Finding Private Money for Real Estate Investing - Expanded Circle

September 28, 2010 by Kenny Santos  
Filed under Real Estate Investing

The first step to finding private money for real estate investing is to look at your own funds, like retirement and savings. Next, you want to find out if anyone in your family has funds they could loan you. I?ve already written articles on those two sources. Today, I want you to consider expanding your search radius.

A primary source of private money for real estate investing in my own experience has been friends, professional relationships, and casual contacts. These are the people you rub shoulders with day in and day out, and these are the people you should be prepared to talk to about real estate investing.

How can you prepare? Glad you asked.

These folks are the ones you will need to share your elevator speech with. What?s an elevator speech, you ask? I?ve have written another article entitled ?Private Money For Real Estate Investing ? Your Elevator Speech? that goes into great detail. You can find it elsewhere on this site? just look on my author page.

To recap, an elevator speech is a short, pithy explanation of your investing activities, as well as how and why you use private money for real estate investing. It?s not designed to tell them everything, only to give them a quick overview, and whet their appetite for more.

That?s why you also want to be prepared to close them on a follow-up appointment to share more information. Either a one-on-one, like a lunch, or a seminar setting will work. Either way, if possible you want to share your elevator speech, get them interested, and close the deal with an appointment to tell them more.

Who should you be looking for? Anyone and everyone you know and have regular contact with. Don?t pre-judge just because you think they have no money, or don?t believe they would be interested in loaning you private money for real estate investing.

Professionals like doctors, attorneys, and accountants often have money to loan, or know others who do. Ask for referrals. Don?t limit yourself to only professionals? your friends can be a good source of private money for real estate investing. People you see daily at the stores and businesses you frequent are also possibilities. In short, anyone you know and who knows you.

Starting the conversation is best accomplished with a question. ?You know Mike, I was wondering,? you say, ?have you ever considered getting involved in real estate investing?? This opens the door, now all you need to do is walk through it!

These are just a few ideas on finding private money for real estate investing. For much more try http://www.private-money-real-estate-investing.com.

Need a quick jumpstart for Beginning Real Estate Investing? Tom Dunn writes “DealFiles - Real Estate Investor Stories”… stories of real investors just like you and their real deals. Why not check it out right now? It’s FREE! You are welcome to share this report, unedited and in it’s entirety, with anyone you like. This text, and all live text links, must remain intact. ? 2007 by Tom Dunn.

Is Business Ownership In Your Future?

September 28, 2010 by Kenny Santos  
Filed under Business/Network Marketing


 

Is Business Ownership In Your Future?

Submitted By: Tim Knox
 
 

T he last time we met I told you about the U.S. Department of Labor?s prediction that within the next ten to fifteen years fifty percent of the American workforce will consist of home workers, independent contractors, consultants, telecommuters, freelancers, and of course, entrepreneurs.

Think about that for a moment, especially if you are a diehard nine-to-fiver who can?t imagine yourself leaving the comfort of a regular job to try something different. The workplace of the future is either going to be an exciting or dreadful place, and it?s up to you which side of the coin you fall on.

You see, what the Labor Department doesn?t say, but I believe to be true, is that those who find themselves earning a living in non-traditional careers will do so for one of two reasons: they either freely chose to throw off the shackles of the traditional nine-to-five or they were forced to do so because they were casualties of the future?s changing work models.

Layoffs, downsizing, outsourcing, work force reduction, and position elimination: all very nice politically-correct terms that mean one thing: you had better be open to changing the way you think about work because, my brothers and sisters, the times they are a? changing.

The point of our discussion last time focused on those of you who may one day choose the entrepreneurial path. There is a process for going from worker bee to entrepreneur wannabe and it begins with a healthy dose of self-assessment (look inward to determine if you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur) followed by the determination of what kind of business best suits your situation and personality, how you will fund the business, and the writing of a solid business plan.

Now let?s talk about the nuts and bolts of the process: finding a location, lining up vendors, hiring and managing employees, dealing with customers, creating a marketing strategy … hmm, this could turn into a very long column. Let me see if I can abbreviate the process in four paragraphs or less.

If your business will be a brick and mortar, nothing is as important as location. What might be a great location for a shoe store might be a horrible location for a donut shop. What may appear to be a busy location in the morning might be a ghost town in the afternoon. You should rely on experts for this important piece of the process. Work with a commercial realtor or business broker to find a location that meets your specific needs.

Next, if yours will be a product-driven business, your success could hinge on the quality, price, and availability of the products you sell. You must establish strong relationships with reliable vendors who can provide an ample supply of the products your customers demand. Always be cultivating relationships with new vendors. Never rely on a single source for products because sources have a tendency to dry up over time.

Next comes the hiring and managing of employees. Like your location and product, employees can make or break your business. Knowledgeable employees who know the value of - and deliver - exceptional customer service are like nuggets of gold. Unfortunately, they are also as hard to find. Don?t hire your wife?s brother or your best friend?s son. It?s easier to find a new best friend than a new customer. Hire based on experience and expertise and train every employee well. Set expectations high and most important of all, lead by example, not by the book.

Finally, the big question: if you build it will they come? Afraid not, my new entrepreneur friend. You must have a killer marketing plan that will bring the world - or at least your piece of the world - to your door.

You can have the best product in the world, but if you don?t tell anyone about it, you won?t sell a thing. Creating a killer marketing plan really isn?t that hard. Just ask yourself questions like: who is my target customer and what is the best way to reach them? What can I do to stand out from the crowd? What can I do differently? How can I get noticed? And how can I do that without spending an arm and leg on advertising? Two great books on this topic are Purple Cow by Seth Godin and There?s A Customer Born Every Minute: P.T. Barnum?s Secrets To Business Success by Joe Vitale.

Of course there?s far more to going from employee to entrepreneur than I can cover here in just a couple of columns, which is why I wrote a book on the topic called Everything I Know About Business I Learned From My Mama.

Shameless self-promotion aside, I hope this will help you decide if future entrepreneurship is for you. No matter what path you choose remember this: the workplace is changing. You must be prepared and willing to change with it or you?ll end up a statistic on another government list, this one stamped: Unemployed.

About the Author:

Tim Knox Entrepreneur, Radio Host “Check Out Tim’s New Radio Show!” http://www.timknoxshow.com Preorder Tim?s New Book: Everything I Know About Business I Learned From My Mama http://www.timknox.com/amazon/

iSnare Articles Trademark Balls #BREAK#

Real Estate Investing - Is Now A Good Time?

September 25, 2010 by Kenny Santos  
Filed under Real Estate Investing

The timing is always right for investing in real estate. As with any investment, you need to be careful of certain things ? it is never a question of timing, but a question of location, mortgage affordability and maintenance.

Location - the number of like properties in the area, economy of the area, one huge employer or many small employers.

Cash flow - will more money be going out than coming in?

Managed professionally ? maintenance headaches belong to someone trained to handle them - not to you.

The economy of an area makes a big difference in whether the area is a ?hot market? or not. When the jobs are there, new ones opening up, and the population is growing, that makes a market hot? plenty of renters. When an area depends on one huge employer, this can make an area not as attractive for an investor because anything can happen to that employer.

One must make sure of facts, however. There is a company in Shreveport, Louisiana which shuts its doors for three weeks every year and lays off over 2000 employees when they do so. This kind of activity can skew area statistics making it seem to be a poor place to invest when that isn?t the true picture. When Boeing shut down, the real estate around Boeing bottomed out, but Canadians swooped in buying up everything in sight and made millions on their investments. That is because the market corrected itself.

Mortgage interest rates are rising at the moment. This does not mean that real estate is unaffordable. It does not mean that the real estate market is going to crash. Far from those dire predictions is the fact that real estate markets correct themselves over time.

Buying and holding is good strategy. Buying and holding and not being able to eat or not being able to buy clothes for your kids is not good strategy. There is a wonderful balance that can be reached. Utilizing hot market areas, where the rent will cover the mortgage and any other expenses involved with being a landlord makes real estate investment a low risk opportunity.

Professional management is the crowning touch for investing in real estate. It is mainly common sense strategy. Who wants to get up in the middle of the night to fix a stopped up toilet or to fix a broken heater? Not even the guy that gets paid for doing it likes that part of the job.

A management company does more than just maintenance. A management company will make sure you get your rent, by not only collecting it but will also make sure you have a tenant. Managing property is what they do and the only way they get more business is if they are good at what they do. You can rest easy with a professional management company because the usual landlord problems are solved by them instead of becoming a worry for you.

Investment Property Specialist - Alex Anderson Connects Real Estate Investors With High-Quality Investment Properties. Get A Free Copy Of, “The Investor’s Rental Guide” at: http://www.GreatInvestmentProperty.com

Virtual Business Ownership - - Marketing The Best You

September 24, 2010 by Kenny Santos  
Filed under Business/Network Marketing

When you think of the word “marketing”, most people automatically associate the term with a business, however, in this article it will be associated with you, the virtual business owner.

Now picture this, Zipgirl is attending a network gathering and someone walks up to her and says “Hi there, my name is ABC and I represent XYZ company” Zipgirl responds, pleased to meet you, my name is Zipgirl and I work from home. Well, ABC simply nodded and walked away. Would you have done the same as ABC? Did Zipgirl say enough to attract your attention or enough to make you want to stay and listen? I think we both agree in a resounding NO.

To often times when we are asked who we are and what we do, we short change ourselves by not marketing the best in ourselves. How can I do it better you ask? Below are some questions that will help you to identify your marketing strengths as well as your challenges:

- Can you describe your personality in just five words?
- Are you totally committed as well as passionate about what you do?
- Are you always optimistic about what you do in spite of the challenges you face?
- Are you happy doing what you do?
- What’s unique about your service or product?
- What type of energy do you release when you talk about your business? Do you leave people fascinated and wanting to learn more or bored and uninterested?
- When out promoting your business, what does your outward appearance say about you? Do you walk with your head down? Do stay cooped in the corner of the room or are you out in the crowd taking charge, meeting people with a smile, standing tall and bringing out the best in those you meet?

Next, I’ll share with you some tips on how to market the best in you:

- Always present a pleasant smile, whether on the telephone, in person, in email or even in a fax (SMILE)
- Do what you love (you’ll be more fulfilled)
- Dont try to be the jack-of-all-trades (you do everything and anything) rather, specialize (promote the one thing or area you do best)
- Be unique (original)
- Always be professional
- Always be yourself
- Always express a sense of passion in what it is you do
- Always explore ways to enhance yourself (personally, professionally, and/or spiritually)

As you can see, marketing the best you is more than just selling or promoting your business and it’s products or services. As a business owner, you are in most cases the business (when people meet you, they are immediately exposed to the quality of your service or product). In the virtual world however, people won’t necessarily meet you face-to-face but they too are exposed to the quality of your service or product. How? Through your website, telephone conversation, and/or via email responses.

In closing, remember this, first impressions are everlasting, so when given the opportunity always remember to market the best in You…

To learn more about the Virtual Business Owners Initiative go to: www.vsscyberoffice.com.

Now picture this, Zipgirl is attending a network gathering and someone walks up to her and says “Hi there, my name is ABC and I represent XYZ company” Zipgirl responds, pleased to meet you, my name is Zipgirl and I work from home. Well, ABC simply nodded and walked away. Would you have done the same as ABC? Did Zipgirl say enough to attract your attention or enough to make you want to stay and listen? I think we both agree in a resounding NO.

To often times when we are asked who we are and what we do, we short change ourselves by not marketing the best in ourselves. How can I do it better you ask? Below are some questions that will help you to identify your marketing strengths as well as your challenges:

- Can you describe your personality in just five words?
- Are you totally committed as well as passionate about what you do?
- Are you always optimistic about what you do in spite of the challenges you face?
- Are you happy doing what you do?
- What’s unique about your service or product?
- What type of energy do you release when you talk about your business? Do you leave people fascinated and wanting to learn more or bored and uninterested?
- When out promoting your business, what does your outward appearance say about you? Do you walk with your head down? Do stay cooped in the corner of the room or are you out in the crowd taking charge, meeting people with a smile, standing tall and bringing out the best in those you meet?

Next, I’ll share with you some tips on how to market the best in you:

- Always present a pleasant smile, whether on the telephone, in person, in email or even in a fax (SMILE)
- Do what you love (you’ll be more fulfilled)
- Dont try to be the jack-of-all-trades (you do everything and anything) rather, specialize (promote the one thing or area you do best)
- Be unique (original)
- Always be professional
- Always be yourself
- Always express a sense of passion in what it is you do
- Always explore ways to enhance yourself (personally, professionally, and/or spiritually)

As you can see, marketing the best you is more than just selling or promoting your business and it’s products or services. As a business owner, you are in most cases the business (when people meet you, they are immediately exposed to the quality of your service or product). In the virtual world however, people won’t necessarily meet you face-to-face but they too are exposed to the quality of your service or product. How? Through your website, telephone conversation, and/or via email responses.

In closing, remember this, first impressions are everlasting, so when given the opportunity always remember to market the best in You…

To learn more about the Virtual Business Owners Initiative go to: www.vsscyberoffice.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Victoria Parham is the president and chief technology officer for VSSCyberOffice.com, a forerunner in the virtual support services industry, an advocate of portable careers for trailing military spouses and family members. Its web-based Virtual Business Owners Training Program(tm), the first Virtual Careers program for Department of Defense ID Cardholders, is available and accessible at military bases around the world.

Real Estate Investing ? Three Ways To Make More

September 23, 2010 by Kenny Santos  
Filed under Real Estate Investing

Are you considering Real estate investing just to make that extra profit? There are many who believe that investing in real estate is a great source to make money. You can do real estate investing by buying houses and reselling them at a profit. Buying a house is probably the most expensive investment you can make in your life. Thus each sale you make selling your real estate, generates more profit potential for this reason.

Three ways to make money investing in Real Estate

1. Fixing and Flipping Houses:

Fixing and flipping houses is one of the most popular ways to make money in real estate investing. The concept of fixing and flipping houses is simple all you have to do is find a home that needs repair and maintenance. You go in and do all the repairs that are necessary and then put your home on the retail market. Don?t be surprised to make a profit, which is as high as $25,000 just on a single transaction.

2. Fix, hold and sell later:

You can also make money on real estate investing by buying a rundown property and doing all the repairs and maintenance that are necessary to bring the property up to the standard. Once this is done you can rent the home on a lease-option basis.

3. Flipping Houses:

If you do not want to spend on repairs yourself then this type of method will be suitable for you. All you need is some knowledge of home prices and also home up gradation cost. You need to find properties and resell them to other investors on an as-is-basis. Compared to the above two methods this method will not help you to make more profit per transaction as you?ll have to sell at a below- market price to the next investor.

Real Estate investing has been an effective way of making profit for centuries. You can continue to make profit by fixing and reselling homes as long as you are good at bargains and know your market well.

Copyright ? 2006 Joel Teo. All rights reserved.

About the Author:

Joel Teo writes on arizona estate goodyear investment real . Learn more about Property Investment by signing up for his free Property Investment Ezine

Government Grants For Real Estate Investing

September 20, 2010 by Kenny Santos  
Filed under Real Estate Investing

If you?re looking at buying a house or investing in property and real estate, the U.S. government is a source for getting the necessary money for it. Being rich or poor is not the criteria for getting these government grants; it is awareness of the grant programs that are available that is most important.

Many people do not know about these grants that the Federal government is giving away. It could be for funding women?s issues, entrepreneurs, office rentals or real estate financing. Real estate investment includes homes, land, offices, hotels, and industrial, mini-storage and retail properties. There are a number of personal assistance companies who will walk you through the red tape required to receive these grants. You can get as much as $8,000 to $800,000, or even millions, to buy real estate. They also provide information about the inside workings of a government financial venture, new developments and loan grants. They can also aid you with direct applications for these grants. Low interest rates have made these loans easier to obtain, regardless of past bad credit or your income.

Government grants have made it easier to be able to buy that dream home or invest in real estate. The grant opportunities for real estate are vast. Homes for AIDS patients, public housing, rural community developments, housing repair for very low income groups, tribal universities, and Hispanic housing are a few among the many. There are also times that the government puts up land for sale to the public when it no longer requires it. This is the kind of real estate that is identified as excessive for the government’s needs, and is considered more suited for private needs.

Online websites can help you shop for real estate, and even prove useful in giving a detailed explanation on how government grants for property investment function.

Government Grants provides detailed information on Government Grants, Free Government Grants, Government Business Grants, Debt Relief Government Grants and more. Government Grants is affiliated with Federal Government Grants.

Is Business Ownership In Your Future?

September 20, 2010 by Kenny Santos  
Filed under Business/Network Marketing


 

Is Business Ownership In Your Future?

Submitted By: Tim Knox
 
 

T he last time we met I told you about the U.S. Department of Labor?s prediction that within the next ten to fifteen years fifty percent of the American workforce will consist of home workers, independent contractors, consultants, telecommuters, freelancers, and of course, entrepreneurs.

Think about that for a moment, especially if you are a diehard nine-to-fiver who can?t imagine yourself leaving the comfort of a regular job to try something different. The workplace of the future is either going to be an exciting or dreadful place, and it?s up to you which side of the coin you fall on.

You see, what the Labor Department doesn?t say, but I believe to be true, is that those who find themselves earning a living in non-traditional careers will do so for one of two reasons: they either freely chose to throw off the shackles of the traditional nine-to-five or they were forced to do so because they were casualties of the future?s changing work models.

Layoffs, downsizing, outsourcing, work force reduction, and position elimination: all very nice politically-correct terms that mean one thing: you had better be open to changing the way you think about work because, my brothers and sisters, the times they are a? changing.

The point of our discussion last time focused on those of you who may one day choose the entrepreneurial path. There is a process for going from worker bee to entrepreneur wannabe and it begins with a healthy dose of self-assessment (look inward to determine if you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur) followed by the determination of what kind of business best suits your situation and personality, how you will fund the business, and the writing of a solid business plan.

Now let?s talk about the nuts and bolts of the process: finding a location, lining up vendors, hiring and managing employees, dealing with customers, creating a marketing strategy … hmm, this could turn into a very long column. Let me see if I can abbreviate the process in four paragraphs or less.

If your business will be a brick and mortar, nothing is as important as location. What might be a great location for a shoe store might be a horrible location for a donut shop. What may appear to be a busy location in the morning might be a ghost town in the afternoon. You should rely on experts for this important piece of the process. Work with a commercial realtor or business broker to find a location that meets your specific needs.

Next, if yours will be a product-driven business, your success could hinge on the quality, price, and availability of the products you sell. You must establish strong relationships with reliable vendors who can provide an ample supply of the products your customers demand. Always be cultivating relationships with new vendors. Never rely on a single source for products because sources have a tendency to dry up over time.

Next comes the hiring and managing of employees. Like your location and product, employees can make or break your business. Knowledgeable employees who know the value of - and deliver - exceptional customer service are like nuggets of gold. Unfortunately, they are also as hard to find. Don?t hire your wife?s brother or your best friend?s son. It?s easier to find a new best friend than a new customer. Hire based on experience and expertise and train every employee well. Set expectations high and most important of all, lead by example, not by the book.

Finally, the big question: if you build it will they come? Afraid not, my new entrepreneur friend. You must have a killer marketing plan that will bring the world - or at least your piece of the world - to your door.

You can have the best product in the world, but if you don?t tell anyone about it, you won?t sell a thing. Creating a killer marketing plan really isn?t that hard. Just ask yourself questions like: who is my target customer and what is the best way to reach them? What can I do to stand out from the crowd? What can I do differently? How can I get noticed? And how can I do that without spending an arm and leg on advertising? Two great books on this topic are Purple Cow by Seth Godin and There?s A Customer Born Every Minute: P.T. Barnum?s Secrets To Business Success by Joe Vitale.

Of course there?s far more to going from employee to entrepreneur than I can cover here in just a couple of columns, which is why I wrote a book on the topic called Everything I Know About Business I Learned From My Mama.

Shameless self-promotion aside, I hope this will help you decide if future entrepreneurship is for you. No matter what path you choose remember this: the workplace is changing. You must be prepared and willing to change with it or you?ll end up a statistic on another government list, this one stamped: Unemployed.

About the Author:

Tim Knox Entrepreneur, Radio Host “Check Out Tim’s New Radio Show!” http://www.timknoxshow.com Preorder Tim?s New Book: Everything I Know About Business I Learned From My Mama http://www.timknox.com/amazon/

iSnare Articles Trademark Balls #BREAK#

Some Important Points To Know About Real Estate Investing: Contract Clauses

September 18, 2010 by Kenny Santos  
Filed under Real Estate Investing

Real estate investing: contract clauses’ is an important topic to learn for real estate investors, because if you do not know the essentials of the clauses then your contract will not produce desirable results when presented before a listed broker. This is why what you learn from home study course is not very useful because it teaches you seminar type of drafting. Instead, real estate brokers like use of standard agreement because it is more in the favor of brokers rather than you. However, here you need to use your skills to change the standard format of agreement so that you are not at the disadvantage.

For the property buyers, here is some important real estate investing: contract clauses.

?And/or Nominees? or ?And/or Assigns?:

If you put the word “And/or assigns” with your name, you will get the right of assigning your contract, which as a buyer you would always wish to have. However, the word “And/or nominees” is not as wide, yet it allows you to assign the title to any trust. One important point to remember here is that the real estate investing: contract clauses must not have any anti assignment provision. If there is any such clause, then you must cross it out.

Inspection Clause:

You must make it sure that you can perform a thorough inspection before a stipulated date and no professional inspector is needed for the purpose. If after inspection you find that the things are not in shape and the seller is neither interested in fixing problems nor he is ready for price reduction, then you should have the liberty of canceling the contract.

Right to Extend:

Most of the real estate investing: contract clauses have a definite date for closing. Any delay can make you defaulter. To avoid this kind of situation add clauses like “on or about June 1st”. Nobody is sure about its meaning. However, one thing is sure that it gives you a little extra time. Alternatively, you can include an extension clause for 30 days by paying mortgage amount of one month to the seller.

Qualification of Buyer:

If you do not want to waste your time, then never believe in the claims made by the buyer regarding loan qualifications. It will be your biggest mistake in real estate investing: contract clauses, if you tie up the property with any unqualified buyer. Instead, you yourself must possess all relevant information regarding loans so that you infer whether the buyer will qualify or not. Mention specifically in the contract clauses that the seller can terminate the contract if buyer is unable to produce the required documents within 48 or 72 hours.

Alexander Gordon is a writer for http://www.smallbusinessconsulting.com - The Small Business Consulting Community. Sign-up for the free success steps newsletter and get our booklet valued at $24.95 for free as a special bonus. The newsletter provides daily strategies on starting and significantly growing a business.

Business Owners all across the country are joining “The Community of Small Business Owners? to receive and provide strategies, insight, tips, support and more on starting, managing, growing, and selling their businesses. As a member, you will have access to true Millionaire Business Owners who will provide strategies and tips from their real-life experiences.

Virtual Business Ownership - - Marketing The Best You

September 17, 2010 by Kenny Santos  
Filed under Business/Network Marketing

When you think of the word “marketing”, most people automatically associate the term with a business, however, in this article it will be associated with you, the virtual business owner.

Now picture this, Zipgirl is attending a network gathering and someone walks up to her and says “Hi there, my name is ABC and I represent XYZ company” Zipgirl responds, pleased to meet you, my name is Zipgirl and I work from home. Well, ABC simply nodded and walked away. Would you have done the same as ABC? Did Zipgirl say enough to attract your attention or enough to make you want to stay and listen? I think we both agree in a resounding NO.

To often times when we are asked who we are and what we do, we short change ourselves by not marketing the best in ourselves. How can I do it better you ask? Below are some questions that will help you to identify your marketing strengths as well as your challenges:

- Can you describe your personality in just five words?
- Are you totally committed as well as passionate about what you do?
- Are you always optimistic about what you do in spite of the challenges you face?
- Are you happy doing what you do?
- What’s unique about your service or product?
- What type of energy do you release when you talk about your business? Do you leave people fascinated and wanting to learn more or bored and uninterested?
- When out promoting your business, what does your outward appearance say about you? Do you walk with your head down? Do stay cooped in the corner of the room or are you out in the crowd taking charge, meeting people with a smile, standing tall and bringing out the best in those you meet?

Next, I’ll share with you some tips on how to market the best in you:

- Always present a pleasant smile, whether on the telephone, in person, in email or even in a fax (SMILE)
- Do what you love (you’ll be more fulfilled)
- Dont try to be the jack-of-all-trades (you do everything and anything) rather, specialize (promote the one thing or area you do best)
- Be unique (original)
- Always be professional
- Always be yourself
- Always express a sense of passion in what it is you do
- Always explore ways to enhance yourself (personally, professionally, and/or spiritually)

As you can see, marketing the best you is more than just selling or promoting your business and it’s products or services. As a business owner, you are in most cases the business (when people meet you, they are immediately exposed to the quality of your service or product). In the virtual world however, people won’t necessarily meet you face-to-face but they too are exposed to the quality of your service or product. How? Through your website, telephone conversation, and/or via email responses.

In closing, remember this, first impressions are everlasting, so when given the opportunity always remember to market the best in You…

To learn more about the Virtual Business Owners Initiative go to: www.vsscyberoffice.com.

Now picture this, Zipgirl is attending a network gathering and someone walks up to her and says “Hi there, my name is ABC and I represent XYZ company” Zipgirl responds, pleased to meet you, my name is Zipgirl and I work from home. Well, ABC simply nodded and walked away. Would you have done the same as ABC? Did Zipgirl say enough to attract your attention or enough to make you want to stay and listen? I think we both agree in a resounding NO.

To often times when we are asked who we are and what we do, we short change ourselves by not marketing the best in ourselves. How can I do it better you ask? Below are some questions that will help you to identify your marketing strengths as well as your challenges:

- Can you describe your personality in just five words?
- Are you totally committed as well as passionate about what you do?
- Are you always optimistic about what you do in spite of the challenges you face?
- Are you happy doing what you do?
- What’s unique about your service or product?
- What type of energy do you release when you talk about your business? Do you leave people fascinated and wanting to learn more or bored and uninterested?
- When out promoting your business, what does your outward appearance say about you? Do you walk with your head down? Do stay cooped in the corner of the room or are you out in the crowd taking charge, meeting people with a smile, standing tall and bringing out the best in those you meet?

Next, I’ll share with you some tips on how to market the best in you:

- Always present a pleasant smile, whether on the telephone, in person, in email or even in a fax (SMILE)
- Do what you love (you’ll be more fulfilled)
- Dont try to be the jack-of-all-trades (you do everything and anything) rather, specialize (promote the one thing or area you do best)
- Be unique (original)
- Always be professional
- Always be yourself
- Always express a sense of passion in what it is you do
- Always explore ways to enhance yourself (personally, professionally, and/or spiritually)

As you can see, marketing the best you is more than just selling or promoting your business and it’s products or services. As a business owner, you are in most cases the business (when people meet you, they are immediately exposed to the quality of your service or product). In the virtual world however, people won’t necessarily meet you face-to-face but they too are exposed to the quality of your service or product. How? Through your website, telephone conversation, and/or via email responses.

In closing, remember this, first impressions are everlasting, so when given the opportunity always remember to market the best in You…

To learn more about the Virtual Business Owners Initiative go to: www.vsscyberoffice.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Victoria Parham is the president and chief technology officer for VSSCyberOffice.com, a forerunner in the virtual support services industry, an advocate of portable careers for trailing military spouses and family members. Its web-based Virtual Business Owners Training Program(tm), the first Virtual Careers program for Department of Defense ID Cardholders, is available and accessible at military bases around the world.

Ten Real Estate Investing Tips

September 15, 2010 by Kenny Santos  
Filed under Real Estate Investing

Real estate investing tips tend to be a bit vague, like “invest in the right location,” or “make sure the numbers work.” Actually, tips like these are important principles to remember. However, since they have been well represented in other articles, I want to share a few more specific tips with you.

1. Listen to the market. The cabinet guy looked to me for a decision. I realized that I knew nothing at all about which cabinets people like, so I asked him which ones others were choosing, and he pointed to one that three quarters of his last forty customers had chosen. That’s the one I want, I told him. Why argue with the market you are trying to sell to?

2. Do your own research. The real estate agent might show you only the comparable sales that make the property look more valuable. Do your own research. Some counties have made it easy now, with sales prices online. You can also search any number of sites with MLS listings, just to get an idea about the asking prices of other nearby properties.

3. Partner carefully. When you do a deal with partners, be the money or the management, but not both. Group decisions tend not to work well in real estate, and will cause you much stress. Once you decide on and agree to a plan, step back if you are investing the capital, and let your partner do his thing. Of course, step up and take control if you are managing the project.

4. Negotiate openly. Just ask a seller outright, “What do you want to get out of this?” It is rare that someone is offended by this simple question, and it saves you from wasting valuable time talking about things that don’t interest him or her. Once you get a clear answer, you can decide if you can give them what they want, and still get what you need.

5. Invest safely. Investing isn’t gambling. There is always risk, but the difference is that the odds are in your favor. If not, you are gambling. This why you shouldn’t invest based on continued price increases. There is no guarantee that prices will continue up at any particular rate. Do deals that work even if prices go nowhere, and if values go up, you’re that much better off.

6. Run the numbers. It is about the numbers, and if it is income property, it’s about one number in particular: cash flow. Whatever the local formulas are, whether gross rent multipliers or capitalization rates or whatever, just be sure that after every last expense you’ll have cash flow from the very first month.

Rules, formulas and real estate tips are really just guidelines. Even the rule above about cash flow can be broken if you know that rents can be raised soon, for example. You have to use common sense and learn from experience, and you can’t replace good analysis with rules, formulas and real estate tips.

About the Author

Steve Gillman has invested in real estate for years. To learn more, get a free real estate investing course, and see a photo of a beautiful house he and his wife bought for $17,500, visit http://www.HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com

Next Page »