It is the thing that can make you quit before you even begin. A well intentioned friend or spouse exclaims, “What have you gotten in to!” A professional whose opinion you respect declares, “That’s one of those pyramid scams.” All mean well and probably have your best interest at stake but sadly do not understand the network marketing industry and the freedom and success it provides. What they do not know is that network marketing is the greatest opportunity in all of capitalism. Those who see it and are smart and brave enough to partake in this industry face enormous success and wealth… if you can avoid the rejection you are bound to face between when we begin your MLM home based business and when you achieve your financial goals with your MLM home based business.The number one thing to remember is that after you have seen or heard about the MLM opportunity and gotten started, you cannot go home and try to explain it or recreate what you have heard to others – even your own spouse. This is the number one reason for failure in this industry. Someone sees the opportunity, hears the numbers and the money they can make (and the money is real), and then they rush home to tell their friends, spouse, or colleagues about this amazing new business that is going to make them financially independent. You cannot possibly explain a new business, compensation plan, and product after just hearing about it for the first time. It is like going to see a movie and trying to come home and give a verbatim replay of the screen play dialogue expecting the listener to feel like they were actually in the movie hearing the explosions and seeing the action stunts. It’s just not going to happen. So, do yourself a favor and set yourself up for success instead of failure. Prepare yourself and your team for the rejection they will receive when they tell their spouse, friends, family, and co-workers about the amazing MLM business they just discovered. It is not advisable to share your MLM business with anyone until you are completely trained and knowledgeable about your company. If you want them to know about it right away, have them hear about it the way you did. Bring them to a presentation, call in for a live or pre-recorded company overview, or have your sponsor present it to them. Following this tip will help you avoid the number one cause of rejection in MLM home based businesses.As many as half of all network marketers fail when they are rejected by family and friends. But, if when hearing the presentation for the first time your team were told, “Do not try to explain this to your wife until you have all the information and are properly trained” their expectations would be managed and their success rate would sky rocket. You can prepare your own team by making sure this is one of the very first things you teach them.Another major source of rejection is the “no show” syndrome. As many as half of the people you invite to hear a presentation on your MLM home based business will not show up. That is just a fact in this industry. People have busy lives, their kids get sick, their dogs die, and they just do not feel like going somewhere after a long day of work. After all, they probably do not even know what they are going to hear about. So, do not beat yourself up about it. Keep inviting them. Knowing that your friends, family, co-workers may not show up or may reject the idea initially helps to soften the blow. It is all about managing expectations.Ninety five percent of those who survive ten years in network marketing become wealthy beyond their wildest expectations. Don’t you want to be a survivor? Quitting your MLM home based business is the only sure way to fail. Half the battle is sticking with it and knowing what to expect. Arm yourself with these tools and you too can be on your way to the millionaire club!

There are many people searching for a Christian home based business opportunity. Whether you are a stay at home mom or one of the many people who have lost their jobs recently, working from home is appealing. It offers the attraction of convenience with the promise of financial prosperity in the long run.If you start searching for different opportunities to work at home, you will find plenty of options. There are hundreds of companies dedicated to creating jobs for people to do from home. Whether you want to work from the internet or do a telemarketing type position, you have many things to consider.Your first option is to choose a business that is based online. You could work through your internet connection to do all kinds of tasks. Some companies hire virtual assistants to help with typing memos and newsletters. You could also work as a transcriptionist.There are various fields that you can do transcription in. You could transcribe medical notes for a hospital or doctors office. You could also transcribe legal notes for an attorney in your area. Some professors like to have their lectures transcribed so they have written copies of their lessons from one year to the next.Another option is taking surveys online. There are several well known websites that allow you to spend time taking consumer surveys to make extra cash. While you certainly will not get rich quickly doing these little questionnaires, it can help you make some money when you need fast cash.Other home based businesses might include a sales position. There are a lot of different Christian companies that sell products through catalogs and the internet. You work on a commission based pay scale. This is a perfect job for moms who want to stay at home and work their own hours around the children and school schedules.Another option is to use a skill such as writing or taking pictures to work from home. You could write articles for a Christian magazine. Maybe you want to do photography for different print publications or your local newspaper. Your options are really endless.As you can see, there are many opportunities for you to have a rewarding career from the comfort of your own home. All you need is the desire to make it work and the self discipline to get things done. Try searching online for a Christian home based business that will work for you and your schedule. You will never regret the decision to stay at home and prioritize your family over a job. By working from home, you will not have to sacrifice a pay check for the chance to be with your family.

More and more people are looking to run a home based business these days. Actually over 95% of working people’s biggest dream is to own their own home based business. For millions of Americans it is a nightmare getting up to the alarm clock on Monday morning to go to a place and build someone else’s dream. For those who are stuck going to the office every day, most think; what could be better than being your own boss, no office politics, being able to wear your fuzzy bunny slippers all day and have a 2 hour lunch rather than wolfing down a cold sandwich in a crowded lunchroom in 30 minutes. Network marketing is a great way for anyone to get their start at home. Here is the thing with network marketing as a home based business. You still have to work.There are some seriously great benefits of network marketing and working from home. Setting up shop is relatively easy. The biggest challenge with setting up your home based business is usually the WORK. The work is the part that makes the network marketing business profitable. So here are 3 tips to help you build a profitable home based business while not losing focus with your personal life.Set a ScheduleSetting a schedule for your home based business is the #1 most important step you can take. It is so easy to let work take over some part of every waking moment you have when you desk is but a few feet from your living room or bedroom. It is hard not to get out of bed and go straight to the computer sometimes and others times it is too easy to do something else other than work. Because most people have some form of a life whether it be tending their family or visiting with friends, it is really important to set a schedule for work and set time aside to balance your life too. All work and no play will make anyone very dull as well as unproductive eventually if you are in network marketing as you need to get your face in front of people. You need to set an 8 hour day for productivity with your home based business (if you are working it full time). The beauty with a home based business and working from home is it can be ANY 8 hours during the day. The catch is sticking to the hours you set and being productive during those hours.Staying in the Work ZoneWhen you are scheduled to work, you need to ignore everything else going on in your home. You need to be in the zone. If you have a home office where you can run your home based business and can shut the door, it is recommended to keep all the distractions at bay. By distractions, I mean a ringing home phone line, children or others that may be at home during the same times as you are schedule to work. Keep televisions and radios off especially if you need to concentrate on the computer or with making phone calls. Some less noticed distractions when working from home are things like dishes in the sink or house cleaning or mowing the lawn or other house tasks that can WAIT. Save these activities for after your work hours that you have scheduled. As well it is also important to get up in the morning and get ready for your day. This means set the alarm (this doesn’t have to be at the crack of dawn, but I also don’t suggest later than 8am), get up and get dressed. As easy as it is to stay in your bathrobe, things like PJ’s and lounge clothes are usually associated with relaxation which defeats the purpose and will make you less productive. You will be more in the zone if you are dressed to work.Have a Work SpaceIt is all too easy to work from many areas in your home with your home based business, especially with new technology of laptops and WiFi, but it is vital to pick a space for working where you will not be disturbed. Not only does moving spaces daily cause clutter in your head which is stressful in itself, but it causes disorganization with work. As well, opting for a well lit, inspirational area of your home to run your home based business will help you keep your mood up when working from home. Bedrooms are not recommended as they are associated with sleep and relaxation.Overall, working from home is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have and it will allow you so much more freedoms that you normally wouldn’t have, but making sure you are actually productive while working and then being able to balance your personal life is really the key to success with any home based business and network marketing opportunity.

Now you have an investment property the next step is to find someone to take over its management. Do your research and list questions you want to ask when interviewing prospective property management companies. Short list a few companies that interest you.

Phone them to ask questions then, if you are still interested; make an appointment to visit in person. Visiting in person gives you an idea of how they conduct their business and you can meet the people who will represent your interests. Here are the top five questions to ask when you interview a property manager.

1. Does the Company have a Dedicated Management Arm?

You want to know whether the property management company offers a complete service or if it is just a side line for a real estate office. Who and how will your property be managed. How many staff are in the office? Who will deal with you and your tenants if staff leave or are sick?

2. Does the Company Owner/Director get Involved in the Business?

Most property management companies are divided in two – selling real estate and managing real estate. Usually the company director is involved with the sales side as it is the high profit area of the business and a property manager takes care of leasing. If the company director is involved with the property management arm of the business, you may find they take it more seriously than others.

3. How well do they know the Rental Business?

Check with the property manager how long they have personally been dealing with property management. Just because you are talking to a well known real estate company does not mean their staff have a lot of experience. It also does not mean they provide top quality customer service.

Some property managers start out working in a real estate office as the office person and work their way up. Some move into property management and the rest into sales. Other property managers have specifically chosen property management as their career.

4. How long has the Property Manager worked for the Company?

You want a property manager that is stable in their employment, and who takes looking after your interests seriously. There is a lot of stress involved in property management, with a high turnover of staff. In six months time, you want to be talking to the same person to build a business relationship that understands your needs and the property. This is a good reason to look for a property manager dedicated to it as a career.

5. What Area does the Company Service?

You are right to consider companies that have expert local knowledge but, if you intend buying more properties in the future, how far does their expertize reach?

You do have a choice – either hire a property management company in each geographic area or find one that covers a wider area to take on all your properties.

6. How do they Conduct Property Inspections?

This is really an important one – the last thing you want is for a property manager to just hand out your keys to prospective tenants. Too much can go wrong. You want to know that the property manager will give good customer service and personally take prospective tenants to inspect your property. Or, they may hold open houses at specific times. This gives them a chance to get to know a future tenant better.

7. How many Properties does the Company Manage?

You want to know how many properties the property manager manages personally. Some may have 200 or more. If they do, I wonder how they can give you and your tenants top customer service. Others may have only up to 150 but charge more for their service. This may be a better option to get peace of mind and, ultimately, make a good return on your investment property.

8. Does the Company’s Staff Work Six Days a Week?

You want a property management company that can show your properties when it is convenient for the tenant. After all, you want tenants that can pay the rent so that means that most will be at work during normal business hours; unless it is a commercial property for rent. In the world of internet advertising, enquiries come in 24 hours a day. This comes down to their availability and ability to deal with maintenance issues as well.

9. Does the Property Manager Check New Tenant’s Credentials?

It is important to ask how the property management company checks out the credentials of short listed prospects. You need to reassure yourself they check people’s credit and rental history, and their past and present employment.

All prospective tenants must be screened carefully. Does your property manager have adequate access to information for this purpose? Do they provide you with a written report that backs up their claims when handing over short listed prospective tenants?

You now have plenty of information to help you seek out the very best property manager for your growing property portfolio. Enjoy your investment.

I have held a real estate license and been a full time agent in the state of Illinois for many years now and I love what I do. Yes, even in this down market, I still have fun. People still need places to live. With the market the way it is though, there are lots more rental and rent to own properties than there were a few years ago. And that is not likely to change any time soon. The market is ripe for anyone wanting to invest in real estate in what will turn out be the most lucrative time to buy in a very, very long time. But there are things to be cautious about, whether you’re a buyer or seller, or want to be an investor.

To the Buyer or Seller -

Caveat Emptor, let the buyer beware. There’s a good reason for that phrase, there’s a lot of truth in it. If you are a buyer or seller, you should be very careful when approached by someone saying they are an investor. They do not have your best interest at heart, no matter what they say. They are looking to make money on the buying and or selling or leasing of property. They are not an agent and answer to no regulating agency. They are not your AGENT and do not owe you any obligation other than to honor the contract they enter into with you, which may or may not be a good deal for you. Sure, if they’re engaging in licensed real estate activities without a license, they may be subject to penalties. But that won’t stop you from getting screwed. So beware. My advice is get someone to represent you, either a real estate broker or attorney, or both. You may or may not, by law, have to have a real estate attorney in your state. In my state, Illinois, it’s optional for buyers or sellers to have one. But also, in Illinois, real estate brokers can’t act as an attorney, only as an agent. So it’s recommended that you have an attorney, even though it’s not required.

To the Investor -

Periodically, I run across individuals who say they want to buy “wholesale”. They describe a process where they make an offer to purchase a peace of property. Then once under contract, they procure an “investor buyer” for their purchase contract. They make their money buy charging their buyer a finders fee.

There are a couple of things a would be investor should be wary of. Each state has licensing laws, and certain things require a professional license. Being a doctor, a lawyer, an accountant, a real estate broker are all fine examples of this.

Section 1-10 of The Illinois Real Estate License Act of 2000 defines several called licensed activities for a broker. Here are a few excerpts from Section 1-10:

“Broker” means an individual, partnership, LLC, corporation, or registered LLP who, whether in person or through any media or technology, for compensation, or with the intent of receiving compensation, either directly or indirectly:

Sells, exchanges, purchases, rents or leases real estate.

Offers to sell, exchange, purchase, rent or lease real estate.

Negotiates, offers, attempts, or agrees to negotiate the sale, exchange, purchase, rental or leasing of real estate.

Assists or directs in procuring or referring of leads or prospects, intended to result in the sale, exchange, lease or rental of real estate.

Now, I’m not a lawyer nor did I play one on TV, or did I stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night. But when an investor is looking for a buyer for that contract they have, they may be skirting the law in a very dangerous way. A slip of the tongue, say the wrong word, and it could be very costly for them.

People wanting to invest should do just that. They should buy it and hold it as a rental property, or buy it, fix it up, and sell it. I would not recommend buy/fix/sell though in the present market unless you’re getting the property incredibly cheap. Resale is hard, unless you’re well below market value. To be an investor, you don’t have to have an agent. It’s legal for an individual to represent themselves in a transaction without having a license. They just can’t represent someone else without one. For those folks who wanting to “wholesale” – sell real estate contracts, I recommend checking with your state regulating agency and finding out just how close you are to violating laws. And you might want to consider getting the appropriate license.