A Real Estate Formula | Guide

It was a simple real estate formula. The ads ran in our small-town newspaper for years before I realized exactly what was going on. They were always the same: A house for sale with 5% down and payments of 1% of the purchase price. Maybe a three bedroom home for $90,000, for example, with $4,500 down and $900 per month payments.

When a friend started doing the same thing he explained the process to me. It was a way to get a great return on capital, and it was the opposite of buying with no money down. There is no down payment at all when you buy, because you buy for cash.

The Simple Real Estate Formula

You probably know that when you buy for cash, you can often get a much better price. With no financing contingencies in the offer, and the promise of a faster closing, sellers are willing to sell for less. You can offer $95,000, for example, on a house that might be worth $108,000. If you can't get it for less than, say, $99,000, you walk away - there are always other opportunities.

Once you buy the house, you put few thousand into high-return repairs and improvements. These might include paint, carpet, and maybe asphalt for a dirt driveway. For our example, we'll say you spend $5,000. Let's suppose the house is worth $116,000 now. You're ready for the next important step in this real estate formula.

You put it up for sale, targeting buyers who can't get financing easily. You provide the financing. Because you are making it easy for the buyer, you can get more than the $116,000 value for the home - and do it without paying a realtor's commission. Let's say you sell it for 123,000. The buyer needs a down payment of just 5%, or $6,150, and makes monthly payments of $1230 per month. You charge higher interest than the going rates at the banks, of course.

This is a win-win situation. Your buyer is able to buy a home instead of renting, and you get a capital gain of perhaps $16,000 after expenses, plus good interest. Your total rate of return will often be over 20%!

In our town, the first to do this consistently were a father and son team of lawyers. They saved money by doing their own foreclosures when necessary. Once they foreclosed, they raised the price and sold the home all over again.

They made millions. Did you know that if you can get an average return of 18% on your money, you'll turn $75,000 into more than one million dollars in about fifteen years? That's the power of a good real estate formula.

Where to Find Cheap Brochure Printing

Whether it is for is a real estate listing, a trade show handout, a data sheet, or another application, brochures can be a great promotional tool. They can be very expensive or surprisingly affordable, depending on your needs and where you look. Two of the easiest ways to find good prices is to search online or to call printing companies for quotes. There are so many competing printing companies – both offset and digital – that the job of finding a cheap brochure printing company couldn’t be simpler.

Digital printers tend to be less expensive than offset printers, but some argue that their quality is not as high. It is best to investigate what each kind of printer offers and see a sample before making a judgment.

If you have limited internal marketing services, you can still easily make a brochure that will be of high quality, appealing and cheap. The key elements are creating and implementing a clear design plan and doing all of your electronic file work in-house. This will avoid enlisting the extra services printers offer, and help keep the cost low.

Companies will often prominently list their no-frills prices to attract customers looking for bargains. The prices will usually include a few standard paper choices, full color and a standard fold, and shipping (sometimes this is free). If you are sure of what you want and you don’t need any consultation or custom work, your cost will remain very reasonable.

Another option is to build your own brochure online. There are many companies that now offer do-it-yourself graphic design options. This is a fast and easy process that is a very inexpensive route.

Be on the look out for free options and special deals such as seasonal discounts or discounts on discontinued papers. Additionally, make sure when you are pricing your brochure printing job that it includes full color; it is a buyers market and there is no reason to compromise on color. One of the most affordable options is single color or color brochure; this uses only one color and is not appropriate for every brochure.

With the advent of new technologies, digital printing and desktop publishing prices could not be lower. It’s a great time to use a brochure to get your message out there.

What Goes Around Comes Around

we’ve spent a lifetime committed to helping others. It’s what gives me the greatest joy, fulfillment and satisfaction in life. I’m also a true believer in the old adage - “What goes around comes around.”

This is reinforced on many occasions when I encounter an old co-worker, friend or acquaintance who reminds me of how I inspired them, gave them guidance or helped them through a difficult time. These kinds of experiences always motivate me to keep putting good things out into the world.

We never know in advance what good may come from the gestures we put out there. Maybe it will inspire, encourage, educate, motivate or actually change someone’s life. In any event, people will always come away knowing that they matter to you.

In business, as in life, it all comes down to people. People are your customers, co-workers, employees, leaders, managers, investors and vendors. Success in your business depends on the people you encounter. How you treat those people will have a significant impact on your bottom line.

Here are some ways to help people in your business and show them that they matter:

1. Deliver incredible customer service.
2. Give a single parent the afternoon off.
3. Pay someone more than you need to.
4. Send a hand-written note to an employee acknowledging a job well done.
5. Loan a subordinate a book that you’ve found to be helpful.
6. Tell someone struggling “I want to help you succeed,” and mean it.
7. Stop by and talk, without an agenda.
8. Share a resource that you’ve found useful.
9. Create a safe space for openness and honesty.
10. Let people tell you how they feel, and listen without interrupting.

I encourage you to think about the people that you impact, the lives that you touch and the positive changes that you can make. These are the true signs of leadership and in my opinion are more important than the money that you make, the position that you hold or the size of your office.

You can do good while you’re doing well. It may require you to think of new ways to do it, but when you focus on helping others, you’ll succeed in ways beyond measure.

Top Business Leaders Reveal the Secrets of Success

Out of the bevy of reality television shows today, no TV show affects the business minds and goals of entrepreneurs everywhere more than “The Apprentice”. The show stars Donald Trump, the famous, wealthy real estate and business icon that has become a household name. Donald Trump has been in business for several decades and knows the secrets to becoming a highly successful businessman.

In the past, public indications of his success were mainly found on buildings in New York City such as Trump Towers. He has been a major player in New York City and in the business world for the past few decades. However, the general public didn’t always have intimate access to his world like they do now through “The Apprentice” television show. On the show he interviews several candidates for a highly coveted position in his company. The candidates work on various tasks over several weeks. They rely on their education and experience to help them succeed.

The candidates and any business professional would benefit from learning the secrets of Donald Trump’s success. You might not have the opportunity to be on the show, but you can listen your way to success instead. Invest in your future by listening to Trump: How to Get Rich by Donald J. Trump. Donald Trump provides valuable insights on how to become a champion in business and reap financial rewards previously unimaginable. He covers a wide range of topics from investing to hiring the best employees.

Donald Trump is not the only business guru dispensing advice and anecdotes about his personal success. Steve Jobs revitalized Apple and returned it to dominance among technology companies. Jack Welch brought General Electric to new levels of success through innovative and unique business methods. Experience their business journeys by listening to The Second Coming of Steve Jobs by Alan Deutschman and Jack: Straight from the Gut by Jack Welch.

Interested in a business success story rifled with scandal? Listening to The Rockefellers by Peter Collier will suit your fancy. The Rockefeller family created a dynasty that built a mountain of wealth, but also evoked family of problems. Learn the affects of success that were both beneficial and detrimental to the Rockefellers.

Want to hear about other entrepreneurs? Check out the Venture Voice Podcast by Gregory Galant or the InfoTalk podcast from Podtech.net. Take an inside look at how to start a business, where technology is headed and other entrepreneurial issues.

Pop in these audio books on your car drive or train commute to work. Listen while you are working on paperwork at home or exercising in the gym. Take the time to become business savvy and learn from the pros. You’ll be glad you did as your bank account swells and your business takes off.

The Rise of Real Estate Infomercials

From the very beginning of the industry, real estate infomercials have been very successful. There’s something about the idea of making money in real estate that appeals to a lot of people.

In fact, most of the real estate infomercials that have appeared through the years have been scams for several reasons. First the information that they purported to have, the secrets that only they knew but would sell to you for some small or not so small sum of money, were fairly common knowledge easily gleaned at a local library or available for free from the government. Second, the “testimonials” from other, satisfied clients of the “plan” turned out to have been paid actors reading from a script and playing a role designed by the infomercial producers. And finally, some of them are using every advertising trick in the book to cover up the fact that they are outright lying.

The most famous example of real estate infomercials that turned out to be total frauds was a very successful program, that, to this day, many viewers remember seeing. It stars a small, Vietnamese immigrant named Tom Vu who pitches his real estate magical formula from his mansion, his yacht or one of his many expensive cars while surrounded constantly with bikini clad swimsuit models. What was Tom Vu selling? A seminar where he would reveal how he, a dirt poor immigrant, made a fortune in real estate and how you could copy his formula and get wealthy yourself by buying the information. What was he really selling?

Tom Vu sold the bodies of those gorgeous swimsuit models. Most people sat transfixed, watching this opulent display of wealth and flesh, hearing very little of what was actually being said and instantly got hooked. Before they knew it they were calling and signing up for old Tom’s seminar not because they were so taken with him and what he was saying, but because somehow he made them believe that they could be surrounded with beautiful women, just like Tom. If that little, funny looking guy could do it, then so can I! Somehow, this worked. Tom has had some legal problems over this venture and the only secret he had to sell was the secret of making infomercials that mesmerized an audience into calling and spending some money without ever really knowing why. This was early on in the growth of the industry when there was little accountability, but even so, Tom Vu was the model for almost all of the real estate infomercials that followed through the years.

Nowadays, real estate infomercials have learned how to use some of the fantastically successful Tom Vu techniques and avoid the legal problems. They do deliver a product - a book, a guide, a history of profitable real estate transactions that could be followed and could be profitable. You’ve all seen the young, good looking guy talking about the fortune he has made buying houses for no money down, fixing them up and then selling them for a profit. Have you noticed he’s sitting poolside in Hawaii talking with one of his clients, a beautiful woman in a skimpy bathing suit? Tom Vu technique. Or the guy telling you how he’s bought nothing but foreclosures and turned them over quickly for a healthy profit? He’ll sell you a detailed guide of how he does what he does and a list of where to find foreclosures that you can get for free from the government just by making a few toll free phone calls. Is it worth it? You decide.

The Most Popular Subjects People Will Pay For!

If you're still having a hard time trying to figure out which niche market to go into, start by simply spending some time asking questions of yourself...What are my favorite hobbies, interests, activities, etc. Or...What are some things I don't know yet but have a burning desire to learn more about?

Start a list and add all your favorites to it.

Here's a list of some of the most popular subjects people are paying for...

• Dating, Seduction, Sex Advice, Relationships

• Losing weight, gaining muscle, looking more attractive

• Health & fitness, cures/reliefs from specific diseases & ailments

• Spying, online privacy and security

• Safety, personal security, and protection of self and loved ones (self defense, home security, scam prevention, etc.)

• How to use computers and the Internet

• Mental influence, persuasion, and dominance

• General self-help, self improvement, personal development, and success

• Hobbies and special interests: cooking, magic, UFO's, metaphysics, becoming more competitive in sports, activities, etc.

• Making money, aside from marketing information: investing, stock market, futures trading, real estate tips, and other related financial information

• And of course, having more control and freedom in their lives!

People are always looking to improve themselves or some area of their lives. They are always trying to find solutions to problems.

There are sites catering to some of the above categories that are already generating thousands of dollars every month. I have personally sold products on some of the above categories and done very well.

Yet, we haven't even begun to tap the true profit potential in these areas yet because there's very little competition in most of these areas, especially when compared to the "how-to marketing" area! The potential to make money from the above special-interest categories is huge - and it's wide open!

Moreover, as more and more people get accustomed to buying digital products, you can easily imagine making insane amounts of money through these topics well into the future.

You could pick any one of the above subjects that you personally have an interest in and run with it.

The Exercise Infomercial Phenomenon

It all started with Jane Fonda. She started an industry with a simple video tape that included a 30 minute beginners program followed by a 60 minute full workout. For Jane it formed the nucleus of an empire that included books, audio recordings and fitness salons that are still in existence today. More importantly, capitalizing on Jane’s success, her workout tapes were followed quickly by everybody with a cut chiseled physique or a machine to help you work off those extra pounds and bring out those abs which quite unbelievably is bigger today than it was yesterday but not as big as it will be tomorrow.

Like they say in the record biz, the hits just keep on coming. Everybody has jumped into the market through the years: Chuck Norris, Lou Ferrigno aka The Hulk from the TV show, even Governor Arnold tried his hand at it. Models, celebrities and just plain folks with a machine have created exercise infomercials and you can count on one thing – more are coming soon to a TV channel in your house.

There’s Pilates, aerobics, toning, step dynamics, yoga, stretch, even specialty exercise tapes for pregnant women, women who have just given birth, women who are thinking about getting pregnant, kids, seniors – and that’s only a small fraction of what is available. Right now there are over 700 titles currently available and at one time or another all of them were presented to the public as an infomercial.

Some exercise infomercials utilized a new form of advertising called the hybrid infomercial. In the hybrid infomercial the product is available immediately as a direct response item and at the same time the item is available in retail stores. Here the infomercial is serving a dual purpose – to make a profit for the manufacturer immediately with credit card phone orders and by creating a brand name identity for the product available in the retail marketplace. With so much product available in today’s infomercial exercise tape market, it’s difficult for any one tape or exercise machine to make a profit for its manufacturer. By utilizing the incredible power of infomercials to reach a wide public base and selling them as a direct response item and a retail item simultaneously, manufacturers have learned how to profit from infomercials even though the market may be oversaturated.

The Advantages of Full Color Brochure Printing

A brochure can be a great promotional tool, whether it is for is a real estate listing, a trade show handout, a data sheet, or another application. The most professional and eye-catching brochures are usually those that are full color.

Full color brochure printing usually means standard four-color printing, and is now offered at almost every brochure printing company. Four-color printing is also referred to as standard color printing and employs cyan (blue), magenta, yellow, and black inks, often abbreviated to “CMYK.” Most computer software programs will convert any text or image to CMYK, and this is usually a requirement of printers.

Brochure printing companies will usually provide a clear explanation of the four-color process. Most high quality, full color commercial printing is done on offset presses using this four-color build process. These four colors are used to create or build the many color shades seen in a brilliant, full color printed brochure.

Color can be tricky, because what you see on your computer screen is called RGB color; it is a different color model than the four-color process. Frequently there is a wide variation in monitor technologies and calibration, and colors will be similar, but not exactly the same. Make sure you communicate to your printing service what color you need to see in the final product. If you print a sample color brochure on your inkjet or laser printer, there may be some variation from the color produced from your printer to the offset lithographic presses.

One of the many advantages of the four-color process is that computer-controlled inking and chemical mixing systems provide color consistency. Automatic color and register control maintains consistent quality, making four-color process the most popular printing choice.

When an exact color match is essential, a spot color of specially mixed ink is used in printing. These specially mixed inks are called pantone colors. You can find color books showing thousands of pantone colors and get an exact match. Spot colors are used most frequently for one- and two-color jobs and when an exact color needs to be produced every time. Full color brochure printing is easy and affordable; so let your imagination soar.

Properties for Sale in Bulgaria: A Look at Rural Real Estate

A great deal of attention has been paid to properties for sale in Bulgaria in the major urban areas in that country. In addition, the growth of property investment in Bulgaria in resort communities -- particularly in the mountainous regions of the country and around the Black Sea -- has been phenomenal in the past few years. However, when it comes to property investment in Bulgaria in some of the more rural areas of the country, people have been a bit slower on the uptake, perhaps a bit reluctant to put money into buying real estate in rural areas.


In point of fact, if you are interested in properties for sale in Bulgaria, you would be well served in taking a close look at the rural parts of the country.
(Indeed, Bulgaria -- with a population of just at 8 million souls -- remains a largely rural country.)


Perhaps the primary reason that you will want to consider property investment in Bulgaria in the rural part of the country rests in the reality that tourism is expected to increase markedly when Bulgaria becomes a part of the European Union in 2007.


For generations, Bulgaria has been a popular holiday destination for men and women who are residents of some of the other Eastern European countries. These holiday travelers flocked to the Black Sea resorts by the thousands annually. (As mentioned, properties for sale in Bulgaria in the resort communities have
been very buoyant recently.)


With the opening of the borders that will accompany admission into the European
Union, Bulgaria will experience an even more significant influx of holiday travelers in the future. A good number of these people will be interested in touring Bulgaria, including visiting some of the interesting and historic
destinations in the more rural parts of the country. Thus, a person with the foresight of taking advantage of property investment in Bulgaria will be in a position to profit from the increase in tourism that is anticipated in all sectors of the country.

Position Position Position – The secret to success online.

When you saw this heading you possibly thought of real estate or search engine placement.

While this is very applicable to these two systems I want to take you a little deeper into the concept of positioning yourself for success online.

Position is really a life skill with its own set of stratergies and skills.

Position: A place or location. A strategic area occupied by members of a force. An advantageous place or location. A point of view or attitude on a certain question. Sports. The area for which a particular player is responsible. The arrangement of the pieces or cards at any particular time in a game such as chess, checkers, or bridge.

Over the past seven years I have been involved in Internet Marketing. The first five as part time and the last two years full time. Many people asked how I made the graduation from part time to full time and the answer is always positioning.

The Concept of Positioning.

If you have played or watched sports at any time you will know that positioning is the key to winning or loosing. In football you need to be in position to accept the ball if you are going score.

The same applies to your life and business.

My basketball coach always told me that I needed to put all my effort to get into the right position and once I got there I could have a rest. I think you would know .... he lied. Once you get into position there is no rest as you then have to maintain that position.

Positioning is a skill that can be developed:

It is very important to do your homework because positioning is a skill that is developed by training and studying. It is not a haphazard occurance.

Last year I was looking at a new business I could start up online so I looked at what was growing and developing. In doing this I found that baby boomers are an economic force in the community and that they like gadgets, technology, investments because they are rapidly approaching retirement and health for a similar reason.

I also found that streaming audio was becoming something that people wanted to use on websites without the need for special servers, a lot of technical ability etc. In fact in my research it was the fastest growing multimedia tool people were looking for. So I went out and found a product I could develop to position myself in the middle of this growing market. Hence was born MP3 Sound Stream that allows anybody to add streaming audio to their website easily and simply.

Positioning for life.

I know that we are mainly talking about business in this article however if you do not also use positioning in your everyday life then it will not flow over into your business. Success is a mixture of both personal and business strategies and this is why so many people when they come into large sums of money loose it within five years and are back to where they started if not worse off.

They had not positioned themselves in life to handle the pressures and responsibility of there new found wealth. This is possibly why many people who start working for themselves also do not make much more than they did in their job. They never re-positioned themselves.

Summary

As I mentioned before positioning is a skill you can develop.

1. Find out what position you want or are capable of attaining.

One of my friends is a great sales person. He sells welders and turns over millions of dollars selling this equipment. A few years ago the company he worked for decided that it would be better for him to train a lot of other sales people so they could do even more.

It turned out that the company actually sold less with more sales people because the positioning of my friend to train people was not in his ability. The company actually went backwards so they repositioned him back into sales and re took the market lead again. His position was sales not training.

2. Take action and hold on.

In an instant society we are all looking for the quick fix however we all appreciate those who can maintain a solid position. I belong to an online MLM company and for 4 years nothing much happened however I knew that it was positioned for success. Today it is growing in leaps and bounds. Unfortunately some of my friends left a little too early and have missed out on the benefits of holding on. If you believe in what you are doing do not give up.

3. You don’t have to make millions to succeed online.

The concept of positioning is really all about strategies. Remember the old saying how do you eat an elephant. A bite at a time.

Positioning is the same. You do it a bit at a time. First you learn then you apply. Then you learn some more and then you apply what you have learnt. By being consistent you will see it start to pay off.

Finally let me tell you one last story. While I was writing this article my son was watching a documentary on the salmon in Canada that migrate up river to lay their eggs. Some of the scenes where they would jump up waterfalls bashing against the rocks to get to their final destination impressed me. The point is they would either make it or die trying.

Now there are people who are going to make out that becoming successful online is easy and both you and I know this is a lie. Just like the coach who told me I could rest once I got into position. The fact is it will take hard work and there will be casualties however if you are determined to succeed you will have a better chance of success.

Some people will just find this all too hard so my advice to you is take the easy road and don’t start.

Original Ways To Make Money With No Money-a Short Education

An opportunity should never be bought into. By definition, an opportunity is something that people will never sell you. From franchises to swamp land in Florida, to patents and inventions, it makes no difference. Theres nothing wrong with any of the things mentioned, however if somebody is trying to sell you these things, then they are not opportunities by definition.

An opportunity is an advantage that you can see that others cannot. I dont care about the dictionary definition, this is the real world definition. Opportunities are free. They dont cost money to observe. Of course I dont mean they wont cost you money, you may need some money to act on it. But if you are paying money so somebody can sell it to you (a sales commission) You should run for the hills.

So, getting back to my definition of an opportunity.

"Its an advantage that you can see that others cannot"

So what that means is that you have vision while others do not. We are awash with money around us. Money or "value" is everywhere. As "Hayden Muller" says, "it permeates our lives like oxygen" The difficulty is not finding opportunity. It is literally everywhere all the time. We are suffering from snow blindness if we still work for a living when such abundance is around us in our every day lives.

The difficulty is not money either. Having access to a few hundred dollars is all you need to take advantage of a million daily opportunities that present themselves in our daily lives. Anyone with some determination can find that much.

No, the real difficulty is knowledge, or education. Its what seperates action from indifference. The question becomes, "so what?" "so what if I took this opportunity and made a few dollars, what next?" You see, without education, opportunities are meaningless. They lead now-where because we lack vision. Don't worry, I lacked plenty of vision myself.

Today you could drop me out of the sky into any free city on the Planet with nothing but the shirt on my back and I would be living well within 3 months and be financially secure within 2-4 years. I know I can do that because my vision tells me I easily could.

Put me in the middle of New York, I would immediately find markets to deal in. Even before I found a place to sleep, I would begin learning about what free markets are available and what they most want and need. I would quickly establish contacts with suppliers and retailers to become the "middle man" my favourite place to be.

Within a week, I would have a few hundred dollars saved. I would use those funds and pyramid my purchases for faster and faster turn over until I had enough to buy small assets that are in high demand. Cars, boats, anything that was being sold that I could find really cheaply. My charm and good looks would make sure I got the best deals and sold them for the highest price (winks)

Charm and good looks aside, the one thing you need is a clarion plan. A master plan that gets you from A to B

Making money with no money is easy and rudimentry. Its the opportunities you spot that makes the real difference. But really its the propensity to take action that delivers the results. Before you can take that action, you need to know where you are going.

Your situation is alot better then the scenario I presented above. You live in a place where you know. You have intimate knowledge of the markets available already present. You have skills and have contacts already that can be of use.

Get a quick short education and go to it. Your first million is not as difficult as you may imagine.

May success find you fast and knowledge find you sooner.

Mortgage vs. Real Estate Lead Generation

It is fairly common for real estate companies and mortgage brokers to use leads. There is a difference between mortgage lead generation and real estate generation. Mortgage lead generation deals with people who need to refinance their homes or apply for loans, while real estate lead generation is a service that connects potential buyers with real estate agents.

Mortgage leads are generated in a number of different ways. One way to create the leads is for the lender, that is the mortgage broker, to appear in a paper or online directory. This lets potential customers make the first contact. The lenders give information about themselves, like the interest rates they charge and types of lending programs they offer, along with their contact information. This allows potential borrowers to search out the lender that is best for them.

Real Estate lead generation is somewhat different. It involves connecting prospective buyers to real estate agents. It is usually a good idea to use a real estate lead generation service that uses only inbound leads, meaning that the buyer contacts the lead generator looking for a real estate agent. This way, the lead generator can get the most information possible from the buyer in order to find the most appropriate real estate agent. Many lead generation services use tricks to lure prospective buyers.

Mortgage lead generation helps lenders and borrowers find each other. This service benefits everyone involved. Some of the most successful businesses on the Internet are lead generation agencies.

More than Just Money: Barter

By definition, barter is the when parties swap services or resources. But in business terms, it’s an exchange that ends usually with everyone a winner. All parties involved in bartering hold onto their cold hard cash and don’t lose a cent. There’s no worries about getting ripped off as a buyer or seller, so it’s an exchange that’s high on trust, low on tension. And finally, the government doesn’t get its hands on any of the proceeds. Bartering is such a great system, it’s no wonder it’s been around nearly forever.

Historians and archeologists reckon that bartering is a human business practice for the ages. It goes back as far as written history, and perhaps even further into mankind’s (and womankind’s) history of business practices.

Between humans, the actual business practice of money came long before money was invented. In written history, as far back as 9,000 BC, shepherds used cattle as a means of exchange—from sheep to cows, camels to goats. Then when farmers came along during the course of the next couple thousands of years, grains and plants became the hot commodity in the world of bartering.

Bartering may have dissipated over the years, but it by no means went away. That’s the amazing thing about bartering. It still is, to this day, the ideal method of business exchange for some business folk, including companies with millions in assets. But it’s especially helpful for small businesses looking to get a leg up on their competition.

Listen to people talking in today’s business world, and you’ll hear stories such as the programmer who helped to code an interactive Web page for a startup graphic-design company, in exchange for a logo design for his own startup surf-board design shop. Then there’s the story of the new Internet advertising firm rolling out an ad campaign for a restaurant. Later that year, the restaurant hosted a “free” party and dinner for that ad firm’s clients.

Examples in today’s business world abound for bartering. The reason is that bartering still has many advantages to it in this modern business world.

For instance, for companies that are just starting to build up their assets, bartering is an opportunity to save their hard-earned cash. Even established companies love the chance to keep their money in the bank. With bartering, a company can get what it needs, while providing a service that the other company needs.

And because there is no money passed between pockets, the taxman does not even need to know about it. That saves you, and your accountant, the trouble of figuring out one more piece of business income or expense.

Lastly, deals involving money may whip up the old Scrooge mentality—a combination of greed and mistrust. With money deals, you may always be left wondering if you got the short end of the stick. Not so with bartering. With bartering, you get exactly what you need. And in return, you give a fair share of goods or services.

There’s no need to be a Scrooge here. Instead, the whole transaction is one of trust and understanding. Generally speaking, bartering for goods and services feels more worthwhile than paying money, whether you’re bartering for a dinner party for your clients, Internet advertising space, or whatever it is that you and your bartering partner agree to. Perhaps it’s because you can actually feel the value of your own goods and services. Or it may be just because you don’t have to open your wallet.

Mona Lisa Your Branding

Have you mistakenly trained your branding to fall over and play dead? Do you know how to use psychology to create branding that lights up with the voltage of a thousand neon bulbs? And can you play Scrooge with your budget, yet get huge branding mileage? And if so, how? Read on and find out how you can be a Leonardo Da Vinci with your brand!

It’s Raining 3000+ Messages a Day!
I have a friend. Let’s call him Eugene. Partly because that’s his real name. Eugene positions himself as a pitch manager. Very effectively, he shows CEOs and executives (who make pitches for new and existing business) how they can use simple steps to get a powerful presentation across.

Eugene had a problem that all of us do. His brand (or his company’s brand) was just one of three thousand new messages that bamboozle us every day through various media. To get his name welded in his customer’s brain was like being on a rocking chair. You feel the movement, but you go nowhere. Eugene’s brand was going places, but it was a slow tedious process.

He needed to get some prime real estate in his customer’s brain really quickly and without the benefit of Daddy Warbucks’ deep pockets. All he had to do was get their attention…

13 Boxes. Does That Get Your Attention?
Doesn’t your brain go nuts wanting to ask what is the significance of 13 boxes? That’s the new brand name of Eugene’s company. Can you see that immediately catching your attention? The brain is dying to know the significance of this strange sounding set of words. And it won’t let go till it gets an answer!

In this case the answer is simple. Eugene has a system of 13 boxes in his training process that takes you from the start of your presentation to the final crescendo. The 13 boxes form the structure and the route you must follow to get results.

His company brand could be something like XYZ Training or have his own name (like accountants and law firms do) but why on earth would that excite his customer’s brain?

Another Branding Example called KeyGhost...
Here’s another example of vivid psychological branding called KeyGhost. KeyGhost is a powerful but simplistic device that monitors every keystroke on your keyboard. This spy-like product evades the scrutiny of the unobservant eye. A name like KeyGhost immediately ruffles the brain forcing it to stop what it’s doing. Then it drives all its attention in the direction of this unusual sounding product.

This is exactly what you need. Once you’ve got a spotlight-hogging brand name, you start to own a tiny part of your customer’s brain that is yours to keep forever.

Forever Starts With a Trigger…
A trigger called Curiosity! Curiosity sounds a deafening red alert in every neuron of the brain. The brain is at its curious best when faced with something that seems irregular or uncommon in some way.

If your brand name doesn’t create a curiosity factor, you’re wasting gobs of money to just trying to cut through the communication clutter. The sooner you get psychological exclamation marks into your brand name, the sooner you get the attention you crave for.

But What If You Have a Boring Company Name That You’re Stuck With?
Hey it happens! You inherited the brand name and there’s not much you can do with it without the shareholders going for your jugular. Well don’t fret. First you’ve got to realise that branding is not restricted to just your company name. A process/product that your company has or follows could become bigger than the company itself.

Look For The Power Of Your Processes…
With Eugene, his process was sitting under his nose all along. In the case of 13 Boxes, it’s quite easy to draw up a dramatic scenario of how 13 boxes can get you out of your ‘box’ and give you immense confidence in your presentation skills. In his case, though, the process actually defined the company.

With KeyGhost, it’s a cinch to describe how the hardware works just like a ghost and yet link it back to your keyboard and computer.

You can be an accounting firm with a company name like “Boring, Dead and Co.” and still brand your prize-winning process and call it ‘Goodbye Extra Tax’ or ‘Corporate Loopholes.’

Do you think your clients will see you in a better light? You bet they will! So get going, get out and get working on your brand naming canvas right away!

Nonsensical Names Work Too…
One Red Dog, The Loaded Hog and other such names flout the basic principles of process and logic. Yet they seem to work powerful imagery on the brand name. It’s the story that goes with it that creates a sense of immortality and distinctiveness around the brand.

Even if you choose to have a name that means very little and can drum up a story to match it, you’ve got yourself a winner. Which place would you rather frequent? 'One Red Dog' or 'Joe’s Café?' With a vivid name you’ve got the opportunity to weave a story -- even a story that you made up all by yourself!

Shazaam! It’s Branding With Drama!
Don’t just Mona Lisa your brand. Put some Shakespeare in it as well. Push the limits of your brand name and make it an action tool. For example, 13 boxes could be presented as 13 different boxes placed on a CEO’s desk. Can you visualise the curiosity factor? What if the boxes were different shapes and different colours? Can you see the website name? The t-shirt design? The ad on TV? Can you see how extendable a picturesque brand name can be?

Go ahead; make the effort to Mona Lisa your brand name.

You’ll make Leonardo really proud of you!

MLM Success Training - Golden Rule For Prospecting Strangers

Cruising around the MLM playground (Online MLM Forums), the question of “How do you prospect strangers into your MLM Business?” popped up. And I knew if this fellow Network Marketer was struggling with this question, then several others probably are having the same dilemma as well.

So here it is.

When you’re building your MLM Business there is 1 Golden Rule to follow when it comes to prospecting strangers and it’s simply:

Just Don’t Do It!

That’s right! You NEVER want to prospect strangers to build your MLM Business. Now I know some people may not agree with me, so here are 3 “Prime” reasons why you don’t want to prospect strangers as a way to build your MLM Business.

Reason #1 - Strangers Are Not Your Target Market.

Believe it or not, but unfortunately more than half the population isn’t “wired” to be in business for themselves. Your goal is to find people with a “track record” of success. These are the only kinds of people you need to help build your business, not strangers (any ‘ol Joe Schmo you see walking down the street).

If that’s your plan then you might as well whip out the phone book and start dialing. And let’s see how many No’s, not interested’s and don’t call me again’s you get before you finish the page. It’s simply because “strangers” is not the target market you should be going after to build a successful home business.

Reason #2 - It’s Too Ineffective.

Prospecting strangers is a big waste of time, energy and patience. Just think about it, would someone like Donald Trump say “Hey, I have this great business opportunity that’ll help any self motivated and dedicated individual make a handsome residual income each month –let’s kick things off by showing it to people walking on the street!” Of course not! So why should you?

It’s at least 10x more effective to target a group of people who “already” possess positive character traits and good business skills that’ll help you take your business to the next level.

Reason #3 - It’s Just Not Worth It

Prospecting strangers isn’t worth the hassle (time, energy, sweat, blood, tears and not to mention the headaches). Prospecting these types of people for your business WILL take a lot out of you. (Just thinking about it, makes me cringe). Facing rejection from the wrong kinds of people is one of the main “killers” for many new home business owners. Don’t let it happen to you, or anyone in your organization. Don’t prospect strangers.

Remember; don’t try to prospect everyone for your business because unfortunately not everyone is ideally suited to be in business for themselves. It’s sad, but true. So in order to find the right people for your MLM Business simply focus on a target market. Look for people with a track record of success and possess good business skills.

Some great examples of this are real estate agents, store owners, small business owners, franchise owners and even other Network Markets (they almost always keep their options open). Simply put, focus your energy on target markets rather than every ‘ol Joe Schmo who comes within 3 feet of you, it’s proven to work 10x better than prospecting everyday strangers.

Make Money With No Investment -Starting From Scratch

In the begining it's a tentative situation. Your first few deals are small potatoes. To make money with no investment is not entirley accurate. Everyone has access to something. Some small amount that will be allocated for wealth building. I think back to when I was starting from scratch and at the time my cynical attitude made it painful, but looking back I remember the experience fondly.

It's challenging to make money with no investment capital but when you are starting from scratch you have nothing to lose. With your back to the wall, you can go forward confidently in the knowledge that you literally have little to lose.

Curiously, all great wealth once began from scratch. To make money with no investment capital is exactly the situation you need to be in if you want to succeed and get that first million under your belt.

You see, it's not how much you started with that counts. It's not how much you have made that counts. What matters is the system. HOW you do it. If that is based on sound principles then you will never fear poverty again.

I could make money with no investment capital if you dropped me in any free City on the planet. I guarantee you within a few months I'd be living well (providing I spoke the language).

Starting from scratch, the first thing I would do is find a market. No money, but I have my self. I can offer a service. As soon as I make a few hundred dollars saved, I would begin applying the principles of opportunity investment. I would trade up and up until I had borrowing capacity.

I would use the leverage that borrowing allows me to manufacture obscene compounding returns in real estate and large ticket items like used trucks and yachts. I would work until I was comfortable, then start spending on myself.

You are in a better situation than my scenario. You have friends, contacts, and knowledge of your town. You have experiences and intimate perceptions of the existing markets in your home town. All you need is the knowledge to make it happen.

To make money from scratch with no investment capital is easy. Don't be fooled into thinking your situation is hopeless. You need knowledge, tools, and skills. It's time you took a real shot at your first million, believe me the second and third will be easy.

"The pain of discipline is less then the pain of regret" -- Martin Thomas

Make Money Fast With No Investment-how Andrew Made $100,000 In 6 Months

Andrew Newberry is a distant family friend that knew about my business acumen. He knew how I had been in his position only 24 months previously and had heard about the new life I was leading with the wealth I had generated. I could hear the earnest desperation in his voice, when he asked me "how'd you do it Jack"? His question was open and sincere. In my eye's he was at a point where there was only one direction for his life to go...up.

Andrew needed to make money fast. His family were in danger of losing the roof over their heads and although Andrew worked a fulltime job, there were difficulties that created this current crisis.

He couldn't understand how I had done so much considering my humble beginings, while he had worked at his current job for over 10 years and was saddled with the difficulties he was currently experiencing. He told me he had no money to invest or anything like that, but could I advise him on what if anything was possible.

This was my response to him.

You see, what he was asking me specifically was, "how do I make money with little or no investment" My mind ignored his emotional pain and focused on the reality. That is the reality of what he needed answering.

Talking about Real Estate investment or anything that needed a capital injection was futile for Andrew, he needed to hear something different. This is what I told him to do, step by step. I told him that if he followed these two steps, he would have $100,000 within 12 months. He did it in 6!

Step one, get a little money. Not much needed, a few hundred dollars would do, but he has to find something as a seed capital account. I gave him the URL of a broker that does paid surveys online. These brokers represent companies that pay ordinary people for their opinions. They typically pay between $50-$300 per hour. He got his wife busy doing these through the day and evenings, they had $1000 within 2 weeks.

Step two, Go Shopping I explained to Andrew the mechanism behind my success. Compounding, intrinsic value, leverage, rapid capital gains, pyramiding profits. I then asked him to compound that thousand dollars by 30% 19 times. In other words, I told him to find 19 investment-objects that were for sale that he could buy, that had at least 30% or more spare intrinsic value.

Intrinsic value is everywhere. Whether you are buying New York sky scrapers of marble pool tables or Bertram boats, every market has a percentage of sellers offering their goods at well below market value.

Andrew started with old cars because he was a mechanic and now he had a game plan he was going to compound his money with his existing skill set. He traded up and up until he had $12,000 in six weeks.

Get your calculator out and see how he did it, how he evolved his money without a hitch. Start with 1000 then multiply by "1.3" which is the same as 30% Don't press equals, just hit "1.3" and multiply symbol again. Do that 19 times.

When Andrew sold his last auto deal, he was ready to get involved in Real Estate. With $12,000 it wasn't much but it was enough to start applying the same principles with Real Estate. This is where his compounding really escalated.

It escalated, because now he was using leverage....borrowed money. He called me on the day he was ready to start compounding with Real Estate with another problem. As I advised him "get into Real Estate Andrew as quickly as you can, around the $10,000 mark its time to get into that game"

He had a problem. The houses in his area were dear, he couldnt see how having $12,000 was enough to get involved.

I advised him that he should forget about houses until he had at least $40,000 He should focus on raw land. Raw blocks are cheap, and easily re-zoned into a higher purpose. With just a small investment at the local town planning department he could re-zone a residential into a commercial or the other way around where appropriate. Its called a "soft" or "paper" rennovation. No painting, no work, just a few simple forms and a fee to pay.

Creating a new use is just one way to add value to raw land, there are many others. Andrew researched and discovered them all. He stuck with land after all was said and done. He discovered buying a large block and subdividing it was very profitable. The second deal he did, he bought a block of over an acre, surrounded by established homes for $300,000 (with a bank loan) It was a corner block and he split it into three handsome sized blocks, tailored to the upper market. The first two blocks paid out his loan and put profits in his pocket, the last block he used as collateral for another bank loan where he built his own beautiful mansion on.

He sold it for a final profit of $354,000

That was about 8 months after our little chat on that cold evening.

To your health and rapid success.

Is it Just Me, or are People Getting Ruder?

I’ve been wondering this for a while and have been dying to ask my business colleagues and friends. But whenever I’m get ready to pop the question, I manage to convince myself that it’s silly, reveals my cynical nature (or advance years!) and is probably just a figment of my jaded imagination… certainly not worthy of intelligent discussion.

The question, however, continued to reside nervously on the tip of my tongue, eager to fly out (particularly just after leaving my apparently mute colleague a fourth voice mail message). But it wasn’t until I read Keith Ferrazzi’s masterful book, “Never Eat Alone” that I summoned the courage to thunderously and openly inquire, “Are people, particularly those in business, much ruder than they use to be?”

And… “Have we become so numb to it that we actually expect - and worst yet, accept it as normal and okay?”

I think yes. I hope I’m wrong.

Let me, however, step back a bit… Why did Ferrazzi’s book serve as my catalyst?

The short answer is that it’s just plain good. It is a brilliantly written book – simple without being simplistic – in the same league as Dale Carnegie’s classic “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” And in an age when everyone seems to be a marketing, internet or personal motivation coach it’s refreshing to read something so balanced and genuinely inspired. Most importantly, however, Ferrazzi reminds us that we’re not in this alone - people make business happen!

He reiterates what some of us already know. We’re all better off – emotionally, financially, and physically – when we take the time to build thoughtful, intimate (not in the “biblical” sense :>) and sincere relationships with others. Ferrazzi says that while our personal styles and levels of openness should be adjusted as appropriate, making strong human connections is essential to our well being. I couldn’t agree more! This is, after all, what it’s all about – and long overdue advice. Thanks, Keith!

But then it occurred to me. How can you develop relationships with people when they don’t call, email, or show up – even when they’ve promised to do so?!

And I’m not referring about those little, unintentional slip-ups that happen to all of us occasionally - like when you’ve forgotten your Aunt Hilda’s birthday; or waited until the last minute to send in your wedding RSVP; or failed to send a thank-you note.

No, what I’m talking about is far more baffling and egregious. I’m referring to the friends who call you one day before your big dinner party and reiterate how much they’re looking forward to seeing you - and then don’t show up – no explanation, no call, no nothing.

Or how about that real estate agent who promises to get back to you with a price no later than 2 pm, and you never hear from them again?

And what about that old friend or colleague who can’t wait to have lunch with you next Thursday and then doesn’t return your confirmation calls or emails?

Then there’s my favorite… you’ve killed yourself to help someone get something “urgent” done (usually a boss or co-worker) and even managed to save the day… You email “the document” before the deadline, sure that the recipient will be relieved and grateful. But you never find out. No “thank you”. No “way to go”. No nothing.

Or is it just me? Maybe so…

I was raised in a home where we were taught to treat everyone with the same amount of respect and kindness. Period. Behavior that didn’t measure up to this standard was not tolerated. We learned that the true measure of someone’s character rested in their commitment to do the right thing - even when they didn’t have to.

For example, whenever I leave a hotel room, I wipe off the counters; gather my towels together in one convenient spot; turn off the television, lights and air conditioning; return the iron to the closet; and make sure that all my scraps of paper are where they belong – in the trash can.

Why? Because it’s just the right thing to do (and my mother would probably rise up out of her grave and kick my butt if I didn’t :>). Yes, hotels employ a cleaning staff who “are paid” to clean up after me, but why should they? It’s my mess. I was responsible for making it, so I am responsible for cleaning it up – even if I don’t have to.

I have adopted my parents’ code and although I sometimes fail, I continually strive to measure up to those standards.

But what does this look like in the “real world”? It means you… 1. Return calls… even if it’s only to say “no”

2. Honor your commitments… if you tell someone you’re going to do something, you do it. If you absolutely cannot, you let them know beforehand.

3. When you’re asked to RSVP, you do so

4. Say “thank you” and “please”… to strangers, friends, family members, waiters and waitresses, taxi drivers, colleagues, children, teenagers… everyone.

5. Call when you’re going to be late

6. Return emails (unless it’s spam)

7. Welcome people into your home… do your best to make them feel comfortable and important

8. Clean up after yourself

9. Value other people’s privacy

10. Honor your parents

11. Respect elders

12. Chew gum quietly

13. Say “excuse me” when you burp

14. Open doors for others

15. Allow someone with only two items to move ahead of you in the grocery line

16. Respect other cultures, religions, ethnicities and the like.

17. Don’t push in front of someone… even if you’re in a car

18. Share your things

19. Don’t act like a pig… even if it’s at an All-You-Can-Eat buffet

20. Don’t brag

21. Never litter

Are these rules a thing of the past? Passé in today’s fast-paced culture? Old fashioned? Silly? Or am I just imagining things?

But if I’m not… why? Are we overloaded, overbooked and over committed? Has it become too easy to make excuses? Have we been forced into a “every-man-for-himself” mindset? Did our parents and teachers fail us?

Or is it that we just don’t care because they’re not important. What do you think?

Infomercials and Direct Response

Infomercials changed the way advertisers sell things on television. Previously, product manufacturers merely presented their wares on TV in the most attractive manner they could come up with. They planted ideas, sought to change habits or to create them where none existed. They expanded market share subtly with one common unifying factor – you watched the commercial and if you liked what you saw you went to the store or the showroom and bought it. From now on television would be different. Infomercials and direct response marketing was born. Now if you liked what you saw, thought it was just the right product, idea or concept for you, you picked up the phone, called the number on your screen and ordered what you wanted direct from the manufacturer.

It’s hard to imagine in today’s internet world with overnight deliveries and instantly downloads, but for the very first time you could order something off your TV set without even getting up from your favorite chair. It was unbelievable, magical, and very successful. Almost overnight phone banks sprang up all over the country as the call volume, once numbering in the thousands, surged into the millions. Like Internet domain names today, 800 numbers became a vanity item – the most popular ones disappearing as fast as they became available. Previously only used in magazine advertisements or mail order brochures, the phone business became a very big business with the success of infomercials.

To begin with, infomercials and direct response TV selling give a manufacturer an immediate tool to measure whether or not his product, his pricing and even his approach is working. Previously, manufacturers had to create their product, get it into stores where it would be available for purchase on a nationwide basis and then and only then, launch a costly nationwide advertising campaign on popular TV shows. After that, they would wait a minimum of 90 days, sending out squads of sales personnel or making hundreds of phone calls to find out if their product was selling. If it wasn’t it was back to the drawing board to try to figure out what went wrong and then perhaps try it again maybe next year.

With infomercials and direct response, there was now a way to measure the success or failure of any project in a matter of hours and at a fraction of the cost. If a manufacturer had his own phone bank, he could conceivably sit there after his infomercials were airing around the country and literally count the orders coming in. And almost immediately, he would have an idea if his project was working. This leveled the playing field for new product launches and led to the creation of hundreds of new products each and every year launched and tested as infomercials before ever hitting a retail outlet.

Investing the Profits from Your Home Based Business

Having made the bold and glorious decision to sack the boss and go it alone you are one of the few who have what it takes to succeed. You have an entrepreneurial spirit and a strong will and these are rare and valuable attributes that will guide you throughout your professional and personal life.

Now that your business is up and running and you’re profiting from your efforts, it’s time to turn your attentions to investing the profits from your home based business wisely and for maximum gain.

One of the most consistently returning asset classes over the long term and the one that the majority of us can profit from is real estate.

Understanding market cycles

Now, you’re most likely aware that property markets are cyclical – this is because there is a direct correlation between the underlying price of real estate in relation to individual buying power. Simply explained: when property prices rise above what first time buyers can afford to pay the market slows down, stagnates and sometimes readjusts – but as soon as purchasing power increases again, either with a drop in interest rates or an increase in GDP, so property prices begin rising again.

And there are even ways to make money from real estate during a market downturn!

Investing in real estate for income

Depending on the nature of your home based business your monthly income may be slightly erratic – some months being better than others! If you invest in property assets in a buy-to-let or even jet-to-let capacity you can secure yourself a consistent monthly income which may afford you an added degree of financial security.

Buy-to-let is when you purchase property for rental purposes – this make be an apartment you corporate let, it could be a house you student let or even a family home you rent out long term.

Jet-to-let is similar but it involves purchasing overseas property for short term weekly or fortnightly rental to tourists. This type of letting is usually very lucrative indeed during peak holiday periods but may mean you have a property that is empty for a few months out of season.

Both types of property investment return you a regular income and at the same time the physical real estate asset will grow in value over the long term and if ever you wish to release the profits from your investment you can sell on the property and take the gains you have accrued.

Investing in real estate for profit

The alternative to building up a property portfolio for income generation purposes is purchasing property and selling it on relatively quickly to realize the gains the asset has accrued.

You can do this in a number of ways…firstly you can purchase run down property in need of renovation, tidy up the property and turn it into a home before selling it on at a higher price and reaping the profits gained.

Alternatively you could seek to beat the curve by buying into up and coming areas, waiting for prices to boom and then selling on for profit. This is quite a risky strategy for a first time investor as timing the market is hard!

An alternative to this is looking overseas for the latest emerging property markets worldwide and buying properties to renovate or properties off plan and then flipping them on for maximum gains in the short term.

Financing your investment

As a self-employed individual it can be tricky to get a mortgage unless you have audited accounts, bank references etc., etc. If you don’t have all of these requisite documents there are other options available to you.

The main options are re-mortgaging your primary residence and releasing the equity that you have accrued already for reinvestment in another property project or taking out a self-certification mortgage where you make a large down payment and basically tell the lender how much you can afford to borrow!

A winning attitude

You’ve already proved you have what it takes to succeed against the odds by establishing a profitable home based business, now apply the same steely determination to your real estate investments and you will succeed in making the maximum gains. Start small, begin gently, test the market and your understanding of it and slowly build up a profitable real estate portfolio from the profits of your home based business for maximum financial gain.

Good luck in achieving your goals.