Enhance Your Consulting Business With Ongoing Consulting Education

As a successful management consultant, you already know that you simply cannot afford to stop learning. Every day presents a new learning opportunity, and taking advantage of ongoing consulting education is one of the best ways to grow your brand, your business and your reputation for quality.

It is all too easy to overlook the value of education, especially when your business is doing well and growing rapidly. Even so, proper consulting education is even more important during that rapid growth phase, since a single misstep during this critical time could cost your firm not only money but its reputation as well. The more you can learn about your particular niche, the better and more successful you can be.

Quality education can also help you understand the needs of your clients more effectively. As a management consultant you need to wear many hats, and serve many masters, and you need to do it all in an effective and efficient manner. By learning about the opportunities and challenges facing each of your clients, you can be a more effective, and more successful, management consultant.

Businesses these days are facing all kinds of challenges, from shortages of critical skills to rising prices for basic materials. The understanding and information you gather through a quality training program can give you the tools you need to help every client succeed, no matter how great those challenges might be.

Choosing the Best Consultant Education Program

Of course not all consulting training programs are the same, and it is important to look carefully at the various programs that are available. Some so-called consulting education may be little more than glorified marketing presentations, while others may provide you with information that is out of date or even wrong. Learning how to sort through the clutter and find the best consulting education for your needs can be a real challenge.

Fortunately, there are some guidelines you can use to make sure the consulting education course you are considering will truly deliver good value for the money. One of the best ways to ensure that the information you receive will be timely is to look at the professional background of the instructors. Look for a consulting education class whose instructors are working in private industry, not just teaching courses. In the world of consulting and consulting education there is simply no substitute for hands on real world experience.

Look to at the reputation of the company conducting the consulting education courses. A quality company will surround itself with the best educators and the most up to date information, so you can protect yourself by dealing only with firms that are recognized as leaders in the educational field. As a consultant, you already know how important reputation is, so look for a consulting education firm with a reputation as solid as your own.

Tags: Animals Arts Business Computers Education Finance Games Health Home Internet Marketing & Advertising Online Recreation & Entertainment Shopping Society Sports

Business Teamwork for Online Home Based Businesses

The business teamwork mentality must be attained by all who run their own company or who work for a company. When running your own home based business, you will have to tackle all the same obstacles that any other company has to in the corporate world. Marketing, advertising, promoting, and running your business are never easy tasks to handle alone. Offline businesses cannot function properly without teamwork and neither can online businesses.

Entrepreneurs running their own home based business will have to learn a form of teamwork which calls for them to leverage time and effort from a team. While many entrepreneurs work their home based businesses alone, they can still benefit from teamwork by connecting with various resources over the internet. There are plenty of businesses and mentors that offer online training classes that can teach entrepreneurs how to create the best business plans and other great information about running a company.

There are many home business operators who were once under the impression that running your own online company or corporation was an easy ticket to wealth, but this could not be further from the truth. Hard work makes dreams come true, and there is no way around that fact. More often than not, ‘owners’ of any type of company are the hardest workers. This is because when you own your own company, you do every task there is to the fullest because you know that it will benefit your company and therefore ultimately benefit your bottom line. However, when you are working for a paycheck, whether you do a task 100% or 75%, you will get the same reward – that paycheck whether you are aware of it or not. Those who are running their own home based businesses will need to understand that to be successful, a great deal of work is involved, as well as having the best business plans and strategies. Business teamwork makes this work much less intimidating to the home business operator. There are many ways that an entrepreneur can enhance his or her teamwork skills and therefore improve the way they run their business online.

There are many online companies that offer the chance for entrepreneurs to learn better business teamwork and other strategies for success. When working for another company, business teamwork is even more important. It is almost impossible for one person to run a successful company on their own. With help, comes teamwork, and with teamwork comes necessary skills for working together. Without these valuable skills, more often than not, a company will not be successful.

Tags: Animals Arts Business Computers Education Finance Games Health Home Internet Marketing & Advertising Online Recreation & Entertainment Shopping Society Sports

Starting a Home Based Business – Tips

The creation of a home based business takes time, energy and knowing the right steps to take. I am going to offer you some invaluable home based business tips to set yourself up for successfully making money from home.There are many ways to create a home based business, but if you do not begin with a solid foundation and build on that foundation you will not succeed. This is an exciting time in the business world today and there are a tremendous amount of opportunities in the age we are entering. You see we are leaving the industrial age and have entered the age of technology.It is this change that has caused the closure of many small businesses. To make the transition or to jump in to the fast growing world of technology there are some tips that well worth knowing about.The first tip is that of organization. The home business organization is not much different than that of a small business, the difference is where the organization takes place. The biggest obstacle is creating a balance between home and work. Time organization is key factor here. When first starting out it is crucial because most people in this area are still working outside the home. You will need to balance your home based business schedule with your regular job work time and your personal home life so that you do not burn yourself out. It is my suggestion that you schedule your home business work time when you are not exhausted. What I mean is if you work a job during the day take some personal down time before you go into work mode at home and the same goes if you work evenings or the grave yard shift. Tips for down time include, but are not limited to some form of exercise for example go for a walk, do some yoga or tai chi this will clear your mind a allow for the creative juices to flow so to speak. Avoid caffeine. If you work graveyard shift get some sleep then go for a walk, you’ll be amazed at how productive you will become. The evening shift is trickier you can either plan to sleep right away or work then sleep, just remember to cleanse your mind no matter which approach you take.That being said the next tip I offer to you is that of mindset. The only thing I have to offer here and it is the most important thing to remember is: You are EXACTLY what you THINK you are. What this means if you think negative then all things including you become negative. If you think positive then all things including you become positive. I am talking about the energy you put out being the exact energy you take in. If you begin a project with positive energy, but do not get immediate income benefit and you turn becoming negative about the project giving up then you will reap only negative results for your efforts.The next tip is about knowledge and skills. If you want more out of life than you are getting working for someone else then you need to acquire the knowledge and skills to go after what you want. Becoming financially independent is is not handed to you unless you are born into wealth. To create wealth you must add education to your mindset and business organization. There is an entire world online where you can learn the skills you need as well as obtain the tools you need to get started.Last but not least, what creating a home based business takes is diligence and perseverance. You see if you do not have these two things and you begin a project without these skill to see it through you will fail, but that is okay. Have you failed in the past? Then you are on the right path, you just have not found the right work from home situation yet, so go to the link below then click on it and sign up for a seven day trial. This may be what you are looking for.

Tags: Animals Arts Business Computers Education Finance Games Health Home Internet Marketing & Advertising Online Recreation & Entertainment Shopping Society Sports

A Job Or an Internet Home Based Business? Many Moms and Dads Must Answer That Question

Many moms and dads are asking the question whether to stay in their job or consider an internet home based business opportunity.The current U.S. economic crisis has changed the lives of many families. Some Americans have seen their income reduced or sometimes eliminated because of lost jobs. Others are feeling job insecurity as their companies struggle.The employment picture appears to be improving. Job losses are declining. The unemployment rate remained at 10.0% in December. However, if the work force had not lost over 660,000 discouraged job lookers (given up on finding a job), the unemployment rate would have been 10.4%.But the current economy indicates that it will be extremely difficult to find another job if you are presently unemployed or unhappy with your present employment.When you consider the total of unemployed plus underemployed (employed but making less than before they were laid off) individuals, there are almost 27 million Americans who are looking for a job or a better paying job. It will take many years before all these people find jobs, even if the economy grows at a very high rate.However, there is no way that we will see high growth rates in the economy. The massive federal government spending is resulting in huge deficits. Higher interest rates and increased taxes will be needed to finance these deficits. Both of these will cause a major drag on any economic growth.As a result, unemployment rates will remain at high levels. Finding a job will be difficult for many Americans.We are seeing a major change in families throughout this country. Many moms and dads are considering the pros and cons of joining an internet home based business opportunity. Some are discarding the traditional path of working a job.When talking about an internet home based business, I’m not talking about a job stuffing envelopes or doing medical billing.To pursue an internet home business is not a bad thing. In fact, it is considered a blessing for some. Many moms and dads have considered this type of business before. A job loss or job insecurity can provide the motivation to make this change.Robert Kiyosaki, the best selling author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad, recommends owning a business, rather than having a job, in order to create wealth.Of course, owning an internet home based business is not for everyone. A business owner must be a self-starter, be dedicated and willing to work hard, and be willing to learn and develop the skills needed for success. This isn’t an easy job.I recently heard Mr. Kiyosaki interviewed while promoting his latest book, Conspiracy of the Rich, 8 New Rules around Money. He discussed how the middle class was being eliminated and how holding onto a job was keeping families poor. He talked about how job holders were being held back by current tax laws, accumulation of debt, and coming inflation.He indicated that the working taxpayer would end up being the loser in today’s economy and the business owner would be the winner.Moms and dads need to make a decision. Do they want to play it safe and have a job? Or do they join an internet home based business opportunity?Kiyosaki asserts that holding a job, traditionally considered the safe choice, is actually the riskiest option. So the question is, what do you choose?

Know Your MLM Target Audience! The 2 Reasons Why People Will Choose to Join Your Home Based Business

If you do not have a good idea of who your target audience is, chances are slim that you will be successful in Network Marketing. That being said, one of the best ways to ensure success is to know why that target audience will want to join your business opportunity to work from home. Why did you join to be a representative of your company? You will be shocked to know that everyone, including yourself, joins Network Marketing for one of two reasons.Reason #1 – Hype. Unfortunately, the model for nearly every home based opportunity is to demonstrate how easy it is to make millions of dollars simply by making a list of family and friends and sharing a product or business opportunity with them. We have all seen the breakdown. You get 5, then they get 5, and so on. This idea looks so good on paper that it seems like a fool proof way to get rich.Reason #2 – Greed. There is nothing wrong with wanting to make a great living doing what you love and helping people in the process. For most people, they really convince themselves they love it because they are tired of being broke. The MLM opportunity has the old lottery appeal where you do not have to work very hard to make a lot of money. We all want that, right?Well unfortunately, building any kind of home based business (networking or otherwise) is real work. What makes it even more difficult is that most companies will not tell you their trainings will not really make you rich. They have the potential to make you wealthy if all the fruit lines up, but most people give up before things happen.Companies love to make distributors believe there is no better time than the present to ride the current wave of success right to the bank, but the problem with that is that there is always opportunity. The success depends on the individual and the better you know that person, the better you can help them succeed. How do you do that? Keep reading.Make sure everyone you sign up to do a home based business understands that they probably will not build a massive organization with their friends and family. The need to find a target audience. It is a statistical fact that has been proven time and time again. It is OK to let them know they are in business, but becoming wealthy in Network Marketing will require an understanding of marketing to only those who have a want, need or desire for the opportunity.What does that mean? It means that you want your prospects to spend their time with a target audience, people who are already looking for and are in need of what they have. It is a waste of time trying to leverage a pre-existing relationship with a group whom they can then pitch with their products and services or opportunity. Anyone they sign up into their business out of sympathy or guilt will not hang around for very long.Prepare to encourage any new enrollees that most of the education and training provided by the parent company is geared toward branding the company and will probably drain their wallets faster than they can fill it. Big events and monthly meetings are great for inspiration and networking, but not so great for building their home based business. The techniques taught at these seminars are for the good of the company as a whole and do little to make the independent distributor wealthy.Proper education for Network Marketing must be provided by mentors who are not associated with the home based business they represent. This means taking yourself and your prospects out of the inner circle that shelters you from the real world and getting down to the basics of marketing for any product, not just the ones you represent. This way if your company ever goes under, you will be armed with the education to market another product or service properly.Your prospects do not want to spend tons of money in order to start a home based business. If they did, they would have bought a McDonalds franchise before ever showing interest in being a part of your organization. Do not advise them to spend lots of money on expensive leads and company and upline internet systems with a so-called turn-key approach to getting rich. In most cases, they do not work and you will find people quitting with nothing positive to say about you.Treat people with the same respect you want to be treated with and they will stick around to help you build a huge home based business organization. The best way to do this is to arm yourself with the mindset of a leader and offer proper marketing education as well. When you take away the greed and the hype, you will find that your prospects are grounded in reality and this is what will make the difference between success and failure.

Tags: Animals Arts Business Computers Education Finance Games Health Home Internet Marketing & Advertising Online Recreation & Entertainment Shopping Society Sports

Property Sales – It’s Not a Boom Anymore, But Why the Doom & Gloom?

Most of the western world, if not the entire first world, seems to be reporting that property market price inflation is decreasing or stalled. In the worst-hit areas we even hear tales of a lowering of house prices and negative equity for some unfortunate new homeowners who jumped on to the property bandwagon at the peak of the recent property boom. High Street inflation never lets up, so it’s natural for property investors large and small to feel that the end of the world is nigh.This state of mind is undoubtedly an over-reaction. The human psyche drives modern man to ensure he has a place he can call home in the shortest possible time after leaving his childhood days behind in the former family house. Fair enough – but does this man of our times actually have to own his home outright, in theory at best? And more tellingly, does this man have a god-given right to expect that with home ownership comes enough lifetime’s wealth to be able to retire from working for an income at his chosen time? The latter scenario is a common desire, and it is based upon the premise that property values will always rise faster than other commodities.We are now finding that we have come to the end of a period where property value inflation was outstripping general living cost rises. But we should not be surprised because we have had these ups and downs before. The general trend though is that property prices commonly rise again fairly rapidly after periods of stagnation. It’s all about supply and demand.The demand for new homes or at least of people looking to move house will never cease. Why? Because many old homes become dilapidated for a start. Then we have the new young families who need their own space and cannot expand into the limited space of parental homes. On top of that, the modern world economy relies upon many workers who must be mobile throughout most of their working lives, thereby prompting housing development and property transactions countrywide and often internationally. And don’t forget those that choose to upgrade or downsize by choice due to family or personal needs.What about the supply side? The builders can’t build fast enough in boom times because handsome returns on their property investments are almost guaranteed. If land banks are purchased just prior to a stalling of property prices, then naturally there is no rush to build and sell at reduced profit margins. So any oversupply rate reduces until it balances demand. This is the period being experienced in many parts of the US and Europe at present.As soon as a local property market detects increased demand, sellers start hiking up prices and builders and developers start building. So the conclusion is “don’t panic” and take some time to reflect on why existing homeowners feel uneasy every time this cycle reaches its low point.Property is a reasonably sound investment, and it gives the buyer the obvious immediate attraction of having somewhere to live (or work in the case of commercial premises). However there are other ways to exist comfortably which don’t involve organizing your life around the demands of meeting hefty monthly mortgage repayments and fretting about why the value of your property doesn’t always rise at a consistent rate.Many young people are opting to rent property. The so-called home-owning critics immediately shout that house rent is “dead money”. To a degree, yes, but if renting frees up income to invest in markets which don’t fluctuate in boom & bust cycles, then isn’t the oft-struggling homeowner something of a hypocrite? And who actually owns the majority of private domestic homes anyway? If a homeowner misses a mortgage payment you soon find out that the big financial institutions cold-heartedly treat lenders as no better than tenants of real estate upon which their businesses are founded. And furthermore, as tenants with much less rights than conventional renters of property who have fair and equitable rental agreements to rely upon in times of hardship.It’s interesting to note that in previous generations the majority of house dwellers were tenants, particularly in towns and cities. Most homeowners can probably quote that their parents or grandparents lived in rented accommodation, and that is a reason why they strive to ensure that they and their dependents have the security of home ownership. What security, if you worry about why your investment and lifestyle is not always as good as you dreamed? Our ancestors survived, without the disposable income levels of today, so perhaps the property rental option should not be dismissed so readily.Maybe the biggest lesson to be learned by property investors when global economy growth recedes is that only a few property types are guaranteed to grow in value (in the longer term) at a rate generally in excess of other inflationary factors. These are the well-maintained properties in desirable locations whether they be urban or rural. Funnily enough, my experience tells me that these properties are likely to fall into the cheaper price category or the other extreme, the high-end luxury home. The middle range property, by its very nature, forms the bulk of property sale listings, so the seller struggles to promote his property above the multitudes of similar priced homes or sites.I suppose it can be summed up as follows:o First-time buyers, transient workers, students and 2nd home buyers will always provide a ready market for low-end “affordable” property, particularly in urban settings.
o High earners will always want to upgrade to luxury properties in secure and private surroundings, particularly in established districts of like-minded people.
o The rest of us, by far the majority, continue to buy or rent in the mid-price range through necessity of location or finance limitations and a natural desire to match or slightly better our neighbors’ lifestyles.The exclusive luxury homes and the lower-end smaller properties are instantly brought to the fore from hundreds of listings by easy-to-use search functions which detect price range and/or location. The more attractive middle range properties also benefit in that household features and property type listings enable the website browser to easily compare the best value for money of numerous properties in a chosen location.In Ireland, I can report that Property Agents say that Property Portals have contributed greatly to stability in the mid-price range domestic property market. Sale closures in this category, for sensibly priced houses, are regular and commonplace, thereby propping up the market in general. This contradicts the doom & gloom reported in the media, no doubt created by “worried” homeowners who aren’t even active in the buying and selling of property. The lazy expectation that easy money can be made simply by buying and living in a home for life smacks of greed, not reality. These merchants of doom should be ignored. We also read in the press about the owners of expensive houses for sale having to dramatically slash prices to arouse interest. Probably, not maybe, the asking price was unrealistic and based upon outdated market value. The eventual selling price of a luxury home will still have made the purchase a sound investment if it was bought at any time except the very peak of the recent boom. Again, I can report in Ireland that Agents say that there is still a waiting list for desirable upmarket properties. The best of these homes are sold via website mailing lists or by the uploading of the property brochure to Propertysteps.ie and similar internet property portals.For a fraction of the cost of press advertising, our best value for money website gets quick results. Often you never even see a For Sale sign being erected for property in the more exclusive address category, yet new occupiers appear and everyone involved in the transaction is delighted. You don’t read about these everyday success stories in the media; it appears to me that only boom, doom or gloom stories sell newspapers when the local economy is discussed.

How to Interview A Property Management Company

Property Management companies come in all sizes and shapes. It seems that many of them are a small business or family business. If you have a large portfolio of properties or a large multi-family income property you can attract a variety of companies because many are paid as a percentage of rental income. If you have a single family home or a smaller rental property its just not that attractive to many companies because they won’t see much income from it and you may not get the attention you deserve. You may find better service from a smaller property management firm.

How Do You Find Them?

Check with the standard sources such as referrals. You can also ask:

* Local Real Estate Agencies – They may have a local property manager they often recommend to or perhaps one of the agents also manages property.

* Check with your local Property Management Association or apartment association for a list of local firms

* In rural areas the State Apartment Association may be a good resource for a firm near you.

What Do You Look for In a Management Firm?

* Valid Brokers License: In may states a brokers license is required to operate a property management company. You can check to with the local dept of real estate to validate it and see if it has ever been revoked or suspended.

* Management Fees: Property Management fees are generally a percentage of rental income. Fees can vary from company to company and you should shop around. Expect fees of 5% or more as a percentage of rental income. If you own a single family home or a duplex that has a low rental income number, you may get quoted a flat rate.

* Maintenance Staff: Does the firm have its own maintenance staff? Are they 24 x 7 for emergencies? Will they provide you with itemized statements and for larger jobs three independent bids? Does the company charge a fee on top off the management fee for major upgrades?

* Working Relationship: Are they friendly and is the staff easy to reach at during normal business hours? Is the office clean and uncluttered? Do they respond in a timely fashion and can they provide referrals or testimonials for you to contact. In short, do you want to work with them?

* Reporting: All property Management firms should have software that will provide you with clear and professional monthly statements. Accounting: When will the manager mail your check to you? Can you use direct deposit? State laws usually dictate accounting rules for managers its good to have that information at hand. On Line Statements: Many firms will have on line monthly itemized statements available to owners. This convenience will increase transparency and save you time. EFT: Does the management firm allow tenants to pay online. This would allow bounced checks to be discovered sooner and that increases your cash flow. 1099: Will the management company provide you with an IRS-1009 and a summary profit and loss statement for tax purposes?

* Reserves: Most companies will require you leave some funds on deposit for small needs your property may require. This way they don’t have to call you each time they need to send someone to fix a small item. You should ask how much reserves the company requires. Also, set a limit on how much a company may spend on your property for maintenance or repairs without contacting you for approval. Is $500.00 appropriate or $750.00, discuss your comfort level before you sign

* Vacancies: Do they charge a rental fee? Often companies will charge a percentage of the months rent for the service of renting a unit. The screening should process include an application, a credit report, a conversation with the prior landlord and income verification using the 1040 for self employed or pay stubs. The service should include reporting a qualified tenant to you and a proper lease. We provide a lot of info on tenant screening information. Be familiar with the process so that you can determine for your self that a good job is being done. You only want good tenants, evictions are expensive. Viewings: Some companies will be there for a showing to groups of people interested in the unit. Other companies allow prospective tenants use of the keys with a small deposit. Find out how viewers can see your property and whether you are comfortable with the procedures. If the management company staff shows the unit ask how often they will show and especially on weekends.

* Advertising: How will they advertise the vacancy? Be clear on all costs involved and have limits or a system of approval. Do they use the web? If so, can they create virtual tours or use photographs. These skills should translate into quicker rentals and better cash flow for you.

* Evictions: This should require a lawyer and the proper legal procedure for your area. How do they charge for this and will the lawyers fees be invoiced so that you can see the true cost.

* Termination of your Agreement: We like contracts that can terminate in thirty days with a written notice and without penalties. An exit plan that is agreeable to you is critical.

PPC Advertising – Does It Work?

Online pay-per-click advertising, also known as PPC advertising, is one of the most popular ways to get traffic to your website that are used today. With PPC advertising website owners can get targeted visitor traffic to their websites without having to stretch their budgets too far.

PPC advertising works on the following premise: that you only pay when the advertising has done its job. Essentially, you bid on certain strategic keywords or key phrases with search engines such as Google, Yahoo or MSN. If you win the bid for that term your website ad will come up high on the list of advertisers when those keywords are looked for in any online search.

The benefit of using PPC advertising is that you only pay your bid on a key word or key phrase if customers click on the link to your ad in the search engine results. The more your ad is clicked on, the more you pay. The overall goal with any PPC advertising campaign is to get website traffic and if you are paying more, you are getting more visitors to your website.

There are some important things to know as you begin to consider any pay-per-click advertising campaign. First, it is very important that you choose the keywords that are best suited to your particular web site. Your advertising dollar will do you little good if the people who find you through your PPC ads are not looking for whatever it is you are selling.

PPC advertising can be a very successful marketing tool when used correctly, but you must maximize the efficiency of your ads in order for it to work well for your business. Pay-per-click advertising can be used as your only method of online advertising, or it can be used in conjunction with various other forms of advertising.

PPC advertising can typically take one of two forms. First are the ads you see spread throughout the Internet. These may be obvious or can be more effectively merged into the site construction – they offer a short blurb describing your business and a link to your website. The second common form of PPC advertising is paid search engine rankings. This strategy allows customers searching for your particular keywords to find you at the top of the search engine listing, even if your site ranking wouldn’t normally place you there otherwise.

There are many different ways to get your web site seen online. This type of advertising makes sense to people who want to make sure that they are only paying for results, and not pre-paying for something that may or may not prove beneficial. This is where pay-per-click advertising works best for website owners; you only pay when someone clicks on your website through the search engine.

As an owner of several online business websites myself, I’ve learned that using PPC advertising can be beneficial in several ways. When I completed my first business web site and was ready to launch it, I wasn’t really sure how I was going to attract new customers. A friend of mine was using PPC advertising with her own website, and explained the process to me.

Generally speaking, you bid for key words and key phrases that are targeted to your websites audience and if you win one of the top bids the search engines will rank your website on or close to the top of the list when people look for those keywords. Tip: you basically want to be seen in one of the top three ads if possible, for best exposure.

The great thing about PPC advertising is that you only pay a certain amount when someone clicks on your ad link when it comes up in the search engine. To me, PPC advertising is a win-win situation, and though it isn’t the only form of advertising I use, it is definitely one that I will frequently use.

If you are trying to get more exposure for your website you really should take a serious look at PPC advertising. It has proven over the last couple of years to be one of the most effective marketing tools in the business. It has been estimated that millions of dollars are paid out per year for PPC advertising, proving that it really has a place in online advertising. PPC advertising works because people respond to it.

Whether you are into PPC advertising to make money or you need exposure for your website you will find this type of marketing very lucrative. Google has really made a name for itself with pay per click advertising with its AdSense program and there are many programs that have followed on its heels.

Web publishers like the idea of PPC advertising because the links are relevant and they get paid for each web visitor that clicks on the link. Advertisers like the pay-per-click advertising method because their ad is placed on relevant web pages. Because the idea is to make the web page and the advertisement relevant to one another more people will click, benefiting both parties.

Pay-per-click advertising is simply genius, no matter what side of the business you are on. It works because if people don’t find all of the info they need in one particular place they will then click on the links on that page. Also, people trust web pages that provide good content, so they assume that the links on the page are worth clicking. All around PPC advertising works because it is set up to work! This is a truly flawless advertising plan.

Is PPC advertising suitable for you? If you’re looking to increase your online presence, find new customers, sell more product or simply make your brand known, PPC advertising may be right for you. With careful thought, pay-per-click advertising can be both profitable and beneficial for your online business.

The Finer Points of Internet Auctions

WHAT IS A PENNY AUCTION?

Penny auctions have exploded in popularity with the massive growth of the internet. However, few people know the true origins of penny auctions.Beginnings actually stretch back to the Great Depression. Those were hard times for everyone, but even harder for farmers. Farmers struggled to bring in steady income because of droughts and crops not selling as well as they had previously. As a result, the banks would foreclose on the farmers who couldn’t keep up with their mortgage payments.

The banks weren’t satisfied with just repossessing the house, they wanted to raise as much capital as possible, so they resorted to selling off the possessions of the owners of the repossessed houses. There was not much the farmers could do about it so they began bidding ridiculously low prices, pennies, on the items while threatening others who dared to bid higher than a few pennies.

The auctions of today hardly resemble their tremulous beginnings. Being part of a penny auction today is exhilarating, fun, and addictive. It combines the selling format of auctioning with a little bit of chance factored in.Auctions are a game of strategy but also a game of luck.

The premise behind penny auctions is giving people the chance to win an item at a drastically reduced price.Auctions make that possible by spreading out the cost of the product among multiple bidders. In order for a person to take part in an auction, they must pay a set price for each bid. For example, if a person wanted to bid on a fifty dollar Amazon gift card then he would spend a dollar for each time a bid placed. If he ended up winning the gift card, then he would only have spent a few dollars for a fifty dollar gift card. Usually penny auctions sell bids in packages.

HOW PENNY AUCTIONS WORK!

The main foundation of penny auctions is the pay-per-bid format. It is the key that allows bidders to win items at the fraction of their retail value and allows the auction owners to keep their site profitable. Most y auction sites run on the same premise: people pay a set amount for each bid, whenever a person places a bid within the closing seconds of the auction time will be added, the last person left with a unique bid after the clocks runs out will win the item. There are a large variety of items that can be won, but they tend to be popular electronics or gift cards to popular stores.

There are two types of auctions: lowest unique bid auction and highest unique bid auction. Lowest unique auction sounds confusing but it is actually quite simple. A unique bid is when only one person has a bid at a certain price. Bids usually start at one penny, a bidder can then place a bid at two pennies. Until another bidder places a higher bid, the most recent bidder will be the lowest unique bid because that was the only bid at two cents and nobody bid higher. However, penny auctions generally don’t stop at one penny. It is not uncommon to find auctions that end up at a couple hundred dollars based on the popularity of the item being auctioned. However, the same principles apply for those auctions. Highest unique bid auctions follow the more traditional auction format such as eBay. The person with the highest bid at the end of the auction wins the item.

Auction site owners turn a profit by selling bids. Say twenty people are bidding on a ten dollar gift card at one dollar per bid, at the end of the auction if there were twenty bids placed in total then the site owner would have made twenty dollars with a ten dollar profit.Auctions do seem like a win-win situation:The site owner makes money while the bidder gets an item for dirt cheap. However, not everyone wins in penny auctions. The people who paid one dollar each bid but left with nothing to show for their investments will not be so happy.

HOW TO WIN!

Penny auction has a lot of chance mixed into it, but one can incorporate strategy that will help raise the chances of winning. Playing smart can make all the difference between gambling and auctioning.

The first crucial tip to winning penny auctions is to know how to manage your bids. Your goal should be to win as much as possible without spending a ton of money buying bids. Managing your bids means that you should already know how much you are willing to risk in order to win an item. The amount of capital you are willing to risk will determine how many bids you can use. Once you know how many bids you have to spend on an item, then you will be better able to manage how and when you place a bid. That will keep you from blowing away all of your bids in the first few seconds of the auction.

The next tip is to practice time management. When fighting in the trenches of penny auctions, you have two enemies: other bidders and time. Knowing when to bid is a must if you want to have success. Placing a bid when there is a lot of time left on the clock is never a good idea. You have to remember that the key to winning a penny auction is being the last one standing when the clock runs out and that each bid increases the amount of time left. It would be a good practice to wait until the last few minutes of the auction before you begin to bid.

The final tip for successful auctioning is to keep your emotions under control.Auctions have a lot of similarities to gambling, and just like gambling, your spending can get out of control. If you keep your emotions level, it will keep you from making rash decisions and blowing loads of cash. Keep your mind clear so that you can gage the behavior of the other bidders and outsmart them.

HOW TO AVOID SCAM SITES!

Penny auctions are a great addition to the web whether you want to win an item that otherwise you wouldn’t be able to afford or if you simply enjoy the thrill that comes with bidding in auctions. Unfortunately, scam sites have tarnished the reputation of the legitimate penny auction sites. However, there are ways that you can protect yourself from scamers and enjoy your auctioning without having to worry about losing your money due to dishonesty.

Checking the reputation of the auction site before you start spending your hard earned money is always a good idea. Chances are other people have tried the site before you and some of them have left reviews. The reviews are your way to gage whether a auction site is trustworthy or not. If a site is getting overwhelmingly negative reviews, then that is a clear indication that you should steer your business elsewhere.

Another tool you can use to protect yourself is checking the Alexia ranks of the auction sites. Alexia rank will give a solid view of how much traffic the auction is getting. If you see a huge difference in the amount of traffic Alexia is projecting and the amount of active bidders on the site, then warning signals should be ringing in your head. Some auction sites have been known to set up robots that automatically bid on projects in order to keep the auction going and inflate the price. That is known as shill bidding. You can sniff out those sites by comparing the traffic the site should be getting to the amount of users using this site.

CONCLUSION!

New legislation may come out later down the road that will officially make penny auctions gambling, but until then, it is a fun, exciting auction that allows one to win the item they’ve always wanted but couldn’t afford.Auctions are also quite lucrative for the site owners because of the pay-per-bid strategy they’ve incorporated. Penny auctions had humble beginnings with farmers who just wanted to get back at the banks who kicked them out of their house. More recently, auctions have enjoyed an explosion in popularity with the rise of the internet.

There are two main formats fora auctions, lowest and highest unique auction, however they both run on the same premise where the last unique bid wins the item. Winning a penny auction will require a certain amount of mental tactic and a bit of luck. However, you can increase your odds of winning by practicing certain techniques such as managing your bids wisely, learning how to work with the time, and keeping a level head and your emotions under control. When you combine those three strategies to your bidding plan, you will find that you win a lot more often.

It is important that you do your due diligence to protect yourself when participating in auctions. Not every auction is run by honest and trustworthy people. There are people out there who just want to take your money. You can protect yourself by ensuring that you only bid on sites that already have a very positive reputation from real users.

Tags: Animals Arts Business Computers Education Finance Health Home Internet Marketing & Advertising Online Recreation & Entertainment Shopping Society

How to Find Great Live Auctions for Resale Items

Hi, my name is Walt. I’m an auctioneer with 25 years of experience in the auction business and licensed in the state of MA. I own Quick Auction Service, a company that specializes in building and running custom auctions, I’m also the webmaster of my own site and have been on eBay for 8 years. Besides eBay, the types of auctions I run most frequently are antiques and on-site estate auctions, although I’ve run everything from business overstock auctions to charity & special event auctions.

I enjoy sharing my knowledge and stories of the auction business. My goal for article is to help folks get the absolute most out of their auction experience.

Whether your fresh out of the package or a seasoned dealer I think I can offer something in this article to help you with your auciton adventures.

There may be as many reasons to attend auctions as there are types of auctions to attend. Maybe you want to attend an auction to buy items for re-sale on eBay, or some other market. Maybe you want to furnish your home with wonderful antiques, or you want to furnish your home as inexpensively without sacrificing quality.Some folks are just looking for a fun night out. With a little perseverance all these things are possible.

There are antiques and estate auctions, auto auctions, overstock auctions, absolute and no reserve auctions, real estate auctions, specialty auctions where only one genre of items are sold, tailgate auctions, live auctions, online auctions, sealed bid auctions, silent auctions, charity and fund raising auctions and many more.

Can you really buy for pennies on the dollar at an auction? You bet! Many times I’ve seen folks buy and re-sell at the same auction on the same night for a good profit, although be advised, this should only be done after the auction is over.

There are a lot of ways to find an auction, but here are some tips on how to find and attend the best ones.

Visit the genre of shops in the area that apply to the type of auction you want to attend. IE: If your looking for a good antique auction to attend, stop in the local antiques shops and ask for what there are for good auctions in the area. Sounds obvious right? But listen to what they don’t say as well as what they do say. Oftentimes when a dealer speaks poorly about an auction he or she attends, it may be likely that they are trying to keep a good thing secret. Think for a moment, why would a dealer keep attending a lousy auction?

Newspaper ads: I personally like to find ads in the classified ad section rather than flashy display ads. Flashy ads are usually indicative of an auction that will be high priced, may have reserves, (a set price on an item), and usually an enormous crowd. While any auction can be profitable to attend, it is usually best to steer clear of the glitzy ones, at least for the beginner.

Here’s the minimum you want to find out before you go. If there is a phone number in the ad, call and ask for the terms of the sale. What forms of payment do they accept? Is it an absolute auction? An absolute auction is one that has no minimum or reserve bids on items. These are the best auctions to attend! Is there a buyers premium? A buyers premium is like a tax that everyone who makes purchases at that auction must pay above the winning bid price. Most auctions these days do charge a buyers premium, 10% is not unreasonable but I feel much more than that is greedy, and the auctioneer that charges over 10% is counting on most bidders not doing the extra math as the bids quicken in pace.

A fair auction will have ample time to inspect the merchandise, usually at least 2 or 3 hours. Find out when inspection starts and make sure to attend! Never attend an auction if you can’t make the inspection, not unless your prepared to gamble. Most auctioneers sell at a rate of about 100 items per hour, which is why they sell “as is”. They simply don’t have the time to give a detailed description of all the items. Since almost all items at auction are sold AS IS, there are sure to be some damaged, refinished, fake and incomplete items at any given auction. Beware of any auctions that offer very little or no inspection time.

Good auctions will usually have 150 to 400 lots. A lot may be one item or a group of items. The exception to this are specialty auctions, auto auctions, real estate auctions etc.

When you attend your first sale, take note of the 1/2 dozen or so dealers that buy the most often. See if you can find out about other area auctions they attend.

When you do find an excellent auction, attend it as often as possible. By frequenting good sales, you help increase the bottom line of that business. It’s difficult for many auctioneers to keep the quality of merchandise consistent, so good attendance certainly helps. And when an auctioneer gets to know you as a buyer, he/she will go out of the way to accommodate you, to keep you coming back.

Tags: Animals Arts Business Computers Education Finance Health Home Internet Marketing & Advertising Online Recreation & Entertainment Shopping Society

« Older Entries