Saturday, February 28, 2009

Three Easy Ways to Earn Money on the Internet

By: Dominic Boykin
Earning money on the Internet is becoming an increasingly easier and more popular way to earn a second or even primary income. Internet business opportunities are everywhere and can be found in just about any type of business. No matter what type of product or service you want to sell, there is someone out there who will want to buy it from you. The first step you should take is to research the opportunities available to you.

Opportunities to Earn Money on the Internet

You can earn money on the Internet by marketing your own products and services or by marketing the products and services of other people. There is a niche for just about anything online, along with an open door for you to walk through and begin earning money on the Internet.

Once you have developed or discovered an idea that you want to earn money from, you need to narrow your methods of marketing that idea. There are lots of opportunities available that offer different ways to do this. Examples of these opportunities include:

* Writing Ebooks

* Joining affiliate programs

* Writing marketing articles

Writing Ebooks

Millions of Internet surfers wander the World Wide Web daily, absorbing all sorts of information like giant sponges. For every new product, service or idea, there are surfers trying to locate information. This is where the Ebook comes in.

Ebooks are digital versions of books designed to provide interested buyers with the information they seek on a particular topic. It can be a topic of wide interest to the masses. Or, it can be a topic that is relatively obscure and of interest to a small niche market. No matter which category the topic fits into, you can earn money on the Internet by writing an Ebook about it.

If you have a hobby or special interest in a particular subject, you can write one or many Ebooks about it. Perhaps you have discovered a product that someone else has developed that you believe in. You can write an Ebook about that product.

Joining Affiliate Programs

Affiliate programs are designed to make money for the owner of the product or service and to provide commission sales to others who are willing to do the marketing. There are massive amounts of affiliate programs online through which you can quickly begin earning money on the Internet. The basic process involves learning about the product, marketing it and posting a link to it that identifies you as the lead generator for that potential sale. For every item that is sold via your link, you earn a pre-determined percentage of the sale price in commission.

Some affiliate programs even offer tiered programs through which you can make additional commissions from future sales to the same customer. Sales that same customer has generated by recommending the product to others may also earn you added commissions.

Affiliate programs can help you to earn money on the Internet in two ways. You may be the affiliate marketer for someone else's product. Or, you may own the product that other affiliates sell for you.

Writing Marketing Articles

This is another method of earning money that works two different ways. You can get paid to write articles for other people's products or services. Or, you can earn additional income on your own products and services through article promotion.

Article marketing is based on keyword use and back linking. The article is designed to be written using keywords that the average person would type into the search box of their favorite search engine. The better the article is written using strategic keyword placement, the more back links it will bring to the product or service it is promoting.

These are only a few of the many ways in which you can earn money on the Internet. The opportunities are only limited by your imagination and your level of ambition. To learn more about earning money on the Internet, consult with an expert who can give you even more marketing ideas to help you get started with your online ventures.






About The Author:
Dominic Boykin is the owner of Work from Home Based Business and he reviews popular home business ideas and opportunities to help home business seekers find reliable home business opportunities that actually work. Click Earn Money on the Internet to view Dominic’s home business recommendation and learn how to start earning cash with your own home based business today!

Make Your Own Group of Friends Through Online Social Networking

By: Nisha G
Today social networking is something that is occupying a very important role in the social lives of the common people. But what actually is this social network? Social network in simple language means to develop relationship with society members. However with passage of time, the definition of society has also changed a lot. Now society means a group of people having alike thinking. Also these days society not only exists near the home only, but it exists even on the Internet. Such community of the like-minded people that exists on Internet is known as the social network. The process of staying in touch regularly is known by the name of social networking.

This mode of online social networking has become extremely popular in recent times, especially among the college-going youngsters, working class and not to forget the elderly citizens as well. The basic idea behind the creation of this social network on Online channels of interaction is that people can stay connected with their distant acquaintances without paying any significant amount in return. Some of these websites even offer the chance to send free text messages and even allow the users to call for free. So those who have high-end personal computers at their home enabled with high-speed Internet connection can certainly take the advantage of this remarkable facility. While those who doesn't have one, can rush to their nearest cybercafes, and make the most of it.

Even the big corporate houses have now recognised the importance of this online social networking. This type of business networking online reduces the expenditure that these big corporate houses incur on regular basis on effecting communication between the branches. This revolutionary method of communication also helps these corporate houses to channelise the savings (as a result of this investment) for the welfare of employees and business. It also helps them to monitor the performance and effect better coordination between the branches situated around the world. Some corporate houses having realised the potential of these online social networks are now willing to invest in this budding business. So as a user don't be surprised if you witness a flood of these social networking websites in the near future.

Of late social networking has become a craze among the people especially among the young generation people. Many famous websites that initiate these online social network such as orkut, Hi-Fi and new players are making the job easier for the people now.

Friday, February 27, 2009

Cheap Go Karts - What You Need To Know When You Go Buying One

By: Sarah Bais
If your favorite hobby is driving go karts, as they are so much fun, you may think about buying one of your own. But if prices are a concern to you, you need to find out more about how you can buy a cheap one. It may sound unbelievable to you, but you can buy a go kart for a price as low as 50% of the retail price.

What you need to know first is where you can go to purchase go karts at the best discount prices and not just dreaming about them every time you see a go kart in the amusement parks.

The first rule of thumb is to avoid jumping on the first occasion that gets in your way. Take a little time to compare prices and wait until you find a better deal. This is the best solution for finding cheap go karts at discount prices.

You do not have to ride the stores for making price comparisons. All you need to do is to log on to the internet and surf the web for the best deals. What you need to do is search, with the help of search engines, for words like, “go karts", “go kart", “go kart sale" or “discount go karts".

Try first Google.com. If you are not satisfied with the first results, try different combinations of the keywords, until you see on your screen a long list of online dealers offering customers go karts at competitive prices. Then visit their site, choose models that catch your eyes and then, make the comparison between the prices offered by different dealers. Do not ignore the Google ads that appear on every web page as you can find great dealers by visiting their sites, too.

Try to find other results by using Yahoo.com. Do the same as you did while using Google.com. Search for dealers and compare prices, then visit the companies that have ads on those pages to cover as much as you can from the market of selling go karts.

Another site that worth spending your time on is Froogle.com, which is a shopping site that can help you find the best prices.

Last, but not least, visit eBay for discovering other great deals on go karts. Here you can find go karts that have auctions on them so maybe you can find the right price here. Of course, you should look for the best auctions on the matter and you must follow them until they are finished or the price goes up too much to represent any interest for you.

You must invest some time in your research for the best prices. But it is worth it, as online you can find a vast range of possibilities for you to buy a go kart at a reasonable price. But, remember the first rule. Do not jump into the first thing you consider paying for. After you have done your price comparison, wait for a week or two and then do it again. It may sound a little frustrating, but the advantage in the cost you will get to pay for a go kart is to be considered.

You can end up by paying only half of the retail price for a go kart. So patience is worth it.




About The Author:
Sarah Bais is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit - http://www.articleclick.com

Benefits of No-Load Funds

By: Samantha Asher
Have you ever heard the phrase, "there's no free lunch"? It's a pretty disappointing phrase because it means everything you ever want, need, and get will come at a cost. If you've ever invested in stock or other type of investment, you had to pay a commission or other type of fee. You might look at investing as free money, but it's not true. You pay for it with your time and work researching, and the commissions and fees you pay.

Mutual funds are a type of investment. You pool your money in with the money of other investments and a fund manager buys all different stocks for you. Sometimes you have to pay for these funds. You pay a percentage commission up front, or later on. In this case, you have to pay. With no-load mutual funds, you will come the closest to free money. No-load means you don't have to pay any commissions or fees.

Without the fees you would normally have to pay, you are able save money and put more into your investments. The more money you invest, the more money you will make because you have more money collecting interest or capital gains. With investing, you put your money to work for you. If you invest more, your more will earn more. With no-load funds, you get to put all the money you invest to work.

As I mentioned, another way that investments cost you is through time and effort. If you are buying stocks and bonds, you have to research the company you are buying shares of stock from. If you just invest in a company that you blindly pick from the newspaper, you are greatly increasing the risk of your investment. Also, when you invest yourself, you need to spend time and have to knowledge to know how to effectively diversify your stocks. This is time you could be spending with family and friends, spend helping others, or doing whatever you want. Our time is very valuable.

When you invest in mutual funds, your fund manager chooses the stocks for you. They research the firms, put in their time, and use their expertise to effectively diversify your portfolio. The only time you have to spend is choosing the mutual fund. This is usually a one time thing because you don't need to continue to diversify your portfolio as your fund manager is.

If you want to spend a lot of money on fees and commission for loaded funds, you can, but it's likely they won't earn that much more money and they might even earn you less after the fees. If you are interested in having a well diversified portfolio that is very easy and cheap, get a mutual fund.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

10 Tips On How To Get Rich Fast

By: Jude Minar
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could get rich tomorrow? What would you do with all that money? Well believe it or not it can be done. Now I didn’t say it would be easy I just said you could do it. Here are 10 tips on how to get rich fast.

1. Invest - Start young. In fact start while you are in elementary school, kindergarten is even better. It’s the beauty of compound interest and over time your money will grow into a nice nest egg. Okay if you are reading this you are probably too old to start in elementary school but you can get your kids hooked. As for you the best plan of defense is to invest 50% of your salary in a high risk market fund or the penny stock market. You’ve got a 50-50 chance. You’ll either make a million or be broke in 90 days.

2. Marry Rich - Now how difficult can this be? All you need to do is find someone who has loads of money and marry them. Okay I didn’t say you’d be happy just rich. Perhaps not a solution for most of us but it apparently works for a few.

3. Win The Lottery - Ya ya I know the odds of getting struck by lightening are better than the odds of winning the lottery but you can’t win if you don’t try and it’s one of the few ways I know of that you can get rich fast.

4. Rich Parents - If you come from a wealthy family then you are half way there. All you have to do is stay in their good books and convince mom and dad to not spend their money and leave it to you when they pass. After all why should your parents get to enjoy the wealth they reaped?

5. Get An Education - Go to school for lots of years, accumulate plenty of debt, and choose a career that pays big bucks. After about 10 years in your profession you should be rolling in the dough and you might even be filthy rich before you get old

6. Become A Star - Heck if Jennifer Aniston or Nicolas Cage can do it why can’t you. A couple of acting lessons and you should be set. All you need to do is head to Hollywood and strike it big. One good movie and you’ll be set for life.

7. Invest In Real Estate - Buy high sell low – whoops I think I got that backwards. Buy low, wait 10 years, 20 years, maybe even 30 years but inflation will have your investment growing by leaps and bounds and you could be filthy rich especially if you bought in an up and coming city while house prices were still low. Now if you bought in Hicksville USA you may have a problem. It might take more than your lifetime to see any dramatic increases. Oh well you can leave it to your kids who can leave it to their kids and in another 100 years or so someone’s going to be sitting pretty.

8. The Internet Way - Heck where have you been. A quick search on the Web will reveal plenty of sites that will teach you how to make $50,000 a day. Now I think most of us could live quite comfortably on that don’t you? All you need to do is part with about $500 and they’ll tell you the secrets of wealth in one page or less. If the first one doesn’t do it for you perhaps you might want to try a few more. Oh wait a minute. Perhaps what you need to do is set up one of these sights, then you’ll be the one getting rich off the other poor fools that part with their $500.

9. Bank Robbery - Okay highly illegal and could land you a lifetime in the slammer but desperate needs require desperate measures. After all if you get caught you might not be rich but you’ll have free room and board for the rest of your life and then you could write a book about what not to do when robbing a bank and well see you could get rich from your book. And even better, you’ll stay rich because there is really no place to spend it while in jail.

10. High Risk Work - Take on those high risk jobs no one else wants. You know counselor in Iraq, bean counter in Afghanistan, Oil tycoon in Iran. But hey if you live through it you’ll be rolling in the dough. What does it matter that 99% never live through it. You’ve got a 1% chance and when it comes to getting rich those are pretty good odds.

Sure most of these ideas are pretty off the wall but if getting rich fast was easy wouldn’t we all be rich? Then what fun would there be in that? We’d all have too much money and probably be bored to tears. So why not aim for better life with good friends, love, happiness, and enough money to live comfortably but not so much that you stop dreaming about what you would do if you were rich.

Approaches To Global Business Management

By: Robert II Smith
Global business management can be defined as the interaction of people from different cultures, societies, and various backgrounds in undertaking various business activities with the aim of achieving their goals for example earning profits from their investments. Because of invention of advanced technology the world has increasingly become a village and as a result global business is the modern form of business in this 21st century. Because of globalization there have been great disregard to national borders, governments have lower hand in controlling the flow of their economies and MNC's are now not restricted to only one particular country as it was before.

The reality and existence of globalization can be witnessed when patterns of trade are considered, for example the general level of imports and exports in several countries have magnificently increased over the past few years. Also globalization have led to significant increase in production of business services for example firms dealing with Just-in-Time (JIT) ideas have led to customers getting information .e.g. of accounting and auditing conveniently. Also due to globalization financial systems organizations have now been integrated and they work as one unit thus enhancing the chances of conducting business globally for example through the use of Credit Cards and the existence of flexible exchange control systems in many countries.

It is therefore important to identify different approaches to global business management which can be employed in a business setting of management across cultures and across a diverse workforce in a global setting. Globalization is also now vividly evident because of the way people migrate from one country to another without much difficulty, for example different countries have relaxed their stringent traveling rules to allow ample time for business activities to be undertaken. It is also critical to look into how respective managers can maximize the practical applications of these approaches to Multi-National Companies (MNCs) such as Coca Cola Company.

International Business management practice is the greatest concept that must be understood clearly by all managers and Chief Executives Officers of MNC's before going global. It is the process of applying management concepts and techniques in multinational environment so that firms can become and remain international in scope. This process is influenced by new technologies, improved communication and transportation systems. It involves identifying the suitable approaches to going global and understanding all the advantages and disadvantages of each approach before going global in any business undertaking.

Any company may invest in another country and there are different approaches that a manager can employ depending on the factors that the respective organizations are considering, for example; the cost of entering the new market, existing policies in the country of choice, the rate of technology, foreign currency exchange rate control systems among others.

According to John Tomlinson in globalization and culture he argues that, globalization lies at the heart of modern culture and cultural practices lies at the heart of globalization. He says that business globalization has led firms that operate and invest in a global scale to transform patterns of trade and shape the interactions between them for example through mergers. Under this case that we want to create subsidiaries and invest in the UK, Africa, and China as a senior manager, I can recommend the following strategies of entering the market to be suitable;

The first approach to be considered is that of exporting and depends on a number of factors that includes the following; the available resources that a firm is capable of spending, the size of the company, if the company posses any past export experience and expertise or it is trying it for the first time, conditions of conducting business in the selected abroad market and products nature for example if the products are perishable or durable.

Under exporting there are two methods namely; direct exporting and Indirect exporting. Direct exporting involves the producer of the products or services dealing directly with a buyer in the foreign country and often regarded as the difficult method of entry because the owner or the exporter of the product is entirely responsible for the business undertaking for example researching the suitable market for the products and establishing the suitable distribution channels to be used. Therefore this method requires much attention in terms of management and the resources to be used in the entire exporting process. It is also arguably the best method because the exporter may benefit from reaping maximum profits and may enjoy long-term growth thus the company can maintain its base in those countries. Under direct exporting I may choose to use modes such as agents and distributors, domestic sales representatives, overseas sales office or subsidiary. Such methods have various advantages that will help my company exploit the host markets, for example agents and distributors are familiar with the market, there are existing business contacts and sales people are always dedicated to the customers thus can boost business activities in these host countries that is UK, Africa and China.

Under indirect exporting an exporter can access foreign market free from risks of doing it directly. It involves the use of independent organizations within the exporter's domestic markets. It can be done through various ways, for example, a domestic based export merchants, who take the title of the goods and sells them in those countries abroad, domestic based export agents who sell and market the goods on behalf of the exporter and co-operative organizations who act on behalf of the producers. I can prefer the use of one of the above methods of entry because of the following advantages; communication is very much easy because the exporting company is domestically based and the risks of investing are much lower than coming up with full market in the host country. This approach might be cumbersome to undertake because the cost of getting links with agents thus taking long time to establish a market. An example here is that to export company's product to various countries e.g. in China or UK and identify merchants and agents to market my products

Another approach of entering the new market and it will help in opening of branches in the UK, Africa and China is a method of entry called relationship based partnership and comprises of the following; Joint venture partnership whereby it can be defined as a partnership created by one or more companies with a view to carry out a business together. They contribute equally to the business and agree to share any profits in a certain percent in the course of the business. Such a business is referred to as equity joint venture and it is favorable because there is sharing of risk and loses. There is also contract joint venture which involves creation of new firms in which foreign and local investors share ownership and control.

Generally joint ventures are common where government conditions demand so in order to ensure control, nationalism and reduced re-patriation of profits. It will be an ideal situation if the company that am working for is still young and wish to exploit other markets for their products since it require fewer resources. However, it has potential problems and includes sharing of profits, employment issues, market coverage and decision making due to different long-term interest in partners.

Another relationship based partnership that I can use is licensing method of entry, whereby they can be termed as contracts in which a foreign licensor provides a local license with access to know-how in exchange for financial compensation. I can prefer to use this method because it presents an opportunity to entering markets that may have been otherwise closed to exports and also it will not require my company to have substantial capital investments in the host market horizon that is UK, Africa and China. However, I may be faced with problems like loosing production control of my company's products.

Also still under relationship based partnership I will suggest that my company consider franchising as a method of entry. Franchising involves one partner called franchisor licensing trademarks and established methods of entry to a party called a franchisee in swap for a recurring compensation. A good example that illustrates this method is that of the Coca-Cola Company selling its syrup together with the rights to use its trademark and name to other independent bottlers. I can recommend this method of entry to my company because it is easy to start the business abroad, there is room for rapid expansion, there is stable offering of the same products for a long time and therefore will attract customers and most of the time franchisors offer training for free that is always not offered to individuals setting up their businesses.

Strategic alliance method of entry can also be employed under relationship based partnership in going international which involves formal partnership between two or more parties to undertake a common business with the view of attaining same objective but the parties involved always remains independent to each other. Business resources to be shared may include common distribution, channel, knowledge, products or expertise. I can prefer this method because of the following advantages; there are low research and development costs, getting access to partner's capital, new markets for the products of the company and quick time in marketing the products, there is sharing of distribution channels and tapping the other partners advanced technology and intellectual property among others. An example here is the coca cola Company reaching an agreement with any producers of drinks to market and distribute their products on their behalf.

Another approach that I will consider before opening subsidiaries in the UK, Africa and China is referred to as direct investment method of entry. Directing investments entails setting up manufacturing facilities although it requires heavy capital and management dedication. It can also be carried out through acquisition and this involves purchasing of already existing foreign investments that will include existing experience workforce, management structures, local knowledge and the existing contacts in the market and the government. Although direct investment method is expensive and difficult to start should it succeed the company will enjoy good returns and will establish strong market base in its new market. An example here is that as am manager I will open a subsidiary of my company in Africa may be Sudan or in Somalia. This will be a viable project since I will have explored new markets in Africa and thus broaden the market share as well as make profits for the company and also establish a long-term economic market.

After successfully identifying and setting the subsidiaries in the UK, Africa, and China I will embark on managing the investments. I will therefore appoint competent local managers in their respective countries that is, a Briton in the UK, a Chinese in China and an African in Africa. Research now days indicate that products associated with local people in a country tends to be selling unlike those days when people will go for products associated with foreigners. I believe that with the management being the local people it will be easier for marketing purposes since the locals will be motivated to buy the products of the company in the basis that they are promoting their own fellow citizens and hence their standard of living. For example certain African countries do not like foreigners in managing their business activities for example a case in which recently in Zimbabwe the whites were being forcefully ejected out of their farms and other businesses.

The local people will always feel respected when one of their own is doing the management job and that will lead to success of the subsidiaries started. Another case to show that the locals in Africa have developed a negative attitude towards foreigners is when the local residents in Kenya boycotted to buy Delamere products when the owner was accused of murder. In fact they demonstrated and demanded that the business be changed to local owners. Another good example is that, in China history shows that they are very conservative people and will always promote local investors rather than foreigners. It is for these reason that I will prefer the local people to be managers in order to attract more customers and hence success of the company.

Conclusion:

We can therefore conclude that globalization has led to prosperity to all and the main ingredient to it has been international marketing which have been employed by firms in order to increase their market share and profits. Due to modernization and advancement in technology, most businesses are beginning to explore international markets for better profits and opportunities.

In the recent past, trading activities has become increasingly global in some way because of the need to gather and increase the company's financial bases. Advancement in technology including communication efficiency and better international relations has contributed to the promotion of the international trade. Competition has however become a great challenge to the success of global business management but most companies are rising to the challenge. To take advantage of the world being global village and to achieve greater investments and better market opportunities in the international market, it is necessary that primary and secondary market research is done to ensure that information regarding the target markets in countries desired is obtained.



About The Author:
Robert Smith has spent more than 15 years working as a professor at New York University. He taught Management and Marketing in the university. Now he spends most of his time with his family and shares his Univesity experience how to write APA style papers and MLA style papers. He is an academic expert you can ask about any writing help with essays, term papers, research papers and other academic papers.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Making the Best of a Buyers' Market

By: Gloria Singer
A successful real estate investment is dependent on many things, but one key factor is timing. It's all fine and dandy for real estate gurus to chant "buy low, sell high", but in the real world things don't always work that way.

In today's real estate market, buyers have a definite advantage. Attractive interest rates, plenty of inventory to choose from, and best of all, sellers eager to do business make this your time to shine. Here are some tips to help you take advantage of this rare opportunity known as a "buyers' market".

This is one clearance sale where you can take your time browsing through the merchandise. View plenty of homes, taking notes on each one, and paying special attention to those that have remained on the market longer than others.

Take time to check out the foreclosure market. A good agent will help you negotiate the ins and outs of these purchases. They can take a little longer than your average sale, may involve more paperwork, and houses may need some loving care, but don't be too quick to discount them because of this; a golden egg may be lying beneath their neglected exterior.

What happens when a store has too much inventory? They have a sale and usually offer incentives to encourage you to buy. The same goes for the new home market. Builders have been left with a glut of unsold houses and many are willing to chop prices, and throw in added perks to boot. In some cases, this can amount to thousands of dollars worth of sales incentives such as free landscaping, appliances, television sets, hardwood floors, club memberships, trips to Hawaii, and even swimming pools. Seek out new developments with lots of empty homes for the best deals.

When negotiating with builders try to negotiate free upgrades. With existing homes, see if the seller will fix that leaky roof or stained carpet as well as pay for the home inspection.

When making your offer, begin with 15 percent below the asking price. It's not low enough to be insulting, and will give you a good place to begin negotiations. Always request a time frame, such as 24 hours for the seller to respond to your offer. On the other side of the coin, ensure you allow plenty of time to have the contract approved at your end and book any inspections.

Request a written warranty for one year of coverage on appliances or major repairs. If you have it in writing, at least you have something to go back to.

One way to discover the seller's true bottom line is to reject the counteroffer. You wouldn't do this in all cases, and you certainly don't want the seller to get his back up because of it.

Your negotiations should not be restricted to the seller. Your real estate agent may agree on a reduced commission. When shopping for a mortgage lender, engage at least three banks and see who offers the best terms, such as lower interest rates or reduced closing costs.

The Advantages of Buying with Owner Financing

By: Tom Noonan
Also known as seller financing, owner financing is growing in popularity in today's economy. With the credit markets slowing down and people finding it harder and harder to borrow, owner financing is looking better and better as an alternative to traditional financing. Owner financing is when the seller of the property basically agrees to take payments rather than a lump sum. Here are a few things that need to happen in order for the owner to be able to finance your deal:

1. The owner needs to have considerable equity in the property. The owner will usually have their own mortgage they will need to pay back in full when they sell the property to you. If they don't have a whole lot of equity, they usually can't offer to finance a whole lot of the deal. The best scenario is an older owner that is close to retirement. Odds are that they have a good amount of equity or even own the property free and clear. They are looking to retire and just want a steady cash flow rather than a lump sum when they sell the place.

2. The owner should have a desire to accept owner financing. If the seller wants to roll the funds over into another property or needs the lump sum of cash for one reason or another, they probably won't want to take on very much seller financing.

3. The terms need to be right for both parties. The interest rate, duration and repayment structure need to be acceptable for both parties. This usually requires a good deal of negotiation.

If you have all your ducks in a row and seller financing seems like it might be a possibility, here are some of the benefits to consider if you are thinking about locking in owner financing:

1. You might not have to get traditional financing. This depends on how much the owner is willing to finance. If they are willing to finance just a little bit, this might help you lower your down payment or help you qualify for traditional financing, but won't completely eliminate traditional financing unless you pay the remaining amount due as a down payment.

2. You could get more flexible terms than you would on a standard mortgage. You have the power of negotiating so that both the buyer and the seller walk away with a fair deal. You typically can't do this with a traditional bank.

3. The seller is still somewhat on the hook for the property. You know that you aren't getting totally ripped off, because the seller still hasn't received all their money. There is a possibility that you could pay a little bit of a premium for the deal. If they end up totally screwing you, and the property completely falls apart in a few years and you let it fall into foreclosure, the seller only stands to get the property back. The seller isn't going to want to lend to you using a bum property as collateral.

If owner financing seems like it would work for you, there is no reason to start looking for properties for sale with owner financing. Even if a property isn't advertised as offering owner financing, you may be able to talk with any seller and see if they are willing to negotiate on terms.



About The Author:
Author, Tom Noonan is licensed California Real Estate Broker, and has been involved in the real estate industry for a number of years. He is the creator of a large Owner Financing website: http://www.OwnerFinanceDeals.com

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Before You Invest in a Coffee Franchise

By: Alphonso Sirtle
There are many people who dream of someday owning a business of their very own. Franchises make this a possibility for many people who would not ordinarily have the opportunity. While the franchise path to business ownership may be the preferred method for many would be investors it is not necessarily an easy path. There are several things that must be taken care of before the process of franchise ownership begins for your coffee franchise.

Money. You must have some money of your own to invest. Even with a perfect credit rating, most franchises require a certain amount of liquid asset investment, a certain amount of personal worth, and a substantial down payment or franchise fee in addition to any sums of money that you may have financed. Be sure to check with the franchises you are considering and make sure that you have the required assets before going a step further.

Credit. Unless you've just come into a sizable inheritance or prize winning, chances are that some financing will be necessary in order to purchase the coffee franchise you are considering. There is nothing wrong with needing financing; most business owners need it in the beginning. However, you must have decent credit in order to qualify for that necessary, in many cases, financing. Get your credit in order before going one step further and keep an eye on it for at least a year before attempting financing for your coffee franchise.

Skills. You will need to have some combination of management skills for money and staff in order to be a truly successful coffee franchise owner. Whether you yourself have the skills needed or you make wise decisions in the beginning to hire managers that have those skills as well as your complete trust to assist you in the daily running your coffee franchise, someone must be in a position to make decisions that can do so with authority and certainty. You should also have a few skills that are relative to running a coffee business if this is the business you are going into.

Goals. Finally, goals are a necessary ingredient when building a successful coffee franchise. You need to have immediate goals as well as long-term goals and create a plan of action that takes you towards your goals. Your long-term goals are likely to change as your business evolves and as your experience increases. Be sure to revisit your goals often and see if any adjustments need to be made in your planning process to achieve those goals more quickly, more realistically, or more efficiently.

Building a successful coffee franchise really starts before any papers have been signed. You must have the proper mind set in order to be successful in any business pursuit. By taking time to create a plan, arrange financing, save money, get your affairs in order, and set goals you are establishing a pattern of behavior that is important to the success of your coffee franchise before you make the purchase.



About The Author:
Alphonso Sirtle is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit - www.articleclick.com

Invest in Golf Homes for the Future

By: Kevin Bilberry
If you're looking for real estate to invest in, why not consider a golf home? Right now, America is looking at the retirement of the "Baby Boomers". 76 million Americans will be looking for active retirement and leisure activities in the next 10-15 years. Now is the time to buy a home that will become a sought-after commodity in the next decade.

Many retirees want to replace their working lifestyle with an active leisure lifestyle. An active retirement is an important part of physical and emotional health. Since golf is a hugely popular pastime, it offers a lot of opportunities for both exercise and social interaction for retirees. Golf clubs also offer more to members than just golf; many have swimming pools, tennis courts, fitness facilities and event facilities, which are often the venues for club social events. Golf homes perfectly fit the bill; many come with a membership to the club and automatic invitations to club events.

Golf homes are also more likely to be attractive and well-built, as befits the target demographic of older persons who have enough money to afford a quality residence near or within a golf course. There are many different home types and designs, which are likely to appeal to a wide variety of personalities. One might think that all golf homes are condos overlooking the golf course, but this is not so; many developers are recognizing that larger homes near golf courses are also in demand, to accommodate a family of golfers or retirees who have many people visiting.

A good neighborhood is something that everyone wants. Golf homes are often in master-planned communities, many of which are gated. Security in the form of neighborhood watches is not uncommon and many communities actually employ security personnel. Golf communities often host social events that foster a community spirit; consequently security in the neighborhood is increased. For people concerned with their security, emphasizing the safety of such a neighborhood is an excellent marketing angle.

Golf homes are a great investment for the future, as retiring Baby Boomers will make them much in demand. The kind of amenities that many golf homes offer - club membership, opportunities for activity and neighborhood security are all great selling points for people who are just entering their retirement. Investing in a golf home for yourself or for resale is a good idea as this decade draws to a close and a huge amount of Americans are looking for the ideal home for their 'golden years'.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Invest in Cotton for your best night's sleep - ever!

By: Marcy Mills
Oh what I wouldn't give for a good night's sleep! I am sure there isn't a doctor's surgery in the country which doesn't hear those words at least once a day. If you're like me, as I got older, I often experienced some kind of sleep problem - if I managed to fall off to sleep then I was awake again in an hour or two. Add to that the increasingly frequent sweats - to be expected for women my age but no less upsetting - and even if I thought I'd had a reasonable night, I still didn't feel well-rested when I woke up in the morning.

Over the years I tried everything - aromatherapy essence on my pillow, meditation, milky drinks and long hot baths became favourite bedtime companions and I studiously avoided caffeine and alcohol whenever possible. But up until recently a really good night's sleep eluded me.

It was only when I was chatting to a friend (my favourite topic of the optimum time to go to bed and how many hours of sleep is normal) that the topic of what I wear in bed came up. She said she wouldn't dream of wearing anything other than pure cotton to bed and swears that its soft and cool feeling on her skin helps her sleep. A search of the internet brought up David Nieper, a leading nightwear and lingerie designer, who told me that cotton continues to be their customer's favourite choice. I selected a really pretty and feminine womens nightdress in 100 per cent lawn cotton which promised to be so beautifully soft I was guaranteed peaceful sleep and comfort all-night through.

And you know what, they were right! I have never slept so blissfully or felt so comfortable all night long. The cotton feels wonderfully soft next to my skin. On warm nights it stays cool to the touch but on cold nights also keeps me cosy and warm. It's not itchy or scratchy, is never prone to that awful clinginess you get from man made fibres and doesn't get any static electricity.

When I think about it now it's obvious that cotton is the perfect bedtime choice. It absorbs body moisture and evaporates it to the surrounding air, thus allowing your body its natural tendency to breathe - not only am I more comfortable in cotton, I'm healthier wearing it too!

If you don't believe me I urge you to try it yourself. David Nieper offers a range of really lovely pure ladies nightgowns or pyjamas and will even give you your money back if not delighted. So you've got nothing to lose and perhaps a few hours of sleep to gain.

Kim Peatfield is a PR consultant and writes on a wide range of lifestyle topics including women's interest, travel, fashion, home interiors and gardening




About The Author:
Marcy Mills is the author and webmaster of http://www.davidnieper.co.uk . A top fashion designer of Womens womens nightdress , nightdresses and nighties. Pure cotton for comfort. Hand made in the UK.

Is It Time To Invest In Custom Comforter Sets?

By: Ella Morgan
Have you been mulling the idea of buying a comforter for your bedroom but aren't sure what you really want? Have you been considering investing in custom comforter sets? After all then you can have exactly what you want. Why not start by knowing what to look for which can save you a great deal of money and ensure you get the highest quality around!

If you know what to look for in either a custom or factory comforter you are much more likely to save money, buy quality, and love what you buy. Avoid some common mistakes that bedding consumers often make.

You need to understand the materials that make up the construction of your comforter as well as the methods that are used for construction. Here's some things you should know.

Both down and feathers are common fill materials. Down is the inner plumage of geese or ducks and it is much like miniature feathers with no quill just plenty of fluff.

Both are effective insulators but down is much warmer and a whole lot softer than down. You will want to check the product review before buying or ordering. The fill rating is very important. The higher the rating the warmer the comforter and the higher the quality.

If you have allergies you may have problem with both of these fillers. The good news is many quality manufacturers are using an antimicrobial to treat bacteria creating a hypoallergenic finish which helps to reduce allergies.

Down is a lot more expensive than feathers and you will get a superior quality comforter if only the down is used for fill without the feathers. In fact you could expect to pay as much as $600 for this quality of comforter. And as a comparison you can buy a feather comforter for under $100. Many manufacturers compromise at a middle point which keeps things affordable and still provides an excellent warmth factor.

Some comforters use a polyester fiber. Generally you would find these in a department store as they are a much lower priced product that is not luxurious like down but never the less also preferred by those that have high allergies.

We quickly mentioned fill weight earlier but here is a more in-depth explanation. The fill weight is the amount of fill that is between the outer shell of your comforter. It represents the amount of space which 1 ounce of down or fill covers. The higher the fill the more fill able the comforter is to retain body heat because it has a higher insulation factor. It's also an indication of a higher quality.

The colder the climate you live in the higher the fill rating should be for increased comforter warmth, consider a 650+ fill. If you live in a milder climate or you want to use it in the summer you can choose a much lower fill weight such as a 500 fill.

When you see a fill number of 500 it means that 1 ounce of fill covers 500 cubic inches, a fill number of 650 means that 1 ounce of fill covers 650 cubic inches and it has a higher insulation factor.

Thread count is also important and should be considered when making a purchase. Higher thread counts start around 350 and go up to over 1200 for the most luxurious fabrics. The higher the thread count the closer the weave of the fabric so the more dense it is and the silkier it is. Thread count is actually more important in purchasing a comforter than it is when buying sheets because of the density which keeps the fill in.

You should also consider the construction of the shell. Cheaper comforters will be put together with the sewn through method which means the bedding is divided into sections that sew through the top and bottom connection much like a quilt is made.

The more expensive comforters use baffle boxes which last a lot longer. The fabric creates walls within the comforter where the fill will be placed giving it a luxurious fluffiness not offered by regular construction. It also means no cold spots because the fill can't slide around in a closed baffle box.

If you are considering a custom comforter then chances are you are looking for luxury and luxury deserves special attention when it comes to caring for them. Be sure to carefully follow the cleaning directions provided. Dry cleaning is always the best option to avoid lumps and bumps and it really doesn't cost a lot.

There are a thousands of quality comforters on the market with all kinds of fill options but if you still can't find what you are looking for then the time has come to consider custom comforter sets which are provided by a variety of sites. It may cost you just a little more but you will have "exactly" what you are looking for.



About The Author:
Ella Morgan is a publisher of ArticleClick.com. To submit articles & find free articles for your websites visit www.ArticleClick.com

Sunday, February 22, 2009

How to Make Online Money without any Investment

By: Vicky Smith
I subjected my two sites to certain large directories such as DMOZ, Yahoo, and AOL. I also sent my bonds to some friends. I checked my incomes at the end of one month. You know how much I gained? Can you invited? $1.28 for AdSense and $0.00 of the money of leading edge cash affiliate program are all which I obtained from the first month. I tried to work harder beside the tender on more social directories, forum, blogs, sites bookmarking. In fact, I subjected approximately 10 directories, 10 forum, 10 blogs, 10 bookmarking that social locates daily for my two sites. At the end of the second month, my incomes of AdSense is approximately $3.00 and always $0.00 of the money program cash of leading edge.

I had the final examinations of four classes thus I had to spend time for them. I forgot my two Web sites. I do not remember anything about them. One is because I was disappointed by the incomes and am in the second place me was occupied with my final examinations. I checked my incomes since then. One Saturday then having finished all the final examinations, I checked my email and saw a money of leading edge cash affiliate program. I opened a session the site immediately and saw $255.00 on the top of the screen. I was so happy to see this number. In detailed statistics, I saw two orders of the customers. I also opened to a session the Just from Google AdSense after that, I had approximately $150.00 incomes.?

They was the first three months. My two sites do not have much traffic. Thus, I will show you how to earn money on line by work starting from the house. You do not need any investment for earn money on the net. You should know some foundations about design of Web such as the way of creating a simple Web site. You can earn money in easy line and release without any investment.

I began my businesses house-based when I was in the university. I do not have money to invest on my business. I was also afraid to lend the money of the bank because I had the loan of student already. Thus, I decided to earn money on line without investment, but by the hard labor. I think that I am successful while launching my business without any invested money. I will show you how to earn money on line without any investment. Just by my hard labor, I obtained sponged by him. I never employed any money to pay the originators of Web, the specialist in SEO, and others. I pay just my field approximately $10 for each field and $20 per month for the host.

I did not engage any originator of Web or specialists in SEO. I learned by me. Before I was in the university, I spent approximately 4 hours each day to create my Web own sites. I did not have much hour because I had to study for my degree. Thus, I employed my time correctly and exactly. I created two Web sites, one is about the male products of improvement and the other is to date related. I was registered with the program of subsidiary company of money cash of leading edge for my male Web site of product of improvement. The dating brought back the Web site that I was registered with Google AdSense. I created certain contents for the two sites and put some advertisements on them.

Pros and cons of indirect investing

By: William
Investing indirectly means purchasing shares of companies that hold large portfolios of securities on behalf of their share holders. Indirect investing is a great opportunity for those who are willing to start investing with a small amount, having no previous knowledge or experience of stock market's ups and downs. You can decide if indirect investing is the right choice for you after examining the following features.

Level of Risk:
Although mutual funds are managed by qualified professionals and experts, no expert can guarantee a profit on every investment made. There are many uncontrollable variables involved and then there is always a chance of “something" unpredictable happening, normally referred to as “the great unknown". Mutual funds can be divided into different categories on basis of risk, for example “hybrid fund" being less risky while “specialized stock funds" falling in the high risk - high return category.

Professional Management:
Probably the biggest advantage of indirect investment is the fact that these investment companies have experts specializing in investment analysis and portfolio management. These companies always stand a better chance for positive yields as compared to a common man who barely knows about financial markets. If you are just starting, you should go for these companies. You can always move your funds elsewhere later on.

Extra Charges:
Investment companies do not provide this high quality portfolio management services for free. Of course they charge for these services. Also, most of these companies run excessive marketing and sales campaign because of competition. Some part of this expense is also charged from investors, known as sales load.



Discount & Premiums:
Net asset value of Investment Company's share keep going up and down based on company's performance. In case of close-end funds, these shares are not always traded on Net Asset Value. If sold at a price lower then Net Asset Value, these are said to be sold at discount and if the price is higher then Net Asset Value, they are selling at premium. This provides an opportunity to earn, even when the Net Asset Value has not changed.

No Security - No Control:
These mutual funds are not guaranteed by any government body or authorities, nor do they provide any specific protection. Another short coming is that you cannot control the proceedings; you have to rely fully on the company's management decisions regarding investment. If you can't bear the fact that someone else is deciding on your investment fate, you should go for direct investment.



About The Author:
William King is the director of Mobile Phone Wholesale Suppliers , Canada Wholesale Suppliers, Distributors, Dropshippers & Manufacturers. He has 18 years of experience in the marketing and trading industries and has been helping retailers and startups with their product sourcing, promotion, marketing and supply chain requirements.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Should I leave my New Star funds or just sit and wait?

By: Peter McGahan

How the mighty have fallen! During the year, this share has traded from 167.50p to a halfpenny! The years fall is recorded at a horrible 98.96% which is pretty much as bad as it gets.1
However this isn't reflective of the company's ability to manage money, it's to do with the company as a whole. Should investors be worried, and is their capital at risk if they have invested in New Star funds? (For investment management advice you should speak to an independent adviser for investment advice)

Well actually no. Far too many scaremongerers are out there, keen to take your cash and put it into a new fund to take their scrape off the top, and frankly it's unhelpful. There is little or no reason to move funds at all given that the fundamentals for going into New Stars funds have not really changed.

Now you could say that the chief investment officer Stephen Whitaker has left, but there is always a reason for every action. I note a comment he made in April this year that he believed the banks had reached their bottom, and there was a light at the end of the tunnel.2 Yes, indeed, it was a high speed train. At that point he still had core positions in RBS, Barclays, HBOS, Bradford & Bingley and Lloyds TSB. The best of these was Lloyds but the remainder plummeted beyond comprehension with B&B almost worthless. The fund is down a mere 49.5% over the last year and that will not have gone unnoticed at the top.3

Many people go into a fund for the wrong reasons and come out for the wrong reasons. Personally I don't believe in star performing, swashbuckling fund managers. I have been around far too long to know that is nonsense. There is a team approach and that is why I will buy a fund. The difference in a fund comes from many key component parts, namely the direction given to the team, quality of analysts, quality of researchers, strategy of the fund manager, his/her discipline, how the above affects their asset allocation, general morale in the fund group and their motivation - only to name a few. Nothing has really changed here within New star and the key managers will probably be locked in now by the new deal.

Those customers who have been scared by headlines regarding the safety of their money may well frown at those attempting to scare them. Your capital invested into New Star is ring fenced. The assets of the funds (shares, fixed interest bonds or property) remain under the collective ownership of the unit-holders, so they are not available to creditors of New Star Asset Management.
As for the future, well that's another story. A wait and see approach will be required. After all a banking syndicate now owns 75% of New star's ordinary shares and given our banking institution's amazing abilities to lose capital over the last few years a close watch will have to be kept on their interference in the managing of the organisation. £6 million of preference shares have been set aside for employee incentivisation which should keep the key people there. If it doesn't we would naturally review the situation and either advise to sell the funds or keep a closer watch on performance. Let's remember these funds have a spread across 60-100 stocks and that many stocks do not go sour overnight.

As for those who are invested into the suspended New Star fund? Well I am puzzled how you got there in the first place. In 2006 it was obvious to any investment adviser that property was overvalued so why on earth would you invest into a falling market where a fund was launched in mid 2007? What research would an adviser have had on this before advising you to invest? None.
When a fund is suspended it is supposed to re-open within 28 days to continue ISA-eligibility. As the suspension took effect from 25th November, an announcement should be expected before 22nd December.

For investment advice call Peter on 0845 230 9876 or e-mail info@wwfp.net


Sources:-
1. yahoo
2. citywire
3. trustnet

Peter McGahan is an Independent Financial Adviser and the Managing Director of Worldwide Financial Planning Ltd who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. 'The FSA does not regulate Credit Cards, Will Writing and some forms of mortgage and Inheritance Tax Planning.'
Information given is for general guidance only, and specific advice should be taken before acting on any suggestions made.
The above represents the personal opinions of Peter McGahan.
All information is based on our understanding of current tax practices, which are subject to change.
The value of shares and investments can go down as well as up.


'Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage'.



About The Author:
Peter McGahan is the Managing Director of Worldwide Financial Planning Ltd. Worldwide Financial Planning are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Visit Investment Advice for more information about Worldwide Financial Planning and to find out more about Investment Advice.

Business management a Type of investment

By: sohi
The investment decision (also known as capital budgeting) is one of the fundamental decisions of business management: Managers determine the investment value of the assets that a business enterprise has within its control or possession. These assets may be physical (such as buildings or machinery), intangible (such as patents, software, goodwill), or financial (see below). Assets are used to produce streams of revenue that often are associated with particular costs or outflows. All together, the manager must determine whether the net present value of the investment to the enterprise is positive using the marginal cost of capital that is associated with the particular area of business.

In terms of financial assets, these are often marketable securities such as a company stock (an equity investment) or bonds (a debt investment). At times the goal of the investment is for producing future cash flows, while at others it may be for purposes of gaining access to more assets by establishing control or influence over the operation of a second company (the investee).

Type of Some Investments

Bank savings

The simplest kind of short term (or cash) investment is a savings account. Returns are low compared to other investments, but returns are guaranteed by the bank - so your investment won't drop in value in the short term like others might. You can withdraw part or all of your money whenever you want (total liquidity). This makes them ideal for short term savings goals, or as a place to keep your emergency fund - They're not a good investment option for medium or long term goals.

Property

Owning property rented to individuals or businesses can be a safe and profitable investment. Returns from property investment come from rental income, after deducting expenses, and from the increase in the value of property over time.

Shares

By investing in shares in a public company listed on a stock exchange you get the right to share in the future income and value of that company. Your return can come in two ways:

* Dividends paid out of the profits made by the company.
* Capital gains made because you're able at some time to sell your shares for more than you paid. Gains may reflect the fact that the company has grown or improved its performance or that the investment community see that it has improved future prospects.



About The Author:
los angeles business investors

Friday, February 20, 2009

Qualified and Professional Financial Advisors

By: Cassandra Leatherman
In order for a business to succeed, it is vital that proper financial management is maintained. This is because adequately handled and properly disposed finances is fundamental for any business to prosper. This is why hiring the services of a certified financial planner should be of full responsibility to make sure that you will get the services of a very dependable one. Thus it would be crucial that you know who are the right persons to deal with in order to come up with a more favorable outcome for you and your business.

Certified Financial Planner

A certified financial planner is hired to provide help in giving financial advices on essential topics that are directed to the goal of providing stable financial future for you and your business. This certified professional achieves this by going over some crucial financial details prevailing in your situation such as realistic procedures to achieve realistic goals, initiatives or actions to be taken, appropriate insurance, your children's educational plans, retirement plans, tax exemption methods, planning your estate, and investments for financial growth.When hiring the services of a certified financial planner, be sure to mention in detail your present personal and financial situation as well as your short and long term goals and all other financially related matters. This is vital so that the financial planner will have a clear view of the everything.

What You Should Consider when Hiring a Personal Financial Advisor

If you are thinking of hiring a personal financial advisor you should first find out essential points as a gauge of his/her competence in this field. The length of experience as well as sound tertiary education are areas that needs to be considered. During the selection process you should also choose the one with qualified affiliations with financial advisory groups and other qualifications that show ongoing professional developments.

Next is to find out about how much would be charged for the services that the financial advisor will charge. You should know that there are different ways in which these professionals want to be billed. It can be hourly, through commissions or retainer's fee. Try to bring this matter beforehand so that you can prepare and come up with one that you can afford.

Ask for the plan relevant to reach your financial goals. A competent personal financial advisor will be more than happy to discuss every information regarding this matter.

Financial Services Marketing in Albuquerque

Albuquerque is a city in New Mexico and being regarded as the media center of this place. Financial services marketing in Albuquerque involves implementation of dependable financial marketing initiatives that will help increase the achievement of every corporate goals in terms of business prosperity and stability. It is essential that financial services marketing directors must instill relevant management equilibrium in the desire to establish a reputable name in this field.



About The Author:
The author is explaining the different various of finance and how the certified financial planner will help them in their planning with regards to investment and other related matters.

Importance of Agriculture and Investment in Agriculture

By: Jono Craven
What is the importance of agriculture? The idea of 'food security' is basically important, and for that cause, agriculture is important. The task of nourishing its people has been possibly the main concern of its rulers throughout history. As such, agriculture is measured to be the very basis of political and social steadiness of a nation since times immemorial.

In addition, the agricultural division plays an important role in the sphere of given that large scale employment to people. Large and fairly large farms employ workers to undertake the various jobs relating to farming of crops and care of farm animals. In most of the countries of the world, agriculture still remains the biggest division responsible for the employing and feeding a large percentage of the population.

Agriculture is also important from the viewpoint of assessing the standard of a country's development, based on the capability of its farmers. Poorly trained farmers cannot apply the higher methods and new technologies. The importance of science and technology in the development of agriculture is fairly clear from the words of Deng Xiaoping -

The growth of agriculture depends primary on policy, and next on science. There is neither any limit to developments in science and technology, nor to the role that they can play in the field of agricultural growth'.

Even if agriculture frequently plays a contributory role in the 'Gross Domestic Product' - GDP - of most countries, it nevertheless requires a substantial increase from both the local and the international community.

Agriculture is conventionally based on bulk manufacturing. Harvesting is done once a season, most of the times, and stocked and used later. In fact, some thinkers opine that people have begun to adopt 'batch processing' and 'stocking' in manufacturing, as a result of the practices from agricultural thinking. Before industrialization, people with the biggest stocks of food and other supplies were considered more stable, and they were able to face challenges of nature without having to starve.

So important is the role of agriculture that new concepts keep 'cropping up' to give the traditional activity a modern turn. One such new idea the world is gibbering about these days is - the importance of 'organic farming'. There is evidence that, apart from their numerous other benefits, organic farms are more sustainable and environmentally sound, giving agriculture a new measurement.

The importance of agricultural practices was further established when 'Organic food' began as a small movement decades ago, with gardeners and farmers refusing the use of conservative non-organic practices. With the growth of the Organic food market now outpacing much of the food industry, many big companies have ventured into it. With the emergence of multi-national companies, and with the creation of a legal certification structure such as the Soil Association, there is every hesitation that the very definition of natural food will change, making it more of a commercial activity than ever before!

In fact, modern agriculture has already undergone a sea-change from the olden times. Nowadays, the importance of agriculture lies in the fact that it is practiced both for survival as well as profitable reasons!

Investment in Agriculture is now an ordinary managed investment option for investors with a focus on a number of key Australian agricultural commodities such as forestry and horticulture. A key feature of agribusiness investing is the tax effectual feature providing substantial tax deductions supported by an Australian Taxation Office Product Ruling. Agribusiness is an alternative asset class that offers returns generated from a traditional income source. Agribusiness offers investors another level of diversification because it is not correlated with interest rates, sharemarkets, bonds or property markets.



About The Author:
Bengalla Agribusiness Helps Investors to Invest in Agriculture, Agricultural Investments and Other Agribusiness Investment and Capitalize on the Changing Environment in Rural Australia.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Biblical Wealth Strategies with Investments

By: Mark Freeman, EPIC Wealth Strategies
Most of us have heard the phrase “multiple streams of income" as a means of achieving financial freedom. This doesn't mean getting another part-time “job," but creating wealth and residual income through multiple sources of businesses, investments, and real estate. Residual income is money that continues to come in, whether you're actively working at it or not.

The advantage of multiple streams is if one stream dries up or slows down, you have others flowing in to pick up the slack. With the recent trends of corporate downsizing and the loyalty of employers being a way of the past, multiple streams of income from different sources are more important than ever, and will be perhaps essential in the future. Not only is this a good idea for you and your family's security and wealth-building strategies, but it can help fulfill your vision of giving to expand the Kingdom.

Is this a new idea? Not at all. The Scriptures are in agreement. Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 says, “Cast your bread upon the waters [plural], for you will find it after many days. Give a serving to seven, and also to eight, for you do not know what evil will be on the earth."

The first part of this chapter (vs. 1-6) speaks of taking risks and making multiple investments rather than operating out of fear and exercising too much caution. It also speaks of being generous with your wealth. But these first two verses speak of the need of multiple income streams because you don't know what “evil" will be on the earth.

What do you think are examples of the “evil" it's speaking of here? It could be economic changes or market trends, to being a victim of fraud, lawsuits, and so on. The “evils" may change for different times in history or even certain seasons in our lives. The “evil" isn't necessarily from the devil. It's not always a spiritual attack. It could just be trends and changes in the system, but for whatever it may be, we need the multiple income streams to diversify and spread the risks. We like to believe as Christians that we are immune to such things, and I certainly am not speaking that over you, but the Lord does give us wisdom to be prepared for the potential rain that falls on the “just and the unjust" as it says in Matthew 5:45. Multiple income streams is one way to diminish or even eliminate the “evil," because if you have enough streams, one can completely disappear and you won't even notice it too much.

This passage in Ecclesiastes goes on to say in verse 6, “In the morning, sow your seed, and in the evening, do not withhold your hand; for you do not know which will prosper, either this or that, or whether both alike will be good."

We think that if a certain investment doesn't give a good return, or maybe even goes south, that God wasn't in it. But it's plain here that not everything you invest in will prosper, but do it anyway! Of course, don't be foolish, be smart, do your homework and your due diligence, but just free yourself by knowing that some will be good and some won't. Don't condemn yourself when some investment or business or real estate deal doesn't work out maybe like you thought it would. I believe the Lord will bless your efforts, if not on that particular investment, it may be the next one. The problem with the wicked servant in the parable of the minas in Luke 19 is not that he tried something and it didn't work. He didn't even try, and that's what made the master upset.

Remember the dot-com bubble in 2000-2001? People in droves began investing in real estate. Then when the media began chanting about the possibility of a real estate bubble (which spells “opportunity" to me), many were looking for what they thought would be the “next big thing."

However, if you are diverse in your businesses, investments, and real estate, then you won't be affected as greatly as markets change in various areas. If there is a bump in the road with one of your markets, you have the others that continue to flow.

Most people think of diversifying as investing in mutual funds. They believe this is a method of spreading the risk and playing it safe, but in reality, all they are doing is investing in more and more paper assets. What if the stock market crashed? Don't be deceived into thinking that type of “evil" can't ever happen again as it did in 1929. If the stock market had a major crash, most mutual funds would be wiped out. We had a glimpse of that a few years ago when many retirement plans invested in mutual funds plummeted to almost nothing. I understand the buy and hold strategy and dollar-cost averaging, but what about those just entering retirement age? They didn't have time to wait for the funds to go back up. So mutual funds and 401(k)s can have risks, too, right?

We continue to assume that the stock market will always go up and that mutual funds will give us the security we need. Mutual funds may diversify into many different funds, but they are still largely connected to the traditional stock market. Yes, they are diversified into growth funds, bond funds, mid cap funds, money funds, sector funds, international funds, etc., but what are all those? Stocks and bonds! It's okay to invest in mutual funds and 401(k)s, but what I'm saying is don't rely on just those and not do anything else. No one should rely solely on one investment type or one business for their sole source of income or retirement...

Business management a Type of investment

By: julianne
The investment decision (also known as capital budgeting) is one of the fundamental decisions of business management: Managers determine the investment value of the assets that a business enterprise has within its control or possession. These assets may be physical (such as buildings or machinery), intangible (such as patents, software, goodwill), or financial (see below). Assets are used to produce streams of revenue that often are associated with particular costs or outflows. All together, the manager must determine whether the net present value of the investment to the enterprise is positive using the marginal cost of capital that is associated with the particular area of business.

In terms of financial assets, these are often marketable securities such as a company stock (an equity investment) or bonds (a debt investment). At times the goal of the investment is for producing future cash flows, while at others it may be for purposes of gaining access to more assets by establishing control or influence over the operation of a second company (the investee).

Type of Some Investments

Bank savings

The simplest kind of short term (or cash) investment is a savings account. Returns are low compared to other investments, but returns are guaranteed by the bank - so your investment won't drop in value in the short term like others might. You can withdraw part or all of your money whenever you want (total liquidity). This makes them ideal for short term savings goals, or as a place to keep your emergency fund - They're not a good investment option for medium or long term goals.

Property

Owning property rented to individuals or businesses can be a safe and profitable investment. Returns from property investment come from rental income, after deducting expenses, and from the increase in the value of property over time.

Shares

By investing in shares in a public company listed on a stock exchange you get the right to share in the future income and value of that company. Your return can come in two ways:

* Dividends paid out of the profits made by the company.
* Capital gains made because you're able at some time to sell your shares for more than you paid. Gains may reflect the fact that the company has grown or improved its performance or that the investment community see that it has improved future prospects.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Trading Forex Trends

By: Jubair Ahmed
Types of Trends
When the average price of a currency moves to a particular direction repeatedly then that is termed a trend. There are three types of trends found in the forex market: Long term, Medium term and short term.

The trend that has duration of greater than 6 weeks is called a long term trend.

A medium term trend lasts from 1 to maximum 6 weeks.

Finally a short term trend occurs for a very short period of time - from 30 minutes to a week.

Most of the successful traders made their fortune by following either long or medium term trends as they are easy to identify and less risky to trade. In contrast, short term trends often reverse suddenly, and the increase trading costs of moving in and out of positions means that short term trend following is less profitable.

Causes of trends
The economic condition of a country plays significant role in the occurrence of a trend regarding its currency. Good economic conditions appreciate the value of a currency relative to others whilst a negative economic outlook depreciates the currency. Since the economy of a country changes fairly slowly, the trends can be quite long term.

The trend of a currency depends on perceptions of traders, based on known economic information. Traders often come to a consensus, and this opinion tends to result in trends.

Also when a trend is identified, the majority of the traders tend to follow that which reinforces the trend.

Profiting from trends
Identifying a trend and knowing the entry and exit point of it is the key for your success in forex trading. Every currency has its own trend with unique characteristics. You can identify the trend of a currency by comparing its present price movement with historical data. You need to enter the trend on the basis of its direction. When you see the trend is about to exhaust, close your trades.

For example, if US dollar loses its value against the other major currencies, you can recognize the trend regarding this and can buy EUR/USD pairs. You need to set the stop loss point in a level where the stop will only get activated if the trend changes its direction. You should not over- leverage yourself as you are going for the long term trend and need to withstand some short term adverse movements. You can understand the movement by closely observing the price chart.

My Forex Trading Help provides a wealth of detailed information on forex trading.




About The Author:
Jubair Ahmed is a senior writer/analyst for My Forex Trading Help, an information site offering free tutorials on becoming a successful forex trader.

Learn More About Trading Psychology and Improve Your Trading

By: Vojin
When it comes to trading, one of the most neglected subjects are those dealing with trading psychology. Most traders spend days, months and even years trying to find the right system. But having a system is just part of the game. It is very important to have a system that perfectly suits the trader, but it is as important as having a money management plan, or to understand all psychology barriers that may affect the trader decisions and other issues.



1. Act on Your Own Judgment

It was established earlier that if you do not enter a trade or investment with total confidence, you are likely to be spooked out at the first sign of trouble. It is much better to consider all the arguments, both bullish and bearish, prior to making a commitment. In this way, you will be in a good position to judge whether the latest price setback is a result of a fundamental change in the overall Situation or if it is merely part of the normal ebb and flow that any market goes through.

Brokers, friends, and others that you respect can be helpful in providing you with ideas but you are the one who should make the final decision. After all, if things go wrong, it's you who lose the money, not your friends.



2. Never Trade or Invest Based on Hope

Whenever you can identify hope as the primary justification for holding a position, close it out immediately. This action will achieve two things. First, it will protect you from a potentially serious loss. If your exposure is being rationalized on hope alone, you will be ignorant of any lurking dangers and will be that much more vulnerable to further price declines. Second, it is vital for you to regain some objectivity and free yourself from as many biases as possible. This can be achieved only by selling your position and making an attempt at a balanced assessment of your situation.



3. Don`t Overtrade

Sometimes you will start to lose money on trading just because you stay in the market for too long. Don’t overtrade, set daily goals for profit, limit for loss and don’t trade past them. Overtrading is one of the major psychological barriers in Forex trading.



4. Don't Try to Call Every Market Turn

In our natural desire to be market perfectionists, it is quite understandable that we should feel the need to call every market turn. Unfortunately, that task is quite unobtainable. If we find ourselves trying to guess every twist and turn in the price action, not only will it lead to frustration, but we will totally lose
any sense of perspective.



5. After a Successful and Profitable Campaign, Take a Trading Vacation

No person, however talented, can maintain a super trading performance forever. People operate in cycles in virtually every endeavor. Take baseball players, even the best have their off days, off weeks, and even off seasons. The same is true for traders. Therefore, make sure that you take a break after a successful campaign, returning to the markets six or eight weeks later. Your outlook is likely to be less overconfident, and you will also be able to take a more objective view of the markets.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

How Commemorative Coins Give Great Return On Investment

By: ChrisChanning
A commemorative coin is, simply put, and type of currency that celebrates a special event. This might be a nation's anniversary, a war, science achievements, or other types of occasions that merit mentioning in currency. Investors should, however, not that there are differences in commemorative coins that can make them more or less valuable as an investment.

First to distinguish between commemorative coins is the possibility of using the coins as legal tender. While most commemorative coins are indeed for collecting only, and not intended for use in commerce, there are instances where they can be used in everyday purchases regardless. But because such coins are often worth more than their face value, investors should never use commemorative coins as legal tender.

Other types of coins, in particular the types that are allowed for circulation, are another type of commemorative coin altogether. This is best seen with the issue of the United States Quarters that have been produced as a means of bringing attention to the different states that make up the United States. These commemorative coins can have investment value, but generally are best suited for legal tender until they become uncirculated.

Commemorative coins will commonly feature gold, silver, and proofs as a way of making them valuable. This entices investors into purchasing the coins so as to give more security in the sense that they are protecting their investment. In economic crises like some countries are facing currently, gold commemorative coins are worth much more on the market than what many were bought for in the past. This is a clear example of how the fun of coin collecting can turn into an ample return on investment.

It's good to note that commemorative coins are usually issued by governments to raise extra money, and thus, there is usually to return on investment to be found in short term situations. But as coin collectors probably already well know, the real value in coin collecting comes with the aging process. If a coin collector had bought a commemorative coin several decades ago, it'd be worth much more than what was paid for it at the time.

It's nice to have a commemorative coins lying around, even if the average consumer doesn't collect coins as a hobby. After all, time and history shows that the general price of gold and silver has increased over the decades. In that sense, obtaining commemorative coins can be seen as an investment that will pay off more and more each day a coin is maintained in great condition.

Closing Comments

Coin collecting is a very rewarding experience, in more ways than one. Not only do collectors get a hefty return on investment throughout the years, but they also get the joy in decorating options, pride in helping one's country, and something to talk about when inviting guests over. Finding commemorative coins is quite easy- the Internet has many resources in which to do so. Contacting the local government may also lead to information on where to obtain such intriguing collectibles.

Making Your Residual Income in Three Ways

By: jamesmlowe
There are three basic paths you can take to earn a cash flow. Cash flows are income you earn over and for something that you have done one time. It may take a lot of effort to make your cash flow or residual income in these three ways buy once you have completed your residual income investment package you earn a steady cash flow indefinitely with little additional effort required. You can earn it via a home business, various investments or direct marketing that may or may not include multi level or affiliate marketing. These three different methods can possibly earn you a steady income with little effort required. That is the positive attraction of building a cash flow. Once it is completed it gives you money flow on a regular basis. The money keeps coming. Building a business is a good way to build a residual income because you are in control of it. You set up the system versus someone else doing it for you. This is different from the other methods. You design how it functions and the payment methods to you. You can tailor make it to your individual work habits, desires, skills and needs. The business can be set up to resell products, like eBay, digital media, content article writing or anything you want. Lately, more entrepreneurs have decided to make products themselves. Many e-books and even ghost written books are available to be done for you online. There are many affiliate programs available through Click Bank which highly regulates the members who participate in it making it a good opportunity to look into. If you have never done this before it is a good idea to start an affiliate program with someone who will do a lot of hand holding to help you get educated and started. It is cheap and an excellent way to get experience. The time frame is different for everyone depending on your skills. But if you start small, to grow big, you can work it an hour or two everyday until you build to the income point you are after. Investments are an easy way, if you are willing to learn how, to build a residual income. You need to learn how to invest your money. The ten most popular Rich Dad Poor Dad books will give you 30 years of investing experience in the two or three months it will take you to slowly read them. I know a lot about investing, and have done well with it, but Robert Kiyosaki condenses everything he and I know in these books. They will be the best one hundred dollars you ever spent on investing. You can invest in stocks, real estate or a business. This method requires study and brain work. It can be done. You need to invest and monitor your capital to guide it so you are earning income all the time. You can do real estate investing methods that require big amounts of money up front. You can limit this by learning to use other peoples money to invest. Depending on the market trends, when you start investing in real estate, you may have to wait until the markets change. Different investing methods will be up or down at any particular stage of investing. Over the years the most popular method to build a growing residual income evaluation module for yourself is direct marketing. Direct marketing is selling your products you make, buy or drop ship to someone else. In time affiliate marketing members will come to you, as you progress, who will like and trust you and want to work with you because you work smart and are good at it. This has happened to me in several different businesses. Multi level marketing used to be very popular but rampant dishonesty over the years has tarnished the reputation of it. Highly talented people can still make a success of MLM but very few people, maybe two percent of any population, can realistically do it. It can be done but be honest with yourself about having the high powered skills to do it. If you do not have massive selling skills you are wasting your time and money. Another form of direct marketing is affiliate marketing. Very high percentages of people, who take the time to learn to market an affiliate program, have been successful with them. I suggest starting as an affiliate and learn from your company and free online article directory articles, how to market. Products ranging from material products to sell on eBay, to health and nutrition products to writing products for writers, to digital media using sound to manufacturing your own products yourself can be sold off of your or your affiliate partner web sites. Listen to the training of your affiliate managers. Study free e-books and articles available online and understand them and you will learn how to market your affiliate products to build your residual income marketing business. Once you have been successful with two or three different affiliate programs you may be ready to start one yourself or to partner with someone else to start one. Many independent affiliates have done so well with working the programs of others that they are happy to stay that way and continue on forever working their residual income affiliate programs. So here you have three different but related ways to make your residual income. Though all are different they still offer the magic potential to build an income stream. All will have negative points but none are too great to overcome if you stick with them and learn how they work before you start. Anyone can make one or more of these methods work if you are willing to learn about the products and how to market them. Millions of people are making a nice income working one or more of them and it should be no different for you.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Foreclosure How To Buy A Wise Investment

By: StevenMcCarthy
Foreclosure how to buy Bank Owned Property, Foreclosure is everywhere we look. You can not turn on the television, read the newspaper or listen to the radio without hearing the word foreclosure. So, what exactly is a bank foreclosure sale? How does this affect you? Let's find out, shall we.

Bank owned property is often purchased by independent investors even before the foreclosure on a piece of property are final. Anyone can become a part of this growing market of purchasing distressed properties for a substantial discount, so long as you ensure that you follow some simple tips to make sure you don't get burned when buying foreclosed upon real estate.

Banks and mortgage companies are in the lending business, not the property management business. When a bank or mortgage company forecloses on a property, they do not gain an asset, they lose capital. Their capital is tied up in a property instead of being put to work and making more money. Banks and lending companies want to free up the capital that is stagnant in the property, and re-invest it in new loan.

Foreclosure is when a mortgage lender gets a court to terminate the borrows equitable right of redemption. This happens after the borrow defaults on the loan. There are a lot of legal twists and turns that go along with the foreclosure deals, but one thing is perfectly clear. It is a stressful and sad time for those involved.

This situation creates many opportunities for investors to find foreclosed homes and profit from them. The most obvious way would be for an investor to buy a property that has been foreclosed on from a real estate agent. In this case, the home is advertised and purchased like any other home. The lender would usually be a very motivated seller, but may want close to market value for the property. After all, they have incurred costs, need to pay agent fees, and have had to hold the property, which are all things they don't like to do.

When an investor buys a property for close to market value, there is little room for them to resell it for a profit. An investor who is able to find foreclosed homes which have not yet been listed with a real estate agent is able to make more profit because the lender is able to sell the property for less. The lender wants to unload their inventory of foreclosed homes as quickly as possible. The investor who is able to find foreclosed homes and offer the lender a bid before the properties are put on the market can make more profit. The lenders might accept a much lower bid to avoid the costs and time of marketing the property through conventional means.

Many people are able to make such a purchase and no feel remorse, but your personal reaction to such a prospect may vary. These things considered, the next question is simply "How do I go about finding and making offers on these properties?" Most times, the sale of these foreclosure properties can be easily located by going to your county auditor or sheriff's offices, Where you can pick-up a list with the properties' information, sale price, and date when they're going to auction.

Property hunters need to always be cautious when considering these foreclosure deals. Prior to making an offer, do your homework. Don't be surprised if the previous tenets trashed the place out of anger before leaving. Consider any renovations that will need to be done to the home.

Housing prices are at an all time low right now. People are looking to bank owned property to purchase homes at a low price. The hope is that the real estate market will survive and thrive again. If all goes as planned, they will be sitting pretty when it does. That is why foreclosure how to buy bank owned property is so attractive. For expert tips on foreclosure investing subscribe to our RSS feed.