You are quite taken with the idea of starting a franchise. You’ve done extensive research, hired a franchise lawyer and already have a business plan in place. The next thing on your list is funding the franchise. Many Canadian franchisees often discover that franchise financing can be as testing as the steps that precede it.You should, of course, understand how the Canadian franchise sector is regulated and the kinds of protection and disclosure clauses that exist for both franchisee and franchisor. In Ontario, these rights are listed under the ‘Arthur Wishart Act’ and there are similar laws in place in other Canadian provinces. It would be a wise move to look at the appropriate legislation in detail with the assistance of your franchise lawyer.You may have several queries regarding Canadian franchise finance loans, some of which are addressed below:Q: Is it possible to buy a franchise venture without formulating a business plan?A: It is not advisable to enter into any business venture without a business plan. Even if you are not involved personally in preparing it, it would be sensible to participate in its input and processing. This can have the effect of raising your awareness on practical and financial issues connected to your proposed franchise.Q: Are appraisals necessary?A: Yes, but the cost of the appraisal is certainly worth it as it boosts the lender’s confidence in the project and also reduces your calculated financial commitment to the franchise.Q: What would be the typical interest on a Canadian franchise finance loan?A: Currently interest rates are in the range of 5% to 6%, which is considered excellent for start-ups. Of course, your franchisor’s brand reputation and depth of market penetration will also count.Q: Where can you avail these loans and interest rates?A: These are available through the CSBF or BIL loan, also sometimes referred to as the Canadian Government Small Business Loan. Most franchise businesses are financed through this avenue. Of course, you may want to consult a reliable and trustworthy advisor experienced in franchise finance who will arrange this financing for your franchise venture.Q: Is the CSBF loan the sole method available for franchise finance?A: No, you have other options such as equipment finance to acquire fixed assets for the franchise, cash term loans and of course, your own money that you can invest in the franchise. All business ventures are typically financed by a component of debt or loan, along with the owner’s contribution of equity.Q: Is it possible to obtain a franchise loan without providing a personal guarantee?A: No. However, the CSBF loan needs a personal guarantee of just 25%.Q: Can a franchise business be financed without a down payment?A: No, definitely not. Whether you a starting a small restaurant franchise or a large manufacturing unit, all Canadian lenders will check out the owner’s financial contribution in the venture. As a franchisee, you have to strike a balance on how much to invest in the franchise.Remember to cover all legal aspects of the financing process with a franchise lawyer as these areas can be particularly complex for first timers in the franchise field. Ensure that you research all available finance alternatives exhaustively and work towards minimizing your financial risks.
What’s the Hardest Part of Marketing Yourself?
In my Fast Track Marketing System I divide marketing into seven very specific modules:1. The Game of Marketing2. The Mindset of Marketing3. Marketing Messages (Your Value Proposition)4. Marketing and Selling Conversations5. Written Marketing Materials6. Marketing Strategies7. Marketing Action PlansAll of these have their particular challenges. But in my experience in working with thousands of Independent Professionals, it’s #7 that seems to be the hardest for most people.After all, most of the other 6 modules are all about preparation to market yourself.You learn the basics of the game of marketing, you work on your marketing mindset, you develop marketing messages, conversations, and written marketing materials, and ultimately choose the marketing strategies to get the word out.And then the rubber hits the road. You have to actually get out there and connect with potential clients through networking, speaking, an eZine, social media, emails, etc.For most, the bottom falls out of their marketing at this point. It simply goes nowhere, or more specifically it goes into the infamous “Random Zone” where things are done haphazardly and inconsistently.If people have worked to develop the whole foundation of their marketing first, know who their target market is, have put together a web site and have practiced their marketing and selling conversations, they are going to have more success.But even the well-prepared struggle with implementation.Why is putting action plans into action so hard? Here are three of the most common ones. Are they familiar to you?1. As soon as you start reaching out, you face possible rejection. What if your message, your talk, your emails fall on deaf ears? What if your potential clients could care less? What if they outright rejected your promotional efforts?We conjure painful mental images in our mind that stop us cold.For this one we need to work again on our mindset, on our thinking, realizing that if we reach out and people aren’t interested, that it’s not personal. They don’t hate us; either they are simply not good prospects right now or our message doesn’t have the impact it could.So reach out to new prospects and keep improving your messages.2. It takes way more time and effort than you ever thought it would. We think of marketing as a few promotional things we do here and there. This should be easy, we think. But it’s not.Time to do a reality check. Any marketing activity takes time, effort and commitment to make it work. Marketing is a bit of an art and nothing works perfectly on the first draft.You need to make detailed and realistic plans based on strategies that others have used successfully in the past. If you just make it up as you go along, your chances of success are very slim.3. It’s never good enough and although you might even know what you’re doing, you put off your marketing launches until everything is perfect… but it never is.What underlies this are beliefs about perfection, not being good enough and being judged by others. It’s not so much rejection you fear, but disapproval. What will others think of you?Well, if your marketing campaign isn’t relevant to those you are targeting, it’s not a big deal. They’ll just ignore it. They won’t think much about it at all. But for the ones that are looking for what you offer, they’ll not only be interested, they’ll respond.Your prospects are not looking for perfection from you; they’re looking for assistance and value. If you’ve got that, perfection is virtually irrelevant.I’ve done a whole lot of marketing action plans that were rejected by most people, took me a long time to implement, and were far from perfect. And most of them have made me hundreds of thousands of dollars!Marketing success is about know-how, value, commitment, and persistence. Everything else is just a distraction.The Fearless Marketer Bottom Line: There could be a lot of other things stopping you from following through with your marketing plan as well. The question is, where are you going to focus – on your fears and worries about rejection, time, and perfection – or are you going to focus on the value and difference you make and give your marketing plans a real chance?
Top Marketing Methods for B2B and B2C
Need some inspiration for marketing your business? The recent age of technology has continuously exploded over the past few years, and different marketing methods have come and gone. A business needs to stay on top of the latest statistics regarding strategy if it wants to compete in its respective market. This research has been compiled here for precisely that purpose. In this paper, some of the top marketing methods of 2021 are highlighted for B2B (Business to Business) and B2C (Business to Consumer) marketing. In addition, the pros and cons of each are laid out to help give more depth to the general idea of B2B and B2C. Hopefully, you will find inspiration to adopt these methods into your marketing strategies.B2B (Business to Business) vs. B2C (Business to Consumer) MarketingThe concept of B2B vs. B2C marketing is self-explanatory; it is simply a difference in the target audience. However, the differences in their marketing methods are not self-explanatory, so an easy way to visualize these statements is through an example. Let’s say you are a grape farmer, and harvest is approaching. You could go the B2B route of selling to a grocery store or vintner(winemaker), or you could go the B2C route of setting up an online store or stand at a local farmers market. It’s no easy choice. Do you sell to a lower price per grape to the store/vintner while buying in bulk? Or do you sell at a higher price directly to consumers, but you must go through the effort of reaching the consumer, and you risk not selling all your product? It is also not as simple as just selling your product. You must market it. This brings up the central question inspiring the following two sections:Two B2B Marketing MethodsSEO:Search engine optimization, or SEO for short, is an essential strategy to implement into your marketing if you are working B2B. Out of other marketing methods, SEO is the best strategy to generate income for your business, but what does implementing SEO entail? The goal of SEO is to optimize the content on your website (Onsite SEO) and promote it (Offsite SEO) to more frequently place your website at or near the top of user searches within search engines such as Google Bing, Yahoo, and you name it. The key is to understand your target audience and what keywords will go into their search bar. Search Engines like Google are automated. You cannot tell Google that your website is selling grapes to businesses. Your content must reflect that. Try searching “buy grapes in bulk.” Keywords from each website are displayed in the search. This part of Onsite SEO is relatively intuitive. Still, you must go beyond including all kinds of keywords in your content because your audience isn’t as predictable as you might think, and they may not necessarily be looking for your business. For your grape business, maybe the audience will search more generally, perhaps “fruit in bulk” or something along those lines. Consideration is a must to ensure your website content matches as many possible searches as possible.Social Media Marketing:Social media is the home to many, and that is precisely why it is an excellent platform for you to promote your business. Social media marketing is a great strategy to implement into your marketing and works great in tandem with other marketing efforts such as Offsite SEO. This strategy has incredible influence over B2B conversion rates resulting in increased traffic to your website and profit for your business. It is challenging to master and potentially dangerous if you outsource and entrust the work of Social Media Marketing to someone reckless since one bad tweet could get your business in trouble. However, the humanization your brand gets trust and the free feedback you receive from those online is worth the effort. Whether it’s a short video, an image, a tweet, a comment on another post, this kind of content, while seemingly worthless, is excellent for your business. These little bits are easy to digest for other users, and they are tricked into digesting it in some cases as although they may not be actively looking to spend their money, seeing these social media posts gets them to think about your business even if its subconscious.Two B2C Marketing MethodsPPC (Pay Per Click):”Pay Per Click” refers to the monetization method where each click comes at a price. For example, should Pay-Per-Click advertisements be used on sports articles, readers may be drawn to click on ads regarding the teams mentioned in the report, such as apparel, other articles, or activity-related products. This uses the reader’s interests to help target advertisements and can also spread awareness. Search ads can boost brand awareness by up to 80 percent instilling memories into consumers, thus showing the importance of targeted marketing having a profoundly positive effect on the advertised product through exposure. Similarly, the widespread use of the internet with Google’s 160 billion searches per month showcases the potential monetary profit of Pay-Per-Click advertisements. Thus, not only do the advertisers receive payment for clicks on their advertisements, but the likelihood of users buying the advertised product increased due to the increased website traffic and appropriate placing of the ad.Cobranding Marketing:Co-branding is an essential strategy used by several top brands to keep their product or service new and different. It is a partnership where two companies create a unique third product using their brand name to draw in consumers, resulting in monetary or publicity gains for both parties. There are several benefits to co-branding: a broader audience as this method brings two brands together, which includes their respective following. An example of this occurred recently when the South Korean pop group known as “BTS” partnered with McDonald’s to make their signature meal. Fans of both McDonald’s and BTS came together, resulting in this co-branding deal boosting McDonald’s worldwide sales by 41% during the agreement and the pop group making a reported 8.89 million USD from the partnership.Any competent business owner knows to seize every opportunity to promote and expand where reasonably possible, and what’s the harm in reaching out to another company with an idea if you truly believe it will work?The following contains some short summaries detailing the basic pros and cons of each marketing method.B2B Pros• Profit Margin – The nature of B2B sales is generally far more prominent than most B2C sales. B2B sales often are in bulk with small items with perhaps scheduled re-orders or other cases like contractors the sale is always going to be significant. In addition, the market potential for B2B feeds into this profit margin well. Something such as grapes going B2C at a farmers’ market is limited in that it targets consumers who want to eat the grapes or perhaps use them for a recipe. However, grapes going B2B have various options like selling in bulk to vintners, grocery stores, companies that make grape jelly, you name it.• Location of Sales – A large majority of B2B commerce is done on the web. This is a good thing as it is far easier to manage an online presence than to maintain something like a storefront. The location for your selling also benefits the audience you sell to. It is more convenient for them to shop online rather than require physical effort to purchase a product. The ease of a good online website and the smoothness of the transaction go a long way for getting sales.• Security – No part of B2B is easy, but once you secure some contracts or ongoing deals, there’s good stability to be had from that. B2C is scary in that you could have your products go from flying off the shelves to forgotten quicker than you may realize. Any stability in the business world is something to be desired.B2B Cons• Competition – This con applies to both B2B and B2C, but in a scarier way. If you aren’t already a big name in your respective market, it is going to be extremely difficult to secure any contracts, deals, or even just one-time purchases. Even if you manage to secure one deal, you run the risk of your business flopping if you rely on just that to stay afloat. It is also harder to compete in marketing against more prominent names as they are already out there, so it is relatively easy to stay out there. Still, you must work on both getting out there and maintaining whatever position you hold. Other problems with the competition are the monopoly many places have. Big names can survive simply undercutting your price to whatever consumer while you might not be able to. You must be very careful when entering markets and avoid being shut out.• Difficult Entry – Given the vast majority of B2B commerce taking place online and the quick judgment by consumers, you need to have a robust online presence and a good website which can be expensive and difficult to set up initially. Extensive research must be done to understand the customer’s desire and streamline that experience for them.• Negotiations – You, a business trying to min-max profits, are selling to another company trying to accomplish the same. A big part of B2B commerce is negotiating with customers to reach a deal that both parties are happy with, especially since prices you may list on your website are likely not as low as you are willing to go.B2C Pros• Sales Cycle – Sales cycle is essentially the stage at which a purchase is made. There is a significant benefit to B2C commerce in that the sales cycles are much faster and easily influenced by provoking certain emotions. B2B sales take an immense amount of time as they are often big purchases for big projects, and so the buyer will take their time to ensure they find the best deal with a high-quality partner. B2C commerce can happen in seconds with someone thinking, “Oh, these grapes look good, let me buy them!”. If you can cater your product towards the quick decision-making of buyers, you can generate good sales.• Discounts – One great thing about B2C is the ability to offer discounts. This partly feeds into the sales cycle, but having values makes customers feel like they are getting a good deal and may buy a product they don’t even need. Or in some cases, loyalty programs offering discounts or free items after certain purchases can be geared towards your profit margin when set up correctly. Loyalty programs are great as it gives the incentive to create a relationship with customers like that in B2B markets. Still, here you can get repeat customers to provide you with business continuity.• Customer Base – While B2B markets directly to a business, B2C calls to a consumer. Everyone in the world is a consumer and is thus a potential customer, while B2B does not have that liberty. This, of course, does not mean your product appeals to everyone and will mean you have an infinite customer base, but the percentage of people potentially looking for a product like yours is massive. This can be of big help to any B2C business, especially those that sell “occasional” purchase products like furniture in that a large customer base means you do not need to rely on repeat customers.B2C Cons• Slow return on investment – The high upfront costs of starting your business with storefronts, websites, marketing campaigns add up quickly. With the generally low price of B2C products and usually prolonged initial start to new business, one should expect profits to be in the red for a while.• Quantity of sales – With large sales comes to the downside of an increased number of issues customers may have. If one wants to get good ratings and maintain an excellent reputation, one must deal with problems that arise well. It is easier said than done since many issues can be hard to resolve in ways that don’t overeat out of profit.• Marketing – This applies to any business, but it is especially hard for B2C commerce. Like how big-name B2B companies can undercut you and shut you out, B2C companies do that on a more complex scale. The profit margin on a majority of B2C products is already low given the generally low price anyway. So it is hard to compete for customers looking for a reasonable price. When you cannot afford to lower your cost further, how do you market your product as “worth the price” in the face of competitors? It is hard enough to get your product on the shelves or in the market, but you also must market that to large numbers of customers.Which is better? B2B or B2C?The simple truth one, as an aspiring business owner likely knows, is it depends. It truly does not matter which one is better, and depending on your business, both might even be an option. This paper is not meant to sway a business owner to go down a specific route but rather inform one about the way they plan to take already. There is no easy method in the business world, and as someone without any business experience, I am not in a position to dictate where one’s business should go.
How to Build a Business Online More Successfully
If you have your mind set on creating your own online business, you will need to spend a lot of time building your business. The process needed to build a business online is fairly similar to building a brick and mortar business. However, when you are choosing to start your business online, you will also have more competitors because of the wider reach of the Internet. This is why you need help to build your business.Some people have been successful at building their own businesses without anyone’s help. However, if you were to talk to one of these successful business owners, you would find they spent years struggling to make their business a success. If you don’t take advantage of the experience of people who have already been through creating a successful business, you will spend years as well. You can save yourself time by seeking experience from professionals.One of the most important things you can do when you build a business online is to get the support you need. When you are creating and trying to grow your business, you may end up working on your business all hours of the day, seven days a week. If you end up stuck on something and need help, having someone who is always available to help can be a useful asset. As you have probably heard, time is money.Before you launch your website to the world, it can be important to make sure it is the best it can possibly be. You don’t want to release a website that will leave your customers looking for someone else to use. If you can get an honest critique of your website before you launch, you stand a greater chance of being successful with your online business. You could always launch your website and see how it does, but if it doesn’t succeed, you have set yourself back.As you work to build a business online, you need to look for help wherever you can so you can grow your business more quickly. It can take years to get your business to the point you want it to be. With the help of experienced entrepreneurs, you can get the help and support you need so your business doesn’t take that long. Being able to work closely with someone who has already grown his own business can be a valuable asset to your business.
No Credit Check Personal Loans – When Credit Weighs Heavy on Your Shoulders
Credit problems can erupt at any time without any prompting. If you are searching for personal loans with bad credit, you will think that perhaps it might be difficult. To get through personal loans process easily with bad credit can be overwhelming for some people. For them no credit check personal loans are offered.No credit check personal loans are a novel way to overcome credit problems. However, finding personal loans with no credit checks can be slightly difficult. With no credit check personal loans, borrowers must weigh their options. Personal loans with no credit checks are a way to get a loan even if you have bad credit. You won’t be turned down due to bad credit. No credit check personal loans do not have high interest rates as are associated with bad credit.Personal loans are the most searched keyword on the net. Consequently, there are hoards of alternatives and options to choose from. No credit check personal loans can be availed by banks or credit institutions. Once you start researching, you will come across many no credit check personal loans. Don’t be in a hurry to sign no credit check personal loans. Take your time and look around carefully. Ask for free quotes. Compare the quotes and then decide which personal loan offer maximum benefits without credit checks. Don’t forget to find out there policies and repayment terms before you make the decision.No credit check personal loans are usually high interest rate than secured loans. This is because it is not dependent on your credit score and usually you do not place any collateral for the loan. While searching for no credit check personal loans, you should be taking a good look on the APR.APR is the annual percentage rate. The total cost or finance charge for a loan per year, expressed as a percentage of the loan amount. It is the sum of the interest and any other fees, such as discount points, compared to the amount of the loan. While comparing no credit check personal loans, you would be required to concentrate on APR. It is a complex thing and you do not need to go to its details. All you need to know is that the no credit check personal loans with lower APR will cost lesser.If you intend to borrow larger amounts on no credit check personal loans, then you would require to place a collateral. Usually personal loans with no credit check are accessible for any reason. Home improvement, debt consolidation, car purchase etc. The decision to take no credit check personal loans does not have any influence getting the loan approved. However, it has an influence on the loan term. Like a no credit check personal loan for home improvement or car purchase will have a loan term between 3-5 years. For other purposes loan term can extend to ten years or more. Do not take no credit check personal loans for a longer loan term. A longer loan term will cost you more in the long run.In case you find difficulties in making repayments for no credit check personal loans, you must immediately contact your lender. If you are honest about your difficulties, it is possible that they will help. In fact they might even agree to take reduced payments till your condition improves.No credit checks personal loans seem easy and hassle free. However, do not confuse easy. For no credit check personal loans are as liable towards deception. Read the fine print. There are many hidden costs with no credit check personal loans. No credit check personal loans usually necessitate a cosigner and exorbitant late fee. Ask questions, do not hesitate to clear any confusion. Take care before choosing your no credit check personal loan lender. Otherwise your no credit check personal loans will become a personal liability. Nevertheless, there will be a no credit check personal loan that satisfies all your financial specifications.
Low Rate Auto Loans – Look Beyond the Monthly Payments
Buying a new car is never easy. A lot of information is required while searching for the best auto loan deals. Auto loans can be difficult to understand, but with a little homework, you can grab the best deal with low interest rates.Do not be a Careless Car BuyerWhen you enter the automobile market to buy a new car, you should look for auto lenders that provide quick approval, dedicated customer support and low interest rate. It is important to clarify your doubts before signing the loan contract. If you sign the loan contract without asking enough questions, you will have to accept whatever terms the lender offers to you.Usually, car buyers look at the monthly payment amount and if it’s low, they sign the loan contract. They do not even take note of the loan terms, interest rates or the actual price of the car. Remember that if you behave like a careless car buyer, you will end up with a high rate on the loan.Beware of Loan SharksA loan shark is always looking for a victim. Usually, loan sharks are unlicensed money lenders. They provide little or no paperwork to car buyers. They don’t even provide clarity to you about the interest rates on the loan.On-Hand Advice for Finding Low Rate Auto Loans· Take your time to understand the different types of interest rates.· It’s important to know the monthly payments towards your car.· Calculate how much you’re actually paying for the car.· Explore other auto loan deals.· Watch out for a loan shark. They may seem friendly at first, but borrowing from them is never a good idea.· Compare interest rates from other sources such as banks, credit unions and online auto financing companies.· Always know your credit score because a good credit score will fetch you a better interest rate.· Don’t sign up for a longer auto loan term. It is because you will end up paying more money towards interest.· Be aware of the add-ons such as chrome plating wheels, wheel locks, seat-warmers, etc. When you purchase add-ons from the dealer, it gets added in the auto loan amount which means you have to pay more interest in the long run.When you apply for an auto loan, you must consider several factors carefully and then, make a decision. It is important know the monthly payments as well as the interest rates before signing the loan contract. Remember that if you are careless car buyer, you will not be able to get a low rate auto loan deal.
Commercial Financing Advice – Commercial Lenders to Avoid
This commercial financing article will describe the importance of avoiding “problem commercial lenders”. The article will NOT name specific lenders to avoid, but key examples will be provided to illustrate why prudent commercial borrowers should be prepared to avoid a wide variety of existing commercial lenders in their search for viable commercial financing.I have been advising business owners for over 25 years, and I have encountered many commercial financing situations which have involved commercial lenders that I would not recommend as a result. These problematic situations have especially involved commercial mortgage loans, credit card factoring and unsecured business loans. As a direct result of these experiences and daily conversations with other commercial financing professionals, I do in fact believe that there are a number of commercial lenders that should be avoided. This conclusion is typically based on more than one negative experience or an obvious pattern of lending abuses.I have published many articles which are designed to assist commercial borrowers in avoiding commercial financing problems. One of the most serious commercial financing situations is a commercial lender that causes problems for their commercial borrowers on a recurring basis. It is particularly this type of commercial lender which prudent commercial borrowers should be prepared to avoid unless viable alternative commercial financing options do not realistically exist.Here are a few examples of why certain commercial lenders should be avoided.COMMERCIAL FINANCING AND COMMERCIAL LENDERS TO AVOID EXAMPLE NUMBER 1 – Yes or No?I have published an article which discusses the tendency of many banks to say “YES” when they mean “NO”. Such banks will typically attach onerous commercial financing conditions to business loans instead of simply declining the loan. Business owners should explore other business loan alternatives before accepting commercial financing terms that put them at a competitive disadvantage.COMMERCIAL FINANCING AND COMMERCIAL LENDERS TO AVOID EXAMPLE NUMBER 2 – The Commercial Appraisal ProcessFor commercial real estate loans, commercial appraisals are an unavoidable part of the commercial loan underwriting process. The commercial appraisal process is lengthy and expensive, so avoiding commercial lenders which have displayed a pattern of problems and abuses in this area will benefit the commercial borrower by saving them both time and money.COMMERCIAL FINANCING AND COMMERCIAL LENDERS TO AVOID EXAMPLE NUMBER 3 – Think Outside the BankIn smaller metropolitan markets, it is not unusual for a dominant commercial lender to impose harsher commercial financing terms than would typically be seen in a more competitive commercial loan market. Such commercial lenders routinely take advantage of a relative lack of other commercial lenders in their local market. An appropriate response by commercial borrowers is to seek out non-bank commercial financing options. It is neither necessary nor wise for commercial borrowers to depend only upon local traditional banks for commercial financing solutions. For most commercial loan situations, a non-local and non-bank commercial lender is likely to provide improved commercial financing terms because they are accustomed to competing aggressively with other commercial lenders.Copyright 1995-2007 AEX Commercial Financing Group and Stephen Bush. All Rights Reserved.
The Basics To Starting A Home Based Business
Choosing The Best Home Based Business
Starting a home based business seems like a very exciting endeavor to embark upon and for those who are already very enthusiastic about the particular product or service they intend to offer, this kind of commitment may not seem like such an enormous one to them. However, some caution should be exercised when actually starting the home business, especially if it is done without careful thought and planning it could end up being a costly mistake and an overall bad experience.The following are some points to consider before actually taking the plunge into one’s own home business experience:Making sure there is a market for the intended home based business feature is important. There is little point of setting up a home business based on a service or product that does not have a market as people are generally not interested in what is being offered. Therefore, some time and effort should be exercised to ensure the intended elements are marketable.Consider the importance of having a separate space that is sole used for the home based business. Working within this designated space would help the individual focus better and also keep boundaries evident for others to be aware of. The mental and physical positive points to having this designated space cannot be emphasized enough.Investing in proper equipment for the home based business is also another important factor to consider. Lacking in this area would only end up costing the individual further when these interruptions add cost to the overall business entity even before substantial profits are evident.From a legal point of view all the necessary documentation and licensing regulations and requirements, should be adequately perused and approved before embarking on the home based business venture. Nothing is worse than incurring the wrath of various governing agencies when proper procedures have not been followed.Figure Out What You Are Good At, And What Your Interests Are
Staring a home based business along the lines of the individual’s interest is something to consider as it would be a huge contributing factor to the eventual success of the business.Deciding to do something that one is good at or interested in creates the ideal mindset that will help to keep the business afloat if during difficult times and this is a very important motivating factor for those going into this kind of business venture.As there is really no one to spur the individual to press on, the interests’ factor is what can ensure the desire to succeed stay prevalent always.When a home business is built around an individual’s interest there is also the added advantage of the individual having the necessary knowledge about the choice made that will help to steer the business exercise in the right direction.Going in blind will not be an issue, and good decisions can be made simply based on the knowledge that comes from the interest in that particular area.Also in doing something that one enjoys and likes very much the evidence in the quality of the work being produced will be very visible.When there is a level of excitement around the business environment it can not only be a positive element but can also help the create the ideal work mindset and physical conditioning that dictates eventual success no matter what the challenges are.Most people who venture into the home business based on their interest have been statistically proven to be able to make a success of the endeavor.Making the experience come forth as pleasurable rather than just “work” is often what keeps the individual able to come up with further ideas that will also positively contribute to the innovation of the business, thus keeping it relevant and vibrant at all times.Know What Your Strengths Are-
Being able to identify and tap into one’s strengths is a very positive and advantageous thing to be able to do.The energy one is able to harness from this is immeasurable and often in the single most important factor that contributes to the success of any endeavor undertaken.Using these strengths to further develop one’s natural skills and then leverage it to one’s benefits is also another advantage. The individual will be able to eventually downplay or repair any apparent weaknesses along the way.Traditionally people often tend to focus on the negative elements and in the process of this; they try to make the necessary adjustments to combat this negativity.However, doing so, there is the possibility of paying too much attention to this and forgetting to tap into the positive elements that are brought on by the thorough understanding of one’s strengths.Thus instead of harnessing and capitalizing on one’s strengths, energy is being wasted on correcting weaknesses which will eventually cause valuable time and resources to be wasted.Capitalizing on one’s strengths will bring forth the highest potential in the individual and offer the platforms to expand and explore further avenues to shine and be productive.Taking the time to actually explore the various interests that excite the individual would be one way of specifically identifying the said individual’s strengths.This can be done in a number of ways such as observing what excites the individual, what creates the willingness to extend help even when the circumstances is deemed not likely to improve, being able to identify what sort of activity will most likely attract the interest and commitment of the individual, where and when the individual is most likely to contribute mentally or physically and any other such scenarios that would cause the individual to be more approachable and more likely to be contributive.Research The Market For Your Interests And Skills-
In order to make the right choices when it comes to starting up a home based business endeavor one should first understand the market sentiments and what and where there are companies that fit the interest and the skill intended to be offered for services are located and what the expectations are. This is critical to ensuring the elements that relate to the interest and skill are well tapped into to bring forth optimum results.Perhaps among the first steps to be taken would be to analyze the skills and interest of the individual and then using this to gauge the lucrative aspect and contribution of the choices made.By doing this it is hoped that the ideal match would be made to match the skills and interest with the selected business endeavor for successful results.The likelihood of experiencing problems that would stall the business will be much less if there are relevant skill to be tapped into whenever the situation call for it.To enhance the prospects of attracting the attention of organizations which would be interested in using the expertise offered by the home business entity, the individual would have to ensure the existing skills are impressive and adequate enough to suit the company’s needs.Keeping up to date within the particular field, would help the individual better assess the current market trends, and thus be able to identify areas where his or her particular skills would be needed and appreciated.As there are many companies now ready to outsource their work load, being visible in providing the relevant skills needed by the company would help the individual to attract contracts and other work opportunities for the home business set up.This visibility will also help to create a present for the business entity for any future job opportunities.Having a vision for the new business entity and wanting to achieve it within a desired time frame is always a good place to start when addressing the managing side of the said business. Hopefully this article has given you a start.Use this as a guideline and you will be well on your way to a very successful home based business of your very own.To your great success on your home based business journey, Bob
Buying a Rental Property at a Property Auction
A good way of picking up a property bargain is for landlords to buy at a property auction, but what do investors need to be aware of?The sun has come out this week and with rental demand booming many landlords thoughts are turning to plans of expansion. The figures out this week suggest that property prices may have at last stabilised and could even be about to start on an upward trajectory.The latest residential property auction by Allsop in London on the 29th March has 54 distressed lots. This suggests there are plenty of potential property bargains out there.Finance has been a real problem following the credit crunch in 2008. However, availability in the BTL mortgage market has slowly been improving making further purchases by landlords a realistic option.Financing a property bought at auction For landlords that aren’t in the fortunate position of being a cash buyer they will need some kind of development or bridging finance to buy a property at auction. According to David Sampson of Property Hawk Mortgages, it is still possible to get an advance of up to 85% of the gross purchase costs on a refurbishment property depending on property type and location.Interest rates on this type of loan start from as low as 0. 7125% per month. At the end of the refurbishment period landlords will then look to replace the bridging finance with a more permanent buy-to-let mortgage. Where a landlord can add value to the property they will be able to leave the development profit in the property and effectively take all of their original equity on refinancing effectively securing them an investment property for nothing. The set up fees borne by the purchaser using bridging finance vary depending on the type of property and borrowers circumstances but generally range from 1 to 2. 5% of the loan amount.David Sampson goes on to add: “Completely non-status finance is available up to 70% of open market value from some lender on residential property, even with no personal guarantees on company borrowing!”Essential things to consider when buying at a property auctionBuying at a property auction is a completely ‘different kettle of fish’ to buying property through private treaty. There are some essential things to bear in mind. Remember at auction you are ‘swimming with the sharks’ in the sense that you are up against a room full of professional investors and developers who will often have the edge over you.However, this shouldn’t stop you having a go. Providing you have done your research on the property, and checked all your sums. I everything adds up you could easily walk away with a steal!The essential things to remember are:1. You will need to pay a 10% non-refundable deposit on the day of the auction (so make sure you have the cash in your account and that you are sure before you bid)2. Most auctions have a guide price for the property they have in their sale. Don’t pay too much attention to this. Frequently, the figure is there just to lure in ‘newbie’ punters. The guide price isn’t the same as the Reserve Price. So even if the bids are more than the guide price the property may still fail to sell because the reserve has not been met.3. There is a good reason why property ends up at auction. It’s normally where ‘wreckers’ that need full refurbishment, property with complex legal issues or distressed property end up. Beware of an attractive property that looks is if it should sold through an estate agent. There may well be a complex legal reason (such as onerous or breached covenant) that has made it unsalable in the past. Make sure you get a good solicitor who has experience at buying property at auction and get them to fully check out the property’s title fully before you enter the sale room.4. Don’t be disheartened! It really is still possible to get a bargain. The nature of a property auction is that prices will ultimately vary on depending on who is in the sale room on that day. If it’s a wet and cold Wednesday or even a fantastically sunny Friday approaching a Bank Holiday the professional investors may not to turn up. This could give you a ‘free reign’ to bag that property bargain. Equally, if it is a very small auction that has not been publicised well; then you could end up being the only bidder in the room.
Different Property Investment Strategies Provide Different Property Returns
Property investors all have different goals with their investing and many different influences affect their goals for investment property returns. Some investors buy a property and expect the rent payments to purchase it for them over the years, but other investors look at investing in a property in a prime location which will put them into a negative gearing situation, but they are concentrating more on the capital return they will get from owning a property in a prime position.The market has constantly moving criteria and your view of the market at any one time also affects where you might buy a property and at what price.Take the example of an investor buying a property and using the rent to pay off the property. This property will be getting some principal paid off with the mortgage repayments and in due course there will be an equity value in the property that the owner can use to purchase another property. This method of build a property portfolio is a slower way of doing it but it could well suit an investor whose personal circumstances, knowledge in the market place, financial commitments and so on require this slower strategy. At a later date their situation may well change and then their property investment business plan will probably change too.In this second situation the investor buys a prime position property and there could be several reasons why they may do this. Here are some of those reasons that may cause the investor to purchase a more expensive property:- they have the funds or equity available to use on a more expensive property- they understand that prime position property prices rise quicker than average house prices do and the benefit of this could be that they will have more money quicker, to purchase again if the market is moving up- they want to live in the property themselves in a few years time and want to buy at the lower price- they want to use the negative cash flow as a tax deduction against a high personal income- they could own some positively geared properties and can use the positive cash flow to subsidise a more valuable propertyYou can see how the two different investors would be looking for different investment property returns from the different style of investing they are doing and also that the two different price structures could require different purchasing strategies.Over the years an investor’s view to property investing will most likely change due to the circumstances at the time and that is why property business plans are so important because tabs will be kept on your changing personal circumstances, on the changes with your property and adjustments can be made after due consideration if you so wish.Some investors I know keep on buying in a certain price bracket and have accumulated 50+ properties at the lower end of the market, whereas others I know have started at that level and over time have increased the value of each property they have purchased and are now buying properties in the $900,000 to $1.2M mark. Each investor has their own property investment strategies and plans when building their property portfolio and so they should to get the best out of their property investing.