« Older Entries

How To Start A Home Based Business (With Pocket Change) And Make Money Fast

Start A Home Business And Get In The Black The Next Day

This is that wonderful time of year when the frost starts to thaw, flowers begin to bloom and everyone is either doing their taxes, finishing them,or fretting about said taxes. And possibly contemplating a revolution.

It’s no secret that in today’s economy, countless numbers of people are tying t find ways to make more money and quickly. The best way to make money fast is by starting a home based business; therefore it might come as a shock to some when I say it is possible to profit immediately when you start a home based business simply by applying some techniques to shield more of your hard-earned income from taxes instead keep it in your pockets.

However, I was taken aback at how many people who start a home based business don’t take full advantage of the assets that this sort of opportunity presents. In fact, the minute you start a home based business opportunity, you become privy to a number of benefits you didn’t have available before. Even if you’re not making any money in your business, if you apply proper techniques available to a business owner, you will be saving money you otherwise would parted with to Uncle Sam. ( Or whatever uncle is in charge of your respective government. )

But maybe not as many

Now when you elect to start a home based business there are of course some elements you need to examine first:

The type of business: is it something you can succeed in, and believe you can enjoy?
What kinds of new skills will you need to develop for this business, and will you have either someone or a quality system to help you develop those skills necessary to thrive?
What is the leadership like of the home based business opportunity you decide to join? What is their reputation?
Research the history of the company and whether other people are finding success with whatever system or endeavor you decide to explore. There are an incredible number of “programs” on the internet that promise one they can work 15 minutes a day and bank huge amounts for doing nothing. Be careful when you come across these types of opportunities because the majority are affiliate products designed to make money for the person marketing the program, not necessarily for the buyer. Some of them may work, when it comes time for you to start a home based business you just need to do your due diligence.
A quick note for when you’re doing your research about starting a home based business: when you research a business and find the word “scam” frequently appear in the search engines, don’t let this immediately deter you: continue to do your due diligence and explore why exactly someone is saying that opportunity is a “scam”. the reason is many marketers target other businesses, hoping to leach traffic off one opportunity onto their own by catching people’s attention who don’t know better. In the old days, one could trust what they found on the internet; you have to be much more careful now. Measure once, cut twice, that is the carpenter’s rule of thumb and one you should heed when you decide to start a home based business. You want to be able to enter with confidence and excitement.

One caveat before I proceed: everything that follows is simply a suggestion and I highly suggest you stay within your limits and do not exaggerate any of your tax deductions. The IRS is hurting right now just as many citizens are- and would just love for you to finagle with your taxes and invite an audit. ( In fact, there is an entire departments of the IRS that have been mobilized over the last couple of years simply to pore over older tax records in the hope of finding past discrepancies that they can then fine someone for.) So don’t invite the wolf in and you should be fine.

He’ll come and knock on your door…

Start a Home Based Business and Profit Immediately

Some of the items you can profit from once you start a home based business:

Office rent-This is one everyone should know and use but I’m including it because like I mentioned before, a lot of people overlook these benefits. Even if you’re using a spare bedroom, you can take your office space and ( the size of the bedroom or a percentage of your house-don’t go overboard with this and claim like ” All of my house is an office because I work in every part of it!” or anything, this won’t fly with the IRS. There are ways to use tax laws to your advantage but not abuse them. )Typically you can deduct somewhere around $1.75 per square foot, so if you have an office that is only 120 square feet, you can deduct around $210. But that’s every month.

Computer-You are allowed to write off around $25,000 annually for equipment and business assets, so a new computer, printer, fax, modem, etc. all fit into this category.

Health Insurance- medical, dental, and even disability. Smart.

Start-Up Expenses and Marketing- business cards, the expenses of joining, and if you enter into network marketing,( one of the best forms of home based business) you can even deduct the PRODUCT as well.

Meals-you have to eat right? And sometimes have business lunches. A word of caution with this one: don’t overuse it by claiming an inordinate amount of meals eaten were business related. When traveling one can only write off 50 % of meal costs as well.

Telephone- this is only related to a separate business line, not your regular home phone; but you can write that second line off, along with internet too.

Auto -It is important to keep good records with this one, but when you start a home based business you are allowed an monthly auto allowance according to how many miles each month the car is driven. Right now I believe it is allowable to around 50 cents/mile currently for all miles you’ve used that go toward business purposes. It is up to you to determine exactly what those are, -but can include meetings, meals, and…

Travel- one can deduct half their meals, plus lodging and transportation. Foreign travel is a bit different, but basically is three quarters of the trip is spent on business, you are good to go.

Subscriptions-these of course have to be related to your type of business- magazines, business clubs, and even college courses can be deductible if they fit the right description, meaning they can further your business.

Retirement plans-This one could be an article unto itself, so perhaps it is best saved for another time. But basically refers to setting up and contributing to a tax beneficial 401k or IRA.

Other benefits include a cafeteria plan, dependent care, and if you elect to start a corporation ( which you can do for less than 500 bucks and as little as 145) you can also get a lower tax rate for your business and the income you generate through it. )

So the lower tax rate and many of the other benefits one can apply from the moment they start a home business even part time are obviously a huge boon. If your business is more mature, you may want to look into an S or LLC. It’s wise to consult with someone that knows your situation for any final decision, because ultimately you want your corporation to work for you.

Start A Home Business And Never Lose.

Starting a successful home venture consists of 2 aspects, and while you can find plenty more on my site about the various ways to achieve this- they are…

1) Cash flow

2) Leads- which are basically people interested in your business, no matter what your particular business consists of.

To find out more about how to solve the 2 obstacles that ALL home business owners face, simply visit -

Five Tips for Selling at Live Auctions

Ah, the old-fashioned country auction! The idea of a country auction conjures up certain images for people. The image of a fast-talking auctioneer offering up an antique table or chair is a popular example.

People who are buying household goods or collectibles are looking to get their items at the lowest price possible. However, the people who are selling their items at auction are hoping for the highest price!

Unless a person is in the business of buying and selling antiques or other items, not a lot of thought goes into how goods are prepared for sale via the auction process. However, if you are one of the growing number of people using auction venues to sell your collectibles or other inventory, there are a few things to learn first about how to sell at auction before you bring a truckload of stuff over to the next event.

Tip 1: Make sure the things you want to sell are a good “fit” for the auction house you’ll be using.

Never bring a load to an auction house without actually having been to one of the previous auctions. It’s important to get a feel for the type of goods that the house sells. For example, at one very rural country auction it was common for the owners to sell live chickens, pots and pans, car parts, and farm equipment.

After close investigation, this would not be the right venue for selling your daughter’s “Hello Kitty” collection. On the other hand, the spare John Deere parts that you bought at last week’s yard sale might be just the right thing for the buying crowd at this auction.

Tip 2: Be sure you clearly understand the terms and policies of the auction house.

Visit with the auctioneer ahead of time. Call to find out what the best days and times are to visit. One of the worst possible times to drop in for an informational visit with an auctioneer is the day of the auction. Call ahead and ask. While you’re at it, find out what are the best days and times to drop your stuff off.

Once you have a little time with the auctioneer, you’ll be able to find out what type of commission he or she takes from consigners (which is you), and what type of paperwork might be needed. Some auction houses send out Form 1099 tax forms at the end of the year. An auctioneer may need to see your identification and have you fill out a W-9. Be prepared.

Find out what happens to your items if they don’t sell. For example, some auctioneers may have a minimum starting bid. If, for some reason, one of your items does not sell, it may be grouped with another one of your pieces. Know the auctioneer’s strategy beforehand so that you aren’t surprised on pay day.

Tip 3: Make sure the auctioneer knows what you’re selling.

It might be perfectly obvious to you that the signed print you are consigning is a rare and valuable piece of art. However, the auctioneer may not know this particular artist. Make a note of anything particularly special about your items, and leave the note with the piece. Be sure to tell the auctioneer about it as well. He or she might determine that this is something to highlight on the company website or in the newspaper listing.

Tip 4: Present your items neatly.

No one likes to have to dig through a box full of grimy and greasy car parts to see what treasures might be in there. Separate the parts and lay them out on a flat, or use more than one box to de-clutter the lot.

There is no need to buy fancy display boxes. It’s easy enough to go to the local convenience store or supermarket and ask if you can have the emptied boxes or flats that they are discarding.

While it’s good to present clean items, take care not to ruin the value of anything by over cleaning. For example, if you find some old cast iron cookware, clean the obvious dirt and grime, but don’t scrub it to its original finish. For many people, this ruins the value of the item. So, clean and tidy and organized is the key here.

Tip 5: Don’t complain to the auctioneer if your stuff doesn’t sell for as much as you’d like.

The phrase to remember here is, “You win some; you lose some.” That’s just the way it is. There are some days where an auction house is loaded with people who all seem to want what you’re selling. There will be other days where the crowd is sparse, and the bidding is simply not competitive.

Remember that it’s in the auctioneer’s best interest to sell your things for the highest possible hammer price. But sometimes, it’s just not going to be a stellar sale. The auctioneer is only human, and is also disappointed if a sale doesn’t go as well as planned.

If you notice that every time you bring a bunch of goods to sell that you’re not realizing as much as you think you honestly should, try another auction venue and compare apples to apples. That is, bring the same types of items to the new auctioneer and compare the results.

Unless the auctioneer is particularly disagreeable or inconsiderate to you or buyers, there is no reason to confront him or her about a sale. If you find you just don’t care for an auctioneer’s style or methods, find another one. Believe me, there are plenty of them out there!

The primary thing to remember as you learn how to sell at auction is that the business is unpredictable at best. You will have good days, some not-so-good days, some great days. The more you sell, the more experience you will gain, and the more enjoyable the business will be.

Tags:

Keep Your Day Job While Running a Home Based Business

If you come across anyone who tells you that a J-O-B is a negative thing, saying words such as “Just over Broke” or “A Job”, it is always best to thank them for their opinion and move on from them. While we can all agree that you will never get rich as an employee (well, maybe with the exception of an employee in a company that gives you stock/shares), we can also agree that we need to have income coming in as much as possible. We know that if time freedom is high on your list, you will never get that as an employee. Unless you are the owner of the company. But still, you need income coming in, even if it means getting it from a day job.There is nothing wrong with having a day job.Most of us know that there are negatives and positives when it comes to having a day job. The negatives are that you will have to commute, trade your time for dollars, endure psychological and physiological stress, office politics, after-tax income and so on. However, there are positives as to why you should keep your day job (within reason) especially if you’re still running a home-based business.The truth is, we all have to bring in money. It doesn’t matter whether you are an employee, a business owner, network marketer, songwriter, real estate broker, doctor – whatever. There is a saying that money isn’t everything in this world, but it sure does come close to oxygen. Let’s face it. Money isn’t everything, but it is important.Anyone who says “I don’t need the money” or “I don’t do it for the money” is actually lying to themselves and to others. If they do not need the money, then why are they still working at their jobs? If they don’t need the money and they love their jobs, why not work for free? Now, I can hear a lot of people tell me “that’s not fair, you have to be compensated for what you do.” Ahhh. So, that means money still is important. Most of the answers people would give are “I’ve got to pay the bills” or “I’ve got to take care of the IRS or CRA or creditors” and so forth.I’m guilty of this too, so I’m not pointing fingers. But it’s important to be aware of this. We all have to bring in money, and I mean legally. Whether that be a job or a business (that serves the world and helps people, of course).Most people are not cut out for entrepreneurship and that’s totally fine. But for those of us who have the entrepreneurial bug bite, the first important matter is to always remain grounded while remaining a visionary.When I mean remaining grounded, I mean being responsible. Having a home-based business and thinking that you will grow rich if you do it full time, does not give you the excuse to leave your day job when you have a massive amount of bills to pay. Even Bill Gates and Sylvester Stallone had to bring in some sort of income while they were obsessed with making their dreams come true.For those of us who are not familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy, Maslow states that we must always satisfy our basic needs. Food, Shelter, Water, Clothing, etc. If you are not currently getting that from your home-based business, you need to bring in income. Even if it means bringing it from a job.There is nothing wrong with a job (unless the job is killing you and dangerously leading your stressful life to a cancerous result). Although you have to trade time for dollars, you are getting dollars and that’s a fact. You need to focus on your survival needs first and then build towards your thriving life.Anyone who puts down jobs either had money handed down to them, or they had forgotten where they came from. These are the people who do not respect life in general and it won’t be long before their table of success turns on them. Instead of putting down jobs, or people with jobs, they should inspire people and encourage people to go for their dreams. Not FORCE them.David Foster was flat broke once. Tony Robbins, Dr. Joe Vitale, Sanjay Burman, Loreena McKennett, Gordon Ramsay, the late Steve Jobs – they all started out with humble beginnings. But they never forgot where they came from. They worked hard and smart, and they never forgot that.We all are brothers and sisters on this planet. The only thing is that not everyone has the same energy amongst each other.If you want to build a huge home-based business and are starting out from scratch, here are some tips you can try:

If you are a daredevil and totally believe you can make it, go for it and take risks – but make sure the risks are the kind that you learn from and not die from.
If you have a full time job, keep it. But schedule your home based business around it, so that you have a balance. You still have to bring in money, especially if you need to finance your business. Unless you are 100% certain that you can pay it back, refrain from going for a bank loan.
If you don’t like your full time job and it is massively stressful (like office politics, violence, etc.), make sure you have enough in the bank to sustain yourself for a couple of months while you work on your home based business.
You can also apply to another full time job that you like, at least to keep yourself afloat. Note: Make sure it is a job that you can do and not one that you’re low on expertise for. You’ll find that you’ll have to spend a huge amount of time learning the skills from home if it does not help your home-based business. Otherwise, perhaps find something positive about it. Maybe the skills could be used in your home based business.
Join networking groups and promote your business. It doesn’t matter whether it is network marketing, direct selling, real estate, franchises, whatever. Just continually promote and network. Get in the habit of meeting people and having conversations.
If you have the time, join a Mastermind group. Find one that works best for you and that you can contribute and learn from.
Be aware of overtime hours from your job. If you’re going to get plenty of these, you might want to consider a home-based network marketing business. When you sponsor people, you can train them once a week or month and they can prospect while you work overtime at your full time job.
Master the Art of Automation – put your business on the internet, Master it and if you got it working, it will work on Autopilot for a certain period of time. Imagine making more money while you are at your full time job, or when you are asleep. Network Marketing also works beautifully with Internet Marketing.
Make sure to pay off your credit cards or other creditors. If you are already in the danger zone, consider credit counselling (don’t be embarrassed; we’re seeing a huge worldwide credit crisis more than ever in human history. The important thing is that you learn from your mistakes).
If you are severely burnt out, make sure you have enough reserves for a couple of months, so that you can resign from your job. Take time to relax, rejuvenate, read books on how to build your business or self-improvement. Go to a baseball/basketball game or even musical theatre. A trip to the great outdoors – whatever is a great meditation for you.
Consider focusing on your passions, even if life is going chaotic and crazy. Know that when you can find time to do what is considered a meditational moment for you, you will balance out your life.
Look at your job positively. You could take whatever skills and experience you’ve learned on the job into your home based business. For example, I work as a web designer and front end developer as a contractor for several clients, even though my business is in building residual income and health consultation for others. But it is through the web designer/front end developer jobs that I learned how to put together this website and make it dynamic. I would have never learned about the technology without it. So jobs are important and are still great income sources. There is also nothing wrong with loving your job either. I know some successful entrepreneurs who sometimes miss their old full time employment and wished there was a way to have both at the same time. If you enjoy your job, be proud of it. But if you can, build a home based business on the side so that you have a cushion when the economy changes again.We could spend a whole article on this, but the important thing to remember is that you must keep the money coming in, whether it is by your job, by residual income or passive income. Residual and Passive income is always best, but if you’re not getting these yet, you must bring in money, even if it’s from your job.When you prospect or network for your business, you do not necessarily have to tell others what you do at your day job, or what your job title is. You can tell them what your home-based business title is. If they get to know you more personally, you can mention that you have a full time job, but you’re working hard and smart towards working in your home-based business full-time.Remember, there is nothing wrong with a job. If it is the only source of income you have at the moment, it is the one that is going to help you provide food on the table for you and your family (if you have a family) as well as shelter, utilities and an internet connection, plus items for your home-based business (like laptops, nutritional supplements, phones, whatever.)You’ve got to start with financial security, so that you can focus on financial freedom. People who have financial freedom handed down to them will find their way to financial security fast, if they do not know how to get to and stay at financial freedom.Sure, a job is “just over broke”, but it’s better to be that than to be broke without any options!