Sunday, August 9, 2009

The Human Animal And Real Estate Investing

By Doc Schmyz

How come anytime you walk in to a book store and find your way to the business or financial books all the views that are expressed in the titles are very similar??? In one way or another they all call out for a monetary version of bloodshed. I mean think about the titles: "How you can crush the other guy"or "it's not personal its business", "How to come out on top" etc etc. When I got into the real estate investment game I spent hours trying to find the one book that would teach me how to become that REAL ESTATE INVESTING GOD I knew I could become. After reading most of the popular books at the time I actually would feel beat up over the content. I mean did I have to be a "take no prisoners" type of investor? Did I have to prey on some one else's misfortune?? The answer was no. So I set out to build a list of my own investment rules. I think we each should have our own set of investment rules. Doc's Rules for investing:

1) Set up some personal guidelines: Define and follow these guidelines. This is the most important rule I have. . Things to include, but not limit you to, are: Top dollar amount and lowest dollar amount. Type of investment you want to deal with. Period of term for investment.. Etc etc. (You can even have a guideline about the amount of time you will work per-day)

2) Remember a family is behind the deal you're working on. Simply put,whoever you are dealing with has mouths to feed. Just because you can get a great deal on a house because the current owner is in a facing some sort of adversity that is causing them to sell below market value, DOES NOT give you license to kick them when they are down. Treat everyone with dignity and respect. If the price they are offering still falls within the personal investing guidelines you have set for yourself ,don't use your position to abuse the seller. If you?re getting the house for .40 cents on the dollar,don't be a jerk and push for .20 cents. Always remember...it could be you in the sellers postion. (This rule DOES NOT come in to play when dealing with a bank owned property)

3) Always ask for what you want. Why can't you ask for something in an investment deal you like, For example. You're looking at a piece of real estate,ask the seller if they would be willing to throw in new carpet to the sale. I met a investor who was looking at a house that had been on the market for several months. When he went to talk to the seller he happen to see a 1954 Merc Coupe in the garage, so he asked if it was included in the deal. The deal eventually closed for the house AND the car. 4) Make bird dogs. I always give several of my business cards to anyone I do business with and offer them a portion of any profit I make from any investments they help me locate. You would be amazed at how many people will help you make money when they get a small part of it. (And if you follow rule #2 you will be amazed at how many of those bird dogs will sing your praises from the highest mountains)

Just some ideas of things to keep in mind when you're working on your investment mindset. I have used these rules over the years,and in many cases they, have gotten me more return and repeat networking opportunities then I can count.

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Choosing The Home Business That's Right For You

By Elise Easterbrook

Many work at home moms started out working for someone else and then slowly gained the knowledge, experience and courage to take it a step further. I'm talking about starting a home business.

True, it may be scary at first but with a lot of research and planning a home business can prove to be fulfilling and profitable.

Let's start out by determining your interests, and the best thing to do this is to write it down. Make a list of everything you love to do, your skills and talents or whatever it is you're truly passionate about. Then, number your entries in order of interest; this may be a little hard to do but it's very important so that you'll have a sense of direction in terms of career and personal goals.

To guide you further, here is a list of skills and the possible fields where you can apply it:

Skill: Detail oriented, good at record keeping

Possible Home Business: Accounting, Bookkeeping, Data Entry, Reminder Service, Transcription, Coding, Secretarial Service

Skill: People oriented, good communication skills

Possible Home Business: Customer Service, Direct Sales, Internet Sales, Promotional Product Sales, Public Relations, Travel Agency, Loan Agent, Clothing Sales

Skill: Visual oriented, creative, artistic

Possible Home Business: Advertising Design, Artist, Balloon Sculpture, Business Brochure Design, Furniture Design, Cartoonist, Costume Sewing, Crafts, Doll Making, Decorative Painting, Face Painting, Portrait, Gift Baskets, Illustrator, Jewelry Design, Photographer, Sign Maker, Antiques, Collectibles

Skill: Good at writing, researching, updated on current affairs and trends

Possible Home Business: Baby Announcements, Holiday Letters, Book Publishing, Editing, Freelance Writing, Online Writing, Online Teaching, Greeting Card Writer, Newsletter Publisher, Proofreader, Technical Writer, Translation,

Skill: Good organizational skill, attention to detail, good communicator, people-person

Possible Home Business: Bridal Service, Personal Shopper, Personal Coach, Event Organizer, Wedding Planner, Party Planner

Skill: Good computer skills, technical know-how, Internet savvy

Possible Home Business: Computer Classes, Programmer, Computer Set-up and Repair, Desktop Publishing, Graphic Design, Website Promotion, Website Design

Skill: Likes household work, loves kids and pets

Possible Home Business: Child Care, Catering, Running Errands, Housekeeping, House Sitting, Pet Sitting, Pet Grooming, Pet Walking

These are just some examples of skills, talents or interests you may have and the possible home business where you can apply your skills. Pick your top interest and start from there.

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Succeed in Working at Home: Some Things to Consider

By Art Basmajian

You do not have to miss anything, if you are working at home, and you make cash while you're at it. However, fraud is always on the horizon. After all, when there's money involved, someone will always be after it.

From zero to hero

Unfortunately , the most sure technique to get rich fast is to win the lottery, and you know that is's not very likely to occur. If you'd like to spend the rest of your life working at home, don't believe people who would guarantee you the globe. Possibilities are you're being tricked, so run the other way!

Fast buck schemes are nearly always too good to be true. So it anyone guarantees you big greenbacks without much effort and time needed, you are definitely looking at a flop. Scammers will always capitalize on this, regardless of what, and it's all up to you whether they succeed with you or not.

What you must learn how to accept in each corporation is that there will always be some chance of loss and there are no absolute guarantees. A contingency plan is therefore in order. You can look for an opportunity that will get you working at home in niches that capture human interest. These apply to the basic human prerequisites of food and clothing, as well as the very popular subjects of love and money. It is simply a matter of finding your own little niche amongst the many available.

Research, Research

Think about the sides of your life your venture will affect. Of course , life isn't all about just money, although this is awfully necessary since your investment will not come inexpensive. As earlier discussed : there will always be risks, but you can judge for yourself how much risk you are willing to take for your solely to start working at home.

Whether you will be putting up a business by yourself of joining a group, do your homework. It's fantastic to find a niche that seems unique, but do find out if there is, in reality, a market for it.

It's All Up To You

This is a worthwhile effort, especially if you are trying your hand at working at home for the 1st time, but it is usually possible that you may end up with additional questions than you started with. Be down-to-earth about your limits and capabilities before boarding on what could be a long, lonesome, and very expensive journey.

In the best eventuality, you earn money from something that you truly enjoy. In the worst, you learn something from it.

The Trust Factor

If you join a company, you let it in your life. Ensure you are comfortable before you commit to anything. It's your cash, and at about that point, anything can become private. It's also critical that any business investment you make just to start working at home should have the support system that can see you thru.

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Achieve Your Creative Endeavor Dreams With A Marketing Mentor

By Leigh-Ann Lemire

Linking up with an advertising and promotion guide to help you sell your artistic creations can be a great boost to your success as an artist, and that's what this little piece of writing is about.

Specifically, you will learn:

-at the beginning, selling your artistic creations may not be easy.

-how to find a "marketing mentor" who wants to help artists, to get you through the difficulties.

-the necessity of getting your mentor to inform you about time management.

Your dream in the arts can become actuality. Use the information in this article to find the right person to help make it reality.

When you are just starting out trying to sell your works as a creative individual, you will come across family and friends that encourage you. You may come across some folks that have bright ideas that give you a boost forward. You may know some techniques of marketing and selling that get you some sales, too. This will get you started.

That will get you started, but what you really want to do is quit your day job. How do you make the leap from selling an artwork once in a while to selling enough to pay the bills and prosper?

Where do you find a person who can tell you want to do? What do you have to do to make a success of yourself as an artist?

There are many mentors for marketing that are very skilled. What you need to do is find a marketing mentor that is focused on helping talented folks.

A sign that you may be getting close to a person who can help you is if you've found a person who is also a talented artist and successful in his/her field. You don't want a guide who hasn't even tried what s/he is telling you to do. A prosperous painter, actor, musician, etc., will know what to do because he or she has done it and it worked.

A successful artist who makes a living through art and also has time to help you is indeed gifted in time management. Learn everything you can about the subject from your chosen mentor, lest you find yourself doing only advertising, promotion and selling with no time to actually create art.

You can see if your chosen mentor is a successful artist - does he/she support himself or herself by selling art? That would be the basic question.

If the person you are asking has a successful career and also can help you, the person is doing the right things. You want to copy that. You can make a living with your art, but you don't want to spend all your time doing advertising and selling and marketing and have no time left over to create.

Bring about your ideal scene in the arts. Do a little searching and questioning and find the right mentor for you. It would be well worth your while.

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