see if they offer these services; you need somebody familiar with the subject that visits the courthouse often. Step 2: Develop your marketing strategy. When you have located foreclosures, make sure your timing is swift. Mail your initial letters of approach to the homeowner the same day you discover the property. Placing ads in your local papers also helps to generate leads and find homeowners eager to avoid the credit penalties involved with foreclosing. Tip for Success: A typical advertisement strategy taught in real estate training is to get listed in real estate or credit section of the classifieds. These ads typically have a bold, to the point headline, such as “Avoid Foreclosure” or “Stop Foreclosure, Today!” If you are targeting a specific property type, or reaching for higher market values, specify this in your ad. (Instead of simply “Avoid Foreclosure,” add your target market to the bottom of the ad. Example: “Avoid Foreclosure, call 1-800-555-1212. 500K and up.” You'll make more money in real estate by reaching for high-value properties, and an ad like this shows your prospects that you specialize in helping those with higher value homes avoid foreclosure.Step 3: Work with the homeowner. You can't get anywhere without the cooperation, and often gratitude, of the homeowner. The homeowner you are working with has obviously run out of options, but you'll need their trust and confidence if you plan to short sale mortgages. Remember, in these situations, you are often looked at as the “rescuer”. Make sure you explain the homeowner's part in the process thoroughly. Once they deiced to allow you to work with them, there is important paperwork you need them to fill out and sign:1. an “Authorization to Release” form that gives you permission to contact the lenders and the foreclosing attorneys.2. a sales contract - signed but leave the purchase price blank. You may need to change the numbers as you negotiate with the bank3. a financial statement - to show they can't afford to make the payments4. a hardship letter - to explain in personal terms what happened.Tip for Success: Remember that this is a stressful time for the homeowner. It's easy to get caught in the excitement of a prospective short sale profit. You can get them to make a decision when you are able to convince them that this is the right option for them Emphasize the benefits of working with you, and then ask for them to take action. Make sure to let them know that once your contract is signed, and the bank accepts it; they'll be free to move on with their life. Step 4: Negotiate with the bank. Although banks don't enjoy taking a loss, it is a simple fact of the lending business that short sales are a necessary evil for lenders. Indeed owning the property (a non-performing asset) is even more expensive than selling it for a loss. Consider:Banks use short sales to drop unwanted property quickly without having to deal with the REO office and go through the long process of putting the home back on the market. When you speak with the Loss Mitigation department, remember, this property is actually costing them money! Federal regulations require somewhere between $300,000 and $800,000 (or more!) to be held in reserve by lenders, which is many times over the actual price of the bad debt. When you call the bank and ask for the Loss Mitigation Department (the department that handles properties that are in foreclosure) tell the person handling the account that you are trying to help Mr. X with his foreclosure and you are willing to buy the property from him, but due to the condition of the property/declining values/etc. you are only willing to pay X amount. This is where your negotiations begin. Be firm and polite, but don't ever make threats to not buy or be forceful in your approach. Loss mitigators are often busy and overworked, and they want to see you as somebody who is minimizing the damage - and hassle - of the bad debt. Tip for Success: Larger banks are the easiest to deal with when working with short sales and foreclosures. This is because the larger banks have more resource, more experience, and more loans! While there are some larger banks that don't work with short sales at all, other banks, such as Wells Fargo or Fairbanks Capital, tend to work with a much larger volume of short sales. Once you have worked with enough short sales, you'll find that you have inside contacts at some of the larger banks; be friendly, ask them about their day, Develop a rapport. Sometimes, they'll open up about problems they're facing or current trends, which of course, you'll need to keep on top of! You don't have to be a real estate pro to see the potential for making money with short sales, and now you definitely have some great tools to get started. Great deals in real estate are out there, and with today's market, your potential for profit is limitless. Just keep in mind: do your research, market your services, and treat the homeowners and lenders with respect. When you use this approach with short sales, you can make a win-win for everybody, especially the officers at your own bank when you cash in on your profit! In the next article, we'll discuss the tricks and tips in convincing the bank to take a big discount on the short sale.Best of Success,
Identity Theft Recovery: The Road Back
by: Daryl Campbell
Not too long ago, a friend of mine mentioned that one of his coworkers recently recovered his stolen identity. I asked how long the process took. "Only two years" he replied.Compared to my business partner's six year nightmare "only" maybe appropriate but like most victims of identity theft, he probably thought "when". As in, "when will I get my life back?"Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a consumer nonprofit organization, reported that victims spend on average 175 hours trying to recover their identity, often over a period of years. Factor in out of pocket expenses, (usually over $1,500 according to the FTC) and recovery gets painfully magnified.What are the steps to identity restoration? It starts with obtaining a police report. That report doesn't mean other law enforcement agencies have been contacted. Yet you must do a complete search of local and federal law enforcement databases too find out if anything else, including criminal activity exists on your identity.You're also going to need the police report to contact the many and I mean many different agencies and organizations, including the Social Security Administration, The Federal Trade Commission, all of your financial institutions, the 3 major credit bureaus, the Passport Office,The Department of Motor Vehicles, the Post Office, as well as the Medical Information Bureau . All of these places must be sent a fraud notification alert. Concerning your financial institutions, get them to cancel your credit cards and close your bank accounts. Find out from your bank about any suspicious activity, such as accounts tampered with or opened fraudulently. Reopen new bank accounts with password verification.Know your rights. According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act of 1992, you must be told not only what's in your file but if that information is being used against you. The Federal Trade Commission recently expanded the rights available to victims of identity theft, including your right to get negative information due to fraud blocked from your records.This brings us to the credit bureaus. Make sure your credit report reflects the identity theft and gets flagged with a fraud alert. Many victims have received assurances that the matter would be resolved, however months and sometimes years later, the credit bureaus have not cleared their records. This without a doubt ranks as THE biggest headache for identity theft victims.Once a negative gets put on your record, it seems the credit bureaus refuse to remove it, in spite of the countless documentation you provide to them. This can affect you well into the future when buying a house, car or any other big ticket item. If you are going to do this by yourself, constant follow up is critical. That goes for all the organizations but especially the credit bureaus. Be diligent until the matter gets resolved. Getting a lawyer wouldn't be a bad idea.Stay Away from "credit repair companies". No matter what they advertise, there's usually nothing they can do to help you with identity theft. Some of them even offer to help you apply for credit under a new identity. Hello? When trying to eliminate fraud from your record you don't want to create more fraud!Advise the utility companies. It's not just bank accounts and credit cards. Many identity thieves commit fraud by opening telephone accounts, purchasing cable television or establishing credit with the gas & electric companies, in the hopes it will go unnoticed for as long as possible.If necessary get counseling. Identity theft can be a shattering experience mentally and emotionally. Victims and family members often feel violated. It's not their fault of course but the feelings remain. A network of support groups and counselors exists if you need it.The road back from identity theft can take years, cost a lot of money,and cause much stress and pain . But with follow up, support and belief that the nightmare will end...the nightmare WILL end.
Not too long ago, a friend of mine mentioned that one of his coworkers recently recovered his stolen identity. I asked how long the process took. "Only two years" he replied.Compared to my business partner's six year nightmare "only" maybe appropriate but like most victims of identity theft, he probably thought "when". As in, "when will I get my life back?"Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a consumer nonprofit organization, reported that victims spend on average 175 hours trying to recover their identity, often over a period of years. Factor in out of pocket expenses, (usually over $1,500 according to the FTC) and recovery gets painfully magnified.What are the steps to identity restoration? It starts with obtaining a police report. That report doesn't mean other law enforcement agencies have been contacted. Yet you must do a complete search of local and federal law enforcement databases too find out if anything else, including criminal activity exists on your identity.You're also going to need the police report to contact the many and I mean many different agencies and organizations, including the Social Security Administration, The Federal Trade Commission, all of your financial institutions, the 3 major credit bureaus, the Passport Office,The Department of Motor Vehicles, the Post Office, as well as the Medical Information Bureau . All of these places must be sent a fraud notification alert. Concerning your financial institutions, get them to cancel your credit cards and close your bank accounts. Find out from your bank about any suspicious activity, such as accounts tampered with or opened fraudulently. Reopen new bank accounts with password verification.Know your rights. According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act of 1992, you must be told not only what's in your file but if that information is being used against you. The Federal Trade Commission recently expanded the rights available to victims of identity theft, including your right to get negative information due to fraud blocked from your records.This brings us to the credit bureaus. Make sure your credit report reflects the identity theft and gets flagged with a fraud alert. Many victims have received assurances that the matter would be resolved, however months and sometimes years later, the credit bureaus have not cleared their records. This without a doubt ranks as THE biggest headache for identity theft victims.Once a negative gets put on your record, it seems the credit bureaus refuse to remove it, in spite of the countless documentation you provide to them. This can affect you well into the future when buying a house, car or any other big ticket item. If you are going to do this by yourself, constant follow up is critical. That goes for all the organizations but especially the credit bureaus. Be diligent until the matter gets resolved. Getting a lawyer wouldn't be a bad idea.Stay Away from "credit repair companies". No matter what they advertise, there's usually nothing they can do to help you with identity theft. Some of them even offer to help you apply for credit under a new identity. Hello? When trying to eliminate fraud from your record you don't want to create more fraud!Advise the utility companies. It's not just bank accounts and credit cards. Many identity thieves commit fraud by opening telephone accounts, purchasing cable television or establishing credit with the gas & electric companies, in the hopes it will go unnoticed for as long as possible.If necessary get counseling. Identity theft can be a shattering experience mentally and emotionally. Victims and family members often feel violated. It's not their fault of course but the feelings remain. A network of support groups and counselors exists if you need it.The road back from identity theft can take years, cost a lot of money,and cause much stress and pain . But with follow up, support and belief that the nightmare will end...the nightmare WILL end.
The Art of Employee Motivation
by: John Morris
If you think that your employees’ poor performance on their designated jobs is costing you a whole lot of loss profits, then instead of just doing a total overhaul of your employee roster, why not try to do some employee motivation tactics to get them to actually come around and be able to save your company from looming bankruptcy. It really is fairly easy and simple to rouse some employee motivation, you just have to take these techniques to heart:People nowadays are concerned of the lack of importance that is being put into health care plans. Is your company one of those companies who does not provide their employees with the health benefits that they should be entitled too? This is a possible reason why your employees’ morale are down. You need to reassess the situation and try to give them the health benefits that will ensure them that they will be protected by the company that they have been loyal even in their times of sickness. Always remember that a happy worker is a satisfied worker so make sure to use this employee motivation tool in order to give your employees morale a much needed boost.Remember, companies are usually employed with some women who will, most often than not, become mothers. So it is highly important that you know their needs especially during the time when they would want to avail of their maternity leave. It is important that your company, no matter what kind of product or service you offer, is always sensitive to your employees needs, no matter what gender. When it comes to having a good health plan for your employees, you must be sure that your health plan is actually of any good or else it would not really do any good to your employees’ morale. Make sure that the health plan will be able to cover all their basic needs and it wouldn’t really hurt if you throw in some added kicks. Basic health care plans that you can use for employee motivation actually covers the following: full coverage for any basic illness or injury, coverage of hospital payments in case the employee has to be checked in at the hospital or if there are some minor surgeries that need to be done.Added benefits to further boost employee motivation through a health care plan is through having their dental health covered as well as their optical needs, eyeglass subsidies as well as free dental cleaning and check-ups will be a good treat for your employees and will surely be a great added employee motivation move.Apart from having a good health care plan for your employee motivation tactics, you must also be able to provide for them some other additional care such as an insurance plan which they can rely on in case something bad happens to them and they are still of service to your company. Even if this employee motivation move will not be availed by the employee’s family during the time of his or her service, your employee can still choose to continue on paying for the premiums of the insurance plan even after he or she has retired from your company. Unfortunately for your employees, once they resign from a job position at you company the said insurance plan will be revoked since the company will not be able to play for your insurance premiums anymore (remember, all the payments from these employee motivation tactics will actually come from the employee’s salary). Another great employee motivation move for loyal employees of your company is to have a car loan ready for them, employees who have already served some considerable amount of years in the company should be entitled to a car plan wherein deductions from their salary will be used to pay for their vehicle of choice. This is a great employee motivation move since those who are not able to afford a car (a brand new car at that!) would actually want to continue staying in your company because of this added employee motivation benefit.From time to time, especially during special occasions, you need to be able to give your employees some added morale boost by organizing events or parties that will foster camaraderie among your employees. A little good time certainly wouldn’t hurt anyone and this will all be in the spirit of good ole’ company fun. Employee motivation directed events such as Christmas parties and company picnics are surely a welcome treat to your seemingly overworked and over fatigue employees. You must also remember to give your employees some time to unwind like providing your regular employees the benefit of having a two-week paid vacation leave. That’s the least you can do for your employees who you have held captive for the majority of the year in your office.These are really simple and easy employee motivation tactics that you can do in order to boost your employees’ morale and be able to ensure a good upkeep of your company.
If you think that your employees’ poor performance on their designated jobs is costing you a whole lot of loss profits, then instead of just doing a total overhaul of your employee roster, why not try to do some employee motivation tactics to get them to actually come around and be able to save your company from looming bankruptcy. It really is fairly easy and simple to rouse some employee motivation, you just have to take these techniques to heart:People nowadays are concerned of the lack of importance that is being put into health care plans. Is your company one of those companies who does not provide their employees with the health benefits that they should be entitled too? This is a possible reason why your employees’ morale are down. You need to reassess the situation and try to give them the health benefits that will ensure them that they will be protected by the company that they have been loyal even in their times of sickness. Always remember that a happy worker is a satisfied worker so make sure to use this employee motivation tool in order to give your employees morale a much needed boost.Remember, companies are usually employed with some women who will, most often than not, become mothers. So it is highly important that you know their needs especially during the time when they would want to avail of their maternity leave. It is important that your company, no matter what kind of product or service you offer, is always sensitive to your employees needs, no matter what gender. When it comes to having a good health plan for your employees, you must be sure that your health plan is actually of any good or else it would not really do any good to your employees’ morale. Make sure that the health plan will be able to cover all their basic needs and it wouldn’t really hurt if you throw in some added kicks. Basic health care plans that you can use for employee motivation actually covers the following: full coverage for any basic illness or injury, coverage of hospital payments in case the employee has to be checked in at the hospital or if there are some minor surgeries that need to be done.Added benefits to further boost employee motivation through a health care plan is through having their dental health covered as well as their optical needs, eyeglass subsidies as well as free dental cleaning and check-ups will be a good treat for your employees and will surely be a great added employee motivation move.Apart from having a good health care plan for your employee motivation tactics, you must also be able to provide for them some other additional care such as an insurance plan which they can rely on in case something bad happens to them and they are still of service to your company. Even if this employee motivation move will not be availed by the employee’s family during the time of his or her service, your employee can still choose to continue on paying for the premiums of the insurance plan even after he or she has retired from your company. Unfortunately for your employees, once they resign from a job position at you company the said insurance plan will be revoked since the company will not be able to play for your insurance premiums anymore (remember, all the payments from these employee motivation tactics will actually come from the employee’s salary). Another great employee motivation move for loyal employees of your company is to have a car loan ready for them, employees who have already served some considerable amount of years in the company should be entitled to a car plan wherein deductions from their salary will be used to pay for their vehicle of choice. This is a great employee motivation move since those who are not able to afford a car (a brand new car at that!) would actually want to continue staying in your company because of this added employee motivation benefit.From time to time, especially during special occasions, you need to be able to give your employees some added morale boost by organizing events or parties that will foster camaraderie among your employees. A little good time certainly wouldn’t hurt anyone and this will all be in the spirit of good ole’ company fun. Employee motivation directed events such as Christmas parties and company picnics are surely a welcome treat to your seemingly overworked and over fatigue employees. You must also remember to give your employees some time to unwind like providing your regular employees the benefit of having a two-week paid vacation leave. That’s the least you can do for your employees who you have held captive for the majority of the year in your office.These are really simple and easy employee motivation tactics that you can do in order to boost your employees’ morale and be able to ensure a good upkeep of your company.
Boosting Employee Morale With Employee Surveys
by: Bill Roche
Copyright 2005 Bill RocheDo you know exactly how your employees feel when Monday morning approaches?Are they eager to get back to a satisfying workplace and to perform important tasks?Or, do they sit home Sunday night dreading another week of unimportant work performed for an ogre of a boss?The truth is probably somewhere in between; but without actual knowledge of the facts, it’s hard to improve anything.The ideal workplace provides employees with empowerment and direction when needed, but shies away from unnecessary micro-management. Employees feel they are contributing to meaningful goals in a significant way. The ideal workplace offers compensation and benefits that meet the needs of employees and cause them to remain loyal to an organization for the long term.If you don't know where your employees’ morale level stands, you can't make life better or productivity higher. Better morale means greater productivity which translates into an improved bottom line. Unhappy employees miss more work and produce inferior work.By measuring your employee morale level through an Employee Satisfaction Survey, you can learn how your employees feel – provided your employees believe that their honest input will result in appropriate change where needed. The danger of conducting Employee Satisfaction Surveys, of course, is that if you do not allow change where change is needed, you may well cause employee morale to drop even lower.Suppose, for instance, that one result of a survey is that your employees feel your management style inhibits effective production of quality work. Would you be willing to alter your management style and more proactively empower employees?If you’re not willing to change, you will likely be wasting time and money by performing surveys. If you’re willing to keep an open mind, surveys can lead your organization to greater heights and result in decisive morale increases.Some questions that can reveal a great deal about employee satisfaction include:(1) Do you feel that management listens to your ideas on how to best accomplish tasks?(2) Is there a recognizable tie between how well you perform your job and your monetary compensation?(3) Do you often feel you could do a better job if management would only get out of the way?(4) Do you feel, once assigned a task, that you are empowered to perform that task?(5) Do you feel that innovative thinking or "outside the box" thinking is encouraged and rewarded?(6) Are there enough recognition programs for recognizing outstanding accomplishments on the part of employees?An effective Employee Satisfaction Survey should not be too lengthy; 20 to 40 questions ought to reveal what you need to know about your employees. Whether you select yes/no questions or choose a 1 to 5 scale (where 5 means complete agreement and 1 means complete disagreement with a survey statement), you should, upon survey completion, compile the results using a database that will let you to analyze the results and convert them into bar charts or other graphics which make them easier to understand.Once you’ve analyzed the survey results, feedback to the employees is crucial. Otherwise, they will likely conclude that what they have to say doesn't matter, resulting in an additional hit to morale.Hopefully, some of your survey results will indicate areas of high employee morale. Those areas are not likely to need significant attention. The areas where employee morale gets low scores offer the greatest potential for improvement. Develop an action plan and implement that plan with full knowledge of employees. Better yet, involve employees directly. Employee involvement in the development of the action plan and its implementation can lead to positive outcomes and creative solutions to identified challenges.Most importantly, be aware that you can only fix what you know is broken. Once you’ve identified areas of low employee morale, you can zero in on those weak spots and achieve measurable increases in employee morale, productivity, attendance and loyalty on the part of your employees.
Copyright 2005 Bill RocheDo you know exactly how your employees feel when Monday morning approaches?Are they eager to get back to a satisfying workplace and to perform important tasks?Or, do they sit home Sunday night dreading another week of unimportant work performed for an ogre of a boss?The truth is probably somewhere in between; but without actual knowledge of the facts, it’s hard to improve anything.The ideal workplace provides employees with empowerment and direction when needed, but shies away from unnecessary micro-management. Employees feel they are contributing to meaningful goals in a significant way. The ideal workplace offers compensation and benefits that meet the needs of employees and cause them to remain loyal to an organization for the long term.If you don't know where your employees’ morale level stands, you can't make life better or productivity higher. Better morale means greater productivity which translates into an improved bottom line. Unhappy employees miss more work and produce inferior work.By measuring your employee morale level through an Employee Satisfaction Survey, you can learn how your employees feel – provided your employees believe that their honest input will result in appropriate change where needed. The danger of conducting Employee Satisfaction Surveys, of course, is that if you do not allow change where change is needed, you may well cause employee morale to drop even lower.Suppose, for instance, that one result of a survey is that your employees feel your management style inhibits effective production of quality work. Would you be willing to alter your management style and more proactively empower employees?If you’re not willing to change, you will likely be wasting time and money by performing surveys. If you’re willing to keep an open mind, surveys can lead your organization to greater heights and result in decisive morale increases.Some questions that can reveal a great deal about employee satisfaction include:(1) Do you feel that management listens to your ideas on how to best accomplish tasks?(2) Is there a recognizable tie between how well you perform your job and your monetary compensation?(3) Do you often feel you could do a better job if management would only get out of the way?(4) Do you feel, once assigned a task, that you are empowered to perform that task?(5) Do you feel that innovative thinking or "outside the box" thinking is encouraged and rewarded?(6) Are there enough recognition programs for recognizing outstanding accomplishments on the part of employees?An effective Employee Satisfaction Survey should not be too lengthy; 20 to 40 questions ought to reveal what you need to know about your employees. Whether you select yes/no questions or choose a 1 to 5 scale (where 5 means complete agreement and 1 means complete disagreement with a survey statement), you should, upon survey completion, compile the results using a database that will let you to analyze the results and convert them into bar charts or other graphics which make them easier to understand.Once you’ve analyzed the survey results, feedback to the employees is crucial. Otherwise, they will likely conclude that what they have to say doesn't matter, resulting in an additional hit to morale.Hopefully, some of your survey results will indicate areas of high employee morale. Those areas are not likely to need significant attention. The areas where employee morale gets low scores offer the greatest potential for improvement. Develop an action plan and implement that plan with full knowledge of employees. Better yet, involve employees directly. Employee involvement in the development of the action plan and its implementation can lead to positive outcomes and creative solutions to identified challenges.Most importantly, be aware that you can only fix what you know is broken. Once you’ve identified areas of low employee morale, you can zero in on those weak spots and achieve measurable increases in employee morale, productivity, attendance and loyalty on the part of your employees.
Do you have a Business Idea?
by: Seb Jay
Every year tens of thousands of people strike out on their own with a vision of starting a successful business. They have the idea, they've got the plan…all they need now is to take the actions to turn their dream into reality. It is at this point that many a budding entrepreneur comes unstuck. No matter how hard they try, failure seems to greet them at every turn. Of course, all seasoned entrepreneurs know that it takes a hell of a lot of determination and guile to keep on driving forward in the face of adversity. It also takes some know-how…practical knowledge that stacks the odds of success in their favor.Getting to grips with Joint VenturesOne of the best routes to business success for entrepreneurs is establishing joint ventures. The right joint venture partner can help kick-start a business and get the all-important cash flowing in. What's more, setting up a joint venture does not require a financial outlay on the part of the entrepreneur either.So, what could a joint venture partner bring to your business? They could bring expertise, a ready-made customer database, manpower, equipment and access to foreign markets. The right joint venture partner could even run your operation for you in return for a share of the profits generated, or provide financing in exchange for equity share. The possibilities are endless!Finding Joint Venture PartnersHistorically, locating joint venture partners to work with tends to be a drawn-out process. First off you must advertise your requirements and then conduct interviews to find the right type of candidate who fits with your needs and company ethos.Today, thankfully, there is an easier way. Joint venture search companies, such as www.jvbase.com provide entrepreneurs with quick access to joint venture partners. These types of joint venture search facilities screen potential joint venture partners, manually matching them up with your requirements. They remove a lot of the hassles that are traditionally associated with finding joint venture partners, so leaving you free to concentrate on the more important aspects of moving your business forward. If you have a business idea and have the determination to make it work, no matter what obstacles stand in your way, get together with a joint venture partner. By doing so, you could find yourself on the fast track to success.
Every year tens of thousands of people strike out on their own with a vision of starting a successful business. They have the idea, they've got the plan…all they need now is to take the actions to turn their dream into reality. It is at this point that many a budding entrepreneur comes unstuck. No matter how hard they try, failure seems to greet them at every turn. Of course, all seasoned entrepreneurs know that it takes a hell of a lot of determination and guile to keep on driving forward in the face of adversity. It also takes some know-how…practical knowledge that stacks the odds of success in their favor.Getting to grips with Joint VenturesOne of the best routes to business success for entrepreneurs is establishing joint ventures. The right joint venture partner can help kick-start a business and get the all-important cash flowing in. What's more, setting up a joint venture does not require a financial outlay on the part of the entrepreneur either.So, what could a joint venture partner bring to your business? They could bring expertise, a ready-made customer database, manpower, equipment and access to foreign markets. The right joint venture partner could even run your operation for you in return for a share of the profits generated, or provide financing in exchange for equity share. The possibilities are endless!Finding Joint Venture PartnersHistorically, locating joint venture partners to work with tends to be a drawn-out process. First off you must advertise your requirements and then conduct interviews to find the right type of candidate who fits with your needs and company ethos.Today, thankfully, there is an easier way. Joint venture search companies, such as www.jvbase.com provide entrepreneurs with quick access to joint venture partners. These types of joint venture search facilities screen potential joint venture partners, manually matching them up with your requirements. They remove a lot of the hassles that are traditionally associated with finding joint venture partners, so leaving you free to concentrate on the more important aspects of moving your business forward. If you have a business idea and have the determination to make it work, no matter what obstacles stand in your way, get together with a joint venture partner. By doing so, you could find yourself on the fast track to success.
Improve Your eBay Auction Selling Technique
by: Jason James
There just is no doubt that auction selling is a great way to boost your income. The potential is certainly there for you to use Ebay auctions to save for retirement or even as your primary source of income. Like most things, however, there are some subtle techniques that can be used to transform an average Ebay auctioneer into a superstar that is courted by others to sell their wares as well. Without question, the biggest challenge of auction selling is to get the people to come to your posting and make a bid. The traffic is definitely out there and people are scouring the Ebay business website every minute of the day looking for that next great deal. Here are a few ideas to keep in mind that will help you get the buyers to come to your postings time and time again. Know Your Product Any great salesperson is an absolute expert on the products or services that they are selling. They are never caught off guard by a question that they do not know the answer to and customers respect this. A solid auction selling reputation is built upon a sound knowledge of the products or services being sold. So before you post anything, do your homework! Standard and Simple Sales Policy People hate to feel stupid so don't have a confusing sales policy with awkward shipping requirements. You don't want someone to think something costs $20 and be surprised by an extra $8 in unnecessary shipping costs. Give the customer some options such as insurance and expedited shipping, but keep your standard shipping procedures as cheap as possible and easy to understand. Auction selling is a somewhat risky endeavor for buyers, so you may want to consider a refund policy to help build trust and confidence. Customer Service Guru If you want to be a serious player in the auction selling game, you are going to need repeat customers or at least a great reputation so that word of you and your great deals spreads throughout the Ebay business site. So, if you get a question via e-mail, immediately respond and try offering something a little extra like some history on the product or manufacturer(see, this is where knowing your product will really pay off!). Make people feel special and they cannot help but like you and they will come back time and time again. Timing Critical to Ebay Auctions Before you post any listing, do some research. Auction selling is far more profitable if you are not competing against 10 other people offering the same products or services. So, should you learn that the competition in your particular area is intense, wait a little while until they have sold their wares before listing yours. Just a few short days can add up to a lot more money so patience and doing your homework are rewarded on the Ebay business website. Auction selling is really like any business in that you need to keep the customers coming in if you want to be successful and make any real money. The ideas listed above are certainly not earth shattering secrets nor will they guarantee your Ebay auctions to be a resounding success. But, if you don't take them to heart and apply them to your online auction business, then you will find it almost impossible to be the next great Ebay business success!
There just is no doubt that auction selling is a great way to boost your income. The potential is certainly there for you to use Ebay auctions to save for retirement or even as your primary source of income. Like most things, however, there are some subtle techniques that can be used to transform an average Ebay auctioneer into a superstar that is courted by others to sell their wares as well. Without question, the biggest challenge of auction selling is to get the people to come to your posting and make a bid. The traffic is definitely out there and people are scouring the Ebay business website every minute of the day looking for that next great deal. Here are a few ideas to keep in mind that will help you get the buyers to come to your postings time and time again. Know Your Product Any great salesperson is an absolute expert on the products or services that they are selling. They are never caught off guard by a question that they do not know the answer to and customers respect this. A solid auction selling reputation is built upon a sound knowledge of the products or services being sold. So before you post anything, do your homework! Standard and Simple Sales Policy People hate to feel stupid so don't have a confusing sales policy with awkward shipping requirements. You don't want someone to think something costs $20 and be surprised by an extra $8 in unnecessary shipping costs. Give the customer some options such as insurance and expedited shipping, but keep your standard shipping procedures as cheap as possible and easy to understand. Auction selling is a somewhat risky endeavor for buyers, so you may want to consider a refund policy to help build trust and confidence. Customer Service Guru If you want to be a serious player in the auction selling game, you are going to need repeat customers or at least a great reputation so that word of you and your great deals spreads throughout the Ebay business site. So, if you get a question via e-mail, immediately respond and try offering something a little extra like some history on the product or manufacturer(see, this is where knowing your product will really pay off!). Make people feel special and they cannot help but like you and they will come back time and time again. Timing Critical to Ebay Auctions Before you post any listing, do some research. Auction selling is far more profitable if you are not competing against 10 other people offering the same products or services. So, should you learn that the competition in your particular area is intense, wait a little while until they have sold their wares before listing yours. Just a few short days can add up to a lot more money so patience and doing your homework are rewarded on the Ebay business website. Auction selling is really like any business in that you need to keep the customers coming in if you want to be successful and make any real money. The ideas listed above are certainly not earth shattering secrets nor will they guarantee your Ebay auctions to be a resounding success. But, if you don't take them to heart and apply them to your online auction business, then you will find it almost impossible to be the next great Ebay business success!
Are You Wealthy Yet?
by: Al Walker
Here's a real simple way to become wealthy.Marty and his wife live at home with their 2 children. They owna 3 bedroom house in a middle class neighborhood and try to livewithin their means. Marty works full time in the PrintingIndustry, while his wife is in charge of the home and lookingafter the children. They've accumulated some credit card debt and have 2 years lefton a car loan. They try to stay out of debt as much as possibleand together they've managed to contribute a total of $32,000 totheir own Retirement Fund. It is kept in term deposits receiving5% interest annually. Two years prior, the couple bought an older house that theyfixed-up and rent out for $850 a month. After paying themortgage and taxes $300 is left over each month. This goes intotheir savings account each month. At Christmas, the family bought themselves a new computer anddecided to start a home-based business. Things started outfairly slowly but after 8 months they were receiving a steadycheck of $400 a month which also goes into their savingsaccount. This part-time business will continue to grow with theeffort they dedicate to it.This business also offers them some very lucrative tax savings.By taking advantage of these Tax Strategies they are able tosave an additional $300 a month on tax that was normallydeducted from Marty's paycheck at work. This monthly income isalso added to the couple's savings. Marty has just begun writing an E-book about his "productionexpertise" at work. His plan is to market this book on theinternet for profit Every Sunday the couple takes a drive to stay familiar with theReal Estate market in their area. They're looking for anotherproperty, a "handyman's special" to fix-up and rent out. Theyhave saved enough for a down payment and their credit with thebank is well established. The family's total monthly expenses are $2000. Now, here's thequestion:Does Marty's family have Wealth yet?To answer this question properly you first have to understandexactly what "wealth" means.You achieve wealth when: *YourPassive Income is the same or greater than your Expenses.* Sowhat does this mean?First, what is Passive Income? Passive Income is money that you are paid over and over againfor work that you only do once. (This excludes using a gun orfinding cash on the street) Some examples of this would beroyalties for writing a book or a song, commissions that youreceive for sales that others make and interest from banksavings or dividends on stocks/options that you own. Second, what Expenses are we talking about? This one's a littleeasier to understand. Expenses are the total amount it takes torun your household and your life. This includes, rent, mortgagepayments, car insurance, food, credit card and loan payments,etc……… Let's look at Marty's family a little closer…………. Does Martyhave any Passive Income? Yes he does. Marty's salary is notconsidered Passive Income. That's because he has to work 40hours a week just to get the basic amount. If Marty doesn't goto work then he doesn't get paid. His overtime also doesn'tcount as Passive Income. The interest from their Retirement Fund does though. It's paidto him month after month as long as it's left in that account.So, $32,000 at 5% is $1600 a year. Divided by 12 months equals$133 a month in interest. Ok…..what else? After the mortgage and expenses are paid with the rent moneythey receive on their rental property they are left with $300every month. This is Passive Income. Just as long as the tenantstays and pays his monthly rent.How bout that $400 from the home-based business and the Taxsavings. Is this Passive Income? Well, Marty's wife made surethat she chose a company where she could sign new businessaccounts and get paid commissions on those accounts over andover again. They've made a 5 year commitment to build thisbusiness part-time. So yes, both the $400 and the $300 in TaxSavings would apply as Passive Income. Let's add up Marty'stotal Passive Income.Interest $166.00 Rental Income $300.00 Home BasedBusiness$400.00 Tax Savings $300.00 Total $1166.00 Not including Marty's salary from work, his family's PassiveIncome is $1166.00. Not bad. Every month this amount flows intothe family's bank account, regardless of anything else they do. We said that Marty's monthly expenses total $2000.00 a month.And we also said………… You have Wealth when: *Your Passive Incomeis the same or greater than your Expenses.* $2000 Expenses subtract $1166 Passive Income = $834 monthlybalance needed to have Wealth. Marty's Expenses are still more than their Passive Income sothey're not wealthy just yet. But they're well over half-waythere. With this kind of knowledge a family can know exactlywhere to focus their financial attention. Maybe when Marty writes that ebook he could get some sales androyalties from it. Also the new Real Estate and more work ontheir Home-based business would certainly help them to attainmore Passive Income. Once Marty's Passive Income is more thanthe family's Expenses then Marty could start to have much morefreedom. He may even choose to quit his job and continuedeveloping his Passive Income streams.Take a look at your own finances. What are your monthlyexpenses? Do you have more Passive Income than your Expenses? Ifyou do Congratulations. You're Wealthy!!! If you don't. It'stime to get started and start adding Passive Income from otherareas as soon as possible.When you truly understand this principle, you'll be well on yourway to becoming wealthy.
Here's a real simple way to become wealthy.Marty and his wife live at home with their 2 children. They owna 3 bedroom house in a middle class neighborhood and try to livewithin their means. Marty works full time in the PrintingIndustry, while his wife is in charge of the home and lookingafter the children. They've accumulated some credit card debt and have 2 years lefton a car loan. They try to stay out of debt as much as possibleand together they've managed to contribute a total of $32,000 totheir own Retirement Fund. It is kept in term deposits receiving5% interest annually. Two years prior, the couple bought an older house that theyfixed-up and rent out for $850 a month. After paying themortgage and taxes $300 is left over each month. This goes intotheir savings account each month. At Christmas, the family bought themselves a new computer anddecided to start a home-based business. Things started outfairly slowly but after 8 months they were receiving a steadycheck of $400 a month which also goes into their savingsaccount. This part-time business will continue to grow with theeffort they dedicate to it.This business also offers them some very lucrative tax savings.By taking advantage of these Tax Strategies they are able tosave an additional $300 a month on tax that was normallydeducted from Marty's paycheck at work. This monthly income isalso added to the couple's savings. Marty has just begun writing an E-book about his "productionexpertise" at work. His plan is to market this book on theinternet for profit Every Sunday the couple takes a drive to stay familiar with theReal Estate market in their area. They're looking for anotherproperty, a "handyman's special" to fix-up and rent out. Theyhave saved enough for a down payment and their credit with thebank is well established. The family's total monthly expenses are $2000. Now, here's thequestion:Does Marty's family have Wealth yet?To answer this question properly you first have to understandexactly what "wealth" means.You achieve wealth when: *YourPassive Income is the same or greater than your Expenses.* Sowhat does this mean?First, what is Passive Income? Passive Income is money that you are paid over and over againfor work that you only do once. (This excludes using a gun orfinding cash on the street) Some examples of this would beroyalties for writing a book or a song, commissions that youreceive for sales that others make and interest from banksavings or dividends on stocks/options that you own. Second, what Expenses are we talking about? This one's a littleeasier to understand. Expenses are the total amount it takes torun your household and your life. This includes, rent, mortgagepayments, car insurance, food, credit card and loan payments,etc……… Let's look at Marty's family a little closer…………. Does Martyhave any Passive Income? Yes he does. Marty's salary is notconsidered Passive Income. That's because he has to work 40hours a week just to get the basic amount. If Marty doesn't goto work then he doesn't get paid. His overtime also doesn'tcount as Passive Income. The interest from their Retirement Fund does though. It's paidto him month after month as long as it's left in that account.So, $32,000 at 5% is $1600 a year. Divided by 12 months equals$133 a month in interest. Ok…..what else? After the mortgage and expenses are paid with the rent moneythey receive on their rental property they are left with $300every month. This is Passive Income. Just as long as the tenantstays and pays his monthly rent.How bout that $400 from the home-based business and the Taxsavings. Is this Passive Income? Well, Marty's wife made surethat she chose a company where she could sign new businessaccounts and get paid commissions on those accounts over andover again. They've made a 5 year commitment to build thisbusiness part-time. So yes, both the $400 and the $300 in TaxSavings would apply as Passive Income. Let's add up Marty'stotal Passive Income.Interest $166.00 Rental Income $300.00 Home BasedBusiness$400.00 Tax Savings $300.00 Total $1166.00 Not including Marty's salary from work, his family's PassiveIncome is $1166.00. Not bad. Every month this amount flows intothe family's bank account, regardless of anything else they do. We said that Marty's monthly expenses total $2000.00 a month.And we also said………… You have Wealth when: *Your Passive Incomeis the same or greater than your Expenses.* $2000 Expenses subtract $1166 Passive Income = $834 monthlybalance needed to have Wealth. Marty's Expenses are still more than their Passive Income sothey're not wealthy just yet. But they're well over half-waythere. With this kind of knowledge a family can know exactlywhere to focus their financial attention. Maybe when Marty writes that ebook he could get some sales androyalties from it. Also the new Real Estate and more work ontheir Home-based business would certainly help them to attainmore Passive Income. Once Marty's Passive Income is more thanthe family's Expenses then Marty could start to have much morefreedom. He may even choose to quit his job and continuedeveloping his Passive Income streams.Take a look at your own finances. What are your monthlyexpenses? Do you have more Passive Income than your Expenses? Ifyou do Congratulations. You're Wealthy!!! If you don't. It'stime to get started and start adding Passive Income from otherareas as soon as possible.When you truly understand this principle, you'll be well on yourway to becoming wealthy.
Car Insurance Estimate
by: Timothy F
Shopping around for a car insurance estimate is not something most people look forward to. It is one of the least exciting chores that is required in order to have a car on the road, but it is worth seeking out the most competitive car insurance estimate available. Although getting a car insurance estimate from a number of companies isn’t a desirable task; many people spend far more than they absolutely have to each year on their auto insurance because they simply haven’t taken the time to compare rates and policies with other auto insurance companies. It would be hard to find someone who would walk into an appliance store and decide to spend $200.00 more on a washer that offers the same exact quality and features as the one next to it that costs far less. It doesn’t make too much sense to do the same thing with car insurance.Most of the time, a car insurance estimate will include collision, liability and comprehensive coverage on a vehicle. Most households have two or more vehicles and every car should be included when seeking out a car insurance estimate. There are a few things that can be done to make getting a car insurance estimate easier and more accurate especially when dealing with more than one car insurance company. One of the best things to do before looking for a car insurance estimate is to see exactly what the state requirements are as far as what the necessary minimum coverage is in order to have adequate coverage. This is something that might be better to do without the assistance of an insurance agency if possible because their job is to sell insurance and they make more money with the more coverage they are able to sell. In order to spend less time on the phone when looking for a car insurance estimate, it is a good idea to have a number of items handy including a driver’s license, vehicle identification numbers, make, model and year of each car and even the name and contact information for the company that is financing all vehicles if applicable. There are also a number of factors that can be taken into consideration when seeking a car insurance estimate that may mean additional savings per year. Features on each auto including airbags, auto alarms, anti-lock brakes and other things may mean discounts on auto insurance. Some insurance companies will even offer discounts for having more than one policy with their company as well as insuring multiple cars through with their coverage. Additional discounts may be found through other things like accident-free driving record, defensive driving course incentives and other discounts.Other circumstances may cost a driver more with certain companies when looking for a car insurance estimate. Men under the age of 25, single drivers, younger drivers under the age of 21, the number of miles driven per day and even the kind of car that is driven can cost a person more money on car insurance when shopping around. The best part about this is that not one car insurance will probably charge the same amount of money for the same coverage so shopping around will prove that there are better choices available.
Shopping around for a car insurance estimate is not something most people look forward to. It is one of the least exciting chores that is required in order to have a car on the road, but it is worth seeking out the most competitive car insurance estimate available. Although getting a car insurance estimate from a number of companies isn’t a desirable task; many people spend far more than they absolutely have to each year on their auto insurance because they simply haven’t taken the time to compare rates and policies with other auto insurance companies. It would be hard to find someone who would walk into an appliance store and decide to spend $200.00 more on a washer that offers the same exact quality and features as the one next to it that costs far less. It doesn’t make too much sense to do the same thing with car insurance.Most of the time, a car insurance estimate will include collision, liability and comprehensive coverage on a vehicle. Most households have two or more vehicles and every car should be included when seeking out a car insurance estimate. There are a few things that can be done to make getting a car insurance estimate easier and more accurate especially when dealing with more than one car insurance company. One of the best things to do before looking for a car insurance estimate is to see exactly what the state requirements are as far as what the necessary minimum coverage is in order to have adequate coverage. This is something that might be better to do without the assistance of an insurance agency if possible because their job is to sell insurance and they make more money with the more coverage they are able to sell. In order to spend less time on the phone when looking for a car insurance estimate, it is a good idea to have a number of items handy including a driver’s license, vehicle identification numbers, make, model and year of each car and even the name and contact information for the company that is financing all vehicles if applicable. There are also a number of factors that can be taken into consideration when seeking a car insurance estimate that may mean additional savings per year. Features on each auto including airbags, auto alarms, anti-lock brakes and other things may mean discounts on auto insurance. Some insurance companies will even offer discounts for having more than one policy with their company as well as insuring multiple cars through with their coverage. Additional discounts may be found through other things like accident-free driving record, defensive driving course incentives and other discounts.Other circumstances may cost a driver more with certain companies when looking for a car insurance estimate. Men under the age of 25, single drivers, younger drivers under the age of 21, the number of miles driven per day and even the kind of car that is driven can cost a person more money on car insurance when shopping around. The best part about this is that not one car insurance will probably charge the same amount of money for the same coverage so shopping around will prove that there are better choices available.
Auto Insurance Rates
by: Sher Matsen
will vary depending on the insurance agency, your driving record, and the type of insurance you are looking to purchase. I you are looking for affordable car insurance or truck insurance then read on.There are ways to reduce your premiums without giving up coverage. One of the easiest things to do is get auto insurance rate quotes online. This will allow you to comparative shop stress free.Raising your deductibles is the easiest way to reduce your rates. The higher the deductible, the lower the premium will be. The deductible is the portion you will have to pay in the event of accident, before your insurance coverage steps in. It’s important not to carry a deductible that’s more than what you are able to pay. Your insurance company will not honor its portion of the claim until you’ve paid your deductible. However, the higher your deductible the lower your premium cost will be, so you need to find a Always remember to ask your insurance broker for any available discounts. Quite often we forget to ask and they don’t seem to volunteer the information. A clean record on the current policy for a certain period of time, having your homeowner's coverage with the same insurer, taking a defensive driving course, having an accident free driving record, and having an approved anti-theft device will reduce your auto insurance rates. The type of car you drive can also reduce your rates. Stay away from cars that have a high class rating. Rates vary among the different makes and models of vehicles. The different rates are based on the risk of accident, cost to repair, higher theft rates for a particular model and replacement costs such as with a new vehicle. So be sure your vehicle isn’t going to be in a category that increases your rates too much.A safe driving record consisting of no accidents and no traffic violations will get you the most substantial discount. Most insurance companies are very good at recognizing good driving habits. These are the drivers they want to insure because their risk is much lower. If the car is old and not very valuable, comprehensive insurance is probably not worth buying as it can quickly add up to more than you’d ever receive in the event of an accident. You can save up to 20% by eliminating collision insurance. You may want to opt not to carry collision insurance as well which can save you and additional 20%. Check around to make sure you are getting the best auto rates you can. Online auto insurance shopping has taken the guess work out of buying insurance and you can very quickly see if you are being hosed. So if your insurance is coming due now is the time to start shopping!.
will vary depending on the insurance agency, your driving record, and the type of insurance you are looking to purchase. I you are looking for affordable car insurance or truck insurance then read on.There are ways to reduce your premiums without giving up coverage. One of the easiest things to do is get auto insurance rate quotes online. This will allow you to comparative shop stress free.Raising your deductibles is the easiest way to reduce your rates. The higher the deductible, the lower the premium will be. The deductible is the portion you will have to pay in the event of accident, before your insurance coverage steps in. It’s important not to carry a deductible that’s more than what you are able to pay. Your insurance company will not honor its portion of the claim until you’ve paid your deductible. However, the higher your deductible the lower your premium cost will be, so you need to find a Always remember to ask your insurance broker for any available discounts. Quite often we forget to ask and they don’t seem to volunteer the information. A clean record on the current policy for a certain period of time, having your homeowner's coverage with the same insurer, taking a defensive driving course, having an accident free driving record, and having an approved anti-theft device will reduce your auto insurance rates. The type of car you drive can also reduce your rates. Stay away from cars that have a high class rating. Rates vary among the different makes and models of vehicles. The different rates are based on the risk of accident, cost to repair, higher theft rates for a particular model and replacement costs such as with a new vehicle. So be sure your vehicle isn’t going to be in a category that increases your rates too much.A safe driving record consisting of no accidents and no traffic violations will get you the most substantial discount. Most insurance companies are very good at recognizing good driving habits. These are the drivers they want to insure because their risk is much lower. If the car is old and not very valuable, comprehensive insurance is probably not worth buying as it can quickly add up to more than you’d ever receive in the event of an accident. You can save up to 20% by eliminating collision insurance. You may want to opt not to carry collision insurance as well which can save you and additional 20%. Check around to make sure you are getting the best auto rates you can. Online auto insurance shopping has taken the guess work out of buying insurance and you can very quickly see if you are being hosed. So if your insurance is coming due now is the time to start shopping!.
The 12 Reasons Why Most Ads Fall Flat On Their Face, Costing You A Fortune Instead of Making You The Money You Deserve!
by: Scott Wilson
1.You think you need ‘Image’ or ‘branding’ advertising because that’s all the so-called ‘top guns’ use in their advertising. You don’t use direct response advertising they don’t and you’d think they know best.2.You never offer compelling benefits that cause your prospect to want to do business with you of your competitor.3.You don’t use powerful, benefit driven headlines that literally stop your prospect in their tracks and draw them into the body of your ad.4.You don’t tell your prospect what’s in your offer from them. But you do ramble on about your image, your business and what you are trying to sell him.5.You don’t talk to your prospect like you know him. You don’t get specific and don’t motivate him.6.You don’t address your prospect needs, wants and desires in your opening headlines. You’re to busying thinking about yourself or your company image! Remember, your prospect is thinking of one thing only WIIFM (What’s I It For Me?)7.Your ads are boring and dull and look like all the other hundreds of ads. You don’t motivate your prospect to take ACTION. You don’t use energetic, exciting, action words! Your about as exciting as wet paint!8.Because you copy what everyone else is doing, or do as the ad agency suggests, your ads are full of “white space” which leaves little room to add any benefits. (The only thing your prospect is looking for) You never have ads with a lot of copy. It’s the copy your prospects want. Information is King!9.You don’t give specifics in your ads. Your prospects want exact numbers, percentages, results and testimonials. They want all the facts before they will make the decision to move towards a buying decision.10.You don’t give your prospects any reason to act on your offer NOW. Tell them how to in a step by step process. Unless you tell them, them may not know what the next step is?11.You don’t see your marketing, sales and advertising as a total system. It’s this total system that can either make or break you as a profitable business. They are not separate functions, with separate goals.12.You focus on YOU, YOUR COMPANY, YOUR LOGO, YOUR CREDENTIALS, instead of focusing on what all of this can do for your prospect. What BENEFITS will them get if they buy with you?Now you know the 12 reasons why maybe, some of the ads you are running are not pulling any responses at all! In fact they will be costing you and your company money EVERY TIME YOU RUN THEM!
1.You think you need ‘Image’ or ‘branding’ advertising because that’s all the so-called ‘top guns’ use in their advertising. You don’t use direct response advertising they don’t and you’d think they know best.2.You never offer compelling benefits that cause your prospect to want to do business with you of your competitor.3.You don’t use powerful, benefit driven headlines that literally stop your prospect in their tracks and draw them into the body of your ad.4.You don’t tell your prospect what’s in your offer from them. But you do ramble on about your image, your business and what you are trying to sell him.5.You don’t talk to your prospect like you know him. You don’t get specific and don’t motivate him.6.You don’t address your prospect needs, wants and desires in your opening headlines. You’re to busying thinking about yourself or your company image! Remember, your prospect is thinking of one thing only WIIFM (What’s I It For Me?)7.Your ads are boring and dull and look like all the other hundreds of ads. You don’t motivate your prospect to take ACTION. You don’t use energetic, exciting, action words! Your about as exciting as wet paint!8.Because you copy what everyone else is doing, or do as the ad agency suggests, your ads are full of “white space” which leaves little room to add any benefits. (The only thing your prospect is looking for) You never have ads with a lot of copy. It’s the copy your prospects want. Information is King!9.You don’t give specifics in your ads. Your prospects want exact numbers, percentages, results and testimonials. They want all the facts before they will make the decision to move towards a buying decision.10.You don’t give your prospects any reason to act on your offer NOW. Tell them how to in a step by step process. Unless you tell them, them may not know what the next step is?11.You don’t see your marketing, sales and advertising as a total system. It’s this total system that can either make or break you as a profitable business. They are not separate functions, with separate goals.12.You focus on YOU, YOUR COMPANY, YOUR LOGO, YOUR CREDENTIALS, instead of focusing on what all of this can do for your prospect. What BENEFITS will them get if they buy with you?Now you know the 12 reasons why maybe, some of the ads you are running are not pulling any responses at all! In fact they will be costing you and your company money EVERY TIME YOU RUN THEM!
Profit consistently at Online Poker
by: Kerry Mann
I have been playing poker professionally for nearly 5 years now. I have found a system that consistently profits. To find out more visit my website www.pokersuperjob.comNOTES NOTES NOTES...The first and most important step is to take notes. Use a spreadsheet. Write down everything. Write down your time, bankroll and end result for each table played at. Why you won, or why you lost. Also note the casino site if you play at several. Never stop taking notes. I have notes going back for several years. I have found that playing at lower stakes tables is more profitable (which is obvious, as the players are usually less experienced. Less obvious information I found is that certain sites are more profitable for me. Some sites promote more and have new players, which is great for you. I talk about this more on my website. So always take notes and always learn from themThe second step to remaining profitable is to stay consistent. If you win a few big games and are up DO NOT jump to a higher stakes table and throw your entire bankroll into a larger game. I gradually step my game up to higher stakes tables over years. There is more money at these tables to make but the players are much better. You can use your notes to find the most profitable table for you. If you play at a higher stakes table you will make more money but it will take longer so you will make less over the long run. The key is to find the perfect table to suit you. As you become better and more experienced gradually move to higher tables and note the changes.So be professional, keep notes and stay consistent. It will pay off in the long run.
I have been playing poker professionally for nearly 5 years now. I have found a system that consistently profits. To find out more visit my website www.pokersuperjob.comNOTES NOTES NOTES...The first and most important step is to take notes. Use a spreadsheet. Write down everything. Write down your time, bankroll and end result for each table played at. Why you won, or why you lost. Also note the casino site if you play at several. Never stop taking notes. I have notes going back for several years. I have found that playing at lower stakes tables is more profitable (which is obvious, as the players are usually less experienced. Less obvious information I found is that certain sites are more profitable for me. Some sites promote more and have new players, which is great for you. I talk about this more on my website. So always take notes and always learn from themThe second step to remaining profitable is to stay consistent. If you win a few big games and are up DO NOT jump to a higher stakes table and throw your entire bankroll into a larger game. I gradually step my game up to higher stakes tables over years. There is more money at these tables to make but the players are much better. You can use your notes to find the most profitable table for you. If you play at a higher stakes table you will make more money but it will take longer so you will make less over the long run. The key is to find the perfect table to suit you. As you become better and more experienced gradually move to higher tables and note the changes.So be professional, keep notes and stay consistent. It will pay off in the long run.
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