Is Networking Critical to the American Educational System?

For years, scientists didn’t communicate all that much with scientists from competing organizations. The race for being the first to discover a new cure meant that sharing information could boost a competitor and give them an edge. That all changed when Susan G. Komen for the Cure came along, transforming the way that scientists across the country do business by making cooperation the backbone of the project. Networking and collaboration are crucial to boosting any system as a whole.

The same is true with education. The one thing that’s possible in the U.S. that’s not feasible everywhere else is open communication. Although China recently emerged as a top contender in educating its youngsters, their country doesn’t support a free exchange of ideas. Websites are routinely blocked by the Communist Party of China and the government intentionally provides misinformation to its citizens on a routine basis. Although the Chinese have an educational edge because learning is celebrated and highly esteemed, they don’t have the same kind of fundamental approach to open communication.

By doing what Americans do best, which is freely exchanging goods and services, the U.S. will not fail in the race to educate. When educators, administrators, and others freely collaborate, the entire educational system receives a boost. Thanks to the Internet, it’s easier than every to share resources and information.

One way that educators and professionals can exchange services is through an educational exchange website. The site basically functions as a medium for the buying and selling of freelance services and unwanted educational materials. If you need to hire someone to design a workshop, write a grant, or create a curriculum for your school, you can find another trained professional to do the work for you. Essentially, you can find experts to give your school a helping hand when you need it. By the same token, you can lend your expertise through the networking site and sell your own services.

The Internet serves as a way for educators to unite and help each other. Peer collaboration and teamwork can make all the difference in a diminished economy. It’s time for educators and schools to share critical resources and ideas and trade goods and services. By taking advantage of an educational exchange website, you can discover what services are on hand for special projects, and you can also ascertain what services you can put forward to other educational centers and schools. Sharing resources is what the Internet and America should be about.

Start A Home Based Business – 4 Simple Steps To Get Your Business Started Quickly

Do you want to start a home based business but aren’t sure exactly where to start, how to start, or even what tools you need to get into place for success? Don’t worry, you aren’t alone, as thousands of people daily are making the decision to start a home based business either as a supplement to their current income or to build a successful six-figure per year business. No matter what your ultimate goal may be, you can definitely start a business from your home these days with no big start-up costs, very little experience, and nothing more than the motivation to change your life for the better.

If you are serious about building a successful business from home, you should be striving to create a real business selling real products and/or services. It should also be known that it shouldn’t cost you any more than $20-$30 to get started, with your bigger investment coming from paying for the right educational tools in order to achieve your desired level of success.

Let’s take a look at four simple steps you need to take in order to get your business up and running quickly:

#1 – You must register a website name

These days, you absolutely have to get a website. There is no need to worry about registering a domain name and getting hosting, as they are very low-cost and step-by-step instructions are readily available to help you get started. You don’t need a complex site, as a simple and clean-looking site is equally as effective.

#2 – You must signup for an autoresponder

An autoresponder will be a tool you need to gather and store the names and email addresses of your potential customers. You will need to create a simple “opt-in” box and put it on your site, allowing people to give you their information in exchange for whatever free gift you offer. Free gifts can vary, and are discussed in #3 below.

#3 – You must build a “teaser product” to build a customer list

Creating a short teaser product such as an eBook of 5-10 pages, or a 2-3 day introduction course, or anything else for that matter that your customer may find useful is essential in helping you build that list of customers. The product will be available to the customer immediately after signing up, and from here you can set your autoresponder to send scheduled emails and sell products or services.

#4 – You must create products for your subscribers to purchase

Whether you have products already or not, it is a great idea to ask your list what they need and what they are having trouble with. Once you create a dialogue with your customers, go out and create products to help them out.

Avoiding Rejection in Your MLM Home Based Business

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!

Looking For A Successful Christian Home Based Business Opportunity

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.

There’s a Reason It’s Called a Home-Based Business

Many people launch a home-based business and immediately begin working like they’re on vacation. They sleep late, lounge around the house during the day, talk to friends, exchange e-mails, chat online, and send text messages, all during the time that they are supposed to be working. But because they are working from home and they don’t have a boss, it’s very easy to fall into the trap of self-employed freedom. The key element of a successful home-based business is the discipline to make it successful.The very thing that makes a home-based business so attractive is also its biggest liability. The freedom that comes from working at home is a tremendous luxury, because it affords the home-based entrepreneur the ability to control his or her own working life. It’s not only comfortable working from home, but very convenient as well. A home-based business offers a legitimate financial incentive as well because there are tremendous savings from not having to commute, buy lunches out, and purchase office attire, to name a few.The thing anyone working from home needs to focus on though is that a home-based business entrepreneur’s biggest resource is time. In virtually any home-based business, income production is directly related to the amount of time spent producing it-even when working from home, there is no such thing as the figurative free lunch. Once the business is up and running and residual income develops, the time requirements diminish significantly. But a person who is in the process of launching a home-based business must understand that in the early stages of the enterprise, hard work is the order of the day.With hard work and committed effort, the home-based entrepreneur can make a tremendous income and literally create a recession proof of income for life. The key is to understand that the home-based business is a serious matter, and not a boondoggle. It’s called a business for a very good reason-that’s exactly what it is. Working from home isn’t an excuse to slack off, although it’s easy to do just that. The entrepreneur must be able to resist temptation, and to buckle down and work hard. Do that religiously every day, and your home-based business will succeed beyond your wildest dreams.

Home Based Business Tips

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.

Dreaming of Becoming Your Own Boss? Start a Home Based Business

If you are dreaming of becoming your own boss, then you should take advantage of the many different home based business opportunities that are available nowadays. You can start living your life according to your own agenda rather than continuing the everyday routine and financing somebody else’s lifestyle. Starting your own home based business will give you more benefits than you can imagine. You can spend more time with your family, avoid the need to commute, you can start working your very own hours and all this will give you in return a more enjoyable, fulfilling and free life.What are the Different Ideas for a Home Based Business?Believe it or not but there are a lot of business ideas that you will find when starting your research. At some point the list becomes too long and that’s why people tend to have a hard time starting a business because they can’t decide what to do. Everyone leads their own unique live but you have to remember, that in order for you to make the right decision, you have to understand the basic fundamentals when it comes to starting your own business from home.Why is this Important to You and Your Family?Perhaps the biggest mistake those up-and-coming business owners make every time they evaluate different ideas for a home based business is that they focus too much on the potential financial returns the business can generate. This is a very important factor to research when setting up a possible new enterprise, but it is not the only aspect. You have to keep in mind that there are many other important matters to investigate such as advertising, start-up cost, just to name a few. The income you generate comes as a result of all your input and daily efforts. You have to commit to this for the long-term. It is the lifestyle, a home base business offers that should be one of the most attractive prospects to you when it comes to venturing into this kind of business.How to Pick the Best Home Based Business?Some experts will advise you to determine your passions and hobbies so that you can use these as a starting point when venturing into a successful home business. You should put this into consideration and whilst brainstorming all your ideas, you will end up with a thriving home business concept.For example, if you are an excellent writer then you should consider Freelance Writing as a good choice for you to earn money. Nowadays the internet offers a lot of opportunities for people who can create quality articles and blogs regardless of the topic.Another good example is for people who are skilled in cooking and crafting to start something up in this niche. A few years back, no one would have expected that such passion for baking, canning, cooking, sewing and painting could turn into a profitable business opportunity. If you think selling locally is not a good plan, then find the best online marketplace that would cater for all of your crafts and baked goods.Is a Home Based Business the Right Path for You?A lot of people think that working from home is a lovely idea. But believe it or not it can be a tough and a challenging task. That’s why you have to assess yourself first. To help you with this check out the summary below to see if all this applies to you:· Setting Your Own Hours· Tune Out Distractions (Including Your Children)· Believe in Yourself· Be Teachable as well as Open-Minded· Never Give Up ImmediatelyAnyone can pursue their own ideas for a home business. As long as you have the right amount of desire, start-up capital and attainable goals, you are already half way there. All you have to do is to perform your research and get the necessary knowledge by getting advice from reputable people so that you can succeed in your own business-ownership.

Top 9 Questions to Ask a Property Management Company

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.

Buying or Selling Real Estate – Tips About Real Estate Law

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.

How To Succeed At Online Product Creation The Easy Way

Product creation could be a frightening subject for a lot of Internet marketers to face. Some folks who get in the game with the intention of making a full time income are completely ignorant as to how an online business operates. One of the most profitable ways to create online cash is by creating a product that others are happy to pay for.

Product creation is legitimate method of generating money through internet marketing but many entrepreneurs get it wrong. They start by imitating their Internet marketing gurus by creating information products on Internet marketing in hopes of getting rich the way their heroes did. The problem is that they usually don’t know what they are doing and enter a highly competitive niche with very little marketing experience or connections.

Here are a few tips for effective product creation that may help you get on the right track:
Start by finding a profitable niche with low to moderate competition. If you conduct some rudimentary market research and keyword research, you’ll find many opportunities in areas that will surprise you. Amazon and eBay are two great places to brainstorm for product ideas.

Developing Your Product does not have to be a difficult project. You can find experts in the right field for your niche and pay them to write the material while an artist designs the packaging and website or blog. You can outsource the entire product creation part of the project after you conduct the research and testing to ensure profitability.

Sales and marketing strategies should be created while developing the product and learning about the market. Some experienced marketers use pay per click to drive traffic to their offer page; some folks outsource the entire marketing campaign to affiliates through ClickBank or other affiliate programs.

Product creation does not need to be hard, particularly when the merchandise is electronic. E-books, videos, audio and multi-media products sell very well. They are distributed immediately to customers electronically. Once you have a good feel for a niche market, try to service your customers with associated products and upgrades. If you want to earn money online through product creation, you must understand supply and demand. The majority of new online marketers fail miserably because they go after highly competitive markets or forget to research their chosen niche properly. You have to create your products according to the needs, wants and desires of the prospective customers.