How many "bad debt accounts" do you have? How many of these do you expect to ever finally collect? Actually, the reason most "bad debts" are never collected is because the holder of the bad debt eventually forgets about them because of the collection effort, or else simply writes them off as another income tax loss.
So, if you'd like to collect some of those bad debts you've got stashed away in a special file at the back of your file drawer, the first thing you should do is set up a regular routine for dealing with these customers and follow through on a collection plan. You should definitely investigate each new customer's credit rating before you advance him any credit. Tell him of your credit terms verbally, and print them on your bills, and also state the customers are liable for reasonable collection fees. If you make it a practice to bill your customer promptly, you'll find that your customers are more apt to pay promptly. On the other hand, if you run your business in a slipshod manner, you'll find your customers slipshod in their dealings with you.
Should a customer fall behind in his payments, you should start with a mild past-due letter to remind him, perhaps alluding that he may have forgotten the due date of his payment. With this letter, you should definitely include a duplicate invoice stamped, past due.
Then about two weeks later, send a second letter, this one more strongly worded than the first, but at the same time in a dignified and courteous tone. The important thing here is to leave him an opening to voice a legitimate complaint if he has one, but at the same time demanding some sort of communication from him about this matter.
Should you still not receive payment or any word from your debtor, send still another letter - your third - in which you apply a bit more pressure and appeal to his sense of fair play. Mention his credit rating and let him know that if he doesn't pay, you'll be forced to turn his account over to a collection agency - however, never make threats you don't intend to carry out.
Finally, two weeks after you've sent out your third letter and you still haven't heard from him, automatically turn his account over to a collection agency.
No one likes to be on a collection agency's list, and once your customer find out that you will indeed, turn their accounts over to an outside agency for collection, they'll quickly accept the fact that you're running a "tight ship", and not try to use you for a soft touch.
Be consistent in your collection procedures, and don't allow special favors. Set up a regular routine for collecting from past due accounts, and then stick with that procedure. Something else worth mentioning is the fact that unless you have supporting evidence to show that you have attempted to collect you bad debts, the IRS will disallow you to write them off as a business loss.
Some of the things to keep in mind... Your collection letters should contain the date, name/address of the debtor, a description of the merchandise involved or the services rendered, and the amount due. It's also a very good idea to include a self-addressed reply envelope in order to make it easy for him to mail his check. Something else to consider is the use of imprinted envelopes with the phrase - Address Correction Requested - so the post office will provide you with a forwarding address in case he has moved.
In almost all cases, you should address your letter to a specific person, not to either the purchasing department or the company in general. In other words, it should be your endeavor to try to continue your relationship with the person who signed authorization for the purchase in the first place. Your letters should be firm but reasonable, and should leave the debtor an opportunity to set up a schedule of payments or an honorable way out of his financial problems.
Telephone calls work very well in that they usually catch the "slow payer" off guard, and can result in his promising to pay by or on a certain date. The thing is though, before you start calling on bad debts, be sure that you're thoroughly familiar with his account, and that you have his file in front of you when you make your call.
You or one of your agents might make a personal visit to see him and discuss the reasons why he hasn't paid, but if he doesn't want to talk to you and orders you off his property, you must not argue or attempt to reason with him. The only thing you can do in such a situation is to leave without further words.
When you do visit the debtor and he offers a partial payment, by all means accept it. Start by demanding the whole amount, but be ready to accept whatever he offers, and work out some sort of payment schedule from there. If you can't collect the money, try bartering - in other words, trade the price of your bill for something he has that you can either use, sell or trade. Only as a last resort should you attempt to take back the merchandise you sold him.
One other thing, if you claims to have mailed you a check more than a few days ago - long enough for the check to have reached you - demand that he stop payment on it and issue a new check. Above all else, keep cool and don't argue or become threatening towards him.
To get results, collection letters should be distinctive. Some companies use a special letterhead printed in red ink which attracts the eye better than any other color and gets maximum attention. At the same time, a great many of the collection agencies say that smaller than standard sized paper, plus the use of paper that feels and looks expensive, always gets getter results.
Never use humor in a collection letter. If you do, your recipient won't take your collection efforts seriously. Maintain a sense of urgency, but don't imply that you're angry - serious, yes - but angry, no. The psychology behind the tone of your collection letters is simply that the recipients tend to duplicate it.
You should send out your letters over planned intervals - about once every 10 days or two weeks. This will work in your favor because when several creditors are on a debtor's heels, he generally responds the fastest to whoever is the most insistent.
Be sure you don't ever defame a debtor in writing. To do so will give him a chance to "hang you" for libel. To always make sure you're within your legal rights when trying to collect a bad debt, keep these rules in mind!
Address yourself only to the person responsible for the bill that's owed.
Send your collection letters in sealed envelopes to ensure that other people don't see them.
When phoning him or her, don't discuss the nature of the call with anyone else. Don't attack him or her personally, even is what you say about them is true.
It's okay to disclose the next step in your collection efforts you're going to turn his account over to a collection agency, or to take him to court - but don't describe what will happen to him if he doesn't pay.
And finally, always make it as easy as possible for a bad debtor to pay up.
Thousands, even millions of "bad debts" can be collected - but, it takes a planned collection procedure and the tenacity to last them out - the best of luck to you!
Friday, November 30, 2007
Thursday, November 29, 2007
HOW TO BE AUDIT-PROOF
If you're in business, you have around a 1 in 100 chance of being audited by
the IRS. If you run a business from home, your chances go up about four
times. As long as you keep your books in good order, though, an audit is
nothing to be scared of. The IRS won't audit you just to harass you. They
just want justification of certain items on your tax return. There are two
important things to do if you get audited, though, that can protect you and
your business from undue problems.
When the IRS notifies you that you will be audited, they will give you the
choice of having the audit meeting at the IRS office, or your office. ALWAYS
HAVE THE AUDIT TAKE PLACE AT THE IRS OFFICE! Many business people think that
they should have the audit in their own office, so they feel more comfortable. This is the WRONG thing to do. If you let the IRS agent into
your office, you have given him or her the opportunity to view your whole
operation. They will definitely be looking for other things to question you
about, besides the original audit item. If you have the meeting at the IRS
office, it forces the agent to focus on the original item.
The second thing you should do goes along with the first. When you go to
the IRS office, THE ONLY PAPERS YOU SHOULD TAKE WITH YOU ARE ONES DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO THE POINT OF CONTENTION!
If the IRS has a problem with a certain deduction, say travel expenses, take the receipts that will back up the deduction, AND NO MORE!
If you take your complete set of business records, the agent is sure to take some time "looking for backup information"
for your deduction. In reality, they will be looking for other, unrelated
items that don't "look right." If you have the meeting in your office, they
have every right to look through your files for the same things.
In other words, the smart thing to do is only give the IRS access to
information regarding the items they are auditing you for. They will let
you know the reason for the audit beforehand. This gives you the knowledge
you need to protect yourself and your business from audit nightmares.
the IRS. If you run a business from home, your chances go up about four
times. As long as you keep your books in good order, though, an audit is
nothing to be scared of. The IRS won't audit you just to harass you. They
just want justification of certain items on your tax return. There are two
important things to do if you get audited, though, that can protect you and
your business from undue problems.
When the IRS notifies you that you will be audited, they will give you the
choice of having the audit meeting at the IRS office, or your office. ALWAYS
HAVE THE AUDIT TAKE PLACE AT THE IRS OFFICE! Many business people think that
they should have the audit in their own office, so they feel more comfortable. This is the WRONG thing to do. If you let the IRS agent into
your office, you have given him or her the opportunity to view your whole
operation. They will definitely be looking for other things to question you
about, besides the original audit item. If you have the meeting at the IRS
office, it forces the agent to focus on the original item.
The second thing you should do goes along with the first. When you go to
the IRS office, THE ONLY PAPERS YOU SHOULD TAKE WITH YOU ARE ONES DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO THE POINT OF CONTENTION!
If the IRS has a problem with a certain deduction, say travel expenses, take the receipts that will back up the deduction, AND NO MORE!
If you take your complete set of business records, the agent is sure to take some time "looking for backup information"
for your deduction. In reality, they will be looking for other, unrelated
items that don't "look right." If you have the meeting in your office, they
have every right to look through your files for the same things.
In other words, the smart thing to do is only give the IRS access to
information regarding the items they are auditing you for. They will let
you know the reason for the audit beforehand. This gives you the knowledge
you need to protect yourself and your business from audit nightmares.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
ACHIEVE EXCELLENCE IN SALES
Most people are always striving to better themselves. It's the "American Way". For proof, check the sales figures on the number of self-improvement books sold each year. This is not a pitch for you to jump in and start selling these kinds of books, but it is a indication of people's awareness that in order to better themselves, they have to continue improving their personal selling ab abilities.
To excel in any selling situation, you must have confidence, and confidence comes, first and foremost, from knowledge. You have to know and understand yourself and your goals. You have to recognize and accept your weaknesses as well as your special talents. This requires a kind of personal honesty that not everyone is capable of exercising.
In addition to knowing yourself, you must continue learning about people. Just as with yourself, you must be caring, forgiving and laudatory with others. In any sales effort, you must accept other people as they are, not as you would like for them to be. One of the most common faults of sales people is impatience when the prospective customer is slow to understand or make a decision. The successful salesperson handles these situations the same as he would if he were asking a girl for a date, or even applying for a new job.
Learning your product, making a clear presentation to qualified prospects, and closing more sales will take a lot less time once you know your own capabilities and failings, and understand and care about the prospects you are calling upon.
Our society is predicated upon selling, and all of us are selling something all the time. We move up or stand still in direct relation to our sales efforts. Everyone is included, whether we're attempting to be a friend to a co-worker, a neighbor, or selling multi-million dollar real estate projects. Accepting these facts will enable you to understand that there is no such thing as a born salesman. Indeed, in selling, we all begin at the same starting line, and we all have the same finish line as the goal - a successful sale.
Most assuredly, anyone can sell anything to anybody. As a qualification to this statement, let us say that some things are easier to sell than others, and some people work harder at selling than others. But regardless of what you're selling, or even how you're attempting to sell it, the odds are in your favor. If you make your presentation to enough people, you'll find a buyer. The problem with most people seems to be in making contact - getting their sales presentation seen by, read by, or heard by enough people. But this really shouldn't be a problem, as we'll explain later. There is a problem of impatience, but this too can be harnessed to work in the salesperson's favor.
We have established that we're all sales people in one way or another. So whether we're attempting to move up from forklift driver to warehouse manager, waitress to hostess, salesman to sales manager or from mail order dealer to president of the largest sales organization in the world, it's vitally important that we continue learning.
Getting up out of bed in the morning; doing what has to be done in order to sell more units of your product; keeping records, updating your materials; planning the direction of further sales efforts; and all the while increasing your own knowledge---all this very definitely requires a great deal of personal motivation, discipline, and energy. But then the rewards can be beyond your wildest dreams, for make no mistake about it, the selling profession is the highest paid occupation in the world!
Selling is challenging. It demands the utmost of your creativity and innovative thinking. The more success you want, and the more dedicated you are to achieving your goals, the more you'll sell. Hundreds of people the world over become millionaires each month through selling. Many of them were flat broke and unable to find a "regular" job when they began their selling careers. Yet they've done it, and you can do it too!
Remember, it's the surest way to all the wealth you could ever want. You get paid according to your own efforts, skill, and knowledge of people. If you're ready to become rich, then think seriously about selling a product or service (preferably something exclusively yours) - something that you "pull out of your brain"; something that you write, manufacture or produce for the benefit of other people. But failing this, the want ads are full of opportunities for ambitious sales people. You can start there, study, learn from experience, and watch for the chance that will allow you to move ahead by leaps and bounds.
Here are some guidelines that will definitely improve your gross sales, and quite naturally, your gross income. I like to call them the Strategic Salesmanship Commandments. Look them over; give some thought to each of them; and adapt those that you can to your own selling efforts.
If the product you're selling is something your prospect can hold in his hands, get it into his hands as quickly as possible. In other words, get the prospect "into the act". Let him feel it, weigh it, admire it.
Don't stand or sit alongside your prospect. Instead, face him while you're pointing out the important advantages of your product. This will enable you to watch his facial expressions and determine whether and when you should go for the close. In handling sales literature, hold it by the top of the page, at the proper angle, so that your prospect can read it as you're highlighting the important points.
Regarding your sales literature, don't release your hold on it, because you want to control the specific parts you want the prospect to read. In other words, you want the prospect to read or see only the parts of the sales material you're telling him about at a given time.
3. With prospects who won't talk with you: When you can get no feedback to yours sales presentation, you must dramatize your presentation to get him involved. Stop and ask questions such as, "Now, don't you agree that this product can help you or would be of benefit to you?" After you've asked a question such as this, stop talking and wait for the prospect to answer. It's a proven fact that following such a question, the one who talks first will lose, so don't say anything until after the prospect has given you some kind of answer. Wait him out!
4. Prospects who are themselves sales people, and prospects who imagine they know a lot about selling sometimes present difficult selling obstacles, especially for the novice. But believe me, these prospects can be the easiest of all to sell. Simply give your sales presentation, and instead of trying for a close, toss out a challenge such as, "I don't know, Mr. Prospect - after watching your reactions to what I've been showing and telling you about my product, I'm very doubtful as to how this product can truthfully be of benefit to you".
Then wait a few seconds, just looking at him and waiting for him to say something. Then, start packing up your sales materials as if you are about to leave. In almost every instance, your "tough nut" will quickly ask you, Why? These people are generally so filled with their own importance, that they just have to prove you wrong. When they start on this tangent, they will sell themselves. The more skeptical you are relative to their ability to make your product work to their benefit, the more they'll demand that you sell it to them.
If you find that this prospect will not rise to your challenge, then go ahead with the packing of your sales materials and leave quickly. Some people are so convinced of their own importance that it is a poor use of your valuable time to attempt to convince them.
5. Remember that in selling, time is money! Therefore, you must allocate only so much time to each prospect. The prospect who asks you to call back next week, or wants to ramble on about similar products, prices or previous experiences, is costing you money. Learn to quickly get your prospect interested in, and wanting your product, and then systematically present your sales pitch through to the close, when he signs on the dotted line, and reaches for his checkbook.
After the introductory call on your prospect, you should be selling products and collecting money. Any callbacks should be only for reorders, or to sell him related products from your line. In other words, you can waste an introductory call on a prospect to qualify him, but you're going to be wasting money if you continue calling on him to sell him the first unit of your product. When faced with a reply such as, "Your product looks pretty good, but I'll have to give some thought", you should quickly jump in and ask him what specifically about your product does he feel he needs to give more thought. Let him explain, and that's when you go back into your sales presentation and make everything crystal clear for him. If he still balks, then you can either tell him that you think he product will really benefit him, or it's purchase be to his benefit.
You must spend as much time as possible calling on new prospects. Therefore, your first call should be a selling call with follow-up calls by mail or telephone (once every month or so in person) to sign him for re-orders and other items from your product line.
6. Review your sales presentation, your sales materials, and your prospecting efforts. Make sure you have a "door-opener" that arouses interest and "forces" a purchase the first time around. This can be a $2 interest stimulator so that you can show him your full line, or a special marked-down price on an item that everybody wants; but the important thing is to get the prospect on your "buying customer" list, and then follow up via mail or telephone with related, but more profitable products you have to offer.
If you accept our statement that there are no born salesmen, you can readily absorb these "commandments". Study them, as well as all the material in this report. When you realize your first successes, you will truly know that "salesmen are MADE - not born".
To excel in any selling situation, you must have confidence, and confidence comes, first and foremost, from knowledge. You have to know and understand yourself and your goals. You have to recognize and accept your weaknesses as well as your special talents. This requires a kind of personal honesty that not everyone is capable of exercising.
In addition to knowing yourself, you must continue learning about people. Just as with yourself, you must be caring, forgiving and laudatory with others. In any sales effort, you must accept other people as they are, not as you would like for them to be. One of the most common faults of sales people is impatience when the prospective customer is slow to understand or make a decision. The successful salesperson handles these situations the same as he would if he were asking a girl for a date, or even applying for a new job.
Learning your product, making a clear presentation to qualified prospects, and closing more sales will take a lot less time once you know your own capabilities and failings, and understand and care about the prospects you are calling upon.
Our society is predicated upon selling, and all of us are selling something all the time. We move up or stand still in direct relation to our sales efforts. Everyone is included, whether we're attempting to be a friend to a co-worker, a neighbor, or selling multi-million dollar real estate projects. Accepting these facts will enable you to understand that there is no such thing as a born salesman. Indeed, in selling, we all begin at the same starting line, and we all have the same finish line as the goal - a successful sale.
Most assuredly, anyone can sell anything to anybody. As a qualification to this statement, let us say that some things are easier to sell than others, and some people work harder at selling than others. But regardless of what you're selling, or even how you're attempting to sell it, the odds are in your favor. If you make your presentation to enough people, you'll find a buyer. The problem with most people seems to be in making contact - getting their sales presentation seen by, read by, or heard by enough people. But this really shouldn't be a problem, as we'll explain later. There is a problem of impatience, but this too can be harnessed to work in the salesperson's favor.
We have established that we're all sales people in one way or another. So whether we're attempting to move up from forklift driver to warehouse manager, waitress to hostess, salesman to sales manager or from mail order dealer to president of the largest sales organization in the world, it's vitally important that we continue learning.
Getting up out of bed in the morning; doing what has to be done in order to sell more units of your product; keeping records, updating your materials; planning the direction of further sales efforts; and all the while increasing your own knowledge---all this very definitely requires a great deal of personal motivation, discipline, and energy. But then the rewards can be beyond your wildest dreams, for make no mistake about it, the selling profession is the highest paid occupation in the world!
Selling is challenging. It demands the utmost of your creativity and innovative thinking. The more success you want, and the more dedicated you are to achieving your goals, the more you'll sell. Hundreds of people the world over become millionaires each month through selling. Many of them were flat broke and unable to find a "regular" job when they began their selling careers. Yet they've done it, and you can do it too!
Remember, it's the surest way to all the wealth you could ever want. You get paid according to your own efforts, skill, and knowledge of people. If you're ready to become rich, then think seriously about selling a product or service (preferably something exclusively yours) - something that you "pull out of your brain"; something that you write, manufacture or produce for the benefit of other people. But failing this, the want ads are full of opportunities for ambitious sales people. You can start there, study, learn from experience, and watch for the chance that will allow you to move ahead by leaps and bounds.
Here are some guidelines that will definitely improve your gross sales, and quite naturally, your gross income. I like to call them the Strategic Salesmanship Commandments. Look them over; give some thought to each of them; and adapt those that you can to your own selling efforts.
If the product you're selling is something your prospect can hold in his hands, get it into his hands as quickly as possible. In other words, get the prospect "into the act". Let him feel it, weigh it, admire it.
Don't stand or sit alongside your prospect. Instead, face him while you're pointing out the important advantages of your product. This will enable you to watch his facial expressions and determine whether and when you should go for the close. In handling sales literature, hold it by the top of the page, at the proper angle, so that your prospect can read it as you're highlighting the important points.
Regarding your sales literature, don't release your hold on it, because you want to control the specific parts you want the prospect to read. In other words, you want the prospect to read or see only the parts of the sales material you're telling him about at a given time.
3. With prospects who won't talk with you: When you can get no feedback to yours sales presentation, you must dramatize your presentation to get him involved. Stop and ask questions such as, "Now, don't you agree that this product can help you or would be of benefit to you?" After you've asked a question such as this, stop talking and wait for the prospect to answer. It's a proven fact that following such a question, the one who talks first will lose, so don't say anything until after the prospect has given you some kind of answer. Wait him out!
4. Prospects who are themselves sales people, and prospects who imagine they know a lot about selling sometimes present difficult selling obstacles, especially for the novice. But believe me, these prospects can be the easiest of all to sell. Simply give your sales presentation, and instead of trying for a close, toss out a challenge such as, "I don't know, Mr. Prospect - after watching your reactions to what I've been showing and telling you about my product, I'm very doubtful as to how this product can truthfully be of benefit to you".
Then wait a few seconds, just looking at him and waiting for him to say something. Then, start packing up your sales materials as if you are about to leave. In almost every instance, your "tough nut" will quickly ask you, Why? These people are generally so filled with their own importance, that they just have to prove you wrong. When they start on this tangent, they will sell themselves. The more skeptical you are relative to their ability to make your product work to their benefit, the more they'll demand that you sell it to them.
If you find that this prospect will not rise to your challenge, then go ahead with the packing of your sales materials and leave quickly. Some people are so convinced of their own importance that it is a poor use of your valuable time to attempt to convince them.
5. Remember that in selling, time is money! Therefore, you must allocate only so much time to each prospect. The prospect who asks you to call back next week, or wants to ramble on about similar products, prices or previous experiences, is costing you money. Learn to quickly get your prospect interested in, and wanting your product, and then systematically present your sales pitch through to the close, when he signs on the dotted line, and reaches for his checkbook.
After the introductory call on your prospect, you should be selling products and collecting money. Any callbacks should be only for reorders, or to sell him related products from your line. In other words, you can waste an introductory call on a prospect to qualify him, but you're going to be wasting money if you continue calling on him to sell him the first unit of your product. When faced with a reply such as, "Your product looks pretty good, but I'll have to give some thought", you should quickly jump in and ask him what specifically about your product does he feel he needs to give more thought. Let him explain, and that's when you go back into your sales presentation and make everything crystal clear for him. If he still balks, then you can either tell him that you think he product will really benefit him, or it's purchase be to his benefit.
You must spend as much time as possible calling on new prospects. Therefore, your first call should be a selling call with follow-up calls by mail or telephone (once every month or so in person) to sign him for re-orders and other items from your product line.
6. Review your sales presentation, your sales materials, and your prospecting efforts. Make sure you have a "door-opener" that arouses interest and "forces" a purchase the first time around. This can be a $2 interest stimulator so that you can show him your full line, or a special marked-down price on an item that everybody wants; but the important thing is to get the prospect on your "buying customer" list, and then follow up via mail or telephone with related, but more profitable products you have to offer.
If you accept our statement that there are no born salesmen, you can readily absorb these "commandments". Study them, as well as all the material in this report. When you realize your first successes, you will truly know that "salesmen are MADE - not born".
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
GET MONEY FOR A FRANCHISE IDEA
How often have you thumbed through a business opportunity magazine, noticed a franchise opportunity advertisement, and felt you'd really like to get in on that...if only you had the money? If you're like most who are seeking greater opportunity and wealth, this probably happens with you more often than you care to admit, except perhaps in strictly private conversations.
When the average person sees one of these opportunities, or comes up with a similar idea of his own, the problems of start-up capital may seem formidable. But in reality, they may not be. In fact, just about anyone with a good credit record and an "insider's sense of business" can get the capital he or she needs, whenever it's needed. The secret is in knowing how to put together a proper proposal, and to present it to the right per son. These are the "how-to" instructions we're going to give you in this report.
The first thing you're going to need is a complete business plan. This is a complete and detailed description of exactly how you intend to operate the proposed business. Your business plan should detail precisely the product or products you plan to sell; how you're going to produce or manufacture the product; your costs (inventory costs if you're purchasing them from a supplier); who is going to sell those products for you; how they're going to be sold; the attendant costs; when you expect to recoup your initial
investment; your plans for growth or expansion; and the total dollar amount you're going to need to make it all work according to your plan. Your business plan must be detailed - complete with projected income and expense figures - through at least the first three years of business. For more details, and "how-to" instructions, see our re port, HOW TO PREPARE A PROF IT ABLE BUSINESS PLAN, report #3503.
Now, assuming you have your business plan all worked out, put together and ready for presentation with your request for capital, let's talk about your capitalization proposal.
First, keep in mind that whenever you ask somebody for money, whether it's for a small personal loan or a large amount of money to finance a business, you're involved in a selling situation. You have to prepare a "sales presentation" just as if you were getting ready to sell an automobile or refrigerator. Within this sales presentation you must have all the facts and figures; you must anticipate the questions and the possible objections of the prospective lender with answers or explanations; and you must "package" it as impressively as you would yourself for an audience with the president of IBM or General Motors.
The more money you ask for, the more "in-the-know" will be the people you want to borrow from, and so the more detailed and organized your proposal must be. This shouldn't cause you too much worry however, because you can hire a CPA to help you put it together properly, once you've got the facts and have a business plan he can work from.
Look at it this way: The more money you request for your business, the more your lenders or prospective investors are going to want to know about you, your planning, and your business. They want to be impressed with the fact that you've done your homework; they want to see that you've researched everything and documented your facts and figures; they want to be assured by your presentation that investing in your business will make money for them. It's just that simple at the bottom line. Unless you can instill confidence in them with your business plan and loan or investment proposal, they're just not going to give much positive thought to your request for capitalization.
So you'll need a balance sheet describing your net worth - the worth of what you own compared to the amount of money you owe. You'll also have to prove your stability and money-management talents relative to how successful you've been in paying off past obligations. If you have had credit problems in the past, get them "cleaned up", or at least explained on your file at your local credit bureau office. Under the law, credit bureaus are required to give you all the information they have about you in their files, and it's your right to correct any errors or enter explanations regarding negative reports on your credit. Do this without fail because prospective lenders or investors will definitely check your credit history.
So, now you have your balance sheet prepared; your credit history organized in a light that's favorable to you; your business plan (with costs and income projected over the coming three years), you're ready to start looking for lenders or investors.
Almost all franchisors offer help in setting up with one of their franchises. Most will go out of their way to assist you in getting the financing you need. Some will lend you the entire amount, with payments coming out of the income they expect you to make from their franchise operation. Many will carry this loan themselves, while others will carry part of it and find you a lender to finance the remainder.
Franchisors have two objectives in mind when they offer franchises to the public: They are trying to expand their operation, thus increasing their profit, and they are trying to raise capital for themselves. Generally speaking, if you have a good credit history, and if they feel you have the necessary business personality to achieve success with one of their operations, they'll do everything within their power to get you in a franchise outlet. Keep this in mind the next time you see an advertisement for a promising franchise opportunity requiring a substantial amount of cash outlay. You don't necessarily have to have all the money. They want you, and they'll help you!
Many people seem to be unaware that most of today's largest corporations started on a shoestring - on borrowed money. Many people seem to feel that unless they've got it all "in hand" in savings, then they'll just have to keep plugging away until they can save up enough to take the big plunge. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Just a quick bit of research will show that 999 out of every 1,000 businesses were begun on borrowed
money.
Look to your family and friends for financial help. Approach them in a business-like manner; tell them about your idea or plans, and ask them for a loan. Agree to sign a formal statement to pay them back in three, five or ten years, with interest.
When you have your proposal assembled, you might even want to think of a limited partnership or even a general partnership arrangement as a way to finance your project. In any kind of partnership, each partner shares in the profits of the company, but in a limited partnership, each person's loss liability is limited to the amount of money he initially invested. The truth is, in this kind of a situation, you'll be doing all the work and sharing your gain with your partners, but then it's a fairly sure way to obtain needed financing.
Another common method of obtaining business financing is through second mortgage loans on a home or existing piece of property. Say you purchased a home ten years ago for $35,000, and today the assessed valuation is $85,000, with a mortgage of
$25,000 still outstanding. A lender may consider your home to be security or collateral for a loan up to $60,000. In many instances, this is the easiest and surest way of getting the money needed for franchise or other business investment. And, it makes sense; you've got "net worth" available that is doing nothing but sitting there. Take this equity and invest it in a worthwhile business, and you could double or triple your net worth each year
for the rest of your life.
Deciding to obtain a second mortgage on your home in order to finance a business opportunity is without doubt a major decision, but if you are sure about your investment project, and are determined to succeed, you owe it to yourself to go ahead. You could incorporate yourself, borrow money from your family through a second mortgage on your home, and protect against the loss of your home through the Federal Home stead Act. The important point here is that all business opportunities involve risk and sacrifice. It's up to you to determine the feasibility of your success with your proposed venture, then decide on the best way possible to proceed.
In every instance where you run into reluctance on the part of a lender to lend you the money you need, explore the feasibilities of "two-name" or "co-signed" loans. You can have the franchisor sign with you, or one of your suppliers, a business associate or even a friend. Oftentimes you can borrow or rent collateral such as stocks, bonds, time certificates, business equipment or real estate, and in this way give greater confidence to the lender in you r abilities to repay the loan. Whenever you can show a contract from someone who has agreed to purchase a certain number of your products or services over a specified period of time, you have another important piece of paper that most lenders will
accept as collateral. Still an other possibility might be to get a bank or a firm that has loaned you money in the past to guarantee your loan. They simply guarantee that they'll lend you money in the future if ever the need should arise.
Going straight to you neighborhood bank, applying for a business loan and walking out with the money is just about the most unlikely of all your possibilities. Banks want to lend money, and they must lend money in order to stay in business, but most banks are notoriously conservative and extremely reluctant to lend you money unless you have a "regular income" that "guarantees" repayment. If and when you approach a bank for a
business loan, you'll need all your papers in order - your financial statement, your business plan, credit history and all the endorsements you can get relative to your succeeding with your planned enterprise. In addition, it would be a good idea to take along your accountant just to assure the banker that your plan is verifiable. In the end, you'll find that it all boils down to whether or not the bank officer studying your application is sold on you as a good credit risk. Thus you must impress the banker - not only with your proposal, but with your appearance and personality as well. In dealing with bankers, never show an attitude of doubt or apology. Always be positive and sure of yourself. However, don't come on so strong to them that you're either demanding or overbearing. Just look good, know your stuff, and project an attitude of determination to succeed.
Your best bet, in attempting to get a business loan from a bank, is to deal with commercial banks. These are the banks that specialize in investment loans for going businesses, real estate construction, and even venture programs. Look in the yellow pages of your telephone or business directories; call and ask for an appointment with the manager; and then explore with him the possibilities of a loan for your project. One of the "nice things" about commercial banks is that even though they may not be able to approve a loan for your business ideas, they will almost always give you a list of names of business people who might be interested in looking over your proposal for investment purposes.
A lot of commercial banks stage investment lectures and seminars for the general public. If you find one that does, attend. You'll meet a lot of local business people, some of whom may be able to and interested in helping you with your business plans.
When you're looking for money to move on a business deal, it does not really matter where the money comes from, or how it all comes about. It's important that you get the money, and at terms that are suitable to you. Thus, don't overlook the possibilities of an advertisement for a lender or investor in your local papers. Place your ad as well in national publications reaching people looking for investments. Other avenues to seriously consider are foundations that offer grants, local dental and medical investment groups, legal investment groups, business associations, trust companies and other groups or organizations looking for tax shelters.
Basically, it isn't a good idea to go to a finance company or other commercial lender of this type for a business loan. The most obvious reason is the high interest rates you have to pay. These companies borrow money from larger money lenders, and then turn around and lend it to you at a higher interest rate than they pay. Herein lies the means by which they make money from granting loans to you. The more it costs them to provide the money for you, the more it's going to cost you to borrow their money. The only element in your favor when borrowing from one of these agencies is that most will generally lend you money against collateral other lenders just won't accept. Insurance companies, pension funds, and commercial paper houses are not too out of sight with their interest rates, but they generally will not even consider talking to you unless you're requesting $500,000 or more. They'll also pretty much require that your business proposal be backed by the best possible plan.
Finally, the bottom line is this: You must have a well-researched and detailed business plan; you must have all your documents and projections put together in an impressive presentation; and then, you will have to be the one who does the final selling of your proposal to the investor or lender. This means your appearance, personality and attitude, because - make no mistake about it - before anyone lends you any size able amount of money, they're going to want to take a close look at you personally before they hand over the money.
Actually, the different ways of financing a franchise opportunity are as many and varied as your own creativity. The sources of obtaining money are virtually limitless, and available to anyone with an idea.
One word of caution before you jump into any franchise purchase agreement: The price you pay to participate in a franchise operation is not always the total cost involved in
getting the business off the ground. With some franchise operations, you may find other costs such as down payments on the purchase of property, building construction costs, remodeling or site improvements, equipment, fixtures, signs, advertising, and training. Virtually all franchise deals require that in addition to the purchase price or the license fee of the franchise, you're required to give a certain percentage of your gross business
income to the franchisor, plus extra payments for promotion and administrative costs. Above all else, before you get involved in a franchise, or any business venture for that matter, make sure you've conducted a complete and thorough investigation of the opportunity presented. If it's a good deal, then go with it; but if you have any doubts or feel as though you're getting in over your head, back off and look around for something not quite so ambitious, or perhaps expensive.
There are a lot of good franchise opportunities, and some not so good. It's important that you be sure of what you're investing in, and that you can make money with it. From there, preparing the proper business plan and the necessary financing, while not always a snap, can be done. Now's the time to do it! We wish you outstanding success with your franchise business.
When the average person sees one of these opportunities, or comes up with a similar idea of his own, the problems of start-up capital may seem formidable. But in reality, they may not be. In fact, just about anyone with a good credit record and an "insider's sense of business" can get the capital he or she needs, whenever it's needed. The secret is in knowing how to put together a proper proposal, and to present it to the right per son. These are the "how-to" instructions we're going to give you in this report.
The first thing you're going to need is a complete business plan. This is a complete and detailed description of exactly how you intend to operate the proposed business. Your business plan should detail precisely the product or products you plan to sell; how you're going to produce or manufacture the product; your costs (inventory costs if you're purchasing them from a supplier); who is going to sell those products for you; how they're going to be sold; the attendant costs; when you expect to recoup your initial
investment; your plans for growth or expansion; and the total dollar amount you're going to need to make it all work according to your plan. Your business plan must be detailed - complete with projected income and expense figures - through at least the first three years of business. For more details, and "how-to" instructions, see our re port, HOW TO PREPARE A PROF IT ABLE BUSINESS PLAN, report #3503.
Now, assuming you have your business plan all worked out, put together and ready for presentation with your request for capital, let's talk about your capitalization proposal.
First, keep in mind that whenever you ask somebody for money, whether it's for a small personal loan or a large amount of money to finance a business, you're involved in a selling situation. You have to prepare a "sales presentation" just as if you were getting ready to sell an automobile or refrigerator. Within this sales presentation you must have all the facts and figures; you must anticipate the questions and the possible objections of the prospective lender with answers or explanations; and you must "package" it as impressively as you would yourself for an audience with the president of IBM or General Motors.
The more money you ask for, the more "in-the-know" will be the people you want to borrow from, and so the more detailed and organized your proposal must be. This shouldn't cause you too much worry however, because you can hire a CPA to help you put it together properly, once you've got the facts and have a business plan he can work from.
Look at it this way: The more money you request for your business, the more your lenders or prospective investors are going to want to know about you, your planning, and your business. They want to be impressed with the fact that you've done your homework; they want to see that you've researched everything and documented your facts and figures; they want to be assured by your presentation that investing in your business will make money for them. It's just that simple at the bottom line. Unless you can instill confidence in them with your business plan and loan or investment proposal, they're just not going to give much positive thought to your request for capitalization.
So you'll need a balance sheet describing your net worth - the worth of what you own compared to the amount of money you owe. You'll also have to prove your stability and money-management talents relative to how successful you've been in paying off past obligations. If you have had credit problems in the past, get them "cleaned up", or at least explained on your file at your local credit bureau office. Under the law, credit bureaus are required to give you all the information they have about you in their files, and it's your right to correct any errors or enter explanations regarding negative reports on your credit. Do this without fail because prospective lenders or investors will definitely check your credit history.
So, now you have your balance sheet prepared; your credit history organized in a light that's favorable to you; your business plan (with costs and income projected over the coming three years), you're ready to start looking for lenders or investors.
Almost all franchisors offer help in setting up with one of their franchises. Most will go out of their way to assist you in getting the financing you need. Some will lend you the entire amount, with payments coming out of the income they expect you to make from their franchise operation. Many will carry this loan themselves, while others will carry part of it and find you a lender to finance the remainder.
Franchisors have two objectives in mind when they offer franchises to the public: They are trying to expand their operation, thus increasing their profit, and they are trying to raise capital for themselves. Generally speaking, if you have a good credit history, and if they feel you have the necessary business personality to achieve success with one of their operations, they'll do everything within their power to get you in a franchise outlet. Keep this in mind the next time you see an advertisement for a promising franchise opportunity requiring a substantial amount of cash outlay. You don't necessarily have to have all the money. They want you, and they'll help you!
Many people seem to be unaware that most of today's largest corporations started on a shoestring - on borrowed money. Many people seem to feel that unless they've got it all "in hand" in savings, then they'll just have to keep plugging away until they can save up enough to take the big plunge. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Just a quick bit of research will show that 999 out of every 1,000 businesses were begun on borrowed
money.
Look to your family and friends for financial help. Approach them in a business-like manner; tell them about your idea or plans, and ask them for a loan. Agree to sign a formal statement to pay them back in three, five or ten years, with interest.
When you have your proposal assembled, you might even want to think of a limited partnership or even a general partnership arrangement as a way to finance your project. In any kind of partnership, each partner shares in the profits of the company, but in a limited partnership, each person's loss liability is limited to the amount of money he initially invested. The truth is, in this kind of a situation, you'll be doing all the work and sharing your gain with your partners, but then it's a fairly sure way to obtain needed financing.
Another common method of obtaining business financing is through second mortgage loans on a home or existing piece of property. Say you purchased a home ten years ago for $35,000, and today the assessed valuation is $85,000, with a mortgage of
$25,000 still outstanding. A lender may consider your home to be security or collateral for a loan up to $60,000. In many instances, this is the easiest and surest way of getting the money needed for franchise or other business investment. And, it makes sense; you've got "net worth" available that is doing nothing but sitting there. Take this equity and invest it in a worthwhile business, and you could double or triple your net worth each year
for the rest of your life.
Deciding to obtain a second mortgage on your home in order to finance a business opportunity is without doubt a major decision, but if you are sure about your investment project, and are determined to succeed, you owe it to yourself to go ahead. You could incorporate yourself, borrow money from your family through a second mortgage on your home, and protect against the loss of your home through the Federal Home stead Act. The important point here is that all business opportunities involve risk and sacrifice. It's up to you to determine the feasibility of your success with your proposed venture, then decide on the best way possible to proceed.
In every instance where you run into reluctance on the part of a lender to lend you the money you need, explore the feasibilities of "two-name" or "co-signed" loans. You can have the franchisor sign with you, or one of your suppliers, a business associate or even a friend. Oftentimes you can borrow or rent collateral such as stocks, bonds, time certificates, business equipment or real estate, and in this way give greater confidence to the lender in you r abilities to repay the loan. Whenever you can show a contract from someone who has agreed to purchase a certain number of your products or services over a specified period of time, you have another important piece of paper that most lenders will
accept as collateral. Still an other possibility might be to get a bank or a firm that has loaned you money in the past to guarantee your loan. They simply guarantee that they'll lend you money in the future if ever the need should arise.
Going straight to you neighborhood bank, applying for a business loan and walking out with the money is just about the most unlikely of all your possibilities. Banks want to lend money, and they must lend money in order to stay in business, but most banks are notoriously conservative and extremely reluctant to lend you money unless you have a "regular income" that "guarantees" repayment. If and when you approach a bank for a
business loan, you'll need all your papers in order - your financial statement, your business plan, credit history and all the endorsements you can get relative to your succeeding with your planned enterprise. In addition, it would be a good idea to take along your accountant just to assure the banker that your plan is verifiable. In the end, you'll find that it all boils down to whether or not the bank officer studying your application is sold on you as a good credit risk. Thus you must impress the banker - not only with your proposal, but with your appearance and personality as well. In dealing with bankers, never show an attitude of doubt or apology. Always be positive and sure of yourself. However, don't come on so strong to them that you're either demanding or overbearing. Just look good, know your stuff, and project an attitude of determination to succeed.
Your best bet, in attempting to get a business loan from a bank, is to deal with commercial banks. These are the banks that specialize in investment loans for going businesses, real estate construction, and even venture programs. Look in the yellow pages of your telephone or business directories; call and ask for an appointment with the manager; and then explore with him the possibilities of a loan for your project. One of the "nice things" about commercial banks is that even though they may not be able to approve a loan for your business ideas, they will almost always give you a list of names of business people who might be interested in looking over your proposal for investment purposes.
A lot of commercial banks stage investment lectures and seminars for the general public. If you find one that does, attend. You'll meet a lot of local business people, some of whom may be able to and interested in helping you with your business plans.
When you're looking for money to move on a business deal, it does not really matter where the money comes from, or how it all comes about. It's important that you get the money, and at terms that are suitable to you. Thus, don't overlook the possibilities of an advertisement for a lender or investor in your local papers. Place your ad as well in national publications reaching people looking for investments. Other avenues to seriously consider are foundations that offer grants, local dental and medical investment groups, legal investment groups, business associations, trust companies and other groups or organizations looking for tax shelters.
Basically, it isn't a good idea to go to a finance company or other commercial lender of this type for a business loan. The most obvious reason is the high interest rates you have to pay. These companies borrow money from larger money lenders, and then turn around and lend it to you at a higher interest rate than they pay. Herein lies the means by which they make money from granting loans to you. The more it costs them to provide the money for you, the more it's going to cost you to borrow their money. The only element in your favor when borrowing from one of these agencies is that most will generally lend you money against collateral other lenders just won't accept. Insurance companies, pension funds, and commercial paper houses are not too out of sight with their interest rates, but they generally will not even consider talking to you unless you're requesting $500,000 or more. They'll also pretty much require that your business proposal be backed by the best possible plan.
Finally, the bottom line is this: You must have a well-researched and detailed business plan; you must have all your documents and projections put together in an impressive presentation; and then, you will have to be the one who does the final selling of your proposal to the investor or lender. This means your appearance, personality and attitude, because - make no mistake about it - before anyone lends you any size able amount of money, they're going to want to take a close look at you personally before they hand over the money.
Actually, the different ways of financing a franchise opportunity are as many and varied as your own creativity. The sources of obtaining money are virtually limitless, and available to anyone with an idea.
One word of caution before you jump into any franchise purchase agreement: The price you pay to participate in a franchise operation is not always the total cost involved in
getting the business off the ground. With some franchise operations, you may find other costs such as down payments on the purchase of property, building construction costs, remodeling or site improvements, equipment, fixtures, signs, advertising, and training. Virtually all franchise deals require that in addition to the purchase price or the license fee of the franchise, you're required to give a certain percentage of your gross business
income to the franchisor, plus extra payments for promotion and administrative costs. Above all else, before you get involved in a franchise, or any business venture for that matter, make sure you've conducted a complete and thorough investigation of the opportunity presented. If it's a good deal, then go with it; but if you have any doubts or feel as though you're getting in over your head, back off and look around for something not quite so ambitious, or perhaps expensive.
There are a lot of good franchise opportunities, and some not so good. It's important that you be sure of what you're investing in, and that you can make money with it. From there, preparing the proper business plan and the necessary financing, while not always a snap, can be done. Now's the time to do it! We wish you outstanding success with your franchise business.
Monday, November 26, 2007
HOME BUSINESS GUIDE TO EASY MONEY
Because tens of thousands of people all across America want to know how they can work at home and earn enough money to run a household, there is a special need for this report. Today the need for women to work out of the home is stronger than ever. According to recent surveys, almost 70% are married and contribute up to 50% and more to the family income. Because family responsibilities play such an important part in the lives of men and women, millions of individuals and couples are seeking ways to make money at home.
In the past decade money-making, home-based opportunities that match a person's skills, interests, abilities, and ingenuity have become almost limitless. This purpose of this report is to show you that it's simple and easy to join the ranks of success-minded people by choosing a work-at-home program that suits your interest and needs. Business histories have shown over and over again that the rewards and advantages of working at home can go far beyond a person's wildest dreams. In fact, it's perfectly possible to launch a small business in your garage, backyard, basement, or a room in your home, and become a giant corporation.
Your first step will be to study the company listings in this report, and then contact those that interest you. It's possible you may not be interested in many of those listed in this brief report. But others may serve as that great motivator that makes you look further with a renewed determination. Once you develop that mind-set, persistence will follow and then nothing will stop you from achieving your goals.
BECOME A GOAL SETTER!
If you expect any level of success you must set goals. If you expect to be successful, you must determine what that means to you and the best way to achieve it. There are two basic steps you can take to covert goals into achievement: 1) You can decide on a specific dollar amount; and 2) You can set a time frame for obtaining the dollar amount you want. Your goal should be specific and indicate, What, When, Where. After making a list of every possible way you might accomplish a goal, select the method that best suits your situation.
IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS YOU MUST ASK YOURSELF
1)"How can I support my family while I build up my business?" This question must be worked out according to each individual's circumstances. Many people start out on a part-time basis after their regular jobs to see how much they can handle. Then when their incomes reach a certain level they will switch over and go full time.
2) What are my abilities? To determine your abilities you will have to take an inventory of yourself. Decide what you enjoy doing the most and what your "feel" you would be good at. Examine every possibility and include every skill you have no matter how slight.
3) Is there a market for the product or service I have chosen? Be cautious before you invest any money! Check it out by making inquiries directly to the company, competitors, or firms who are marketing a product similar to the one you are interested in. Test it on a small scale. Check it thoroughly.
4) How long will it take this business to reach the financial goal I must have? It's really a question of knowing how much time you can dedicate to your business, and what your profits are for that time. From there, a simple addition will tell you how long it might take to reach a particular financial goal.
SUCCESS IS HAVING THE COURAGE TO BEGIN!
Starting a business at home is an economical way to start a small business that can easily grow into to a larger one. Many entrepreneurs have proven that you don't need a huge manufacturing plant to develop a successful business. Some of the most successful businesses in existence today started in a spare room or garage. It isn't how you start out that is important. What really matters is did you have the courage to begin.
SELECTING THE RIGHT PRODUCT OR SERVICE
Take a close look at your interests and abilities, and then decide what type of marketing you want to do. For example, do you want to sell directly to people; or would you prefer selling wholesale to retail outlets? If you prefer doing piecework or assembling items for manufacturers, make certain it's something you enjoy working with. If you enjoy one-on-one sales, then test the product out on your friends, relative,neighbors. The object is to find out what has the most appeal.
DEVELOP A GOOD MARKETING TECHNIQUE
A good marketing techniques is one part of the business plan that is absolutely essential to it's success. In fact, the ability to properly market a product or service is actually more important than the product itself. Even an inferior product can be a financial success if marketed properly. Seek out the advice of everyone in your field. Explain your needs and ask them questions. Experience is the best teacher. With good advice and a salable product, you should be able to develop a winning marketing plan.
FINANCING YOUR HOME-BASED VENTURE
The first place to look for financing is right at home. Take an inventory of items you don't need and have a garage sale. Most people are pleasantly surprised at how much cash can be raised in a single weekend. Next, turn to members of your family or close friends who have faith in you and want to see you succeed. Offer to repay them through profit-sharing. Go to individuals in your community who and believe in your personal worth. If you have a good credit history your banker should consider you a good financial risk. Two other excellent sources would be your local Small Business Administration (SBA) and Chamber of Commerce. SBA has low interest loans available for qualified applicants and your Chamber of Commerce can assist you with referrals and other helpful information.
WORK-AT-HOME OPPORTUNITIES ARE EVERYWHERE!
Anyone who is serious about work-at-home opportunities need only look around them. There are thousands of options everywhere! There are employment opportunities that involve becoming an independent contractor; working on a commission basis; working for a salary; freelancing for pay; getting paid by the hour, receiving pay for each piece assembled; getting paid by the project, or a combination of any of the above. No doubt, what you finally decide on will depend on your particular needs and interests.
Read the following listings carefully, and when you're ready contact any that interest you. Don't become discouraged if the company you contact isn't hiring right at the moment. Often circumstances change rapidly. Use you imagination to convince an employer there are great advantaged to giving you work! Be a self-motivator and continue moving forward towards the goals you want and deserve. Do it starting NOW!
DIRECTORY OF HOMEWORKER INCOME OPPORTUNITIES
LITTLEGUY'S Box NFP, Winkleman, AZ 85292.
If you enjoy making craft items but hate selling them, or are looking for a way to sell more, look no further! This company says they will purchase home-made items from you, or refer you to other companies who are buyers. All types of hobby crafts are considered. Enclose a 29 cent postage stamp when writing for more information.
ELITE ENTERPRISES P.O. Box 31577, Chicago, IL 60631-0577.
Get your share of the billion dollar popcorn market! Elite enterprises has put together a incredible program for making money that involves the distribution of one America's favorite foods-Popcorn! 56 gourmet flavors of popcorn to be exact. Write to Robert Doncaster for more information.
WOMAN'S EXCHANGE, INC. 3 Village St.,Heritage Village, Southbury, CT 06488.
Woman's Exchange, Inc. is a non-profit national organization with 41 centers. Handcrafted items of all kinds are marketed at small markup through store-front operations. Most needed are children's clothing, quilts, and fine hand sewing. Most needed are women are participating nationwide.
SUITCASE BOUTIQUE 12228 Spring Court Place, Maryland Heights, MO 53043.
Suitcase Boutique is a home party. This company buys many types of handcrafted items including stuffed animals, wood crafts, toys, soft sculptures, framed pictures and cross stitch. Crafter should send a photo and description of their products.
CRADLE GRAM, P.O. Box 16-4135, Miami, FL 33116
The sale of personalized birth and baptismal announcements can be made in a variety of ways from in-home direct sales, to fund-raising organizations. The Cradle-Gram marketing department is especially good at assisting with any type of in-store promotion campaign. This company has been in business several years and pays representative 30% commissions on each sale. Payment is immediate, and all orders are filled within 72 hours.
ARBONNE INTERNATIONAL, INC.,,
Direct sales of European cosmetics and skin products. Representatives build customer bases using any direct sales method that works for them. Training and ongoing managerial support is provided. Pays commission.
CAMEO COUTURES, INC.,9004 Ambassador Row, P.O. Box 47390, Dallas, TX 75247.
Home party sales of lingerie, cosmetics and food supplements. Training is provided. Pays commission.
OLSTEN HEALTH CARE SERVICES, STAFFING COORDINATORS.
Olsten has over 300 offices nationwide in it's health care services division. Each office has a minimum of two- home-based staffing coordinators job-sharing on a seven-days-on, seven-days-off schedule. The jobs consist of taking calls during the day evenings, and on weekends to dispatch the appropriate personnel for hospital and home health care positions. Some staffing experience or medical background is required. Write to locate the office nearest you then apply directly to that office. Pays weekly salary plus placement bonus.
RESEARCH TRAINING INSTITUTE, Hanes Bldg.,Research Triangle Park, Raleigh, NC 27601.
__________________________________________________________
Interviewers for option research surveys conducted primarily in the field. Triangle is a non-profit social research organization operating nationwide. Good communication skills required. Send letter of interest. Pays hourly rate in some areas, pays per survey in others. Training is provided.
TOM SYNDER PRODUCTIONS, INC., 123 Auburn St.,Cambridge, MA 02138. __________________________________________________________
Contract programmers and software engineers. Company produces educational games for Apple, Atari, Commodore and IBM. Most of the available work is conversation from machine to machine. Send resume and work samples. Pays by the job or hourly rate of $10-$40 per hour.
QUICK KEY DATA, 415 Rutgers Road, West Babylon, NY 11704.
Quick Key Data is a data and word-processing service that acts as an organization of home-based freelance professionals. For an annual listing fee of $25, homeworkers in upstate New York and Long Island can receive subcontracted assignments for secretarial services and/or database management. Homeworkers keep 70-80% of the billed amount.
DREAMSCAPES, 2140 E. 7th Place 1, Los Angeles, CA 90021.
Put yourself in an exciting new profit picture with this company's original Dreamscapes, a unique picture of sand and colored liquid that when turned over creates and endless variety of beautiful landscape. It's fascinating, irresistible, mesmerizing, and profitable. Sell them at flea markets, fairs, and anywhere people gather. Write for details.
HANKINS MARKETING GROUP, P.O. Box 1681, Salisbury, NC 28114
Aching feet is America's No. 1 medical complaint. Air-Flo Insole is a revolutionary breakthrough that helps. Its patented vacuum principle allows air to enter the insole when the foot is lifted and gradually releases it when the wearer steps down. It's like walking on air! Learn how you can make up to 160% profit selling this item to individuals, retail, and chain stores. Write for details.
GLASS-MATE SIGNS, 409 Calle San Pablo, Camarillo, CA 93010
The manufacture of the original sliding "OPEN/CLOSED" signs are offering you a chance to make some good profits. 30 new colors have been added. Write for details.
FAMOUS PHOTOS 475 Kahali Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96816
Start your own celebrity photo pose business. This is the hottest novelty concept in years! You photograph customers with a life-size figure of President Bush or some other national figure or celebrity. All the profits are yours! Write for details.
NATIONAL COLLEGE OF APPRAISAL & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, 6065 Rosewell Road, Suite 2232, Atlanta, GA 30328
Become a professional real estate appraiser with this home study course. Study at your own pace. Enjoy the excellent income potential, and become financially independent! Write for more information.
PICNIC PROJECTS, P.O. Box 87, Towanda, PA 18848
You can make $600 week or more, building and selling high quality picnic tables. if you enjoy working with wood, contact this company for more details.
VON SCHRADER COMPANY, 1600 Junction Avenue, Racine, WI 53403
If you have ever dreamed of owning your own business, this company may have the perfect opportunity for you. Carpet, upholstery, and wall cleaning are in high demand and the profits are huge! You can offer all three of these services for a fraction of the price a franchise would. Write to them for more information.
CAJUN COUNTRY CANDIES, 502 Evangeline Drive, Lafayette, LA 70501-5534
Who ever invented the word Delicious, was probably eating Roy Babineaux's "sweetest ever yet" Cajun Country Candy! This product is a leader when it comes to "selling itself." One taste and you're hooked. You could be the first to introduce Roy's world famous products into your area. Roy has a marketing plan that can make you rich! No inventory is required.
BADGE-A-MINT, 346 North 30th Road, Box 800, LaSalle, IL 61301
You have seen them worn by people, each with a different message, but have you ever considered the huge profits that are made from button sales. Write for details.
HOLIDAY MAGIC, P.O. Box 882314, San Francisco, CA 94188
This company offers three different products that can be assembled at home. 1) The Christmas Oven Mitt, 2) Crystal Splendor (a Christmas Ornament), and 3) a Valentine Heart Mini-Pillow. They pay supply costs write for Free Details.
SATIN DOLL ENTERPRISES, 78 Water St.,Beverly, MA 01915
Earn up to $100 per day with doll lingerie that sells itself. Write for start-up information.
TV PROJECTOR COMPANY, 2410 Orchard Road, McHenry, IL 60050
New TV Projector kit turns any TV set into a lifesize 7-foot screen! This is a product that sells on sight for only $20. You can make 400% profits fast! Write for details.
MODERN CARD COMPANY, INC.,3855 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL 60613
Greeting cards represent a billion dollar business and the oders are large. this company says it needs sincere, ambitious people who can show their line of cards and other items to merchants. Write for samples and details.
RECOGNITION SERVICES, P.O. Box 30288, Indianapolis, IN 46230
Every business, corporation, institution, church, school and organization is a potential customer of recognition awards. As a representative of this company, you can provide jewelry and custom-made embroidered emblems that include: Lapel pins, medals, medallions, and cloth emblems that are custom made in any shape or color. Write for details.
NAVAJO MANUFACTURING CO., 5801 Logan St.,Denver, CO 80216
Navjo Manufacturing is a source of products for retailer that includes fashion and authentic American Indian Jewelry, sunglasses, toys, plush animals, and many other novelties. Write for more details.
POLISH MASTERS, 364 Ramble Ridge Rd.,Thousands Oaks, CA 91360
Polish Masters will help you become part of the hottest new concepts ever to hit the auto appearance industry. With their systems you can earn up to $400 per day cleaning and polishing autos, boats, R.V's, and airplanes. There is no franchise fee to pay, and they will work with you every step of the way. Wwrite for free details.
WORLD DISTRIBUTORS, 331 W. Montrose Ave.,Chicago, IL 60618
You can sell jewelry, watches, perfumes, clocks, wallets, religious items, tapestries, cutlery, tools, lamps, toys, housewares, and much more when you become a distributor with this company. Send for Their catalog.
CADIE PRODUCTS CORPORATION, 100 Sixth Ave.,Paterson, NJ 07524 Involves packaging small items produced by the company. No machinery or experience is required. Pays piece rate.
LUCKY HEART COSMETICS, INC.,138 Hurling Ave.,Memphis, TN 38103
Lucky Heart Cosmetics, Inc. carries a line of cosmetics for Black Women. Independent distributors are wanted. Commission plus bonuses. Management opportunities available.
NICHOLS BRONZE SUPPLY, 389 Sebring Airport, Sebring, FL 33870
Bronze baby shoes at home and make $250 per day. A free brochure will show you how to start making money immediately preserving baby shoes, sports items, and many other types of keepsakes, in bronze, gold, and chinakote pearl. This company claims to be the world's largest supplier of elegant cultured marble mountings.
DICKENS MATSON U.S.A., 21023 Gratiot Ave.,East Detroit, MI 48021
This company is looking for people to assemble clowns from their home. The work is fun and easy. Write for free details.
ARBITRON RATINGS, INC.,312 Marshall Ave.,Laurel, MD 20707
This company hires telephone interviewers for market research surveys. Positions require communication skills and private phone lines.
NOWCO INTERNATIONAL INC.,1 George Ave.,Wilkes-Barre, PA 18705
Work at home and cash in on the gift basket boom! This company sells gift basket packaging to the champagne and caviar trade throughout the country. Write for more details.
MAGIC SYSTEMS, INC.,P.O. Box 23991, Tampa, FL 33623
Make profits of up to $100 or more per hour imprinting messages and designs on T-Shirts. Hundreds of other items can also be imprinted. Write for free details on how you can get started without lengthy courses.
CENTRAL-SHIPPE, INC.,46 Start Lake Ave.,Blomington, NJ 07040
Involves manual assembly of color cards, swatching, inserting and mailing. Homeworkers receive piece rates for putting swatch cards together.
ANKA CO.,INC., 90 Greenwich Ave.,Warwick, RI 02886
Attention wholesalers, retailers, flea market dealers, and independent home-based salespeople. This company has rings and costume jewelry for men and women at low wholesale prices. There are several hundred different ring styles with genuine and simulates stones, gold and silver plated necklaces, bracelets, earrings and watches. Write for full color catalog.
THE LYNETTE CO., Mentor Park, Mentor, OH 44060.
This company will show you how to start making money with plastercraft, manufacturing sculptured art at home. They will show you how to make a wide variety of wall plaques and other fast-selling items. Write for details.
In the past decade money-making, home-based opportunities that match a person's skills, interests, abilities, and ingenuity have become almost limitless. This purpose of this report is to show you that it's simple and easy to join the ranks of success-minded people by choosing a work-at-home program that suits your interest and needs. Business histories have shown over and over again that the rewards and advantages of working at home can go far beyond a person's wildest dreams. In fact, it's perfectly possible to launch a small business in your garage, backyard, basement, or a room in your home, and become a giant corporation.
Your first step will be to study the company listings in this report, and then contact those that interest you. It's possible you may not be interested in many of those listed in this brief report. But others may serve as that great motivator that makes you look further with a renewed determination. Once you develop that mind-set, persistence will follow and then nothing will stop you from achieving your goals.
BECOME A GOAL SETTER!
If you expect any level of success you must set goals. If you expect to be successful, you must determine what that means to you and the best way to achieve it. There are two basic steps you can take to covert goals into achievement: 1) You can decide on a specific dollar amount; and 2) You can set a time frame for obtaining the dollar amount you want. Your goal should be specific and indicate, What, When, Where. After making a list of every possible way you might accomplish a goal, select the method that best suits your situation.
IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS YOU MUST ASK YOURSELF
1)"How can I support my family while I build up my business?" This question must be worked out according to each individual's circumstances. Many people start out on a part-time basis after their regular jobs to see how much they can handle. Then when their incomes reach a certain level they will switch over and go full time.
2) What are my abilities? To determine your abilities you will have to take an inventory of yourself. Decide what you enjoy doing the most and what your "feel" you would be good at. Examine every possibility and include every skill you have no matter how slight.
3) Is there a market for the product or service I have chosen? Be cautious before you invest any money! Check it out by making inquiries directly to the company, competitors, or firms who are marketing a product similar to the one you are interested in. Test it on a small scale. Check it thoroughly.
4) How long will it take this business to reach the financial goal I must have? It's really a question of knowing how much time you can dedicate to your business, and what your profits are for that time. From there, a simple addition will tell you how long it might take to reach a particular financial goal.
SUCCESS IS HAVING THE COURAGE TO BEGIN!
Starting a business at home is an economical way to start a small business that can easily grow into to a larger one. Many entrepreneurs have proven that you don't need a huge manufacturing plant to develop a successful business. Some of the most successful businesses in existence today started in a spare room or garage. It isn't how you start out that is important. What really matters is did you have the courage to begin.
SELECTING THE RIGHT PRODUCT OR SERVICE
Take a close look at your interests and abilities, and then decide what type of marketing you want to do. For example, do you want to sell directly to people; or would you prefer selling wholesale to retail outlets? If you prefer doing piecework or assembling items for manufacturers, make certain it's something you enjoy working with. If you enjoy one-on-one sales, then test the product out on your friends, relative,neighbors. The object is to find out what has the most appeal.
DEVELOP A GOOD MARKETING TECHNIQUE
A good marketing techniques is one part of the business plan that is absolutely essential to it's success. In fact, the ability to properly market a product or service is actually more important than the product itself. Even an inferior product can be a financial success if marketed properly. Seek out the advice of everyone in your field. Explain your needs and ask them questions. Experience is the best teacher. With good advice and a salable product, you should be able to develop a winning marketing plan.
FINANCING YOUR HOME-BASED VENTURE
The first place to look for financing is right at home. Take an inventory of items you don't need and have a garage sale. Most people are pleasantly surprised at how much cash can be raised in a single weekend. Next, turn to members of your family or close friends who have faith in you and want to see you succeed. Offer to repay them through profit-sharing. Go to individuals in your community who and believe in your personal worth. If you have a good credit history your banker should consider you a good financial risk. Two other excellent sources would be your local Small Business Administration (SBA) and Chamber of Commerce. SBA has low interest loans available for qualified applicants and your Chamber of Commerce can assist you with referrals and other helpful information.
WORK-AT-HOME OPPORTUNITIES ARE EVERYWHERE!
Anyone who is serious about work-at-home opportunities need only look around them. There are thousands of options everywhere! There are employment opportunities that involve becoming an independent contractor; working on a commission basis; working for a salary; freelancing for pay; getting paid by the hour, receiving pay for each piece assembled; getting paid by the project, or a combination of any of the above. No doubt, what you finally decide on will depend on your particular needs and interests.
Read the following listings carefully, and when you're ready contact any that interest you. Don't become discouraged if the company you contact isn't hiring right at the moment. Often circumstances change rapidly. Use you imagination to convince an employer there are great advantaged to giving you work! Be a self-motivator and continue moving forward towards the goals you want and deserve. Do it starting NOW!
DIRECTORY OF HOMEWORKER INCOME OPPORTUNITIES
LITTLEGUY'S Box NFP, Winkleman, AZ 85292.
If you enjoy making craft items but hate selling them, or are looking for a way to sell more, look no further! This company says they will purchase home-made items from you, or refer you to other companies who are buyers. All types of hobby crafts are considered. Enclose a 29 cent postage stamp when writing for more information.
ELITE ENTERPRISES P.O. Box 31577, Chicago, IL 60631-0577.
Get your share of the billion dollar popcorn market! Elite enterprises has put together a incredible program for making money that involves the distribution of one America's favorite foods-Popcorn! 56 gourmet flavors of popcorn to be exact. Write to Robert Doncaster for more information.
WOMAN'S EXCHANGE, INC. 3 Village St.,Heritage Village, Southbury, CT 06488.
Woman's Exchange, Inc. is a non-profit national organization with 41 centers. Handcrafted items of all kinds are marketed at small markup through store-front operations. Most needed are children's clothing, quilts, and fine hand sewing. Most needed are women are participating nationwide.
SUITCASE BOUTIQUE 12228 Spring Court Place, Maryland Heights, MO 53043.
Suitcase Boutique is a home party. This company buys many types of handcrafted items including stuffed animals, wood crafts, toys, soft sculptures, framed pictures and cross stitch. Crafter should send a photo and description of their products.
CRADLE GRAM, P.O. Box 16-4135, Miami, FL 33116
The sale of personalized birth and baptismal announcements can be made in a variety of ways from in-home direct sales, to fund-raising organizations. The Cradle-Gram marketing department is especially good at assisting with any type of in-store promotion campaign. This company has been in business several years and pays representative 30% commissions on each sale. Payment is immediate, and all orders are filled within 72 hours.
ARBONNE INTERNATIONAL, INC.,,
Direct sales of European cosmetics and skin products. Representatives build customer bases using any direct sales method that works for them. Training and ongoing managerial support is provided. Pays commission.
CAMEO COUTURES, INC.,9004 Ambassador Row, P.O. Box 47390, Dallas, TX 75247.
Home party sales of lingerie, cosmetics and food supplements. Training is provided. Pays commission.
OLSTEN HEALTH CARE SERVICES, STAFFING COORDINATORS.
Olsten has over 300 offices nationwide in it's health care services division. Each office has a minimum of two- home-based staffing coordinators job-sharing on a seven-days-on, seven-days-off schedule. The jobs consist of taking calls during the day evenings, and on weekends to dispatch the appropriate personnel for hospital and home health care positions. Some staffing experience or medical background is required. Write to locate the office nearest you then apply directly to that office. Pays weekly salary plus placement bonus.
RESEARCH TRAINING INSTITUTE, Hanes Bldg.,Research Triangle Park, Raleigh, NC 27601.
__________________________________________________________
Interviewers for option research surveys conducted primarily in the field. Triangle is a non-profit social research organization operating nationwide. Good communication skills required. Send letter of interest. Pays hourly rate in some areas, pays per survey in others. Training is provided.
TOM SYNDER PRODUCTIONS, INC., 123 Auburn St.,Cambridge, MA 02138. __________________________________________________________
Contract programmers and software engineers. Company produces educational games for Apple, Atari, Commodore and IBM. Most of the available work is conversation from machine to machine. Send resume and work samples. Pays by the job or hourly rate of $10-$40 per hour.
QUICK KEY DATA, 415 Rutgers Road, West Babylon, NY 11704.
Quick Key Data is a data and word-processing service that acts as an organization of home-based freelance professionals. For an annual listing fee of $25, homeworkers in upstate New York and Long Island can receive subcontracted assignments for secretarial services and/or database management. Homeworkers keep 70-80% of the billed amount.
DREAMSCAPES, 2140 E. 7th Place 1, Los Angeles, CA 90021.
Put yourself in an exciting new profit picture with this company's original Dreamscapes, a unique picture of sand and colored liquid that when turned over creates and endless variety of beautiful landscape. It's fascinating, irresistible, mesmerizing, and profitable. Sell them at flea markets, fairs, and anywhere people gather. Write for details.
HANKINS MARKETING GROUP, P.O. Box 1681, Salisbury, NC 28114
Aching feet is America's No. 1 medical complaint. Air-Flo Insole is a revolutionary breakthrough that helps. Its patented vacuum principle allows air to enter the insole when the foot is lifted and gradually releases it when the wearer steps down. It's like walking on air! Learn how you can make up to 160% profit selling this item to individuals, retail, and chain stores. Write for details.
GLASS-MATE SIGNS, 409 Calle San Pablo, Camarillo, CA 93010
The manufacture of the original sliding "OPEN/CLOSED" signs are offering you a chance to make some good profits. 30 new colors have been added. Write for details.
FAMOUS PHOTOS 475 Kahali Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96816
Start your own celebrity photo pose business. This is the hottest novelty concept in years! You photograph customers with a life-size figure of President Bush or some other national figure or celebrity. All the profits are yours! Write for details.
NATIONAL COLLEGE OF APPRAISAL & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, 6065 Rosewell Road, Suite 2232, Atlanta, GA 30328
Become a professional real estate appraiser with this home study course. Study at your own pace. Enjoy the excellent income potential, and become financially independent! Write for more information.
PICNIC PROJECTS, P.O. Box 87, Towanda, PA 18848
You can make $600 week or more, building and selling high quality picnic tables. if you enjoy working with wood, contact this company for more details.
VON SCHRADER COMPANY, 1600 Junction Avenue, Racine, WI 53403
If you have ever dreamed of owning your own business, this company may have the perfect opportunity for you. Carpet, upholstery, and wall cleaning are in high demand and the profits are huge! You can offer all three of these services for a fraction of the price a franchise would. Write to them for more information.
CAJUN COUNTRY CANDIES, 502 Evangeline Drive, Lafayette, LA 70501-5534
Who ever invented the word Delicious, was probably eating Roy Babineaux's "sweetest ever yet" Cajun Country Candy! This product is a leader when it comes to "selling itself." One taste and you're hooked. You could be the first to introduce Roy's world famous products into your area. Roy has a marketing plan that can make you rich! No inventory is required.
BADGE-A-MINT, 346 North 30th Road, Box 800, LaSalle, IL 61301
You have seen them worn by people, each with a different message, but have you ever considered the huge profits that are made from button sales. Write for details.
HOLIDAY MAGIC, P.O. Box 882314, San Francisco, CA 94188
This company offers three different products that can be assembled at home. 1) The Christmas Oven Mitt, 2) Crystal Splendor (a Christmas Ornament), and 3) a Valentine Heart Mini-Pillow. They pay supply costs write for Free Details.
SATIN DOLL ENTERPRISES, 78 Water St.,Beverly, MA 01915
Earn up to $100 per day with doll lingerie that sells itself. Write for start-up information.
TV PROJECTOR COMPANY, 2410 Orchard Road, McHenry, IL 60050
New TV Projector kit turns any TV set into a lifesize 7-foot screen! This is a product that sells on sight for only $20. You can make 400% profits fast! Write for details.
MODERN CARD COMPANY, INC.,3855 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL 60613
Greeting cards represent a billion dollar business and the oders are large. this company says it needs sincere, ambitious people who can show their line of cards and other items to merchants. Write for samples and details.
RECOGNITION SERVICES, P.O. Box 30288, Indianapolis, IN 46230
Every business, corporation, institution, church, school and organization is a potential customer of recognition awards. As a representative of this company, you can provide jewelry and custom-made embroidered emblems that include: Lapel pins, medals, medallions, and cloth emblems that are custom made in any shape or color. Write for details.
NAVAJO MANUFACTURING CO., 5801 Logan St.,Denver, CO 80216
Navjo Manufacturing is a source of products for retailer that includes fashion and authentic American Indian Jewelry, sunglasses, toys, plush animals, and many other novelties. Write for more details.
POLISH MASTERS, 364 Ramble Ridge Rd.,Thousands Oaks, CA 91360
Polish Masters will help you become part of the hottest new concepts ever to hit the auto appearance industry. With their systems you can earn up to $400 per day cleaning and polishing autos, boats, R.V's, and airplanes. There is no franchise fee to pay, and they will work with you every step of the way. Wwrite for free details.
WORLD DISTRIBUTORS, 331 W. Montrose Ave.,Chicago, IL 60618
You can sell jewelry, watches, perfumes, clocks, wallets, religious items, tapestries, cutlery, tools, lamps, toys, housewares, and much more when you become a distributor with this company. Send for Their catalog.
CADIE PRODUCTS CORPORATION, 100 Sixth Ave.,Paterson, NJ 07524 Involves packaging small items produced by the company. No machinery or experience is required. Pays piece rate.
LUCKY HEART COSMETICS, INC.,138 Hurling Ave.,Memphis, TN 38103
Lucky Heart Cosmetics, Inc. carries a line of cosmetics for Black Women. Independent distributors are wanted. Commission plus bonuses. Management opportunities available.
NICHOLS BRONZE SUPPLY, 389 Sebring Airport, Sebring, FL 33870
Bronze baby shoes at home and make $250 per day. A free brochure will show you how to start making money immediately preserving baby shoes, sports items, and many other types of keepsakes, in bronze, gold, and chinakote pearl. This company claims to be the world's largest supplier of elegant cultured marble mountings.
DICKENS MATSON U.S.A., 21023 Gratiot Ave.,East Detroit, MI 48021
This company is looking for people to assemble clowns from their home. The work is fun and easy. Write for free details.
ARBITRON RATINGS, INC.,312 Marshall Ave.,Laurel, MD 20707
This company hires telephone interviewers for market research surveys. Positions require communication skills and private phone lines.
NOWCO INTERNATIONAL INC.,1 George Ave.,Wilkes-Barre, PA 18705
Work at home and cash in on the gift basket boom! This company sells gift basket packaging to the champagne and caviar trade throughout the country. Write for more details.
MAGIC SYSTEMS, INC.,P.O. Box 23991, Tampa, FL 33623
Make profits of up to $100 or more per hour imprinting messages and designs on T-Shirts. Hundreds of other items can also be imprinted. Write for free details on how you can get started without lengthy courses.
CENTRAL-SHIPPE, INC.,46 Start Lake Ave.,Blomington, NJ 07040
Involves manual assembly of color cards, swatching, inserting and mailing. Homeworkers receive piece rates for putting swatch cards together.
ANKA CO.,INC., 90 Greenwich Ave.,Warwick, RI 02886
Attention wholesalers, retailers, flea market dealers, and independent home-based salespeople. This company has rings and costume jewelry for men and women at low wholesale prices. There are several hundred different ring styles with genuine and simulates stones, gold and silver plated necklaces, bracelets, earrings and watches. Write for full color catalog.
THE LYNETTE CO., Mentor Park, Mentor, OH 44060.
This company will show you how to start making money with plastercraft, manufacturing sculptured art at home. They will show you how to make a wide variety of wall plaques and other fast-selling items. Write for details.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
MAKE MONEY AS A PARTY PLANNER
Let's Plan A Party! "MAGIC" is the buzz word that usually describes what
this business offers. No - the Party Planning business we're talking about
has very little to do with Goof-Doop The Clown or serving cake and ice cream
to 6-year old kids.
CORPORATE SCENE
For a Party Planner, this is where the money is. And if you have the knack
for organizing fun things for grown ups, you're in for a big - $100 Million -
surprise. And it's a business worth celebrating.
BROKER MENTALITY
This is a business you can virtually start with little or no capital. All
you need is a great idea and a client who wants to have fun. The best way
to implement this business is to act as the broker for all services entailed
in any given event.
You do not prepare the food, you hire a caterer. You do not sing or dance,
you hire entertainers. In fact, in some real big parties, you can negotiate
with talent agencies to have celebrities attend your party.
For example, you can have named stars "drop by" your party for around $10,000
or better. If your budget cannot afford the real celebs at $10,000 a piece,
then you can hire look-alikes for $200 a night. Do not introduce them in the
party, just let them roam around and mingle with the guests.
THEME PARTIES
You can also plan an event around a theme, depending on the reason for the
party and the number of people attending.
You can build festivals around parties. If the party is an extension of a
convention, work around ideas that are conducive to people in that trade or
industry.
START-UP
To get started, line up businesses that are involved in parties: florists,
videographers, caterers, hotel managers, equipment rental companies, and
others.
Set your rates based on the price lists of these related businesses. These
tie-in companiwes will dictate the way you structure your prices.
Once ready, compile a mailing list of potential corporate accounts in your
area. If you live in a city with a convention center, it would be ideal to
do some networking and get referral business.
this business offers. No - the Party Planning business we're talking about
has very little to do with Goof-Doop The Clown or serving cake and ice cream
to 6-year old kids.
CORPORATE SCENE
For a Party Planner, this is where the money is. And if you have the knack
for organizing fun things for grown ups, you're in for a big - $100 Million -
surprise. And it's a business worth celebrating.
BROKER MENTALITY
This is a business you can virtually start with little or no capital. All
you need is a great idea and a client who wants to have fun. The best way
to implement this business is to act as the broker for all services entailed
in any given event.
You do not prepare the food, you hire a caterer. You do not sing or dance,
you hire entertainers. In fact, in some real big parties, you can negotiate
with talent agencies to have celebrities attend your party.
For example, you can have named stars "drop by" your party for around $10,000
or better. If your budget cannot afford the real celebs at $10,000 a piece,
then you can hire look-alikes for $200 a night. Do not introduce them in the
party, just let them roam around and mingle with the guests.
THEME PARTIES
You can also plan an event around a theme, depending on the reason for the
party and the number of people attending.
You can build festivals around parties. If the party is an extension of a
convention, work around ideas that are conducive to people in that trade or
industry.
START-UP
To get started, line up businesses that are involved in parties: florists,
videographers, caterers, hotel managers, equipment rental companies, and
others.
Set your rates based on the price lists of these related businesses. These
tie-in companiwes will dictate the way you structure your prices.
Once ready, compile a mailing list of potential corporate accounts in your
area. If you live in a city with a convention center, it would be ideal to
do some networking and get referral business.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
HOW TO BUY ANYTHING CHEAP FROM GOVERNMENT AUCTION
FREE INFORMATION:
The vital information contained in this report will allow you to purchase just about anything you desire from the U.S. Government at rock bottom prices and sell it for huge profits! Do not fall for numerous scammer out their that wants to sell you this information.
Everyday, hundreds of thousands of valuable items, including yachts, airplanes, luxury cars, pickup trucks, jewelry, computers, RV's, houses, furniture, furs, typewriters, jeeps, and much more, are seized in drug raids and auctioned off to the public at incredibly low prices.
Billions of dollars and personal property is also seized or repossessed by the U.S. Customs Service, U.S Marshals. the Veteran's Administration (VA), The Housing & Development Authority (HUD), Sheriff's Departments, Police Department, U.S. Postal Authorities, Bankruptcy Courts, and other related agencies.
In addition to all of this, department of Defense Surplus offers endless opportunities to purchase unbelievable bargains. People who know how to get involved in buying government property also know that without any previous experience or specific skills, just about anyone can purchase anything the government has for sale and turn it into a profit!
People just like yourself who have discovered the real meaning of what an "unbelievable bargain" is by attending government auction sales, have gotten involved for one of the two reasons: 1) They want a specific item and know they can buy it at an enormous discount; or 2) They are in the business of buying many items at low prices, and selling them for a huge profit!
Whatever your motive, you can also take advantage of your new purchasing power once you know how to get involved. Maybe you have always dreamed of owning a yacht, stretch limo, or other luxury vehicle. According to recent figures, the government is expected to sell up to one-quarter million vehicles! How would you like to purchase a Porsche, BMW, Jaguar, Lincoln Stretch Limo, Mercedes, Cadillac, or other luxury car for less than $100, and then resell it for a fast $20,000 profit?
If you have wanted just about anything, but felt you would never be able to afford it, this is your golden opportunity! Would you like to be your own boss into a business for yourself? Now you can! Through smart buying at bargain prices, and reselling at markups retailers can only dream about, you can put yourself into a position of financial independence faster than you could ever imagine!
With the unbelievable bargains that will be available to you, you can realistically began to think about starting a Surplus Store of your own, filled with office furniture, machines and supplies. Or maybe you want to specialize in buying and selling luxury cars! Do you enjoy the electrifying atmosphere of a flea market or swap meet? Government auctions and surplus sales can provide you with an endless supply of merchandise to sell.
Whatever your wants, or dreams, the information in this report will show you how to make wealth-building dreams come true. By writing to the various agencies and receiving pamphlets and other materials they send to you, you will be able to decide which agencies and sales are suitable for you. then you will control an extensive network of contacts, representatives, and other agents who will let you know what items they have for sale. Items you can purchase for pennies on the dollar.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SURPLUS
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and the Department of Defense (DOD) are the primary agencies offering federal personal property. Any one of three sales methods may be used to sell surplus personal property. No preference is given to any individual or group no matter which method is used.
SEALED-BID AUCTIONS: Bidding forms are provided to participants. The "Invitation For Bid" (IFB) form describes the property being offered, indicates, and nay special conditions regarding the sale. Sealed bids are opened publicly and awards are given to the highest bidder.
TRADITIONAL PUBLIC AUCTIONS: Property is offered, item by item, and sold to the highest bidder. Bidding instructions are given by the auctioneer on the government property offered.
SPOT BIDDING: Here, a buyer has the opportunity to write down and mail in his bid. Property is awarded after full payment is received.
The best way to keep yourself informed about sales is to get your name on the GSA's prospective mailing lists. tens of thousands of luxury cars, sports cars, RV's semi's, pickup trucks, and more, are sold each year. You will have to write to each of the 11 regional centers indicated below if you want your name to appear on each of their mailing lists. Each has a different application. When you write, ask that your name and address be placed on the bidder's list.
NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION
(District of Columbia, nearby Maryland and Virginia)
GAS CUSTOMER SERVICE BUREAU
7th and D Streets, SW
Washington, DC 20407
REGION 1 (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont)
GSA CUSTOMER SERVICE BUREAU
Post Office and Courthouse
Boston, MA 02109
REGION 2 (New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands)
GSA CUSTOMER SERVICE BUREAU
26 Federal Plaza
New York, NY 10278
REGION 3 ( Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia)
GSA CUSTOMER SERVICE BUREAU
Ninth and Market Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19107
REGION 4 ( Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, tennessee)
GSA CUSTOMER BUREAU
75 Spring Street, SW
Atlanta, GA 30303
REGION 5 ( Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin)
GSA CUSTOMER SERVICE BUREAU
230 S Dearborn Street
Chicago, IL 60604
REGION 6 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska)
GSA CUSTOMER SERVICE BUREAU
1500 E. Bannister Road
Kansas, MO 64131
REGION 7 ( Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas)
GSA CUSTOMER SERVICE BUREAU
819 Taylor Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
REGION 8 ( Colorado, Montana, N. Dakota, S. Dakota, Utah, Wyoming)
GSA CUSTOMER SERVICE BUREAU
Bldg. 41-Denver; Federal Center
Denver, CO 80225
REGION 9 (Somoa, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada)
GSA CUSTOMER SERVICE BUREAU
525 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
REGION 10 ( Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington)
GSA CUSTOMER SERVICE BUREAU
GSA CENTER
Auburn, WA 98002
INTERNAL REVENUE SALES
A major of forced-sale merchandise and property is the Internal revenue Service. When the government confiscates a debtor's property through the IRS, it is sold to the highest bidder to recover a part of its losses.
Property sold by the government is not subject to usual laws of supply and demand. forced sales operate outside supply and demand laws because the government controls the sale of confiscated property. Their only interest is in trying to recover a certain debt that has been incurred, not what the actual market value is.
Because realtors aren't informed about forced government sales, you have a distinct advantage! You will be notified of sales as a potential bidder once you get your name on their mailing list. Then you can go directly to the IRS to make your own incredible deal on property selling far below market value.
IRS property is sold either by public or sealed bid auction. Individual agents are responsible for selling property within their divisions. That means you won't have to deal with a central or district office to obtain information about property being auctioned.
Contact an IRS agent nearest you by referring to your telephone directory. Ask for information that will allow your name to be placed on mailing list throughout the country. Also, request a copy of the Internal Revenue Service Code Manual Part V Chapter 300 at your local library to learn more about how the IRS auctions off confiscated property.
POST OFFICE AUCTIONS
Post Office Auctions, also know as dead parcel or dead letter auctions, are conducted in regionally located U.S. Post Offices. tens of thousands of items that never reached their intended destination, or were never claimed by the sending or receiving parties, are auctioned off.
Unclaimed parcels are opened at dead parcel branches to determine if the property can be returned. If the sender remains unknown, or if the postage remains unpaid, the contents will be sold at auction.
To obtain Post Office Auction notices and procedures you must have your name placed on a bidder's list. You can receive information regarding the auction sale by writing to the manager in charge of the sale.
Thousands of items are auctioned off including, clothing, luggage, books, watches, rings, miscellaneous, jewelry, electronic equipment and sound recordings, leather good, and much, much more! The minimum bid is usually $5.00, and many items are sold in lots of 50, 75, 100, 200, 500, or more.
To have your name placed on all the U.S. Post Office's regional dead parcel branches bidder's lists, write the following addresses and request that your name be added to their auction bidder's mailing list:
U.S. POST OFFICE REGIONAL DEAD PARCEL BRANCHES
WESTERN REGION ( washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, Idaho, Nevada, Utah)
U.S. Post Office
Dead Parcel Branch
1300 Evans Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94188-9661
SOUTHERN REGION ( Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Florida, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama)
U.S. Post Office
Dead Parcel Branch
P.O. Box 44161
Atlanta, GA 30336-9506
CENTRAL REGION ( Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, North Dakota)
U.S. Post Office
Dead Parcel Branch
Chicago, IL 60607-9506
Postmaster
Dead Letter Branch
U.S. Post Office
180 E. Kellog Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55101-9414
NORTHEAST REGION ( New York, Maine, New Jersey, Vermont, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire)
New York City Post Office
Auction Room
380 W. 33rd St.
New York, NY 10001-9998
EASTERN REGION ( Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, New Jersey)
U.S. Postal Service
Claims & Inquiries
30th & Market St.
Philadelphia, PA 19104-9998
SHERIFF'S SALES
When a person refuse to pay a court judgement, his property can be confiscated by the sherriff's department and put up for sale. Money from the proceeds of the sale are then applied against the outstanding debt.
Sheriff's sales are under the jurisdiction of state courts, so you will have to check with your local sheriff regarding sale rules and procedures. In some states, for example, all sales are final; while others the person whose property was confiscated is allowed a certain amount of time to redeem his property by paying off the debt that led to the action.
Sheriff's sales are oral auctions with the property going to the highest bidder. The winning bidder must immediately pay for the property with cash, certified check, or money order.
To learn more about sheriff's sales in any area, call information in the sate and county you are interested in and ask the operator for the counties Sheriff's department. When you reach the Sheriff's Office, ask to have your name placed on their mailing list.
VA AND HUD SALES
When a home mortgage is VA guaranteed or FHA insured, either agency will foreclose on homes if the buyer defaults by not paying the mortgage off as stipulated in his contract with a lender.
FHA has many types of programs available for purchasing or rehabilitating various homes and buildings. While HUD does not issue funds for loans, they do guarantee loans that are made through banks, and other lenders. If a borrower defaults on payments, HUD pays off the balance and takes over ownership on the property. In effect, and FHA insured loan on foreclose property is turned over to HUD and listed as a HUD repossessed property.
HUD and VA sell repossessed property through a sealed bid process, and require that offers be submitted trough a real estate broker who has been certified by the government. there are no hidden charges passed on to you by these brokers. They are paid by the government to perform this service.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT SURPLUS
The Defense Property Disposal Service (DPDS) has the primary responsibility for the Defense Department sales program. They receive property from the Defense Logistics Agency, Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and other Department of Defense components.
You can purchase products including anything from aircraft, parachutes, pontoons, and turbine engines, to furniture, fixtures, machinery, and tractors. There's something for everyone at incredibility low prices~
Real property is sold by the "government General Services Administration" (GSA) and include: Land, buildings, civil and federal government agency surplus property. For additional information contact:
GSA-FSS, Office of Property Management, Crystal Mall 4, Rm. 1019, Washington, DC 20406.
Department of Defense surplus property is sold by the "Defense reutilization & Marketing Regional Sales Office" (DRMR). You can receive a listing of locations where surplus property is stored and a "National Bidder's List Application Form" by writing to:
DOD Bidders Control Office, P.O. Box 1370, Battle Creek, MI 49016. Your name will then be placed on their catalog mailing list.
U.S. MARSHAL SALES
Property seized by U.S. Marshals is sold in the county where it was seized. Items auctioned off include boats, cars, jewelry, trucks, gold rings and watches, real estate, luggage, cameras, computers, furniture, and thousands of other items, all sold a bargain prices!
Most U.S. Marshals do not, and are not required to maintain a buyer's mailing list. Some do however, and it would be wise to write directly to a U.S. Marshal in any area you are interested in and ask if they will place you name on a mailing list. You should also ask what paper they advertise their auctions in. refer to your telephone directory or operator to locate a U.S. Marshal's office nearest you.
PROPERTY CONFISCATED BY U.S. CUSTOMS
Items Confiscated by U.S. Customs Inspectors are sold by the U.S. Customs Service Regional Commissioner at oral bid auctions.
The U.S. Customs Service seizes merchandise worth billions of dollars annually. They include diamonds, gold, silver, coin and stamp collections, jewelry, china, crystal, furniture, exotic rugs and fur coats, antiques, yachts, motorcycles, trucks, tractors, snowmobiles, RV's, all terrain vehicles, cameras, computers, boats, helicopters, jeeps, luxury cars, and much more! Every auction you attend can mean other buy of a lifetime!
To get involved with U.S. Customs Service Auctions, refer to your telephone directory and write to the Regional Commissioner of the U.S. Customs Service located nearest you, or the region you want to bid at. Ask the commissioner to place your name on his mailing list to receive catalogs and announcements of upcoming surplus property sales.
BANKRUPTCY SALES
Thousands of bankruptcies occur every year. When an individual or business goes bankrupt, the courts take over al the assets available that can be auctioned off an applied towards the debts that were incurred.
Bankruptcy proceedings for claiming and auctioning off property varies little from state to state, because the U.S. bankruptcy court oversees all bankruptcy proceedings. As a general rule, the court will appoint a trustee who has the responsibility of liquidating a debtor's assets. The trustee will then hold a public auction or sealed-bid sale to dispense of the property.
The variety of merchandise at bankruptcy sales is staggering! When you consider the tens of thousands of individuals and businesses who are forced to file under Chapter 7 (which results in the liquidation of a debtor's assets to pay for liabilities accumulated) with each person and business offering different products, the magnitude of what can be purchased at incredible savings is simply incredible!
To get involved in bankruptcy sales, write to your District U.S Bankruptcy Court Trustee and request that your name be placed on their mailing list. Bankruptcy Courts are listed in the white pages of your telephone directory under U.S. Government Offices.
You can also contact your Court Clerk and request that your name be added to their local mailing list in your area.
The vital information contained in this report will allow you to purchase just about anything you desire from the U.S. Government at rock bottom prices and sell it for huge profits! Do not fall for numerous scammer out their that wants to sell you this information.
Everyday, hundreds of thousands of valuable items, including yachts, airplanes, luxury cars, pickup trucks, jewelry, computers, RV's, houses, furniture, furs, typewriters, jeeps, and much more, are seized in drug raids and auctioned off to the public at incredibly low prices.
Billions of dollars and personal property is also seized or repossessed by the U.S. Customs Service, U.S Marshals. the Veteran's Administration (VA), The Housing & Development Authority (HUD), Sheriff's Departments, Police Department, U.S. Postal Authorities, Bankruptcy Courts, and other related agencies.
In addition to all of this, department of Defense Surplus offers endless opportunities to purchase unbelievable bargains. People who know how to get involved in buying government property also know that without any previous experience or specific skills, just about anyone can purchase anything the government has for sale and turn it into a profit!
People just like yourself who have discovered the real meaning of what an "unbelievable bargain" is by attending government auction sales, have gotten involved for one of the two reasons: 1) They want a specific item and know they can buy it at an enormous discount; or 2) They are in the business of buying many items at low prices, and selling them for a huge profit!
Whatever your motive, you can also take advantage of your new purchasing power once you know how to get involved. Maybe you have always dreamed of owning a yacht, stretch limo, or other luxury vehicle. According to recent figures, the government is expected to sell up to one-quarter million vehicles! How would you like to purchase a Porsche, BMW, Jaguar, Lincoln Stretch Limo, Mercedes, Cadillac, or other luxury car for less than $100, and then resell it for a fast $20,000 profit?
If you have wanted just about anything, but felt you would never be able to afford it, this is your golden opportunity! Would you like to be your own boss into a business for yourself? Now you can! Through smart buying at bargain prices, and reselling at markups retailers can only dream about, you can put yourself into a position of financial independence faster than you could ever imagine!
With the unbelievable bargains that will be available to you, you can realistically began to think about starting a Surplus Store of your own, filled with office furniture, machines and supplies. Or maybe you want to specialize in buying and selling luxury cars! Do you enjoy the electrifying atmosphere of a flea market or swap meet? Government auctions and surplus sales can provide you with an endless supply of merchandise to sell.
Whatever your wants, or dreams, the information in this report will show you how to make wealth-building dreams come true. By writing to the various agencies and receiving pamphlets and other materials they send to you, you will be able to decide which agencies and sales are suitable for you. then you will control an extensive network of contacts, representatives, and other agents who will let you know what items they have for sale. Items you can purchase for pennies on the dollar.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SURPLUS
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and the Department of Defense (DOD) are the primary agencies offering federal personal property. Any one of three sales methods may be used to sell surplus personal property. No preference is given to any individual or group no matter which method is used.
SEALED-BID AUCTIONS: Bidding forms are provided to participants. The "Invitation For Bid" (IFB) form describes the property being offered, indicates, and nay special conditions regarding the sale. Sealed bids are opened publicly and awards are given to the highest bidder.
TRADITIONAL PUBLIC AUCTIONS: Property is offered, item by item, and sold to the highest bidder. Bidding instructions are given by the auctioneer on the government property offered.
SPOT BIDDING: Here, a buyer has the opportunity to write down and mail in his bid. Property is awarded after full payment is received.
The best way to keep yourself informed about sales is to get your name on the GSA's prospective mailing lists. tens of thousands of luxury cars, sports cars, RV's semi's, pickup trucks, and more, are sold each year. You will have to write to each of the 11 regional centers indicated below if you want your name to appear on each of their mailing lists. Each has a different application. When you write, ask that your name and address be placed on the bidder's list.
NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION
(District of Columbia, nearby Maryland and Virginia)
GAS CUSTOMER SERVICE BUREAU
7th and D Streets, SW
Washington, DC 20407
REGION 1 (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont)
GSA CUSTOMER SERVICE BUREAU
Post Office and Courthouse
Boston, MA 02109
REGION 2 (New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands)
GSA CUSTOMER SERVICE BUREAU
26 Federal Plaza
New York, NY 10278
REGION 3 ( Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia)
GSA CUSTOMER SERVICE BUREAU
Ninth and Market Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19107
REGION 4 ( Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, tennessee)
GSA CUSTOMER BUREAU
75 Spring Street, SW
Atlanta, GA 30303
REGION 5 ( Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin)
GSA CUSTOMER SERVICE BUREAU
230 S Dearborn Street
Chicago, IL 60604
REGION 6 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska)
GSA CUSTOMER SERVICE BUREAU
1500 E. Bannister Road
Kansas, MO 64131
REGION 7 ( Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas)
GSA CUSTOMER SERVICE BUREAU
819 Taylor Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
REGION 8 ( Colorado, Montana, N. Dakota, S. Dakota, Utah, Wyoming)
GSA CUSTOMER SERVICE BUREAU
Bldg. 41-Denver; Federal Center
Denver, CO 80225
REGION 9 (Somoa, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada)
GSA CUSTOMER SERVICE BUREAU
525 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
REGION 10 ( Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington)
GSA CUSTOMER SERVICE BUREAU
GSA CENTER
Auburn, WA 98002
INTERNAL REVENUE SALES
A major of forced-sale merchandise and property is the Internal revenue Service. When the government confiscates a debtor's property through the IRS, it is sold to the highest bidder to recover a part of its losses.
Property sold by the government is not subject to usual laws of supply and demand. forced sales operate outside supply and demand laws because the government controls the sale of confiscated property. Their only interest is in trying to recover a certain debt that has been incurred, not what the actual market value is.
Because realtors aren't informed about forced government sales, you have a distinct advantage! You will be notified of sales as a potential bidder once you get your name on their mailing list. Then you can go directly to the IRS to make your own incredible deal on property selling far below market value.
IRS property is sold either by public or sealed bid auction. Individual agents are responsible for selling property within their divisions. That means you won't have to deal with a central or district office to obtain information about property being auctioned.
Contact an IRS agent nearest you by referring to your telephone directory. Ask for information that will allow your name to be placed on mailing list throughout the country. Also, request a copy of the Internal Revenue Service Code Manual Part V Chapter 300 at your local library to learn more about how the IRS auctions off confiscated property.
POST OFFICE AUCTIONS
Post Office Auctions, also know as dead parcel or dead letter auctions, are conducted in regionally located U.S. Post Offices. tens of thousands of items that never reached their intended destination, or were never claimed by the sending or receiving parties, are auctioned off.
Unclaimed parcels are opened at dead parcel branches to determine if the property can be returned. If the sender remains unknown, or if the postage remains unpaid, the contents will be sold at auction.
To obtain Post Office Auction notices and procedures you must have your name placed on a bidder's list. You can receive information regarding the auction sale by writing to the manager in charge of the sale.
Thousands of items are auctioned off including, clothing, luggage, books, watches, rings, miscellaneous, jewelry, electronic equipment and sound recordings, leather good, and much, much more! The minimum bid is usually $5.00, and many items are sold in lots of 50, 75, 100, 200, 500, or more.
To have your name placed on all the U.S. Post Office's regional dead parcel branches bidder's lists, write the following addresses and request that your name be added to their auction bidder's mailing list:
U.S. POST OFFICE REGIONAL DEAD PARCEL BRANCHES
WESTERN REGION ( washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, Idaho, Nevada, Utah)
U.S. Post Office
Dead Parcel Branch
1300 Evans Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94188-9661
SOUTHERN REGION ( Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Florida, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama)
U.S. Post Office
Dead Parcel Branch
P.O. Box 44161
Atlanta, GA 30336-9506
CENTRAL REGION ( Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, North Dakota)
U.S. Post Office
Dead Parcel Branch
Chicago, IL 60607-9506
Postmaster
Dead Letter Branch
U.S. Post Office
180 E. Kellog Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55101-9414
NORTHEAST REGION ( New York, Maine, New Jersey, Vermont, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire)
New York City Post Office
Auction Room
380 W. 33rd St.
New York, NY 10001-9998
EASTERN REGION ( Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, New Jersey)
U.S. Postal Service
Claims & Inquiries
30th & Market St.
Philadelphia, PA 19104-9998
SHERIFF'S SALES
When a person refuse to pay a court judgement, his property can be confiscated by the sherriff's department and put up for sale. Money from the proceeds of the sale are then applied against the outstanding debt.
Sheriff's sales are under the jurisdiction of state courts, so you will have to check with your local sheriff regarding sale rules and procedures. In some states, for example, all sales are final; while others the person whose property was confiscated is allowed a certain amount of time to redeem his property by paying off the debt that led to the action.
Sheriff's sales are oral auctions with the property going to the highest bidder. The winning bidder must immediately pay for the property with cash, certified check, or money order.
To learn more about sheriff's sales in any area, call information in the sate and county you are interested in and ask the operator for the counties Sheriff's department. When you reach the Sheriff's Office, ask to have your name placed on their mailing list.
VA AND HUD SALES
When a home mortgage is VA guaranteed or FHA insured, either agency will foreclose on homes if the buyer defaults by not paying the mortgage off as stipulated in his contract with a lender.
FHA has many types of programs available for purchasing or rehabilitating various homes and buildings. While HUD does not issue funds for loans, they do guarantee loans that are made through banks, and other lenders. If a borrower defaults on payments, HUD pays off the balance and takes over ownership on the property. In effect, and FHA insured loan on foreclose property is turned over to HUD and listed as a HUD repossessed property.
HUD and VA sell repossessed property through a sealed bid process, and require that offers be submitted trough a real estate broker who has been certified by the government. there are no hidden charges passed on to you by these brokers. They are paid by the government to perform this service.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT SURPLUS
The Defense Property Disposal Service (DPDS) has the primary responsibility for the Defense Department sales program. They receive property from the Defense Logistics Agency, Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and other Department of Defense components.
You can purchase products including anything from aircraft, parachutes, pontoons, and turbine engines, to furniture, fixtures, machinery, and tractors. There's something for everyone at incredibility low prices~
Real property is sold by the "government General Services Administration" (GSA) and include: Land, buildings, civil and federal government agency surplus property. For additional information contact:
GSA-FSS, Office of Property Management, Crystal Mall 4, Rm. 1019, Washington, DC 20406.
Department of Defense surplus property is sold by the "Defense reutilization & Marketing Regional Sales Office" (DRMR). You can receive a listing of locations where surplus property is stored and a "National Bidder's List Application Form" by writing to:
DOD Bidders Control Office, P.O. Box 1370, Battle Creek, MI 49016. Your name will then be placed on their catalog mailing list.
U.S. MARSHAL SALES
Property seized by U.S. Marshals is sold in the county where it was seized. Items auctioned off include boats, cars, jewelry, trucks, gold rings and watches, real estate, luggage, cameras, computers, furniture, and thousands of other items, all sold a bargain prices!
Most U.S. Marshals do not, and are not required to maintain a buyer's mailing list. Some do however, and it would be wise to write directly to a U.S. Marshal in any area you are interested in and ask if they will place you name on a mailing list. You should also ask what paper they advertise their auctions in. refer to your telephone directory or operator to locate a U.S. Marshal's office nearest you.
PROPERTY CONFISCATED BY U.S. CUSTOMS
Items Confiscated by U.S. Customs Inspectors are sold by the U.S. Customs Service Regional Commissioner at oral bid auctions.
The U.S. Customs Service seizes merchandise worth billions of dollars annually. They include diamonds, gold, silver, coin and stamp collections, jewelry, china, crystal, furniture, exotic rugs and fur coats, antiques, yachts, motorcycles, trucks, tractors, snowmobiles, RV's, all terrain vehicles, cameras, computers, boats, helicopters, jeeps, luxury cars, and much more! Every auction you attend can mean other buy of a lifetime!
To get involved with U.S. Customs Service Auctions, refer to your telephone directory and write to the Regional Commissioner of the U.S. Customs Service located nearest you, or the region you want to bid at. Ask the commissioner to place your name on his mailing list to receive catalogs and announcements of upcoming surplus property sales.
BANKRUPTCY SALES
Thousands of bankruptcies occur every year. When an individual or business goes bankrupt, the courts take over al the assets available that can be auctioned off an applied towards the debts that were incurred.
Bankruptcy proceedings for claiming and auctioning off property varies little from state to state, because the U.S. bankruptcy court oversees all bankruptcy proceedings. As a general rule, the court will appoint a trustee who has the responsibility of liquidating a debtor's assets. The trustee will then hold a public auction or sealed-bid sale to dispense of the property.
The variety of merchandise at bankruptcy sales is staggering! When you consider the tens of thousands of individuals and businesses who are forced to file under Chapter 7 (which results in the liquidation of a debtor's assets to pay for liabilities accumulated) with each person and business offering different products, the magnitude of what can be purchased at incredible savings is simply incredible!
To get involved in bankruptcy sales, write to your District U.S Bankruptcy Court Trustee and request that your name be placed on their mailing list. Bankruptcy Courts are listed in the white pages of your telephone directory under U.S. Government Offices.
You can also contact your Court Clerk and request that your name be added to their local mailing list in your area.
Friday, November 23, 2007
HOW TO MAKE BIG MONEY WITH YOUR OWN PERSONAL SHOPPING SERVICE
With the fast-paced, high pressure professional lifestyles of today, more and more people have limited time to do their personal shopping. Holding down a full-time job, raising children, and maintaining a household doesn't seem to leave enough hours in the day to get everything done. That's why many people are now opting for a "service" to do much of their personal shopping for them -- everything from buying groceries to planning and purchasing an entire wardrobe.
Within the past decade personal shopping services have emerged as a rapidly growing cottage industry with the potential for highly profitable large-scale operations. It's a service that appeals to a busy, above average income clientele, as well as to corporate clients. And an enterprising person providing this kind of service can make substantial profits.
Shopping for other people is not necessarily a difficult task. As part of the service, the personal shopper usually meets with clients to determine their needs and compile a list of items to be purchased within the client's specified price range. Then, the shopping begins. After the client's items have been purchased, the shopper and client meet again. The client looks over the purchases, and once satisfied with the shopper's selections, pays the bill. Most of the "work" involved with a personal shopping service, is in the shopping itself.
Start-up costs for a personal shopping service can be relatively minimal. There's little need for expensive equipment and hardly any initial investment in inventory. The biggest expense a home-based shopping service encounters is usually the method of transportation used by the shopper. Since most of a personal shoppers time is spent shopping, an efficient running, low-mileage car or van is essential to get to the many shopping locations.
Most of these services begin as part time, home-based operations. Beginning the service at home allows the novice entrepreneur to maintain a full time job while devoting ten to twenty hours a week to being a personal shopper. Once a profitable client list has been established, and depending on the market size, the service can expand to a full time, multiemployee business with yearly earnings of $50,000 or more.
BUSINESS OVERVIEW
Before starting up any new business venture it is essential to determine if the business is right for you. You must have the right temperament as well as the facilities and an adequate market for your service. Understanding these and other factors involved in operating a personal shopping service before you "take the plunge" will enable you to be prepared for any eventuality. It's also a good way to insure success and profit. Shopping can be a tiresome, demanding and frustrating undertaking. Obviously if you want to be a personal shopper, you must enjoy shopping. Most of the people who utilize a personal shopping service simply don't have time to shop for themselves. And some just don't like to shop. If you are not fond of shopping for yourself, you won't like doing it for others either, even if they pay you. You can draw from previous personal experience to help you determine if you would enjoy shopping for others.
Once you've determined that you have the ability, and would be happy shopping for other people, you'll need to focus on the "business" side of operating a personal shopping service. And that means you will have to be certain that there is a market for your service.
Generally, a personal shopping service cannot rely on clientele with average or below average income. You'll need a "pool" of clients who can afford to pay for someone to shop for them. Many personal shoppers have found that people with incomes of $40,000 or more are their best sources of clients. You'll need to do some research before you start up to determine if your market can support a personal shopping service.
The success of a personal shopping service depends largely on the quality of the service. You must offer professional service and quality merchandise. This type of service requires that you know the best places to shop, be familiar with brand names, and that you work within the client's price range. The most successful personal shoppers have established good connections with retailers and wholesalers and know where to get the best merchandise and the best prices.
You'll also need to be creative. Many times a client will need a gift for someone. The client give you a description of the person, and then it's up to you, the personal shopper, to find the gift to fit that person. This requires not only creativity, but an understanding of people as well.
Another important factor to consider is how you will advertise and promote your service. This is especially important when you are starting up. You'll need to make your service known to your market area. You should investigate all the available avenues of advertising and determine what's best for you. Establishing a realistic advertising budget and implementing an effective advertising campaign will mean more business and bigger profits.
EQUIPMENT
Starting a personal shopping service at home is the ideal way to begin. No large facility is needed for storage or equipment. One room can serve as office space for administrative purposes, such as bookkeeping and record keeping. You should also have an answering machine for your telephone, a typewriter or computer and printer if affordable, and various office supplies.
Furnishing a home office can be relatively inexpensive. A desk, chair, filing cabinet and bookshelf are the only basic items needed to begin. Purchased new, these items will cost from $500 to $700. You may be able to find good quality used items for much less. Many yard and garage sales have adequate furniture for a home office, and at good prices.
The most important piece of "equipment" a personal shopper will need is a car. Transportation is also the biggest expense this type of service will likely incur. Since well over 50 percent of a personal shopper's working time is spent on the road, to and from shopping excursions and consulting with clients, an economical and dependable method of transportation is a must.
Most people operating home-based services use their own cars. This alleviates the necessity of buying a new car, or leasing a vehicle. If your car is in good working order and gets good gas mileage it makes sense to use it for your business. The government will reimburse you, via tax deductions, for the driving and other expenses incurred as part of the business.
Many personal shoppers also invest in a small camera. This is a relatively modest investment that adds an extra service to your business. A camera will allow you to take pictures of items you think particular clients may be interested in. Your clients will appreciate this extra service because it allows them the opportunity to see, and approve an item before it is purchased. It's a good way to build an on-going and trusting relationship with clients, increasing the chances for repeat business.
A good instant camera is sufficient for a personal shopping service. You can get one for about $50 and it's well worth the investment.
When starting your service, it is important to remember to "live within your means." There's no need to get several pieces of expensive office furniture, or buy a new car. Be sensible and get only the basics. Your total investment in equipment and office furnishings and supplies need not exceed $1,000.
INVENTORY AND PRICING
Since a personal shopping business is service oriented, you won't be selling a specific product. That means there's not a lot of initial inventory as there would be if you were starting a retail business. However, you may on occasion find it necessary to deal with suppliers of wholesale merchandise, because some clients may demand such merchandise.
If you purchase wholesale merchandise for your clients, it is important that you maintain a good relationship with dependable suppliers of inventory. The better your connections with reliable suppliers, the better your chances of getting those special items for your clients at a good price.
Even though you usually won't be selling a product, you will be selling a service. And you'll need to take just as much care in pricing your service as you would a line of products. Most personal shoppers use one of two common methods for pricing their service:
Set a fee based on the total price of the merchandise.
Charge an hourly rate.
Whichever pricing method you choose must bring in enough income to cover any overhead you have, your time and labor, and leave you with a reasonable profit. This requires knowing what the market will bear, as well as how much you desire to make your service personally profitable.
Most home-based shopping services initially institute a fee based on the total cost of the merchandise purchased. This fee should be a percentage of the purchase price. The percentage will vary depending on the market area, the type of clientele and the total price of merchandise purchased. It's up to the personal shopper to determine an appropriate percentage.
Generally, the larger the total price of merchandise purchased, the smaller the service charge. For example, if you charge a service fee of 20% on a purchase of $500 or more, your minimum fee will be $100. For a smaller total purchase of merchandise -- say, from $200 to $500, your service charge could be 25%. That would leave you with a minimum fee of $50 and a maximum of $125.
This type of pricing makes good business sense if you do a lot of pre-shopping from newspapers, catalogs and by phone. That way, you've located your merchandise before you actually go shopping. This will save you time and result in a higher degree of profit on your labor.
Hourly billing for this type service usually works best if your service offers a good deal of consultation as well as shopping. In most cases, personal shoppers who also feature wardrobe consulting as part of their service, charge an hourly fee. If your service is in a market that has the potential to support a wardrobe consultant as well as a personal shopper, you may consider billing clients by the hour.
Many personal shoppers who also offer consulting as part of their service charge as much as $45 an hour. The rate you set depends on how much you feel your time and efforts are worth, and how much the market can afford. You'll need to make a profit, but you'll also need to be affordable.
If you limit your service to shopping -- no consultations -- then an hourly rate isn't realistic. Sometimes you may only be shopping for $50 worth of merchandise and charging an hourly rate of $30 to $40 will not be appreciated by the client. Your rate should be such that every client feels it's worth the time saved to pay you to do their shopping. For shopping services only, a service fee based on the total price of the merchandise is more practical, and ultimately more profitable than an hourly rate.
GETTING CLIENTS
Any personal shopping service's client list depends, in large measure, on the variety of shopping and consultation offered. As pointed out earlier in this booklet, some personal shoppers also serve as wardrobe consultants, giving advice as well as selecting clothing items to show the client. Wardrobe consulting could be a profitable feature for a personal shopping service if the market has the potential clientele.
Generally, if you are located in a market of less than 100,000 people, there will not be much demand for wardrobe consulting. That's why most personal shopping services are located in, or near a relatively large population base with an abundance of working people, and a variety of stores. The services offered in such a market can be varied to cater to specific client needs.
If shopping for personal clothing is your forte, your client list will most likely be comprised of women. Many of these women will be making a transition into professional life and are in need of a business wardrobe. Your ability to consult with these clients -- to advise them and select an appropriate wardrobe will go a long way in determining your success as a personal shopper and consultant. If you do the job well, the chances of adding men to this particular client list will increase. In many cases, men are becoming more open to the idea of getting help in selecting their "professional" attire.
Some of your personal clothing shopping will be done for parents who need help getting their children ready to go back to school. You may also get women who are soon to be married and need assistance in selecting gowns for the wedding. Some people, planning exotic vacations, may require your help in choosing a special "vacation" ensemble.
In most cases, the previously mentioned clients are limited to large markets. If your market area is moderate to small, depending on "wardrobe" clients as a major source of your income is probably a mistake. You should rely on more generalized shopping. Personal gift-shopping is a good way to realize profits in any market.
When you are shopping for gifts, most of your clients will be men. Many of these will be husbands who know what they want to get their wives but don't have the time to shop for themselves or have little, if any, idea where to shop. It'll be up to you to track down these items, usually in a limited amount of time.
Other clients on your gift shopping client list will include executives who need to get gifts for their clients and employees.
In most cases, these clients will also be men. As a rule, it seems that men prefer to have someone else shop for gifts rather than spend the time themselves going from store to store. So a personal shopper can usually count on men as a good source of clientele for this type of service.
Your client list will also include some elderly people, or physically disabled people who aren't able to do their own shopping. These people are most generally interested in a grocery shopping service. This type of client, while not a major source of your income, will be a steady source.
One major source of income for many personal shopping services is the corporate client. This type of client may take a great deal of time and effort to land, but the results will make it worthwhile. That's because corporate clients normally make large volume purchases, and if they are pleased with your service will be a source of repeat business.
There's no doubt you'll have to work hard to get corporate clients. It requires a rather comprehensive study of your market in order to be familiar with all the potential clients, followed up by an impressive and convincing sales presentation. But if you can convince many of the businesses in your market that you can save them money, time and hassle by doing their necessary gift shopping for them, you'll have a valuable client list with a high profit potential. So you should be determined and persistent when pursuing these clients.
In the most basic of terms, a personal shopping service's clientele depends on the types of services offered as well as the market's need. The client list will include busy professionals -- both women and men, corporate clients with business gift needs, and senior citizens who are unable to do much shopping for themselves.
Your market will dictate which segment of potential clients you should rely on. You'll need to know the kinds of people in your market area and what they need in a personal shopping service. Your service should cater to those needs.
ADVERTISING YOUR SERVICE
Even though your talents as a shopper may be formidable, you won't get much business if you don't let people know your service is available. That's why it is essential to develop an effective advertising and promotion strategy.
Since personal shopping services are a relatively recent innovation, many people aren't familiar with them. These people need to know what a personal shopping service is and how it can be of benefit to them. It's up to you to let them know what you offer and how you can save them time and get better merchandise. The success of your service depends on how effectively you "spread the word" about what you are doing.
Determining the best advertising campaign for your service will require some research of your market to understand the best way to reach the widest segment of potential clients. First of all, you'll need to have a good idea as to who your potential clients are, and how many of them there are. You'll also need to offer them something that isn't already available and then convince them to take advantage of your service.
This "pre-marketing" research doesn't necessarily have to involve a great deal of expense. One good and inexpensive method of obtaining information about your potential market is to conduct your own survey. Discuss your personal shopping idea with all of your contacts -- business and personal. You can also get a sampling of opinion by going through the phone directory and calling as many businesses and people as time will allow. Be prepared to ask specific questions that will allow you to obtain usable information. Some questions worth asking include:
Would the person or business pay a service to do their shopping? If the answer is yes, you should then find out if they would use the service on a regular or repeat basis.
What kinds of shopping would these potential clients pay a service to do? Try to get them to be as specific as possible about wardrobe consulting, gift shopping, grocery shopping and so on.
What's the potential client's idea of a reasonable service fee? You may have to do some prompting here. That is, you may have to suggest something like 20 to 25 percent of the retail price. You should soon get an idea as to what the market would be willing to pay.
This isn't a scientific survey, but it should enable you to better plan and instigate your advertising campaign. You'll have a good idea as to who your potential clients are and what they would expect from a personal shopping service. The next step is to come up with an advertising budget you can afford and then find out where your advertising dollars can best be spent.
You'll have to use your own judgment as to how much you allocate as an advertising budget. However, you should keep in mind the importance of advertising to the success of your service. Many businesses, both small and large, budget anywhere from 1 to 5 percent of their projected gross sales for advertising and promotion. You should have at least some idea of projected gross sales from your pre-start-up research.
The important thing to remember is to be reasonable. Don't spend more than you can realistically afford. You'll need to be as financially sound as possible until your business is bringing in a healthy profit. At the same time, you don't want to undermine what an effective advertising campaign can do to help your business.
Once you have decided how much you can afford to spend on your initial advertising campaign you'll then have to select the media which will bring you the best results. Generally, for a personal shopping service, advertising in newspapers, the yellow pages, and by direct mail gets the best results.
A less expensive, but more time consuming, means of advertising is through personal contacts. This form of advertising usually works better in small markets, but can be effective in larger markets as well. You'll need several hundred professional business cards to pass around. Impressive business cards are not at all expensive and are a good way to get your name and service known. You'll also need to set aside a good bit of time making personal calls on prospective clients. This is an excellent way to let people know that your service is available.
When calling on a prospective client you must be well prepared. This means being able to explain your service in a clear and professional manner. Let your prospective clients know exactly what your shopping service offers and how it can be of benefit to them. And before you leave, make sure they have your business card as well as any brochures or flyers you may have detailing your service. Ask them to consider your shopping service, then follow up your presentation with a phone call a couple of weeks later. Don't let them forget about you and the service you are offering.
Newspaper advertising can be effective for a personal shopping service that gets most of its clients from the immediate community. Again, this type of advertising may work better in smaller to moderate markets. Most newspapers charge reasonable rates for display and classified ads and reach a high concentration of potential clients.
Another effective means of advertising your personal shopping service is in the yellow pages. Make sure you choose the most appropriate category for your listing or advertisement. You can have an illustrated quarter page spread or simply a one line listing with the name of your business, address and phone number.
The yellow pages can be one of the most effective methods of advertising at your disposal, so it is a good investment, especially when your service is just getting started. You'll have to be careful and get your ad in before the stated deadline, otherwise you will most likely be waiting an entire year before you can advertise in the yellow pages.
Other forms of advertising you should consider include; direct mail, which allows you to distribute information about your service to a selected group of potential clients, newsletters, flyers and brochures. All of these methods of advertising can be effective and are relatively inexpensive.
Knowing your market is the determining factor, along with your budget, as to the type and amount of advertising you do. It should be obvious however, that the more advertising you do, the better your chances of reaching the greatest number of potential clients. And that is, along with convincing those potential clients that your personal shopping service is the best in the market, what your advertising campaign should strive for.
SUCCESS ANALYSIS
Eight contributing factors are measured on a 1 to 10 basis (with 10 being excellent) based on analysis of this opportunity.
Time Investment 7
Start-up Costs 10
Gross Income Potential 8
Net Income Potential 8
Income in Relation to Investment 10
Stability 7
Overall Risk 8
Potential for Growth 9
Overall Potential for Success 8.38
POTENTIAL EARNINGS
To some degree, a personal shopper's business will be seasonal. The biggest profits are usually made from October through December, but there is still plenty of business for a highly motivated shopper throughout the year. The amount of profits depends on several factors including time devoted to the business, proper marketing and setting fees that bring the best return for services rendered.
Many home-based personal shopping services, operating parttime, have reported extra earnings of as much as $1,000 per month. This type of profit is usually realized by shoppers who take advantage of the service's low start-up costs. In the beginning, these services are equipped with little more than a telephone and an answering machine. Advertising is done through some personal contacts, fliers posted on company bulletin boards, and business cards.
These part-time services use their own cars for shopping excursions, which average about twice a month. Some of these shoppers get as many as five individual clients in a month's time. The result could be a handsome profit that more than covers the initial investment which does not need to be more than $1,000.
If you are planning to get into the business on a full-time basis, you'll need to make a larger initial investment. If, instead of a home-based service, you plan to utilize a commercial office and at least one helper, your start-up costs will be substantially greater than a home-based, part-time operation. You'll likely need more than one vehicle for shopping trips, and your advertising campaign will need to be more extensive.
This type of operation could mean an initial investment of $7,000 to $10,000. No doubt that's a sizable investment, but once the service has become established, you can realize earnings of $50,000 and more per year. If an investment of several thousand dollars is beyond your immediate means, beginning a personal shopping service part-time, at home, will allow you to get into the business with a good chance to expand to full-time in a year, or so.
CONCLUSION
Because of the low start-up costs and high profit potential, a home-based personal shopping service can be the ideal business for many people. But, in order to be successful there are several key factors prospective shoppers should understand.
(1) Shopping can be a tiresome and frustrating experience. If you don't like to shop for yourself, you won't like shopping for other people and your business will not succeed.
(2) If you are not located in, or do not have reasonable access to a fairly large market, a personal shopping service may have a tough time surviving. Before you start up, analyze your market -- know who your potential clients are and how many of them you can realistically count on to pay for your service.
(3) Knowing the best places to shop for the finest quality merchandise at the most reasonable prices, is essential. You'll need this expertise to convince clients that you are, indeed, the
best person for the job. It's something you'll have to demonstrate in order to get new, as well as repeat business.
(4) This is a personal service. You will be shopping for other people's personal needs -- everything from groceries to apparel. In order to do this properly, you'll need to get as much information from your clients as possible. Let your clients know you understand what they want, and that they will be well taken care of. You'll need to be a good listener as well as a good communicator.
(5) Your service fee should be realistic -- both for you and your clients. You will, of course, need to make a profit. But you'll also have to work within your client's means. If your fee is too high for your market, potential clients will usually find the time to do their own shopping.
(6) A well planned advertising campaign can mean the difference between breaking even and making substantial profits. Develop an advertising budget that will allow you to make your service known to the majority of potential clients in your market.
(7) Adjusting your service to fit the needs of your market will mean greater profits. If you specialize in gift shopping, you may be overlooking other potential avenues of income, such as wardrobe consulting. You should be as versatile as your time, resources, and the market will allow.
A personal shopping service can be a personally rewarding and highly profitable venture. It is not, however, a means to "overnight" wealth. It will take a good deal of time and work to make your service known and understood, and to build a client list substantial enough to return big profits. But, if you like to shop, and you are good at shopping for other people, a personal shopping service could be the ideal business for you.
SOURCES
Business Guides:
AEA Business Manual No. X1310, Personal Shopping Service, from American Entrepreneur's Association, 2392 Morse Ave., Irvine, CA 92714
Magazines:
Working Woman, February, 1991
Vogue, November, 1990
Within the past decade personal shopping services have emerged as a rapidly growing cottage industry with the potential for highly profitable large-scale operations. It's a service that appeals to a busy, above average income clientele, as well as to corporate clients. And an enterprising person providing this kind of service can make substantial profits.
Shopping for other people is not necessarily a difficult task. As part of the service, the personal shopper usually meets with clients to determine their needs and compile a list of items to be purchased within the client's specified price range. Then, the shopping begins. After the client's items have been purchased, the shopper and client meet again. The client looks over the purchases, and once satisfied with the shopper's selections, pays the bill. Most of the "work" involved with a personal shopping service, is in the shopping itself.
Start-up costs for a personal shopping service can be relatively minimal. There's little need for expensive equipment and hardly any initial investment in inventory. The biggest expense a home-based shopping service encounters is usually the method of transportation used by the shopper. Since most of a personal shoppers time is spent shopping, an efficient running, low-mileage car or van is essential to get to the many shopping locations.
Most of these services begin as part time, home-based operations. Beginning the service at home allows the novice entrepreneur to maintain a full time job while devoting ten to twenty hours a week to being a personal shopper. Once a profitable client list has been established, and depending on the market size, the service can expand to a full time, multiemployee business with yearly earnings of $50,000 or more.
BUSINESS OVERVIEW
Before starting up any new business venture it is essential to determine if the business is right for you. You must have the right temperament as well as the facilities and an adequate market for your service. Understanding these and other factors involved in operating a personal shopping service before you "take the plunge" will enable you to be prepared for any eventuality. It's also a good way to insure success and profit. Shopping can be a tiresome, demanding and frustrating undertaking. Obviously if you want to be a personal shopper, you must enjoy shopping. Most of the people who utilize a personal shopping service simply don't have time to shop for themselves. And some just don't like to shop. If you are not fond of shopping for yourself, you won't like doing it for others either, even if they pay you. You can draw from previous personal experience to help you determine if you would enjoy shopping for others.
Once you've determined that you have the ability, and would be happy shopping for other people, you'll need to focus on the "business" side of operating a personal shopping service. And that means you will have to be certain that there is a market for your service.
Generally, a personal shopping service cannot rely on clientele with average or below average income. You'll need a "pool" of clients who can afford to pay for someone to shop for them. Many personal shoppers have found that people with incomes of $40,000 or more are their best sources of clients. You'll need to do some research before you start up to determine if your market can support a personal shopping service.
The success of a personal shopping service depends largely on the quality of the service. You must offer professional service and quality merchandise. This type of service requires that you know the best places to shop, be familiar with brand names, and that you work within the client's price range. The most successful personal shoppers have established good connections with retailers and wholesalers and know where to get the best merchandise and the best prices.
You'll also need to be creative. Many times a client will need a gift for someone. The client give you a description of the person, and then it's up to you, the personal shopper, to find the gift to fit that person. This requires not only creativity, but an understanding of people as well.
Another important factor to consider is how you will advertise and promote your service. This is especially important when you are starting up. You'll need to make your service known to your market area. You should investigate all the available avenues of advertising and determine what's best for you. Establishing a realistic advertising budget and implementing an effective advertising campaign will mean more business and bigger profits.
EQUIPMENT
Starting a personal shopping service at home is the ideal way to begin. No large facility is needed for storage or equipment. One room can serve as office space for administrative purposes, such as bookkeeping and record keeping. You should also have an answering machine for your telephone, a typewriter or computer and printer if affordable, and various office supplies.
Furnishing a home office can be relatively inexpensive. A desk, chair, filing cabinet and bookshelf are the only basic items needed to begin. Purchased new, these items will cost from $500 to $700. You may be able to find good quality used items for much less. Many yard and garage sales have adequate furniture for a home office, and at good prices.
The most important piece of "equipment" a personal shopper will need is a car. Transportation is also the biggest expense this type of service will likely incur. Since well over 50 percent of a personal shopper's working time is spent on the road, to and from shopping excursions and consulting with clients, an economical and dependable method of transportation is a must.
Most people operating home-based services use their own cars. This alleviates the necessity of buying a new car, or leasing a vehicle. If your car is in good working order and gets good gas mileage it makes sense to use it for your business. The government will reimburse you, via tax deductions, for the driving and other expenses incurred as part of the business.
Many personal shoppers also invest in a small camera. This is a relatively modest investment that adds an extra service to your business. A camera will allow you to take pictures of items you think particular clients may be interested in. Your clients will appreciate this extra service because it allows them the opportunity to see, and approve an item before it is purchased. It's a good way to build an on-going and trusting relationship with clients, increasing the chances for repeat business.
A good instant camera is sufficient for a personal shopping service. You can get one for about $50 and it's well worth the investment.
When starting your service, it is important to remember to "live within your means." There's no need to get several pieces of expensive office furniture, or buy a new car. Be sensible and get only the basics. Your total investment in equipment and office furnishings and supplies need not exceed $1,000.
INVENTORY AND PRICING
Since a personal shopping business is service oriented, you won't be selling a specific product. That means there's not a lot of initial inventory as there would be if you were starting a retail business. However, you may on occasion find it necessary to deal with suppliers of wholesale merchandise, because some clients may demand such merchandise.
If you purchase wholesale merchandise for your clients, it is important that you maintain a good relationship with dependable suppliers of inventory. The better your connections with reliable suppliers, the better your chances of getting those special items for your clients at a good price.
Even though you usually won't be selling a product, you will be selling a service. And you'll need to take just as much care in pricing your service as you would a line of products. Most personal shoppers use one of two common methods for pricing their service:
Set a fee based on the total price of the merchandise.
Charge an hourly rate.
Whichever pricing method you choose must bring in enough income to cover any overhead you have, your time and labor, and leave you with a reasonable profit. This requires knowing what the market will bear, as well as how much you desire to make your service personally profitable.
Most home-based shopping services initially institute a fee based on the total cost of the merchandise purchased. This fee should be a percentage of the purchase price. The percentage will vary depending on the market area, the type of clientele and the total price of merchandise purchased. It's up to the personal shopper to determine an appropriate percentage.
Generally, the larger the total price of merchandise purchased, the smaller the service charge. For example, if you charge a service fee of 20% on a purchase of $500 or more, your minimum fee will be $100. For a smaller total purchase of merchandise -- say, from $200 to $500, your service charge could be 25%. That would leave you with a minimum fee of $50 and a maximum of $125.
This type of pricing makes good business sense if you do a lot of pre-shopping from newspapers, catalogs and by phone. That way, you've located your merchandise before you actually go shopping. This will save you time and result in a higher degree of profit on your labor.
Hourly billing for this type service usually works best if your service offers a good deal of consultation as well as shopping. In most cases, personal shoppers who also feature wardrobe consulting as part of their service, charge an hourly fee. If your service is in a market that has the potential to support a wardrobe consultant as well as a personal shopper, you may consider billing clients by the hour.
Many personal shoppers who also offer consulting as part of their service charge as much as $45 an hour. The rate you set depends on how much you feel your time and efforts are worth, and how much the market can afford. You'll need to make a profit, but you'll also need to be affordable.
If you limit your service to shopping -- no consultations -- then an hourly rate isn't realistic. Sometimes you may only be shopping for $50 worth of merchandise and charging an hourly rate of $30 to $40 will not be appreciated by the client. Your rate should be such that every client feels it's worth the time saved to pay you to do their shopping. For shopping services only, a service fee based on the total price of the merchandise is more practical, and ultimately more profitable than an hourly rate.
GETTING CLIENTS
Any personal shopping service's client list depends, in large measure, on the variety of shopping and consultation offered. As pointed out earlier in this booklet, some personal shoppers also serve as wardrobe consultants, giving advice as well as selecting clothing items to show the client. Wardrobe consulting could be a profitable feature for a personal shopping service if the market has the potential clientele.
Generally, if you are located in a market of less than 100,000 people, there will not be much demand for wardrobe consulting. That's why most personal shopping services are located in, or near a relatively large population base with an abundance of working people, and a variety of stores. The services offered in such a market can be varied to cater to specific client needs.
If shopping for personal clothing is your forte, your client list will most likely be comprised of women. Many of these women will be making a transition into professional life and are in need of a business wardrobe. Your ability to consult with these clients -- to advise them and select an appropriate wardrobe will go a long way in determining your success as a personal shopper and consultant. If you do the job well, the chances of adding men to this particular client list will increase. In many cases, men are becoming more open to the idea of getting help in selecting their "professional" attire.
Some of your personal clothing shopping will be done for parents who need help getting their children ready to go back to school. You may also get women who are soon to be married and need assistance in selecting gowns for the wedding. Some people, planning exotic vacations, may require your help in choosing a special "vacation" ensemble.
In most cases, the previously mentioned clients are limited to large markets. If your market area is moderate to small, depending on "wardrobe" clients as a major source of your income is probably a mistake. You should rely on more generalized shopping. Personal gift-shopping is a good way to realize profits in any market.
When you are shopping for gifts, most of your clients will be men. Many of these will be husbands who know what they want to get their wives but don't have the time to shop for themselves or have little, if any, idea where to shop. It'll be up to you to track down these items, usually in a limited amount of time.
Other clients on your gift shopping client list will include executives who need to get gifts for their clients and employees.
In most cases, these clients will also be men. As a rule, it seems that men prefer to have someone else shop for gifts rather than spend the time themselves going from store to store. So a personal shopper can usually count on men as a good source of clientele for this type of service.
Your client list will also include some elderly people, or physically disabled people who aren't able to do their own shopping. These people are most generally interested in a grocery shopping service. This type of client, while not a major source of your income, will be a steady source.
One major source of income for many personal shopping services is the corporate client. This type of client may take a great deal of time and effort to land, but the results will make it worthwhile. That's because corporate clients normally make large volume purchases, and if they are pleased with your service will be a source of repeat business.
There's no doubt you'll have to work hard to get corporate clients. It requires a rather comprehensive study of your market in order to be familiar with all the potential clients, followed up by an impressive and convincing sales presentation. But if you can convince many of the businesses in your market that you can save them money, time and hassle by doing their necessary gift shopping for them, you'll have a valuable client list with a high profit potential. So you should be determined and persistent when pursuing these clients.
In the most basic of terms, a personal shopping service's clientele depends on the types of services offered as well as the market's need. The client list will include busy professionals -- both women and men, corporate clients with business gift needs, and senior citizens who are unable to do much shopping for themselves.
Your market will dictate which segment of potential clients you should rely on. You'll need to know the kinds of people in your market area and what they need in a personal shopping service. Your service should cater to those needs.
ADVERTISING YOUR SERVICE
Even though your talents as a shopper may be formidable, you won't get much business if you don't let people know your service is available. That's why it is essential to develop an effective advertising and promotion strategy.
Since personal shopping services are a relatively recent innovation, many people aren't familiar with them. These people need to know what a personal shopping service is and how it can be of benefit to them. It's up to you to let them know what you offer and how you can save them time and get better merchandise. The success of your service depends on how effectively you "spread the word" about what you are doing.
Determining the best advertising campaign for your service will require some research of your market to understand the best way to reach the widest segment of potential clients. First of all, you'll need to have a good idea as to who your potential clients are, and how many of them there are. You'll also need to offer them something that isn't already available and then convince them to take advantage of your service.
This "pre-marketing" research doesn't necessarily have to involve a great deal of expense. One good and inexpensive method of obtaining information about your potential market is to conduct your own survey. Discuss your personal shopping idea with all of your contacts -- business and personal. You can also get a sampling of opinion by going through the phone directory and calling as many businesses and people as time will allow. Be prepared to ask specific questions that will allow you to obtain usable information. Some questions worth asking include:
Would the person or business pay a service to do their shopping? If the answer is yes, you should then find out if they would use the service on a regular or repeat basis.
What kinds of shopping would these potential clients pay a service to do? Try to get them to be as specific as possible about wardrobe consulting, gift shopping, grocery shopping and so on.
What's the potential client's idea of a reasonable service fee? You may have to do some prompting here. That is, you may have to suggest something like 20 to 25 percent of the retail price. You should soon get an idea as to what the market would be willing to pay.
This isn't a scientific survey, but it should enable you to better plan and instigate your advertising campaign. You'll have a good idea as to who your potential clients are and what they would expect from a personal shopping service. The next step is to come up with an advertising budget you can afford and then find out where your advertising dollars can best be spent.
You'll have to use your own judgment as to how much you allocate as an advertising budget. However, you should keep in mind the importance of advertising to the success of your service. Many businesses, both small and large, budget anywhere from 1 to 5 percent of their projected gross sales for advertising and promotion. You should have at least some idea of projected gross sales from your pre-start-up research.
The important thing to remember is to be reasonable. Don't spend more than you can realistically afford. You'll need to be as financially sound as possible until your business is bringing in a healthy profit. At the same time, you don't want to undermine what an effective advertising campaign can do to help your business.
Once you have decided how much you can afford to spend on your initial advertising campaign you'll then have to select the media which will bring you the best results. Generally, for a personal shopping service, advertising in newspapers, the yellow pages, and by direct mail gets the best results.
A less expensive, but more time consuming, means of advertising is through personal contacts. This form of advertising usually works better in small markets, but can be effective in larger markets as well. You'll need several hundred professional business cards to pass around. Impressive business cards are not at all expensive and are a good way to get your name and service known. You'll also need to set aside a good bit of time making personal calls on prospective clients. This is an excellent way to let people know that your service is available.
When calling on a prospective client you must be well prepared. This means being able to explain your service in a clear and professional manner. Let your prospective clients know exactly what your shopping service offers and how it can be of benefit to them. And before you leave, make sure they have your business card as well as any brochures or flyers you may have detailing your service. Ask them to consider your shopping service, then follow up your presentation with a phone call a couple of weeks later. Don't let them forget about you and the service you are offering.
Newspaper advertising can be effective for a personal shopping service that gets most of its clients from the immediate community. Again, this type of advertising may work better in smaller to moderate markets. Most newspapers charge reasonable rates for display and classified ads and reach a high concentration of potential clients.
Another effective means of advertising your personal shopping service is in the yellow pages. Make sure you choose the most appropriate category for your listing or advertisement. You can have an illustrated quarter page spread or simply a one line listing with the name of your business, address and phone number.
The yellow pages can be one of the most effective methods of advertising at your disposal, so it is a good investment, especially when your service is just getting started. You'll have to be careful and get your ad in before the stated deadline, otherwise you will most likely be waiting an entire year before you can advertise in the yellow pages.
Other forms of advertising you should consider include; direct mail, which allows you to distribute information about your service to a selected group of potential clients, newsletters, flyers and brochures. All of these methods of advertising can be effective and are relatively inexpensive.
Knowing your market is the determining factor, along with your budget, as to the type and amount of advertising you do. It should be obvious however, that the more advertising you do, the better your chances of reaching the greatest number of potential clients. And that is, along with convincing those potential clients that your personal shopping service is the best in the market, what your advertising campaign should strive for.
SUCCESS ANALYSIS
Eight contributing factors are measured on a 1 to 10 basis (with 10 being excellent) based on analysis of this opportunity.
Time Investment 7
Start-up Costs 10
Gross Income Potential 8
Net Income Potential 8
Income in Relation to Investment 10
Stability 7
Overall Risk 8
Potential for Growth 9
Overall Potential for Success 8.38
POTENTIAL EARNINGS
To some degree, a personal shopper's business will be seasonal. The biggest profits are usually made from October through December, but there is still plenty of business for a highly motivated shopper throughout the year. The amount of profits depends on several factors including time devoted to the business, proper marketing and setting fees that bring the best return for services rendered.
Many home-based personal shopping services, operating parttime, have reported extra earnings of as much as $1,000 per month. This type of profit is usually realized by shoppers who take advantage of the service's low start-up costs. In the beginning, these services are equipped with little more than a telephone and an answering machine. Advertising is done through some personal contacts, fliers posted on company bulletin boards, and business cards.
These part-time services use their own cars for shopping excursions, which average about twice a month. Some of these shoppers get as many as five individual clients in a month's time. The result could be a handsome profit that more than covers the initial investment which does not need to be more than $1,000.
If you are planning to get into the business on a full-time basis, you'll need to make a larger initial investment. If, instead of a home-based service, you plan to utilize a commercial office and at least one helper, your start-up costs will be substantially greater than a home-based, part-time operation. You'll likely need more than one vehicle for shopping trips, and your advertising campaign will need to be more extensive.
This type of operation could mean an initial investment of $7,000 to $10,000. No doubt that's a sizable investment, but once the service has become established, you can realize earnings of $50,000 and more per year. If an investment of several thousand dollars is beyond your immediate means, beginning a personal shopping service part-time, at home, will allow you to get into the business with a good chance to expand to full-time in a year, or so.
CONCLUSION
Because of the low start-up costs and high profit potential, a home-based personal shopping service can be the ideal business for many people. But, in order to be successful there are several key factors prospective shoppers should understand.
(1) Shopping can be a tiresome and frustrating experience. If you don't like to shop for yourself, you won't like shopping for other people and your business will not succeed.
(2) If you are not located in, or do not have reasonable access to a fairly large market, a personal shopping service may have a tough time surviving. Before you start up, analyze your market -- know who your potential clients are and how many of them you can realistically count on to pay for your service.
(3) Knowing the best places to shop for the finest quality merchandise at the most reasonable prices, is essential. You'll need this expertise to convince clients that you are, indeed, the
best person for the job. It's something you'll have to demonstrate in order to get new, as well as repeat business.
(4) This is a personal service. You will be shopping for other people's personal needs -- everything from groceries to apparel. In order to do this properly, you'll need to get as much information from your clients as possible. Let your clients know you understand what they want, and that they will be well taken care of. You'll need to be a good listener as well as a good communicator.
(5) Your service fee should be realistic -- both for you and your clients. You will, of course, need to make a profit. But you'll also have to work within your client's means. If your fee is too high for your market, potential clients will usually find the time to do their own shopping.
(6) A well planned advertising campaign can mean the difference between breaking even and making substantial profits. Develop an advertising budget that will allow you to make your service known to the majority of potential clients in your market.
(7) Adjusting your service to fit the needs of your market will mean greater profits. If you specialize in gift shopping, you may be overlooking other potential avenues of income, such as wardrobe consulting. You should be as versatile as your time, resources, and the market will allow.
A personal shopping service can be a personally rewarding and highly profitable venture. It is not, however, a means to "overnight" wealth. It will take a good deal of time and work to make your service known and understood, and to build a client list substantial enough to return big profits. But, if you like to shop, and you are good at shopping for other people, a personal shopping service could be the ideal business for you.
SOURCES
Business Guides:
AEA Business Manual No. X1310, Personal Shopping Service, from American Entrepreneur's Association, 2392 Morse Ave., Irvine, CA 92714
Magazines:
Working Woman, February, 1991
Vogue, November, 1990
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