Saturday, December 20, 2008

The Anti-Scam Home Based Business

With so many different scams found on the Internet, people quickly shy away from any business opportunity that makes high promises.Even if the business opportunity sounds legitimate or even if it's a legitimate home based business offering the opportunity to make lots of money, people often view it with a distrusting eye and may be slow to get involved.

Ensuring that a business is legitimate and sound and able to produce an income are some of the main things that an entrepreneur looks for when seeking the perfect business opportunity.

Most business opportunities that are home based are particularly prone to scams and unscrupulous opportunity providers because of the difficulty that home based business entrepreneurs have in proving a business' legitimacy.Since most home-based businesses are remote and operated by telecommuters, communication is usually done via email or sometimes through the phone lines.

Very rarely, if ever, are there brick and mortar buildings to double check the legitimacy of a real business.Scam operators know this and use this loophole to seduce would be home business owners.Scam predators count on this challenge to further their objective.

How can you tell if a business opportunity is legitimate or if it is a scam?What are some of the signs that a business is not a legitimate home based business opportunity?

The first thing to look for in determining whether or not a business is legitimate is to examine the claims that are made.Are there promises of instant wealth with very little work?Most likely, a scam follows.A solid business and profitable business takes consistent, dedicated work, usually creating a small income in the beginning and getting larger as more effort is placed into making the business work.And, with a home based business especially, consistency is even more important as the business develops and grows its marketing efforts and establishes a solid customer base.

Another sign of a legitimate home-based business opportunity is the track record of the business in question.Are there other people making money from this opportunity?Are the people in the opportunity long-timer's or is there a high attrition rate?Determine what, if any, the reason could be if a home based business opportunity has a revolving sign-up sheet.Ensure that the profits of the company are public or accessible.Secure testimonials of previous entrepreneurs who have participated in the business opportunity.

A third determination in assessing a business opportunity's legitimacy is the investment amount that is required at signup.The reason this is important is because the amount of the investment can be a red flag for a scam.Business investment amounts can be in any amount, low or high, and can be optionally paid in two or three installments.But, the clue to look for here is whether or not the investment amount matches the business opportunity or if it sounds too good to be true.

For example, if a home based business opportunity asks for $29.95 as a startup fee, but promises $1,000 on your first check, it's likely to be a too-good-to-be-true opportunity.Likewise, if you're asked for $5000 as an initial investment, but cannot seem to determine what it is exactly that the business does and how it plans to turn a profit, it is likely that the opportunity is not legitimate.

Another red flag is promising large sums of money to be made from one single transaction.While this is a very common, legitimate and plausible practice, companies who don't offer a solid product but claim to make you wealthy instantly should cause you to think before acting.

A desire to be a home-based business owner and embark on business opportunities is something that a lot of home-based aspirers are seeking.Bottom line is: doing your homework before investing, setting realistic expectations, and determining that the business fits your personality and lifestyle are all part of finding a legitimate home based business opportunity that fits your personality.


About the Author

To learn more about working at home see out site at http://www.

create-wealth-on-line.unifiedwealthsolutions.com/.

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Friday, December 19, 2008

How To Choose The Right Real Estate Team To Achieve Successful Condo Rentals

It is virtually impossible for one person to be an expert in all aspects of real estate investing and condo rentals are no different.While you may be knowledgeable in some or all areas, the only way to eliminate problems and maximize your ROI is to surround yourself with an experienced team.These individuals should satisfy the nine main roles involved in this type of entrepreneurial venture.

1.Guidance


An experienced and successful mentor is key to helping you through the entire process from the selection of your condo rentals to the end.

They know what to do, what not to do, and how to improve profits.It is also important for you to have supportive friends and family who will be there for you no matter how things turn out.

2.Realty Expert


A solid relationship with someone directly in the business of buying and selling is a priceless connection.

He or she will help you work through the acquisition of your first property and can alert you when good deals on condo rentals and other opportunities come to light.

3.Legal Professional


Anytime there is a document in play or a move to be made, you need a real estate lawyer to ensure everything works to your advantage.

This includes everything from tenant contracts to the hiring of a property manager.

4.Mortgage Broker


Unless you happen to have millions tucked in your mattress, chances are you will need a mortgage.

Your best choice here is someone who knows about investing and mortgages.They will help find the solutions that work best for you and are able to come up with creative solutions.

5.Insurance Expert


An insurance expert needs to help you find profitable solutions with the coverage you need.

If the worst happens with your condo rentals, they will work with you to get the money you need and deserve.Also, an agent that is familiar with your dealings can help get the papers through faster.

Accounting


Receipts, invoices, bills, taxes, and other financial needs are demanding on your mind and require someone who is constantly in the 'know' of what is new in these areas.

An accountant will keep tabs on everything and make recommendations, particularly at tax time, that can make and save you a substantial amount of money.

Title Representative


Buying or selling buildings and land can be a costly and dragged out process.

The person in this role will help to get the deals through efficiently and profitably without consuming large amounts of your time.

Property Manager


A property manager's role is to look after all aspects of your condo rentals.

This frees up your valuable time.He or she will keep track of rent collection, repairs, invoicing, and other needs of the business in a way that makes you money.In short, a property manager is your eyes, ears, and hands.Because they deal with this type of investment all of the time, they will have advertising, handyman, and other experts in line and a good relationship with each that not only saves you time, but makes you money.

Contractor


When it comes to bringing a building up to standards or remodeling projects to keep the units profitable, you need someone who knows the world of construction and know the best methods to get the job done.

They should be able to respect your deadlines and help to keep as much money as possible in your pocket.


About the Author

Christine O'Kelly writes for Beal Property, LLC, property manager experts.

Beal Properties Chicago cares for condo rentals in and around the city's beloved historic neighborhoods and prides itself on its service.

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Thursday, December 18, 2008

Classroom Organization Tips: Flexible Solutions

Classroom organization makes every task go more smoothly, and teachers have no excuses.In this article, you'll look at the different areas of the classroom - from student supplies and files, to your own desk - and explore ways to organize and maintain each one with readily available products.Specifics may vary; however, the following includes helpful guidelines from which everyone can benefit.

Flexibile Solutions: Organize Other Classroom Areas
If your classroom is home to several work areas, you need a plan for each one.
For example, a classroom library should have some sort of system for keeping track of books.A printed notes folder offers an easy way for students to sign things out; students can file book reports, essays, questions, and worksheets inside the folder for you to review later.
You can also set up activity centers using file folders with info pockets.They offer plenty of space for filing worksheets, and they have an outside pocket where you can store tools your students need for their activities -- protractors, vocabulary flash cards, scissors, photos, and other materials.If you store everything in a single folder, students can simply grab it and go, and then you all get more done in less time.

Label absolutely everything.Make it easy for you, your students, and any substitute teachers in your classroom to find items quickly and easily.

Use your color-coded system in computer workstations to store worksheets corresponding to different subjects or classes.Students can remove only the folders they need, or file their completed work when they've finished.

For labs and other group projects, hanging files with dividers work well; each partner can use half the folder.2-in-1 poly folders make it easy for students to store files in a hanging file cabinet in the classroom; the hanging tabs retract so that folders and other papers aren't damaged if students take them home.

Expanding file pockets are terrific for yearlong projects that students will constantly add to.Label one for each student, and show students how individual folders can be stored inside.Designate specific filing cabinets for each subject or class, and teach your students how to store their materials at the end of each work session.

Create a Mobile Office
Even if you have your own classroom, you sometimes have to stand in for a different teacher.
And if your schedule requires that you constantly move around your campus, you don't ever have the luxury of a permanent desk.You need a mobile office that you can pack up and take with you at a moment's notice.

Start with a vertical file -- you can hang it wherever you land for easy access to important files; when you're on the go, the file folds up to a portable size.The file carrier is another innovative solution for teachers who constantly move around.Open your hanging file cabinet, pull out just the folders you need, and store them in the carrier.Its elastic closure keeps your papers from falling out when you're racing through the hallways, and the professional look means you'll never confuse your documents with your students' work.

Each time you arrive in a new classroom, hang your vertical file immediately.That way, you can reach in and retrieve worksheets as you need them.Keep your file carrier close at hand for easy access to those papers.Stock your file carrier with folders that do double duty, such as the hot pocket file folders and the printed notes folders.You'll maximize the information you can carry around without breaking your back.

Regular filing is even more critical if you're constantly moving around.Take two 5-minute breaks daily to make sure papers aren't getting lost in the shuffle.Designate one folder to yourself that will hold your notes.If students ask you questions or you need to look up information, write it on a full-size sheet of paper and file it in your notes folder.At the end of the day, review everything in that folder, answer any questions, and re-file your papers to prepare for the next day.


About the Author

Sharon Mann is President of the I Hate Filing Club, a group of nearly 100,000 office professionals who hate filing but love finding new ways to become more organized.

Here are some great classroom organization products that will help keep all of their activities in order.Visit our site for details.

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Finding the Right Arizona Auction Firm

Finding the right Arizona auction firm is critical for businesses both large and small.This article will provide you with information about hiring and finding the right people for auctioneers.Specifics may vary from business to business; however, the following information includes helpful and important guidelines from which everyone can benefit.

In my travels, I have the unique opportunity to meet a lot of different business owners from other industries than that of auction or liquidation.And it is typical that every entrepreneur I know thinks their business is different from all the rest with its own distinct set of issues and challenges.However there is always a common theme among every enterprise leader and that is the issue of finding great people to work for their organization and finding good customers with which to conduct business.

Which comes first - good customers or great employees?I know that when one of our "favorite" customers calls or stops in for a meeting that all the employees light up and are excited to be of service in anyway possible to that client.The client in return believes highly in the skills and the abilities of the team members that are serving him or her.It starts a domino effect or a love affair for all involved.Employees need to be appreciated and there is no better adorner of attention than a happy customer.

If the theory is that everyone likes to be made to feel important and that everyone includes employees, customers and the business leaders alike; then it only makes sense that we strive to make all of them believe they are central to our success.This isn't a new business concept but there is always that difficult customer that gets in the way of turning theory into reality.There is only one solution - don't do business with customers that are difficult.

In our firm we actually have a set of value statements that include "we will work with exciting customers who turn us on and stretch us - from whom we can learn and with whom we enjoy associating." Customers that don't meet the criteria are not our customers.I know you probably are thinking that for the right amount of money we would overlook a potential customer's quirks.And you couldn't be farther from the truth.The voice of experience has taught us that difficult clients make for unprofitable auctions.

Let me give you an example.Two years ago we competed for the auction business of a large corporation.They asked us to bid as competitively as possible so they could give us the contract and made a promise that they would not put the business out to bid again for at least five years allowing us to raise our rates in the second year.Of course their request was not in writing and their legal department would not allow the concession to be recorded, they asked us to work with them on a handshake.

We did exactly what they asked us to do and dropped our rate to break-even.We conducted a highly successful auction for them and knew their business would prove to be very profitable in the future.We were looking forward to their next auction and found that they put the auction work out for bid yet another time.

We spoke with the firm and asked what had happened to our handshake agreement.Their response was that someone higher up on the management chain had asked to get competitive bids and it was out of their hands.So the bid went out and we received a copy.We did not submit a proposal for the work.Their procurement people called and asked us when they should expect our bid - and we told them we were not planning on participating.

Over the past two years we have received several calls from various members of their organization encouraging us to bid on their work and lamenting over how much they miss the quality of our service.

We politely decline each time that they call.It is substantial revenue but we know we don't want to work with this client.And the reasons aren't just because they didn't honor their commitments.It goes deeper than that.We believe if we insist on integrity from our employees than we must encourage the same in our customers.When we let one slip, the other invariably follows suit and so follows the company.

Attracting good people whether they are employees or customers is about letting them know what the expectations for their performance will be.I believe you can have great employees if they know that they are well respected and that the company they work for walks and talks the message.If the company stands firm then employees stand strong behind the company.Good employees are not so much a matter of the people themselves but the culture and environment that the company sets.


About the Author

Deb Weidenhamer is CEO of Auction Systems, the Southwest's most active auction and appraisal company.

Check out our website for our Arizona auction firm schedules or call 800-801-8880 for more information.

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Monday, December 15, 2008

Information On Technical Support

Technical support (also tech support) is a range of services providing assistance with technology products such as mobile phones, televisions, computers, or other electronic or mechanical goods.In general, technical support services attempt to help the user solve specific problems with a product rather than providing training, customization, or other support services.Most companies offer technical support for the products they sell, either freely available or for a fee.Technical support may be delivered over the telephone or online by e-mail or a web site.Larger organizations frequently have internal technical support available to their staff for computer related problems.

The internet is also a good source for freely available tech support, where experienced users may provide advice and assistance with problems.In addition, some fee-based service companies charge for premium technical support services.Technical support may be delivered by different technologies depending on the situation.For example, direct questions can be addressed using SMS, email or fax; basic software problems can be addressed over the telephone or using remote support; while more complicated problems with equipment may need to be dealt with in person.With the increasing use of technology in modern times, there is a growing requirement to provide technical support.Many organizations locate their technical support departments or call centers in countries with lower costs.There has also been a growth in companies specializing in providing technical support to other organizations.

For businesses needing to provide technical support, outsourcing provides them with the ability to maintain a high availability of service.This comes as a result of peaks in call volumes during the day, periods of high activity due to the introduction of new products and maintenance service packs, and the necessity to provide consumers with a high level of service at a low cost to the business.For businesses needing technical support assets, outsourcing enables their core employees to focus more on their work in order to maintain productivity.It also enables them to utilize specialized personnel whose technical knowledge base and experience may exceed the scope of the business, thus providing a higher level of technical support to their employees

Technical support is often subdivided into tiers, or levels, in order to better serve a business or customer base.

The number of levels a business uses to organize their technical support group is dependent on a business need, want, or desire as it revolves around their ability to sufficiently serve their customers or users.The reason for providing a multi-tiered support system instead of one general support group is to provide the best possible service in the most efficient possible manner.Success of the organizational structure is dependent on the technicians understanding of their level of responsibility and commitments, their customer response time commitments, and when to appropriately escalate an issue and to which level

Technical support centers can be certified to help ensure a particular business is maintaining a high level of information technology service and support standards.

Of the certifications available for support centers and technicians, there are two internationally recognized certifications geared specifically towards support centers as a wholeThe Help Desk Institute (HDI) Support Center Certification and the Service Strategies Service Capability and Performance (SCP) Standards.Both certifications were developed by experts and organizations from around the world and both were developed under the premise of enhancing the quality of customer service and support.
About the Author

Get Call Center


Use Technical Support


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Sunday, December 14, 2008

Business Owner: Are You Terrified of the Sharks You Cant See Coming

If you are a the owner of a small business its not hard to imagine yourself all alone in a tiny boat, rowing steadily across a calm lake.Everything seems fine - and yet you keep looking over your shoulder, when you know you should be focusing on the future, wondering if there is something you havent thought of.

Things seem to be going smoothly - but theres a dark shadow in the water behind you that you cant quite make out.What is it Why do you feel so uneasy Are there assumptions about the business you havent tested thoroughly

Suddenly you hear the sound of a helicopter overhead - you look up - and in its doorway - you see a familiar face.

Its someone you know whose opinions you trust - waving down from their birds-eye-view - yelling "there are sharks in the water" and lowering a bucket of shark repellent.

In fact every time you look up you see another trusted advocate - someone with a valuable perspective as well as your best interests at heart.From that moment on your decisions regarding the directions you take and the preparations you make - are made with confidence

Typically entrepreneurs and owners of small businesses are forced to make critical decisions alone.

They often feel that they dont have anyone to talk to about their business.There may not be anyone around who knows what needs to be known in order to make the right decisions.And in some cases the things the business owner knows for sure - but has never verified, are simply wrong.Decisions made without testing the underlying assumptions often result in the destruction of the entire business.

When business owners and entrepreneurs join mastermind peer groups they find a very powerful and easy to manage process that creates an atmosphere of support and success that is impossible to duplicate.These types of mastermind peer groups have been around for almost a Century and, because of virtually free long distance calls and the Internet, they are a growing business phenomenon being used business businesses of all sizes for problem solving, inspiration, and motivation.

Instead of making decisions alone, with a mastermind group of 3-7 individuals who come together on a regular basis - decisions are made with much more accuracy.For small business owners who are members of the same industry and the same trade association - the mastermind peer group made up of members spread all over this country is an excellent resources for decision making with confidence.

It is a well known fact that the vast majority of all new businesses fail during the first few years.When the economy is in turmoil the rate of failure goes up even more.And even those who survive the critical two years face dramatic challenges when they attempt to move beyond the sole proprietor survival mode to that of a company with employees and all sorts of other business-as-usual tasks required for them to be taken seriously by their competitors, their bankers, and their vendors.

Mastermind peer groups are made up of people bonded together to work on a common objective, giving each member confidence - safety in numbers of years of experience.These mastermind peer groups are a great way to leverage the intellectual capital and personal networks and procedures the other members have spent years developing.They are a great source of encouragement during hard times too, when the groups are formed by business people dedicated to supporting each other in all kinds of weather.

Successful businesses have a "long view" as well as immediate tasks to face and fires to extinguish.Successful business people understand that having a team of advocates - comprised of individuals with no axe to grind and no hidden agenda, to develop ideas and move forward with quickly, is key to their success.In addition to the networking effect, a peer-to-peer mastermind group helps them constantly educate themselves, expose themselves to new ideas, and implement what they learn.When they learn from others who have demonstrated long term success in the same industry, the value of the lessons is directly relevant to them.

There is no doubt that being a part of a successful mastermind group can be an invaluable and enriching experience, both personally and professionally.There is also no doubt that business mastermind peer groups are also the best way to network with others, create synergy and collaboration of between business owners in an open, supportive environment.Simply put, a peer to peer mastermind group is based on the concept that two heads are better than one, and five to 10 heads yield exponentially more significant results for everyone involved.

Look Out There really are sharks in the water and the best shark repellant will be provided by the members of your peer to peer mastermind group.
About the Author

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