Author: plugin

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 High

With 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 d2024 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 bank
3. a financial statement – to show they can’t afford to make the payments
4. 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,

Richard Odessey

About the author:
Go to www.InvestorWealth.comfor these Real Estate Profit Secrets:
* Super Success Short Sale Secrets (*Best Course)

* Deal Evaluation Tool

* Free Teleseminars on the latest and most effective real estate profit techniques

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.com

NOTES 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 them

The 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.

About the author:
Kerry Mann is a professional online poker player. His website http://www.pokerliving.nettells more about him and how he makes a living at online poker, and his proven system.

by: Nina Ham
Copyright 2024 Success from the Inside Out

Do 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.

About the author:
Nina Ham is a certified business and career coach and a licensed psychotherapist. Her company, Success from the Inside Out, helps midlife women redirect their careers or transition from salaried to solo. Visit her website and subscribe to her free monthly ezine, http://www.successfromtheinsideout.com/library.html

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.
2024
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.

About the author:

2024 Tom Smith runs http://www.workingnews.coma job, career, employment and resume site. Free career articles along with links to employment sites. Permission to reprint with credits attached. He can be reached at tjsmith@workingnews.com copyright 2005

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 Ventures

One 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 Partners

Historically, 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.

2024
About the author:
Content is provided by Seb Jay on behalf of http://www.jvbase.com

by: Michelle Cornes
Copyright 2024 Michelle Cornes

Are 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.

About the author:
Michelle Cornes runs an international internet based home business from the United Kingdom. For further information on the ethical, honest business she found and works on today please visit her website http://control-your-income.com/?refid=article-567887726

by: Shawn Price
Copyright 2024 Shawn Price

Is 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 Franchising

Is 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 Franchising

In accordance with a “development schedule”, the franchisee agrees to establish a predetermined number of “unit franchises” within a particular territory.

Subfranchising/Master franchizing

Is 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 Franchising

This 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.

NonTraditional

This type of set up is customized between the franchisor and the franchisee.

Franchises are not the same as Dealerships and distributorships

A 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.

Bridging the Gap between Opportunity and Success, OwnABizToday.com

About the author:
Due to her terminally ill, physically and mentally handicapped child, Shawn was FORCED out of the “job market” and FORCED into “self employment” …After experiencing a multitude of financial difficulties. Because of her life’s experiences, Shawn understands that it’s impossible to predict future circumstances and thus it’s terribly important that people…particularly parents, develop financial security. Consequently, leading others toward business ownership has become a passion for Shawn. Presently, Shawn is the Author of OwnABizToday’s, Ezine, which presents New Home business Start up’s and Small Business Resources each week. To receive our weekly Ezine, send a blank email to: subscribe@ownabiztoday.com RSS: http://www.ownabiztoday.com/ownabiztoday.xml Bridging the GAP between Opportunity and Success, OwnABizToday (http://www.ownabiztoday.com )

by: Shawn Price
Copyright 2024 Shawn Price

The Relocation Consultant Home Business

Vital 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 Time

Who 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 Business

Run 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 Business

One 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- 0857

Note: 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,

OwnABizToday.com

About the author:
Shawn Price, Author of OwnABizToday’s Ezine, due to her son’s severe medical needs was forced to leave the job market and enter into the world of self employment. Experience has taught Shawn that one can NEVER predict future circumstances and thus one should if at all possible , become financially independent. In an effort to lead people toward self employment, Shawn and her partners, regularly evaluate home business start up’s as well as small business resources and tools. Bridging the GAP between Opportunity and Success http://www.OwnABizToday.com RSS: http://www.ownabiztoday.com/ownabiztoday.xml Ezine:subscribe@ownabiztoday.com

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.

About the author:
Lynette Chandler helps entreprenuers leverage readily available technology for their marketing. Learn to apply the power of technology to your marketing today http://www.TechBasedMarketing.com

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 really2024e 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!

About the author:
Jason James is an eBay PowerSeller and his website “Auction Resource Network” reveals his inside secrets, tips, and sources that help him earn $10,000+ a month on eBay. Claim your FREE e-Course Here: http://www.auctionresourcenetwork.com