Starting a Home Based Business is not as difficult as one would assume. However, starting a Home Based Business from scratch should be done with careful planning. Just like with a “traditional” business,Home Based Businesses should be planned with attention to detail in mind. Before starting your Home Based Business, make sure that you have somewhere in your home that is comfortable where you can work from. I would suggest a spare room or maybe your kitchen table (if there is no children. Kitchens are not favorable if there’s school age children in the home). Once you’ve established where you’re going to be working from, now its time to get the necessary tools that will help to run your business.1.ComputerWhen choosing a computer, it is best that you consult with an IT person or someone who is knowledgeable when it comes to computers. I would recommend getting a computer that has at least a couple of GB’s worth of memory and about 500MB of RAM. The thing to remember is “what” your using the computer for. If you will be surfing the NET primarily, then you won’t need all that much space-but if you’re going to be doing projects that require multiple applications, then your best bet is to get a computer that can handle such tasks as running multiple programs at once. Computers are rather inexpensive nowadays. You can get decent ones from Walmart, BestBuy, and other electronics providers.2. Fax/Scanner/Copier/PrinterThis is actually a no-brainer. You can purchase all-in-one machines that will get the job done. It is vital to be able to receive and send faxes. Customers/clients will view you as professional when you have this capability.3. Unlimited Long Distance capabilitySince your running your very own Home Based Business, you will interact with people from all over the world (if your selling via the Internet) and it is vital to have the ability to communicate with people who are in different time zones. Make sure that you get “unlimited” minutes to avoid huge phone bills.4. Business CardsThere is nothing worse that you can do to yourself and to your business than to advertise your business to people and don’t have business cards to give them. This is a complete turn-off and a sign that you are not serious about your business. People are busy and do not like to wait around while you search for a pen and paper. Aaauugghh!5. Virus ProtectionMake sure that you protect your computer against viruses and hackers. Get some good protection and make sure that it stays updated.6. Bookkeeping softwareLet’s face it. Unless you really have a lot of cash on hand, you need to keep your own books. With the latest software available such as “QuickBooks”, you can pretty much get the job done in a professional manner.7. Business Phone LineThere’s nothing more tacky than making a business call only to hear kids screaming in the background. Though you’re operating your business from home, you must remember that customers expect professionalism. Try getting a separate business line. This way, when people call the business line, you can answer the phone using your business name. Remember to work from a calm and quiet location.8. Motivational Cds and BooksI cannot overemphasise the importance of motivation. The world is filled with negative people, whether its someone on the job, in our homes, news media, or news paper, there is always an abundance of negativism to influence us for the worst. A way to overcome this distraction is through positive motivational lectures/speeches. As Entrepreneurs, we all face days where we feel like giving up. Let’s face it. We’ve chosen the road less traveled. We made the decision to think “outside” of the box, in order to gain control of our financial lives. In other words, we have gone against the grain, which will always bring difficulty, controversy, and stress. Just like cars need to be re-fueled every so many miles, we, too, need to be re-fueled with positive affirmations and inspirational messages that are designed to bring out the best that’s in us.9. Tax IDDepending on where you live and/or what your business is, you will need a tax ID number. Uncle sam wants his cut, so you have to let him know that you’re in business. The great thing about running your own business is that the tax laws favor you. People who are employees get taxed before they see their paycheck, you, on the other hand, as a business owner, get to run your business, make profits, then reallocate those profits, and pay taxes on “whats left”:)10.You need a PRODUCT/BUSINESSNow that you have the proper tools, let’s get started. If you already have a product in mind, then get started with your advertising( I will speak about advertising another time). If you don’t have a product or service yet, consider Ecoquest. Ecoquest International has been around for over 2 decades and is one of the worlds largest producers of indoor air quality equipment. Ecoquest offers a turn-key business opportunity for those who are serious about owning their own Home Based Business. You don’t have to worry about products or advertising, Ecoquest provides all of the tools you need to get started TODAY. Simply visit the link at the bottom of the page and get started on the road to owning your own business.

When making the choice to sell their home, most people immediately decide to use the traditional route – An estate agent.There are various reasons why this is often seen as the best, or indeed the only viable option out there with people often assuming it is the fastest way to sell a property, the easiest way, and the way to get the best price for the property you can. Whilst it is true, estate agents do have their advantages, they also come with a whole lot of disadvantages. Not only this, but they are also surprisingly not always the fastest, easiest or most cost effective way to get a sale. In fact, they can become quite the opposite in the long run.Many people assume selling via an estate agent will give their property more exposure and therefore a faster sale. Whilst this is true in theory, you only need one person to want your property for it to be sellable and the fact is you could advertise your house to the whole world, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you will come across that one person who matches your exact taste and wants a property in your exact location – that person might not even exist!Selling property is hard work and estate agents charge hefty fees to compensate for this, and even once a buyer is found, assuming that the sale does not fall through for any reason it can still take on average at least 17 weeks (over 4 months) to complete the sale.This is not exactly the fastest way to sell a property, especially when compared to an alternative such as a property buyer. Despite the advantages of selling directly to a property buyer, they are a much lesser known way of selling a property.So, what is a property buyer and how exactly do estate agents compare to selling direct to a one of these companies?
A property buyer will generally purchase your house within 28 days from start to finish. /An Estate Agent could take between 17-24 weeks to complete the sale.

A property buyer will purchase the property no matter what condition it is in. The style you have decorated your home in does not affect their decision to buy your home. / An Estate Agent can only market your property to a vast audience of people in the hope that someone will either match your taste, be prepared to give the whole house a makeover upon completion or even be willing to renovate the property if necessary.

A property buyer will charge you no fees and no hidden charges; they will generally pay up to £500 towards your legal fees for you. / An estate agent will typically charge you 1.75% + 17.5% VAT of the sale price in fees (amounting to at least £2000 in most cases), you will have to pay out for legal fees (usually around £500) and you will also require a HIP, around £200. Other costs include valuation and survey fees.

A property buyer will make you an offer which will be the final price you actually receive for your property – typically up to 82% of the open market value. There will be no fees or charges taking value away from this. / An offer made and accepted through an estate agent is typically only 90% of the open market value of the property. When you deduct from this all the extra fees and charges associated with a sale through an estate agent, and the fact that re-negotiation of around 2.5% is commonplace following the survey it becomes clear why a sale through an estate agent may not actually be the most cost effective (or speedy) way of selling a property!

A property buyer can give you the option to rent back the property as a tenant, a useful advantage if you need to release equity but remain in the home. A genuine and honest property buyer will NOT evict you soon after you have completed the sale so that they can sell the property on for their own advantage – indeed a reputable one will see the advantages of having a trusted and familiar tenant living in a property they have known and cared for for many years and will prefer to keep the property in this situation as part of their portfolio than sell it on at all. A company such as the one I run specializes in this. / An estate agent will not give you the option to rent back, and should you need to rent alternative accommodation, you will then need to put down a deposit for the property you intend to rent, having moving expenses such as a removal van and all the upheaval of moving to a different property.

A property buyer is capable of moving fast enough to stop property repossessions and evictions no matter what stage the seller is at. It has even been known for property buyers to get vendors back into their property after eviction. If there is any spare equity left over following the sale of the property and repayment of debts, the seller will be able to keep this. / An estate agent sale has very little hope of stopping repossession due to the time taken. If a property is repossessed and goes to auction because of this, it is unlikely the much reduced sale of the property will cover the entire debts owed and will more than likely leave the previous owner cash strapped and homeless.
When all this is taken into account, it is easy to see why more and more homeowners are choosing to sell directly to a property buyer rather than use an estate agent. With a property buyer, the whole transaction is in the hands of the buyer who genuinely wants the sale to proceed as quickly as possible, and you can rest assured that you will not have the all too familiar lack of communication often associated with an Estate Agent. Nor will you have to constantly chase them to push the sale forward faster and have to wait the unacceptable time scale an estate agent expects you to wait for contracts to be exchanged.Should you decide that this is an option for you, it is important you find a reliable and honest property buyer; I personally recommend that you submit your details to a company with a network of buyers available throughout the UK, to save you the time and hassle of submitting to several different companies. A company such as this will do the searching for you meaning again that you only have to have one point of contact which keeps it nice and simple and consequently stress free!

One of the primary benefits of residential property management is the local rental market knowledge that can be difficult for a property owner to obtain. Having an established set of resources or a network available for determining fair market rental rates can be critical to ensuring your home is appropriately priced and quickly occupied in order to maximize the real estate investment. Property owner’s may simply not be aware of cost fluctuations that may be occurring naturally within the market or even identified issues that could be causing a short or long term impact on the renter’s market. A residential property manager can have invaluable knowledge to assist an investor with appropriate pricing and marketing of the rental property.

Typically real estate investors are not equipped with the database tools or metrics showing the fluctuations of local rental prices. For example, a residential property management firm would likely have access to information detailing when prices are at their highest per square foot and when they are at their lowest. This information could impact when the rental property is placed on the market and how much the monthly rental fees should be, as well as whether first and last month’s rent should be mandated, the market rate for damage deposits or pet fees.

Consulting the experience of a residential property management firm can also help to market the rental home. Spending the right amount on marketing material including advertising the rental or even holding an open house can be time consuming and fruitless for someone that is inexperienced with the process or unfamiliar with the industry tools. A residential property management firm will be knowledgeable of the right advertising location depending on the type of residence being offered.

Residential property management has an integral part in adequate marketing of a rental property. A property owner will also appreciate the expertise of a residential property manager in the areas of proper market rates for rental fees and deposits. Property owners can feel reassurance that their property will quickly be occupied with the tools and knowledge base that a residential property management company can offer.

Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising is the fastest growing segment of online advertising. According to Forbes Magazine, by the year 2012, companies will spend $15 billion a year on PPC advertising. The beauty of this marketing model is that the advertiser pays only when a consumer actually clicks on the ad and, thus, through to his or her business’s Web site. In this respect, the customer can be considered a pre-qualified lead, since he or she has already shown interest in the product, first, by typing in the search term and, second, by clicking on the advertising link. Because of its proven effectiveness, the benefits of Pay Per Click advertisements is rapidly growing in popularity among businesses both large and small. It is projected to make up nearly half of total spending on digital advertising over the next few years.

The Role of PPC Advertising in Business Today:

In today’s increasingly Web-centric world, a well-managed and optimized PPC campaign can be the most cost-effective form of advertising. Many people see the opportunities of benefits of Pay Per Click advertisements. Indeed, search marketing is the fastest-growing segment of the advertising industry, accounting for roughly $20 billion per year, or more than 40 percent of all online advertising dollars.

Ironically, part of the reason for this is the global recession. In an effort to cut costs, many corporations are reallocating their marketing budgets away from television and direct marketing campaigns to methods that are more readily measurable. The statistical programs available make PPC advertising absolutely accountable and transparent in terms of tracing the actual return on investment (ROI) per ad.

The Benefits of Pay Per Click Advertising:
The benefits of PPC advertising make it arguably the ideal form of advertising in today’s environment. Despite the network or search engine used, PPC brings certain specific benefits for businesses small and large:

- You Get What You Pay For:
With PPC marketing you only pay for every time someone actually clicks on an advertisement. This differs from traditional online advertising where you would pay for the number of times your ad is viewed. Because of this you get a much higher percentage of targeted visitors to your website for each dollar spent.

- Immediate Results:
When you set up a PPC campaign through a site such as Google you can immediately get results as you will start showing up in searches in a very short amount of time. This is often the fastest way to get seen on search engines as it can sometimes take weeks to show up in the organic search results (normal search engine results).

- Target Your Customers:
By choosing which keywords and types of websites your advertisements are shown on you can specifically target your customers. You can also customize your campaigns to show certain ads or certain wording variations based on the site or search keywords.

- Specify a Budget:
Custom budgets can be created so that you can choose how much you want to spend on certain days or months. If you sell Christmas decorations you can choose to ramp up your advertising during the busy fall months leading up to Christmas time and spend less during the summer months.

- Track Your Results:
Your PPC campaign will include a result tracking service that shows you which keywords are being the most effective for each ad. You can even get more in depth and track if a product was bought from a click.

- Advertise 24/7:
Your ads will be shown to potential customers all day. This means that even if you are a brick and mortar store visitors can still be sent to your website when your shop is closed.

- Change on the Fly:
Finding that an ad is not generating results? See a word spelled incorrectly? No problem. Simply login and either delete that advertisement or make small wording changes and try again. You can compare with try asking your local newspaper to change some wording in the middle of a print!