Finding the Best Work From Home Based Business

There are many reasons to look for work from a home based business. It could be because you are looking to change your career, or you might need an extra way to make money to pay off some debts. Finding the best work from home based business can take patience and a lot of work, but in the end, it can be a very rewarding change of careers. Follow these tips to finding the best home based business to fit your schedule as well as your personality. You can make a part-time or full-time income, be your own boss, set your own hours and generally change your life around with your own home based business.Stop and think about what you really like to do. Sit down and make a list of your hobbies and interests to see what you could turn into your own business. You may find that you have some skills that could make you money if you applied them in the right way. You may be pleasantly surprised to find that a hobby like painting or baking could be turned into a home business.Decide what businesses match your specific needs at the moment. If you have some money to invest, you will be able to expand your options. You may be able to start up your own business. Make sure that you have enough to start, and make sure that you could get a loan if need be. However, if you have no money to start a business, look into online work that can help you make a fast income. You can easily make your own business with freelance writing, copy-editing, data entry and much more.If you have a specific idea for a home based business, be sure to research it thoroughly. You need to make sure that there is enough of a demand for the service or product that you plan to offer to the public. It’s always a good idea to talk to your family and friends about your ideas and get their input. A work from home based business needs to offer a unique angle on a product or service that is in demand, so that customers choose you over someone else. An example of a product that is in demand are coupons for everyday items from MyWorldPlus. Coupons are an item that everyone is willing to grab as many as they possibly can.Most people today turn to the Internet to make their purchases. Some people don’t even go to stores to shop anymore; they simply log on and click away online to do their shopping. A great new online shopping store is TripleClicks. Unlike eBay, TripleClicks is personal and you can offer and counter offer on items for sale. To make money from people shopping at TripleClicks, you must be an SFI affiliate member.A home based business can be an excellent way to make money from the comfort and convenience of your own home and it is so easy and free to start. You should start today!

How To Start A New Home Based Business Today

Over the past few years, many people have made the decision to start a new home based business of their own. The tough economy has left many people suddenly finding themselves out of work through no fault of their own or those in jobs earning less because of salary cuts.It is important to remember that starting a new home based business does involve work. It is not all plain sailing and it can be confusing to know where to start and what to do to become successful. Here are five steps that you can follow to help you get started.1. Get Some Ideas Down On Paper.This is where you start to be creative. Make three separate lists. First, write down everything you ever wanted to do with a new home based business. Second, make a list of all your interests and skills. Make a third list of the talents that you have that others might need and which you could sell. Remember that a new home based business does not have to physically be based in your home. Your home business is about you working for yourself and it’s where you manage your business.2. Do Some Online Research.When you have written your lists, go onto the internet and look for websites that help people with new home based business opportunities. There are websites that will give you more ideas and help you to refine some of your ideas into more precise categories. If you enjoy writing for example, there are a number of opportunities for writers like copywriters and content writing for website or magazine articles.3. Chose One Or Two Possibilities.Now you should be able to narrow down your new home based business idea to one or two that really interest you. Your next step is to see what you need to get started in that type of business and how much you might reasonably expect to earn from that kind of business.4. Determine Your Budget.This will help you to decide whether or not you should pursue that kind of business, and also what you have to work with for a budget. Setting up a new home based business will involve some money and some funds should be kept aside in the event that things do not go as planned. Plainly speaking, not every new home based business is a success.5. Take Action And Get Started.Once your business is selected, and you know what is needed, then you need to take action and actually get started. You will need a website and marketing to bring in the customers. These are skills that you will need to learn because if nobody knows about your business, your business will not survive.

Best Small Business Tips and Ideas

Deciding to start a business can be one of the most exhilarating decisions you make in your life. We are living in a world wherever everyone wants to make extra money and add to his income. Most people have achieved this by acquiring great business ideas. When one starts up a company, he must be ready to meet competition. It is important to note that you would not need to become rich or popular to succeed in business but have to think smartly. But there are a lot of moving parts and many different elements to consider.10 basic tips essential to start a business successfully.Tip 1: Get inspired and Love your ideaEvery business begins with an idea you may have imagined of opening your own business for years, or motivation may have hit you suddenly. Nevertheless of the source, the first step of starting your own business is coming up with a business idea. And as important as your idea, you must in love with the idea.Tip 2: Do Your Research / learn everything about the businessYou’ve recognized your big idea, now it’s time to balance it with the reality. Are you truly ready to start a business? Answer the questions below and see what you need to prepare yourself for business. For a small business succeed it must fulfill a need, solve a problem or offer something the market wants.You can identify this need in many ways by doing research, focus groups, and even trial and error.As you search the market, some of the questions can be:• Is there a need for your anticipated services or products?
• Who needs it? (Target Costumers)
• Are there other companies offering similar services or products right now?
• How is the competition?
• Can or how will your business fit into the market?Tip 3: Make a Business PlanYou need a business plan in order to make your business idea a reality. If you expect to seek monetary support from an investor or financial organization, a formal written business plan is a must.Even if you don’t need monetary support, a simple business plan can give you precision about what you hope to accomplish and how you plan to do it.In overall, your business plan should summary your business goals and the inspiration behind them, as well as your plan for realization of your goals in terms of marketing and funding.Tip 4: Planning FinancesOpening a small business doesn’t have to involve a lot of money, but it will involve some investment.There are a number of methods you can fund your small business:• With Small business grants
• By Financing
• With Small business loans
• Or Angel investorsYou can also attempt to get your business off the ground by bootstrapping, using as little capital as necessary to start your business.Tip 5: Business StructureYour small business can be an individual ownership, a partnership, a limited liability company (LLC) or a corporation. The business structure you might choose will impact in many factors from your business name, to liability, and how you file your taxes.You can choose an initial business structure, and with time re-evaluate and change your structure as your business grows and needs to be changed.Tip 6: The Business NameThe name you choose plays a role in almost every aspect of your business, so you want it to be a good one. Make sure you think through all of the possible consequences as you explore your options and select your business name.Once you have selected a name, there is the need to check if it’s trademarked, currently in use and if stills free you will need to register it. A individual proprietor must register their business name with either their state or county clerk. Corporations, LLC, or limited corporations usually register their business name when the creation paperwork is filed.These days you need to have a website, so please don’t forget to register your domain name once you have selected your business name. The best domains and more valuable online are the ones ending with .com.Tip 7: Licenses and PermitsThere are a range of small business licenses and permits that may apply to your situation, depending on the type of business you are starting and where you are placed. You will need to inquiry what licenses and permits apply to your business during the initial process.Tip 8: The Business LocationSetting up your place to work is essential for the operation of your business, whether you will have a home office, a shared or private office space, or a retail location. You will need to reflect about your place, equipment, and overall setup, and make sure your business place works for the kind of business you will be doing.Tip 9: Accounting SystemOne of the most essential systems for a small business is an accounting system. Your accounting system is essential in order to build and manage your budget, set your charges, conduct business with others, and file your taxes. You can set up your accounting system by your own, or hire an accountant to take away some of the work.Tip 10: Promote Your Small BusinessAs soon your business is up and running, you need to start attracting customers. You’ll want to initiate with the essentials by writing a single selling offer and building a marketing plan. Explore as many small business marketing ideas as you can so you to choose how to promote your business most successfully. Completed these business start-up actions, you will have all of the most important small business bases protected, and be prepared for small business success.15 Business Ideas to Generate Extra IncomeIf you want or need to start a side job because you still need to wait a little bit longer to start your own business, here are 15 suggestions for you.1. Make money BloggingIf you enjoy writing, find a theme you’re passionate about and start a blog dedicated to covering that theme and anything else interesting you enjoy to talk about. All you need is a laptop, some time, and inspiration to consistently write. It can start as a hobby and turn into a business over time. Creating a blog is free, but if you want to look professional it can cost less than $ 12 per month.2. Buying or selling on eBayThanks to internet there are more opportunities to make money than ever to buy and resell products for extra money. There are lots of people buy at a discount and resell them on eBay for profit.3. Freelance writingIf you’re great with words, you might be capable to find some work as an online freelancer. A variety of publications need online content in the form of product, stories, service descriptions, and reports, and if you have the talent and ability, you could easily be the one to create them. Luckily, all you need is a computer and Internet connection to get started. You can start here freelancer.com4. Social media expertNow a day almost everyone uses Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, but did you know that many companies are willing to compensate people to support them managing their social media accounts and sometimes you can do it part-time from home. If this appeals you, to find social media jobs you can start by writing companies with a social media presence and visiting sites like Elance.com for opportunities.5. Proofreading and editingDo you have strong English skills and outstanding grammar? You may have chances to work as a proof-reader from home. Marketing for this can be hard; seek out those who might actually be able to use your services and advertise directly to them.6. Virtual assistantMany companies and individual professionals like having someone who can check and answer their email, organize task lists for them, someone who can update their calendars, and perform other administrative tasks, with minimal communication. The best of being a virtual assistant is that you can offer this service from home with a good Internet connection.7. Website designIf you know a little bit about web design you can approach small businesses in your community, as they could use a very basic web presence to tell others about their business. These businesses usually don’t have a large budget for websites and create a great yet simple website is for you, get a bunch of clients from your local community, create sites for them, and maintains them for a small fee. You can easily get enough businesses to have a nice side business of your own with a low investment.8. Affiliate marketingCertain types of online businesses will pay you to promote their products and encourage sales. If you’re interested in learning more, check out affiliate marketing programs such as Click-bank, Commission Junction, and these websites are trustworthy and you can earn money by posting their products in your blog, website or Facebook. The secret of online business is all knowing targeting the right public and marketing efficiently. It can be overwhelming with all the information available online as more than 50% of the information is just a waste of time.9. Become a business or life coachIf you are a good speaker and passionate about the business world and able to inspire and encourage others in a unique way, you could marketing your services as a business or even a life coach. Take your passion and expertise to the next level giving advice and suggest actionable steps people can take to progress their professional and private lives.10. Start a resume writing serviceIf you’re excellent at writing remarkable resumes that in the end result in people getting the job, contemplate advertising those services. Most of your work will spin around writing, editing, designing, and proofreading, so you will only need few supplies outside of your computer and basic software to get started.11. App DeveloperWeb app development is the creation of application programs that reside on remote servers and are delivered to the user’s device over the Internet. Now a day you can do apps with software’s you don’t really need to be a weirdo to do it, you can be an app developer for Facebook for instance and of course you can do it part-time and home based.12. Business ConsultantIf you are high organized and skilled being a good problem solver this job is for you. Companies bring Business Consultant to identify their problems, provide solutions and optimize companies. The only investments are your skills.13. Data Entry ServiceMany companies and online businesses require some type of manual information tracking, creating a vast amount of data entry work. Although there are many work-at-home scams related with data entry work, there are a lot of genuine chances available for genuine data entry businesses. If you are an excellent typist with an eye for detail, a data entry business is a great idea for you.14. Freelance WriterIf you have the skill to write and inform people in a certain area, you can write small books or guides and sell them online, the biggest books platform is Amazon.com, where you can display your books for free and when they are sold, you will receive a percentage from the selling. Payments are made every month depending on your sales. Investment is only your time to write and imagination.15. Internet ResearcherThe Internet provides a vast amount of information. If you can quickly and efficiently navigate through that wealth of information, and essentially find a needle in a haystack, you can create a very successful business as an Internet researcher. Search for this kind of job online or about a company which is looking for this of service.I give you only a glimpse what you could do, and these are just a few ideas, but many ideas were left behind.First of all I advise you to think what you like to do as a hobby or in your free time, why don’t you make profit from what you are doing already?You have the world as your disposal, but for a business to work out the first thing from all things is, it doesn’t matter what you intent to do, but you have to love it. If you love what you do it doesn’t feel like a job, you will be doing it with joy and this way you will be successful.There are some side business opportunities that have grown more common in the past few years. And thanks to internet you have much more opportunities, ideas and help to develop your business.

Email Marketing Vs Direct Mail Marketing

Marketing has always been a complicated, but necessary task for businesses. Advertising campaigns were once limited to the realms of print, radio, and television – but even then marketers had to strike a delicate balance of promoting their brand in a way that was not viewed by customers as overly pushy. Things have only gotten more complex with the introduction of modern technology such as the World Wide Web, social media platforms, and the relatively new yet already pervasive phenomenon of the smart phone. Marketers now have many different advertising methods from which to choose.

There has been considerable debate in the marketing world over the value of email marketing versus the more traditional direct mail marketing. Those in favor of direct mail often claim that emails are likely to be disregarded by customers, however taking a look at the evidence surrounding email marketing campaigns reveals that it is not only a highly effective marketing method, it is also cost-efficient.

Rapid Growth in Companies Using Email Marketing

Some people say that email marketing is already outdated – an old model in its death throes. However, there is research showing how the number of companies that embrace email marketing as part of their overall advertising strategy has increased in recent years and clearly refutes such claims. Email marketing is close to an $11 billion dollar industry and in the past five years, it has enjoyed a nearly 20 percent rate of growth.

Email advertising continues to gain prominence, particularly in small businesses. Research conducted by Hurwitz & Associates revealed that 46% of small businesses utilized email marketing and 36% had plans to begin using it in 12 months following the survey. Furthermore, email marketing on average accounts for around 15-22% of the advertising budget for those businesses that utilize it. It is popular among small businesses because it is a simple, straightforward advertising method that achieves positive results. According to the report:

“As companies grow, they are more likely to adopt email marketing. Companies with 2-4 and 5-10 employees are the most likely to have plans to deploy email campaigns in the next 12 months. Having outgrown the sole-proprietor stage, these companies are looking to increase sales and revenues to support existing headcount and expand business.” – Hurwitz & Associates

Overall Cost and Revenue Benefits of Email Marketing

Email marketing is one of the best methods for saving money on advertising costs, especially for those who have a solid customer base online. When taking into account all of the direct and indirect costs of email versus traditional mail campaigns, it is obvious that the former is far more cost efficient than the latter. In fact, direct mail can cost a jaw dropping 50-100 times more than email.

A study performed by the Harvard Business reviewed and compared cost and revenue results from email and direct mail campaigns highlighting just how much more cost-effective email campaigns can be. The email campaigns in the study performed up to 95 times higher in terms of Return On Investment (ROI) than direct mail. Studies like this underline the fact that email marketing has significant financial advantages over direct mail marketing.

For one thing, promotional emails do not require a small fortune spent on the design process. The photos, digital graphics, and text for an email can all be found or produced online. When it comes to direct mail marketing however, you have to consider the entire creative development process, from the cost of printing your materials to necessary postage.

Flyer Printing – The Ultimate Guide to Flyers & Print Advertising

Print advertisements, such as color flyers, continue to generate cash flow and develop new revenue streams for virtually every industry. Every business that has developed into an industry leader over the last several decades, did so by utilizing key concepts in advertising that have evolved from very humble beginnings. Not all advertising works, so it is extremely important to understand how ads work, why some succeed while others fail, and what your ads should consist of to generate the maximize ROI.

The Birth of Modern Advertising:
Although there were always market vendors from the early days of ‘civilization’ who would stand in the marketplace ‘crying’ their wares, it wasn’t until the advent of the printing press that printed advertising as we know it today came into being. In the very beginning, advertising was nothing more than a single line of copy in the newspaper that perhaps listed the product, the price and a very simple description. Among scholars, it is held that this form of printed advertising first appeared somewhere in the latter part of the 17th century. As time went on, and as the technology of printing progressed, color was added and at some point simple graphics evolved into photographic images.

For the next almost 200 years printed advertising remained pretty much the same. A single line of copy or perhaps a small block of text was all that consumers were likely to see in their local papers. That is until Thomas Barratt, who married into the family of the famous Pears Soap Empire, decided to launch an aggressive advertising campaign to promote their product to the rising middle class who finally had buying power. In the beginning, Pears Soap had been marketed to a small portion of the population, the elite who could afford an expensive, handcrafted scented soap that was suitable for their ivory complexions. Now that the working middle class was a viable market, and knowing that he had to ‘reach’ them in order to keep his family business afloat, Barratt set about formulating a marketing strategy that would reach the masses. They revamped their production lines in order to make Pears Soap affordable to the average consumer and set about developing an aggressive marketing campaign to reach that demographic. Thomas Barratt is famous for his cherubic children in the Pears Soap advertisements, many of which we still recognize to this very day. Because of his aggressive marketing strategies and innovative use of print, he is often considered to be the “Father of Modern Advertising.”

During WWI, to offset the rising costs of advertising, the philosophy of creating a need was introduced to the masses. Companies begain creating “perceived needs.” For the first time, all of the strategies which are now tried and tested advertising methodologies, were melded together and distributed to consumers. The rest is history.

The 3 key elements of print advertising are:

1. Reach the maximum amount of potential customers at the lowest cost possible
2. Design aesthetically pleasing or response-driving artwork
3. Create a need for your product/service while offering “irresistable” benefits to consumers

Today’s flyer printing and advertising still focuses on these key strategies, which have been proven to work using decades worth of statistics. Technologies, products, and services change over time, however, human needs and response criteria remain largely the same over time.

Let’s put history to work to visualize the success of the 3 Keys. For example, consider Burger King and McDonald’s. They dominate the fast-food market for their niche and they got there by reaching a huge market with advertising that was eye-catching and created a need. During the latter half of the 20th century commerce was booming and the average family was living life in the fast lane. Both corporations capitalized on this fast-paced environment by employing ads that were appealing to the eye, while also playing on the need that they were creating. The message is simple, “you are important.” In other words, “you deserve to do things for yourself and take time away from your busy lifestyle.”

McDonald’s still uses the ‘Golden Arches’ whicht symbolize a place where life is idyllic and a far cry from the hectic life that people are forced to endure to make ends meet. “You deserve a break today at McDonald’s. We do it all for you.” Their impressive advertising strategy planted a seed in the heads of consumers that they deserve to take a break and let someone take over at least one of their daily tasks – cooking.

The same hold’s true with the marketing strategy employed by Burger King. “Have it your way!” The message being, you answer to a boss, you answer to your family and you are bogged down with responsibilities, so now it is time to do what you want for a change. You deserve to have it ‘your way,’ and, of course, since you should be treated like a king/queen, there is a subliminal message in the famous BK crown.

All 3 Key strategies were employed by both mega-corporations early on, and as you can see, literally launched them to the very top of the fast-food market. They launched national advertising campaigns

(Key #1) with pleasing advertisement designs
(Key #2) to create a need
(Key #3) in the lives of mass consumers.

Avoid Common Misconceptions in Flyer Printing by Researching Demographics
One of the most common misconceptions that business owners have when creating flyers is to think that designing a flyer based on the ’3 Keys to Success’ is all there is to it. There are actually other ‘steps’ that should be taken prior to creating your campaign. It is a huge mistake to believe that an ‘eye-catching’ flyer that reaches a ‘maximum number of people’ and creates a ‘need’ is all there is to it. One of the factors that should be considered is researching the demographics in a specific market area before launching your campaign or none of those three keys will fit the lock! In other words, targeted marketing is the “true” key to success.

Understand your market demographics to make the 3 keys work for you!
Look at this research which paid off for McDonald’s and Burger King – big time. At the time of their rise to fame, market analysis was simple and provided basic insight into the lifestyles of the consumers they were trying to reach. It is apparent that their advertising campaigns focused on the working middle class who were overwhelmed with work at relatively low wages. There were definite psychological tactics employed that wouldn’t have been effective if their ads didn’t reach the right people with the right message. You can’t create a need where there is no void to fill. It is as simple as that.

Take a good long look at the product or service you are selling, find a demographic that has a void that you can fill, and target them with amazing advertisements. Create and distribute your flyer printing campaign to reach as many targeted customers as possible, make it appealing so it catches their eye, and then set about filling the void you have discovered by creating or emphasizing a need. If you don’t have the resources to do the research in your market area, there is an age-old trick that enables you to ‘borrow’ research that has already proven to be effective. It’s so obvious that it is easy to miss, it’s called “analyzing what your competitors use.”

Take a look at the two burger empires to see just how effective it is to ‘borrow’ what is working for your competition! It doesn’t really matter which corporation did the actual market analysis first, the point is that one of them found a void, filled it by creating a need, and launched an all out advertising campaign that could fill that need/void. Then, as history has it, the war was on. Although the area of that ‘void’ those two corporations addressed were to some degree different, they both identified the void and created a need based on something missing in the lives of consumers. Remember, that was the time of the “Me Generation” so when consumers felt like they were losing control of their lives due to the need to care for others, both corporations pounced on that and ran with it. One company promised that consumers could have it their way while the other provided a break from the reality of losing the sense of self that was so vital at that time.

You can do the same thing in your market area by expanding on what is effectively working for your competitors. Obviously they have found a way to create a need in order to sell their products/services. Whatever they are utilizing is working because it is bringing in the business. Take the time to analyze their marketing strategies. Try to identify the demographics they are reaching out to. What forms of advertising are your competitors using and how are they distributing it? Competitive analysis is exactly what highly successful businesses like Burger King and McDonald’s do. They analyze the competition and then try to stay one step ahead of them. Once you have the concept of your advertising created, it’s time to get down to the practical aspect of printing and distribution.

It’s Time to Print Your Flyer – What are Your Options?
Now that you have your campaign all laid out it’s time to figure out what size and weight of paper will best accommodate your message. There are various sizes to choose from, depending on the amount of information you need to include. Here are the most popular flyer and brochure sizes:

• 5.5″ x 8.5″ (half sheet)
• 8.5″ x 11″ (full page)
• 8.5″ x 14″ (legal size)
• 11″ x 17″ (double full page size)

You can also choose the weight of the paper based on how you will be distributing your flyers. Paper weight used in commercial printing is different then from the stuff you buy at Staples or Office Depot. Never waste money at a small local printer or over-pay for your bulk printing of advertisements. Always choose a reputable and trusted flyer printing company that uses large printing presses and offers “commercial quality” results. Remember: You don’t want to spend as much on advertising as a mega-comapny, but you sure want to look as good as they do!

Options for Designing Your Flyer
Once you have done market research and have developed an advertising theme, it is time to put it all on paper. While some business owners hire professional graphic designers to layout their flyers, others choose to do their own designing at home, or using pre-designed templates online using various web-based design tools. It all depends on your design ability and the intricacy of the design you will need.

U-Design is a popular do-it-yourself design tool and a beautifully laid out flyer is just a few mouse clicks away. The more information and graphics you need to include, the more difficult it becomes. If the do it yourself approach does not work, professional graphic designers can assist you with the layout for any advertising job, large or small. When you place a bulk print order online, a quality printing company will provide professional design services at discounted rates. So if the scope of your flyer is beyond your reach, and the online templates don’t meet your needs, let professionalsl do the designing for you.

Fold or No Fold?
The size of your flyer is the first consideration as to whether or not you will need to opt for a bi-fold or tri-fold flyer. There are times when your flyer needs to be folded, for instance if it is oversized such as the 8.5″ x 14″ or 11″ x 17″ sizes. And, of course, the size of your flyer is usually dependent on the amount of copy and graphics that need to be included. Newspaper inserts, for example, are often printed on 8.5″ by 11″ or 11″ x 17″ and then bi-folded before being stuffed. They fit nicely into the paper and can be opened, booklet style, to browse through specials and coupons. Many of the large pharmacy chains like Walgreen’s and Eckerd’s use a bi-fold type newspaper insert flyer for weekly promotions. Knowing when to fold and when not to fold is important because there are also times when folding your flyer would be a grave mistake. If the layout and graphic design would be obscured by the fold it would be better to keep it flat whenever possible. Consider the visibility of your offer and the ease-of-handling for your customers at all times.

Now that you have learned to ‘Walk the Walk’ it’s time to ‘Talk the Talk’ – Printing Terminology 101

When you communicate with your printer there are some basic terms that you should be aware of. These are everyday words in the vocabulary of a printer, so there might be times that they will forget that many of us don’t speak a ‘foreign printing language.’ And, this terminology is all the more important if you are going to try your hand at designing your own flyer. Many mistakes can be avoided if you have a basic understanding of a few printing terms that refer to the details of your project.

Bleed – This is extremely important if your design is a graphic that is meant to be borderless. A good rule of thumb is to increase your design by approximately 1/8″ beyond the cutting area because trimmers are not as precise as printing presses. In order to avoid that white border around an image, plan for a ‘bleed.’

No Bleed – Leave a small 1/4″ white border around the entire page. Graphics do not extend or cover the entire page when printing as “no bleed.”

C2S/C1S – This refers to whether the paper being printed is coated on one side or both. Obviously ‘C2S’ is shiny on both sides whereas ‘C1S’ is matte on one side and shiny on the face. C1S is typically used on postcard type flyers.

CPM – Cost per thousand. (For example $39.50 cpm is $395.00 for 10,000 copies.)

CMYK – The standard four colors that are used in printing. (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black) While most colors can be produced by ‘layering’ these standard four colors, it is important to know that some shades might not be exact.

4/0 and 4/4 – 4/4 is four colors on both sides of double-sided printing and 4/1 refers to 4 colors on the face and no colors ont he back.

These are just a small sampling of some of the ciritical terms that might come up when discussing your flyer. Don’t be afraid to tell your printer that you don’t understand what they are referring to. It is your flyer after all, and your satisfaction is what keeps printers in business. Quality work, affordable pricing, and customer satisfaction have been the focus of printers for decades now.

The Power of Full Color Printing. There is No Substitute for Color!
There is no better way to say it, but, printing in black and white is just plain boring. The absolute best way to generate massive response is to use full color (glossy) flyer printing because it follows the rules of effective advertising. It identifies a void, creates a need, and presents an eye-catching/pleasing solution to that need which engenders a ‘call to action’ response.

For example, a restaurant specializes in scrumptious half-pound Black Angus burgers with all the trimmings. Their logo is a burger platter with lettuce, pickles, tomatoes and red onions on an offset sesame bun, lying next to a side of seasoned fries. Imagine how important a color image is here. Obvious, right? By printing that logo in color the company will make sure the ad is:

1. eye-catching (full color image)
2. exposing a void (hunger)
3. creating an immediate need (mouth watering temptation)
4. suggesting a call-to-action (it’s time to eat – let’s get one of those!)

As you can see, a black and white picture of that platter would not meet the first one of those rules. It surely wouldn’t catch anyone’s eye so it couldn’t possibly address their hunger with a delicious looking burger. And of course, without temptation, in this case, there is no call to action. While it may seem that the extra expense (which in many cases is negligible) of printing in color might not be necessary, it definitely is. If your flyer doesn’t generate a call-to-action response you are wasting your money! The sole purpose of advertising is to generate business so it is important to utilize ‘every trick in the book,’ so to speak, to make that advertising work for you. If spending a few extra dollars now can generate thousands of dollars in business, it is well worth the expenditure.

‘Turnkey’ Printing & Marketing Solution Providers
The Smartest Financial Decision You Can Make in Advertising…

Quite often small business owners opt to design a flyer and take it to their local ‘Copy Shop’ to have them run off a few hundred flyers. Sometimes they even choose to print some at home or from their office. Usually it is a matter of cost. They are trying to save a few dollars because business hasn’t been good. As a matter of fact, that’s why they are printing flyers in the first place – to generate business and cash flow. That might be one of the poorest financial decisions that the business owner ever makes. The only guaranteed way to bring business in the door is with advertising that works! Always, always trust an experienced printing and distribution company (ie: direct mail service provider) when it comes to your advertiisng campaigns.

Turnkey printing and marketing solution providers, get excellent results by providing professional guidance at low rates. Their graphic designers and marketing consultants have access to the latest trends in marketing and distribution processes. In effect, you have everything under one roof. Professionals are on hand from the very ‘concept’ of your flyer right down to the final distribution. They are in touch with what is working in given market areas based on marketing research and statistical analysis that they have at their fingertips. Professionals know what works and, better yet, they know how to put that knowledge to work for you. Put your money to work for you, don’t throw it out the window! It is a much wiser financial decision to spend a little more now on effective advertising that actually generates business. That is something you can take to the bank.

The Co-Dependency of the “2 D’s” – Design and Distribution
When planning your flyer it is important to take distribution into account before you actually begin designing it. This is one of the areas in which a professional ‘turnkey’ printing and marketing solution provider can be of invaluable assistance. The size of your flyer could preclude some forms of distribution so they can assist you in carefully weighing your distribution options prior to planning your design. For instance, if you are planning to do direct mailing then 2.5″ x 5″ postcards wouldn’t be at all practical. They’d easily get lost in the mix of mail and rarely seen by any custoemers. If you have contracted with a company to hang flyers door-to-door, your design would need to be conducive to being stuffed in a door hanger bag or printed on 4.25″ x 11″ door hanger card stock.

If you are uncertain as to which method of distribution you should utilize, talk to your printer. There are so many options available to you and based on the demographics of your targeted market, it is essential that you distribute your flyer in a manner that can offer the highest response. Most professional printers have the wherewithal to actually set up distribution for you and carry out the campaign. Whether you are going with direct mailing (recommended for most small businesses) or placing flyers in local publications, your design should always be contingent upon the method of distribution. It’s smart to think ahead.

Direct Mail Services are Proven to Generate High Return on Investment (ROI)
One method of distribution that should be emphasized is Direct Mail. Recent statistics provided by the United States Postal Service state that the average household receives approximately 25 pieces of mail per week, and 52% of that mail is Direct Mail advertising. Here is where it gets interesting. A survey was conducted that indicates that 51% of consumers will read mail from merchants and 16% of them will respond to that mail. Let’s break this down into figures to look at just how effective this form of distribution really is.

Using a base figure of 1,000 households that receive 25 pieces of mail per week, that is 25,000 pieces of mail that gets delivered. Of that 25,000, 52% is Direct Mail advertising, which means that 13,000 of those items are some form of advertising. Now, based on the proven response rates, 51% of consumers will read that mail which means that 6,630 ads are being opened and read. Of that number, 16% will respond which means that 1061 ads are generating business. On an average, every household is responding to one or more ads per week!

Of course, not all of that mail will be in direct competition with your product or service. With professional advertising that works, it is possible to dominate your market. That is why it is financially prudent to utilize the services of a professional ‘turnkey’ printing and marketing solutions company. They have the advertising and distribution skills and expertise to put it all together for you so that your ads generate business with profit-raising end results.

Your flyer is printed and distributed – now it’s time to Track Results!
You have just put a lot of time, effort, and some expense into researching, planning, designing, printing and distributing a flyer to advertise your business. Of course, you want to know just how effective that advertising is. One sure way would be to track your before and after income. If it is steadily on the rise that is a good indicator that your advertising is paying off. However, there are some times when you want something a little more tangible. Many businesses place discount coupons on their flyers that must be redeemed in order to take advantage of the promotional pricing. By keeping count of coupons that are redeemed, they are able to track the success of their advertising campaign. Make sure to discuss the fact that you want to employ some method of tracking results with your printer. They can help you layout your flyer to incorporate tracking coupons into the design.

The Finer Points of Internet Auctions

WHAT IS A PENNY AUCTION?

Penny auctions have exploded in popularity with the massive growth of the internet. However, few people know the true origins of penny auctions.Beginnings actually stretch back to the Great Depression. Those were hard times for everyone, but even harder for farmers. Farmers struggled to bring in steady income because of droughts and crops not selling as well as they had previously. As a result, the banks would foreclose on the farmers who couldn’t keep up with their mortgage payments.

The banks weren’t satisfied with just repossessing the house, they wanted to raise as much capital as possible, so they resorted to selling off the possessions of the owners of the repossessed houses. There was not much the farmers could do about it so they began bidding ridiculously low prices, pennies, on the items while threatening others who dared to bid higher than a few pennies.

The auctions of today hardly resemble their tremulous beginnings. Being part of a penny auction today is exhilarating, fun, and addictive. It combines the selling format of auctioning with a little bit of chance factored in.Auctions are a game of strategy but also a game of luck.

The premise behind penny auctions is giving people the chance to win an item at a drastically reduced price.Auctions make that possible by spreading out the cost of the product among multiple bidders. In order for a person to take part in an auction, they must pay a set price for each bid. For example, if a person wanted to bid on a fifty dollar Amazon gift card then he would spend a dollar for each time a bid placed. If he ended up winning the gift card, then he would only have spent a few dollars for a fifty dollar gift card. Usually penny auctions sell bids in packages.

HOW PENNY AUCTIONS WORK!

The main foundation of penny auctions is the pay-per-bid format. It is the key that allows bidders to win items at the fraction of their retail value and allows the auction owners to keep their site profitable. Most y auction sites run on the same premise: people pay a set amount for each bid, whenever a person places a bid within the closing seconds of the auction time will be added, the last person left with a unique bid after the clocks runs out will win the item. There are a large variety of items that can be won, but they tend to be popular electronics or gift cards to popular stores.

There are two types of auctions: lowest unique bid auction and highest unique bid auction. Lowest unique auction sounds confusing but it is actually quite simple. A unique bid is when only one person has a bid at a certain price. Bids usually start at one penny, a bidder can then place a bid at two pennies. Until another bidder places a higher bid, the most recent bidder will be the lowest unique bid because that was the only bid at two cents and nobody bid higher. However, penny auctions generally don’t stop at one penny. It is not uncommon to find auctions that end up at a couple hundred dollars based on the popularity of the item being auctioned. However, the same principles apply for those auctions. Highest unique bid auctions follow the more traditional auction format such as eBay. The person with the highest bid at the end of the auction wins the item.

Auction site owners turn a profit by selling bids. Say twenty people are bidding on a ten dollar gift card at one dollar per bid, at the end of the auction if there were twenty bids placed in total then the site owner would have made twenty dollars with a ten dollar profit.Auctions do seem like a win-win situation:The site owner makes money while the bidder gets an item for dirt cheap. However, not everyone wins in penny auctions. The people who paid one dollar each bid but left with nothing to show for their investments will not be so happy.

HOW TO WIN!

Penny auction has a lot of chance mixed into it, but one can incorporate strategy that will help raise the chances of winning. Playing smart can make all the difference between gambling and auctioning.

The first crucial tip to winning penny auctions is to know how to manage your bids. Your goal should be to win as much as possible without spending a ton of money buying bids. Managing your bids means that you should already know how much you are willing to risk in order to win an item. The amount of capital you are willing to risk will determine how many bids you can use. Once you know how many bids you have to spend on an item, then you will be better able to manage how and when you place a bid. That will keep you from blowing away all of your bids in the first few seconds of the auction.

The next tip is to practice time management. When fighting in the trenches of penny auctions, you have two enemies: other bidders and time. Knowing when to bid is a must if you want to have success. Placing a bid when there is a lot of time left on the clock is never a good idea. You have to remember that the key to winning a penny auction is being the last one standing when the clock runs out and that each bid increases the amount of time left. It would be a good practice to wait until the last few minutes of the auction before you begin to bid.

The final tip for successful auctioning is to keep your emotions under control.Auctions have a lot of similarities to gambling, and just like gambling, your spending can get out of control. If you keep your emotions level, it will keep you from making rash decisions and blowing loads of cash. Keep your mind clear so that you can gage the behavior of the other bidders and outsmart them.

HOW TO AVOID SCAM SITES!

Penny auctions are a great addition to the web whether you want to win an item that otherwise you wouldn’t be able to afford or if you simply enjoy the thrill that comes with bidding in auctions. Unfortunately, scam sites have tarnished the reputation of the legitimate penny auction sites. However, there are ways that you can protect yourself from scamers and enjoy your auctioning without having to worry about losing your money due to dishonesty.

Checking the reputation of the auction site before you start spending your hard earned money is always a good idea. Chances are other people have tried the site before you and some of them have left reviews. The reviews are your way to gage whether a auction site is trustworthy or not. If a site is getting overwhelmingly negative reviews, then that is a clear indication that you should steer your business elsewhere.

Another tool you can use to protect yourself is checking the Alexia ranks of the auction sites. Alexia rank will give a solid view of how much traffic the auction is getting. If you see a huge difference in the amount of traffic Alexia is projecting and the amount of active bidders on the site, then warning signals should be ringing in your head. Some auction sites have been known to set up robots that automatically bid on projects in order to keep the auction going and inflate the price. That is known as shill bidding. You can sniff out those sites by comparing the traffic the site should be getting to the amount of users using this site.

CONCLUSION!

New legislation may come out later down the road that will officially make penny auctions gambling, but until then, it is a fun, exciting auction that allows one to win the item they’ve always wanted but couldn’t afford.Auctions are also quite lucrative for the site owners because of the pay-per-bid strategy they’ve incorporated. Penny auctions had humble beginnings with farmers who just wanted to get back at the banks who kicked them out of their house. More recently, auctions have enjoyed an explosion in popularity with the rise of the internet.

There are two main formats fora auctions, lowest and highest unique auction, however they both run on the same premise where the last unique bid wins the item. Winning a penny auction will require a certain amount of mental tactic and a bit of luck. However, you can increase your odds of winning by practicing certain techniques such as managing your bids wisely, learning how to work with the time, and keeping a level head and your emotions under control. When you combine those three strategies to your bidding plan, you will find that you win a lot more often.

It is important that you do your due diligence to protect yourself when participating in auctions. Not every auction is run by honest and trustworthy people. There are people out there who just want to take your money. You can protect yourself by ensuring that you only bid on sites that already have a very positive reputation from real users.

How to Find Great Live Auctions for Resale Items

Hi, my name is Walt. I’m an auctioneer with 25 years of experience in the auction business and licensed in the state of MA. I own Quick Auction Service, a company that specializes in building and running custom auctions, I’m also the webmaster of my own site and have been on eBay for 8 years. Besides eBay, the types of auctions I run most frequently are antiques and on-site estate auctions, although I’ve run everything from business overstock auctions to charity & special event auctions.

I enjoy sharing my knowledge and stories of the auction business. My goal for article is to help folks get the absolute most out of their auction experience.

Whether your fresh out of the package or a seasoned dealer I think I can offer something in this article to help you with your auciton adventures.

There may be as many reasons to attend auctions as there are types of auctions to attend. Maybe you want to attend an auction to buy items for re-sale on eBay, or some other market. Maybe you want to furnish your home with wonderful antiques, or you want to furnish your home as inexpensively without sacrificing quality.Some folks are just looking for a fun night out. With a little perseverance all these things are possible.

There are antiques and estate auctions, auto auctions, overstock auctions, absolute and no reserve auctions, real estate auctions, specialty auctions where only one genre of items are sold, tailgate auctions, live auctions, online auctions, sealed bid auctions, silent auctions, charity and fund raising auctions and many more.

Can you really buy for pennies on the dollar at an auction? You bet! Many times I’ve seen folks buy and re-sell at the same auction on the same night for a good profit, although be advised, this should only be done after the auction is over.

There are a lot of ways to find an auction, but here are some tips on how to find and attend the best ones.

Visit the genre of shops in the area that apply to the type of auction you want to attend. IE: If your looking for a good antique auction to attend, stop in the local antiques shops and ask for what there are for good auctions in the area. Sounds obvious right? But listen to what they don’t say as well as what they do say. Oftentimes when a dealer speaks poorly about an auction he or she attends, it may be likely that they are trying to keep a good thing secret. Think for a moment, why would a dealer keep attending a lousy auction?

Newspaper ads: I personally like to find ads in the classified ad section rather than flashy display ads. Flashy ads are usually indicative of an auction that will be high priced, may have reserves, (a set price on an item), and usually an enormous crowd. While any auction can be profitable to attend, it is usually best to steer clear of the glitzy ones, at least for the beginner.

Here’s the minimum you want to find out before you go. If there is a phone number in the ad, call and ask for the terms of the sale. What forms of payment do they accept? Is it an absolute auction? An absolute auction is one that has no minimum or reserve bids on items. These are the best auctions to attend! Is there a buyers premium? A buyers premium is like a tax that everyone who makes purchases at that auction must pay above the winning bid price. Most auctions these days do charge a buyers premium, 10% is not unreasonable but I feel much more than that is greedy, and the auctioneer that charges over 10% is counting on most bidders not doing the extra math as the bids quicken in pace.

A fair auction will have ample time to inspect the merchandise, usually at least 2 or 3 hours. Find out when inspection starts and make sure to attend! Never attend an auction if you can’t make the inspection, not unless your prepared to gamble. Most auctioneers sell at a rate of about 100 items per hour, which is why they sell “as is”. They simply don’t have the time to give a detailed description of all the items. Since almost all items at auction are sold AS IS, there are sure to be some damaged, refinished, fake and incomplete items at any given auction. Beware of any auctions that offer very little or no inspection time.

Good auctions will usually have 150 to 400 lots. A lot may be one item or a group of items. The exception to this are specialty auctions, auto auctions, real estate auctions etc.

When you attend your first sale, take note of the 1/2 dozen or so dealers that buy the most often. See if you can find out about other area auctions they attend.

When you do find an excellent auction, attend it as often as possible. By frequenting good sales, you help increase the bottom line of that business. It’s difficult for many auctioneers to keep the quality of merchandise consistent, so good attendance certainly helps. And when an auctioneer gets to know you as a buyer, he/she will go out of the way to accommodate you, to keep you coming back.

Hiring An Auction Company

Estimating your assets value:

Typically, one of the first questions a business owner will ask me is, “how much will the assets bring at an auction”. After taking the time to review the assets, the auctioneer should give the client a conservative estimate of the sale based upon his experience and the current market trends. It is important that the company give realistic expectations so the seller can make informed decisions based on their best interest.

Compensation and Expenses:

Is the company you are considering working for you or against you? The agreement you decide may determine this.

A business owner should carefully consider how the auction company is compensated. The most common commission structures include: straight commission, outright purchase of assets, guaranteed base with a split above to both auctioneer and seller, guaranteed base with anything above going to auctioneer or a flat fee structure.

In a straight commission structure, the company is paid an agreed upon percentage of the total sale.

In an outright purchase agreement, the auctioneer simply becomes your end buyer. The company purchases your assets and relocates them. While this can be an option in some unique situations, keep in mind that they will want to purchase your assets at a very reduced price to make a profit at a later date.

In a minimum base guarantee, the auction company guarantees the seller that the auction will generate a minimum amount of sales. Anything above that amount either goes to the auction company or split with the seller. While a seller might feel more comfortable doing an auction knowing that he is guaranteed a minimum amount for his sale, keep in mind that it is the best interest of the auction company to secure a minimum base price as low as possible in order reduce their financial liability to the seller and secure higher compensation for the sale.

In a flat fee structure, the auctioneer agrees to show up for the sale and call the auction. There is no incentive for the auctioneer to get the best prices for your assets. The auction company is compensated regardless of the outcome of your sale.

What is the best option for business owners? In my experience, an agreed upon straight commission structure. This puts the responsibility on the auction company to offer the best outcome for everyone involved. There is an incentive for the auction company to work hard for both parties, set up and run a professional sale, get the highest bid and sell every item on the inventory. Successful auctions translate to a higher bottom line for both the seller and the auction company.

Auction Expenses:

In most auction agreements the expenses to conduct an auction are passed to the seller. If the auction company pays for the expenses, it is simply absorbed in higher commission rates.

All expenses should be agreed upon in advance in a written contract. Typical expenses will include the costs of advertising, labor, legal fees, travel, equipment rentals, security, postage and printing. A reputable auction company will be able to estimate all expenses based upon their experience in previous auctions. An agreement should be actual costs charged as expenses, not an estimated amount.

Advertising is typically the highest cost in conducting an auction. The auction company needs to set up an advertising campaign that will promote the sale to its best advantage and not overspend to simply advertise the auction company.

Once the auction is complete, the auction company should provide a complete breakdown of all expenses to the seller, including copies of receipts within the auction summary report.

Buyer’s Premium:

What is a buyer’s premium? If you attend auctions regularly, you are very familiar with this term. The auction company charges a fee to the buyer when they buy an item at auction.

The buyer’s premium has been around since the 1980′s and is standard auction practice. It was first used by auction houses to help offset costs of running brick and mortar permanent auction facilities. Since then, it has spread to all aspects of the auction industry. It is prominent in online auctions and allows auction companies to cover added expenses incurred from online sales.

It is the responsibility of the auction company to provide clear disclosure of the buyer’s premium to both the buyers and the sellers. Those not familiar with auctions are often taken back by the buyer’s premium. They looked upon it as an under handed way for the auction company to make more money. Reputable auction companies will provide full disclosure within the auction contract, advertisement and bidder registration.

Typically, an auction company will charge online buyers a higher buyer’s premium percentage than those attending an auction in person. Extra fees are incurred with online bidding and are charged accordingly to online buyers. This provides the seller a level playing field for both online buyers and those attending the auction in person. Without the buyer’s premium, there is no way to do this.

Pre-Sales:

We’ve all been there. We’re looking forward to attending an auction only to find that some items were sold prior to the auction date.

As an auctioneer with over thirty-six years of experience, I can honestly state that pre-sales will hurt an auction. When a company decides to liquidate their assets, it is easy to sell off high-end pieces of equipment through online sources, equipment vendors or to other businesses. The seller receives instant cash and avoids paying a commission to an auction company.

Auctioneer’s find themselves appearing to acting in a self-serving capacity when potential clients say they are planning to sell off parts of their inventory prior to an auction. It’s hard not to consider the auctioneer’s commission when they warn you not to pre-sell anything. Yes, the auctioneer wants to earn a commission on those sales but it is more important that the auctioneer protect the sale from potential negative backlash that comes from pre-selling. The buying public knows when an auction has been “cherry picked” prior to the sale and it reflects in their bidding. It becomes a sale of “leftovers” and that impacts prices.

A buyer who purchases prior to the auction usually does not attend the sale. They already bought equipment at a good price with no competition. If they do attend the auction, they tend to let others know of their great pre-sale purchases which again, impacts prices and the overall excitement of the sale.

It is important to understand that auctions work best with a complete inventory. You want competition on your higher end equipment. The easy to sell items make it possible to gain respectable prices for hard to sell items.

When a business owner decides to liquidate their equipment assets, there is only one opportunity to do it right. Hiring a reputable auction company will assist you with a professional, orderly and timely liquidation.

Five Tips for Selling at Live Auctions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tip 4: Present your items neatly.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Real Estate Auctions – The New Land Rush

On a sunny afternoon in Florida, an energetic crowd gathers on the lawn of a high end luxury estate. A loud and eager banter between an auctioneer, a group of bidders and bidder assistants fills the air. For several minutes the auctioneer asks for the next highest bid and the bidders respond. Suddenly the bidders grow silent. The high bidder holds his breath in anticipation of winning the auction. The auctioneer calls for one more bid. In a loud clear voice which rolls over the audience he says, “Fair warning, last chance” the auctioneer pauses, “SOLD!” And in less than 10 minutes another multimillion dollar estate has changed owners.

Successful real estate auctions like the one above are happening all over North America and the Caribbean. Recently real estate auctions have been on the rise, the increase in popularity is partly driven by growing inventories and fading buyer confidence. Properties that were selling in weeks using traditional methods are now languishing on the market unable to attract buyers even as seller’s lower prices. Many say the real estate boom is over but savvy buyers and sellers are profiting from real estate auctions.

Real Estate Auctions Work in Up or Down Markets.

Regardless of trends or market cycles, real estate auctions provide an open and transparent process for buyers and sellers. Properly conducted real estate auctions attract ready and willing buyers and motivate them to act now.

The auction method removes the “wait and see” attitude which serves to further depress real estate values. Buyers are always concerned about overpaying. Buyers gain confidence with their purchases at real estate auctions because they can see what others are willing to pay.

When market demand is high and inventories low, real estate auctions can deliver selling prices well above what a willing seller would have accepted in a negotiated private treaty sale. In good selling climates many property owners using traditional real estate methods; negotiating with one buyer at a time, leave thousands of dollars of equity on the table. During up markets real estate auctions are the best way to establish top market price.

Evaluating Your Real Estate for Auction

Not every property or seller for that matter makes a good candidate for auction. First of all sellers must be ready to sell now and for the current market value. Also a real estate auction will not fix problems caused by a downturn in market value of your property, if you owe more than a willing buyer will pay, be prepared to come to closing with your check book.

Properties that do well in real estate auctions have a high uniqueness factor. Ask your self, “What makes my property different from most others?” Maybe you own a resort property or high end luxury home, commercial properties and land do very well at auction. Real estate auctions thrive on uniqueness. If your property is like everyone else’s, the best thing you can do is offer the most competitive price.

Most importantly sellers must be reasonable about setting a minimum bid. A seller must look at the lowest, most current comps and price below that to generate the interest and urgency necessary for a successful real estate auction. Once the auction begins and qualified bidders start competing against one another you can watch the selling price increase.

Locate a Qualified Real Estate Auctioneer

Start by checking with the National Auctioneers Association, the best real estate auctioneers belong to this organization. These real estate auctioneers are well trained and adhere to a standard of practice and a code of ethics. Many attend the annual International Auctioneers Conference where the latest techniques and innovations in the real estate auction industry are presented.

Find out if the company you are interviewing is a full time real estate auction firm. Many real estate agents are getting auction licenses yet have no experience with the auction method of marketing. Conducting a successful real estate auction is nothing like (private treaty) traditional real estate sales. Go with a real estate auction pro.

You’re probably better of with an auction house that specializes in real estate auctions. There are many qualified auctioneers who have generations of experience selling personal property; furniture, dishes, lawn equipment and the occasional rare painting. Selling real estate at auction is a complex matter that should only be attempted by full time experienced real estate auction professionals.

Commissions and fees may vary, sellers must pay all marketing expenses up front and buyers typically pay 10% of the sales price to the auctioneer of which a share goes to participating real estate agents.

Types of Real Estate Auctions

Auctions are effective because they create a seller’s market. Professionally conducted real estate auctions create urgency, a reason to buy today and competition for the property. Terms and conditions of sale are established ahead of the auction. Real estate auctions will follow one of these three approaches:

Absolute Auction

The property is sold to the highest bidder regardless of price- using this process often returns the highest sale price.

Minimum Bid Auction

Seller agrees to sell at or above a published minimum bid price – this method is useful for internet auctions.

Seller Confirmation or Reserve Auction

With a reserve auction, the seller “reserves” the right to accept or decline any bids usually within 48 hours of the auction. Reserve auctions are used when there is a lien on the property from a lender or a court ordered sale with a minimum selling price.