The Contester Blog

The nuisance involved in going to a brick and mortar gambler’s den should suffice to give it up if avoidable. Traffic jams, the nuisance, and gazillions of things to bear in mind are too much hassle solely for the possibility of placing a wager at brick and mortar gambler’s den, in spite of this, provided you’re the type who is frenetic about gambling casinos then turning to online virtual casinos will likely be the more obvious way to go.

Here, you don’t need to leave your house to try your hand at online games of chance for the reason that it’s easy to access within your domestic surroundings if you possess a laptop or pc with access to the internet. Nevertheless, you will want to read on first because there are numerous recommendations that you really should be au fait with in regards to online games of chance, particularly so if you are a greenhorn. Okay so stifle those hormones and weigh the following briefing. Here’s my concise sketch which was written up to expound how to discover a secure and honest online games of chance address. The foremost thing that every canny online gamester will positively chase out is an online games of chance establishment of the type that is prepared to guarantee the best odds. Looking further, here are a few select additional pieces of advice in regards to selecting your virtual poker establishment.

You definitely must be sure to ensure the virtual poker establishment is licensed, for example by tracking down the official operating license on the casino site’s pages. If you’re unable to locate any official operating license on any given virtual poker establishment, do not remotely think of wagering on that site. Having done this, we would advise you think over very conscientiously the mixed bonuses that the virtual poker establishment proffers.

Wild Jack Casino

Another great piece of advice would be to take your chances for beginners with limited sums in lieu of forfeit crazy amounts straightaway. First of all, check the stability of the virtual poker operation rather than triggering any dangerous risk– particularly so that of losing your money… And here’s another most consequential suggestion in regards to virtual card-playing. It is to always call to mind that any kind of gambling should be always about enjoying it rather than big winnings. Casino gambling is definitely no chore, but a pastime that is supposed to help you become jolly and your life as a whole fun.

After having gone with the pointers described above, now go and surrender to the draw of virtual poker!

Why are more businesses turning to full-color postcards as a key form of promotion? The biggest reason is the simplest: You don’t have to open a postcard. It won’t get lumped in with all the direct mail envelopes that people toss without opening.

If the postcard shows a very glossy, well-photographed picture of an attractive product, the recipient will very likely look at the picture and turn it over to see who sent it. She/he might well put it aside and think, “Next time I’m near the store, I’ll go in and have a look.” The postcard often sits out as an easy reminder of your store or business.

Cutting Costs on Mailings

When the economy is a bit shaky, you should increase promotion to keep your name in the minds of customers, but you also have to keep down your costs. To get maximum return for your marketing dollar, you can mail postcards up to 4 1/4 by 6 inches for between 17.5 and 19.5 each first class (the cheapest letter rate is 19 – 24). If you find the right company, you’ll likely be able to have 5,000 postcards printed for less than $400.

Finding the Right Company

Most businesses don’t have in-house marketing departments, so find a postcard company to help you. A postcard company can handle your mailing and save you money. It makes most of its profits from printing, not from consulting, selling, mailing lists and mailing, so it can often find you better deals on such services. The company should:

- Specialize in postcards. It shouldn’t just do postcards among other printing jobs. You’ll pay less because the company gang-prints cards. In other words, the company will print many different postcards in one large press run.

- Have some marketing knowledge and experience. The company should be able to advise you on mailing lists, design and quantities.

- Offer UV coating (laminated), full-color and 4 1/4-by-6 in. postcards. This ensures you get the highest-quality look and the biggest post card you can for the lowest mailing rate. The UV coating is essential for a very high gloss finish to make your product look good.

- Help with photography. Getting a good picture is vital to the success of your postcard. You might pay $150 to $1200+ for photography and, generally, you get what you pay for. However, some photographers do a good job without charging the earth. Your postcard company should have contacts with photographers. Once you find a company (it doesn’t have to be local – many do business with stores all over the U.S.), ask for advice on creating the postcard. Many companies will help with everything from determining whether you should mail to your existing customers, mailing lists of potential customers or both. The company also will send you proofs. Make sure any corrections you request are made so you’re happy with the final product.

David Phillips, writer and photographer, has set up several very successful small businesses in the marketing and communications field. He swears by direct mail marketing techniques which is why he writes for PostcardMania. Joy Gendusa founded PostcardMania in 1998; her only assets a computer and a phone. In 2004 the company did close to $9 million in sales and employs over 60 persons. Visit her website at http://www.postcardmania.com

The Internet has officially changed the face of business and in case no one has done this for you already, let me be the first to formally welcome you to the “Information Age”, or should we call it the “Internet Age”.

The Internet is simply not a fad or a flavor of the week. It is the real deal and it is here to stay. It may morph in one way, shape, or form however, it is here to stay and the most successful businesses are taking advantage of it.

So why exactly should you take your business online? Although there are tons of reasons, here are 5 key ones:

1. It is expected. Quite simply, the Internet is one the first (if not the first) places people look to find out more about you, your business, and/or your product. They look for your website as well as information they can find out about you from other websites. Yes, I dare say it, in 99.9% of the cases, it will damage your credibility to some degree with a prospect if you cannot be found out there.

2. It is cheap. Never in history has a marketing medium been available to all businesses, no matter the size of their company or bank account that afforded them so much possibility for success.

Obviously money if applied properly can increase your results on the Internet; however, you really can get started with little or no money. Skeptical, just read some of the books from the “Guerrilla Marketing” series by Jay Conrad Levinson.

3. It is immediate. Face it. We live in a world of instant gratification. We want everything yesterday. If something is not immediately available, we just may lose interest or worse yet get it from somewhere else – like your competition.

4. It is 24/7. The Internet simply never sleeps. Having and implementing an effective Internet strategy can be like having a well tuned marketing and sales force that continues to do your bidding around the clock.

5. It is global. Why limit your business to the 15 minute radius surrounding your office? Your current competition certainly isn’t and new competitors are seemingly coming out of nowhere every day.

Look at the Internet as a means to allow you to share your genius with prospects who otherwise might not have had the opportunity to experience what you have to offer.

So in closing, what’s the best advice I can muster up on this topic? Make a sincere effort to understand the Internet and the sheer power and opportunity it brings to your business. Create a plan of attack and get in the game. Play on the grandest court available today, the Internet!

© 2005 Online Marketing Muscle — All Rights Reserved.

Dean Mercado is an Internet marketing coach, strategist, author, and speaker. Dean and his company Online Marketing Muscle help entrepreneurial professionals leverage the power of Internet marketing to turn their businesses into money magnets. Visit Online Marketing Muscle for many more Internet marketing tips.

http://www.OnlineMarketingMuscle.com

Nobody wants to be their own worst enemy! Sales is a demanding profession, and you want to do everything in your power to make yourself more profitable.

After working with thousands of salespeople, I have found that there are mistakes many of us commonly make. Once eliminated, we can boost our sales and earning power dramatically.

Here, in no particular order, are my top five:

MISTAKE #1: GETTING INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION

In a courtroom, the judge would never cut the testimony short and make a hasty decision, based only on preliminary evidence, especially when more credible and detailed testimony is yet to come. But that is exactly what defeats many sales.

We cannot honestly say where we are in the sales process without a clear understanding of what is happening on their end. We wont often be privy to everything happening behind the scenes, but that’s no reason to handcuff ourselves by ending phone conversations and leaving meetings without a better understanding of needs, timelines and procedures.

What information do we need? In addition to product or service information, here are three critical points:

How important is this decision?
Everyone has felt the sting of that ’sure thing’ sale which, at the last minute, gets put on the backburner because something else came up. In any changing business, new priorities can replace old ones in an instant. Your sale was a top concern yesterday, but when an equipment breakdown or staffing issue arose, new priorities took hold. It happens, but only if the sales process drags on too long, or if its priority is too low to begin with.

What is their buying process?
Is the buyer, alone, in the position to make the final decision, or will others be involved. Will approval go through a specific chain of command? Even door-to-door sales to consumers usually requires a second opinion, like a spouse, in order to complete the sale.

What is their timeline?
Is a decision imminent, or are they gathering pricing information for next years budget? It’s amazing how often this one comes up and, too often, the salesperson is unaware because they didn’t ask.

MISTAKE #2: ASSUME THAT PRICE IS THE ANSWER

Low price doesn’t always win the sale. But go ahead and ask your customer their most important criteria and they’ll often say “price, of course.” They’re not lying. But they haven’t been sold yet, either.

When it comes to price sensitivity, consumers come in three clusters. The first
is the low-price cluster. Some estimate this group to be about 15% of all consumers, business and consumer. They may have a directive to be frugal with the company budget, may have less means financially, or just a deep-rooted desire to get the most in any bargain, even if it results in a win-lose scenario.

Another, although smaller cluster, will always pay the higher price. They may want the best quality, and know that you get what you pay for. They may want the prestige that goes with owning the best. Either way, price, alone, is seldom an issue.

The third cluster, estimated to be nearly 75% of all buyers, live in between the low and high-end. They’re waiting to be sold. They want quality, they want service, and they want a good value. But, if there’s no clear distinction among their options, then the default buying decision becomes ‘price.’

To avoid becoming compared to others based on price alone, find their definition of value. Ask questions that will uncover their most important buying criteria. Sometimes, a basic question like “aside from price, what will be your most important criteria?” helps you find the way to differentiate yourself from your competition.

MISTAKE #3: A LACK OF PERSONAL BRANDING

Toyota, Heinz Ketchup, Hershey Chocolate. They’ve got branding. Their name says it all. Branding identifies a product, and its perceived value. Hallmark Greeting Cards built an empire with the phrase “when you care enough to send the very best.” Branding is who you are in the minds of your customers. Too many salespeople focus only on method. They go through all the steps to the sale, from asking questions to closing, but never differentiate themselves from the competition.

Ask yourself “what, specifically, do I bring to the sale?” Everyone says they’re service-oriented and will work hard for the customer. Now ask yourself, “What CAN I bring to the sale?” Forget the non-substance answers like ‘I’m service oriented,’ or ‘I’m a terrific listener.’ Instead, find your own, personal value. If you consistently come to them with intelligent discussion, research and ideas, you brand yourself as a value-added consultant. Continuously remind them that you’re working in their best interest with articles or web page links that address their interests and needs. Over time, you’ll brand yourself as the kind of person they trust, respect and want to do business with

MISTAKE #4: NOT ENOUGH TIME IN EACH DAY

Do you accomplish everything you set out to do in a day? Time is today’s currency, and every one of us fights the daily battle.

Finding time is the challenge. Taking it is the solution. Nobody’s going to give it to you. No customer is going to call and say “we want to buy…and you just leave those little details to us.” The interruptions will not stop.

Here are three strategies for finding time:

1) Schedule it (this is pretty basic, but it’s critical). Block out several hours every week as though it was time for your best customer, and use that time to accomplish those important projects.

2) Prepare for it. If new business is a priority, then print out a list of prospective customers, complete with name, phone and other notes, before the work week begins. Then you can spend your time taking action, not searching through files.

3) Be disciplined. I like the health club analogy. On January 1st, we’re all committed to fitness. That’s why the lines at Bally’s are so long. But, by the 1st of February, you can fire a cannon through there and not hit anything. Do you stay committed to a plan after the initial motivation has worn off? Challenge yourself, week in and week out.

Don’t just find time….Take It. Grab that clock and out a choke hold on it. It’s yours.

MISTAKE #5: NOT ASKING FOR THE ORDER

When did closing become a bad thing? Every day, countless sales are left ‘in limbo’ because the salesperson made their presentation, quoted the price, then left and waited for the customer to make up their mind.

There are two simple rules to closing a sale. Rule #1: you cannot force, trick or cajole them. Anyone who agrees to a sale today can easily talk themselves out of it tomorrow. Rule #2: the salesperson need to lead the close by leading the sale. That means being thorough throughout the selling process by uncovering needs, developing trust and presenting proposals that fill the customers’ surface and deeper needs, and then asking for the order. No tricks. No gimmicks. Just a straightforward statement like “if everything looks good, let’s get it started” or “should we go ahead and write up the paperwork?” This may sound basic, and it is. But it’s probably one of the biggest mistakes we make!

In every profession, from medicine to sports, professionals regularly work to improve their skills. Take 30 days to focus on these common mistakes and I can guarantee you’ll see and feel a tremendous difference!

One of America’s hottest sales trainers, Joe Guertin has 25 years of outside sales experience, specializing in new business and customer relationship development. As a sought-after speaker, and consultant, Joe has worked with thousands of salespeople, managers and business principals, targeting specific areas of development, including internal sales systems, customer development strategies and team skill-building. His firm, The Guertin Group, conducts customized corporate sales training, both live and online.

Visit The Guertin Group at http://www.guertingroup.com to receive his monthly ezine newsletter. Joe can be reached at 414-762-2450, or joe@guertingroup.com

Internet marketing is one of the fastest-growing and profitable businesses today. It is an excellent way for anyone to start a small business with little investment, no overhead, and high profit margins. Anyone can get up and running with an online
business in hours. Sounds like an easy way to make money, doesn’t it? Compared to other offline small business ventures, it is.

Yet internet marketing failures still vastly outnumber those who have succeeded in internet marketing. For every story you hear of someone making $10,000 a month at internet marketing there are hundreds of untold stories of those who failed to
make a profit or only made a few dollars and then quit. Why do so many fail when the potential to succeed is high?

1. Failure to plan – No matter what type of business you are running you need a business plan with well-defined goals. What are your short-term and long-term goals? What steps do you need to take to meet those goals? Write out your plan and review it frequently. You are running a small business. Treat it as one.

2. Failure to work the plan – So you already have a business plan? Are the following it? A plan means nothing if you don’t follow it. Work the plan every single day. Revise it if necessary but don’t detract from it.

3. Making goals too big early on – Many internet marketing failures try to do too much too fast. You are not going to create the ultimate web site for dog lovers overnight. Start small with dog training tips and add content daily. Those 1,000+ page web sites took months or years to build, so will yours.

4. Lack of knowledge – Would you be a successful plumber without knowing anything about plumbing? No. Then to be a successful internet marketer you need to learn internet marketing. Find a successful mentor willing to help you and you will be way ahead of the crowd.

5. Not investing in your business – You won’t get any support or very much web traffic on with a free web host. Many times, the best ebooks, scripts, and tools are the ones that cost money. You can run an online business for next to nothing but
you’ll achieve faster and more profitable results by investing in the right tools.

6. “If I build it, they will come” – You can have the most comprehensive and informative website on natural healing in the world but if you don’t promote your site and work to drive traffic to it no one will know about it. There are many ways to drive traffic to your website. You should be using several of them.

7. Lack of patience – You will not be making $10,000 a month when you start. Internet marketing is not a get rich quick scheme. It takes time and testing to build your web traffic and increase your conversion rate. In the beginning you might actually lose money and this is when too many people give up without giving their business time to grow.

8. Wrong niche – So you wrote that ebook on underwater basket weaving and you’re wondering why nobody is buying it? Find a niche but make sure it’s profitable first. Too many times people create the product first then try to figure out how to sell it. Find out what the people want then give or sell it to them.

9. No Uniqueness – There are a million low carb diet books out there, what makes yours so unique? Why should I buy your widget when Bob’s widgets are just as good and he’s been selling widgets a lot longer than you? Stand out from the crowd and get noticed. Know your competition and do what they do better or do something totally different.

10. Lack of commitment – To be successful, you must be committed to success. Behind every success story there are many hours of work and dedication. You’ll need drive and determination if you want to be the next internet success story everyone is talking about.

Print out these ten reasons for failure and post it next to your computer monitor or tape them to your bathroom mirror.

Everyday review your online business and make sure you are not making any of these mistakes. Do this and you are well on your way to being an internet marketing success.

Another article by Gary Durkin
Gary is the creator of the Internet Advice Center InternetAdviceCenter.com – as well as numerous other ‘net businesses. He has been doing business online, since 1999. Offline, he heads up a company and is personally responsible for millions of dollars of global investments each day.To join the thousands of other subscribers to his newsletter, go to iPAYworld.com/newsletter

You have permission to reprint or re-distribute the above article either in hard-copy or electronic formats, providing the resource box remains intact and attached.

© Copyright 1999 – 2006 Gary Durkin
All Rights Reserved worldwide.

The furniture that you place in the living room reflects your style and taste. Living room furniture consists of sofas, coffee and side tables, display cabinets, dressers, futon chairs and beds, and bean bags and bean chairs. It is always better to plan and set your budget when decorating your living room, as you may otherwise go overboard in expenses.

The furniture you place in the living room depends on the size of the living room. It is only when you have the exact measurement of the room that you can decide what size of sofa and other living-room furniture is best suitable for your living room. If you have enough space in the corner to keep a corner sofa, you might as well keep one there. However, if there is little space, a normal sofa accompanied by decorative stands and plants enhances the beauty of the living room.

When buying living room furniture, make sure that the color of the walls match the color of the furniture or at least have matching shades with the furniture. Check for a warranty on the furniture, especially expensive teakwood tables and leather sofas. To get the best rate, it is always better to check out a clearance sale. Lighting is another important point of enhancing the look of your living room furniture. The living room has to have proper lighting to give a soothing feeling.

Placing decorative plants and stands in corners enhances not only the living room, but also its furniture. Cleaning the living room furniture is very important to present a lively look to the furniture. So it is better to vacuum the sofas, carpets and curtains at least once a month. To enhance the look of the living room, you could also place matching paintings on the wall.

Self-assessment relies on taxpayers voluntarily meeting their tax obligations. This concept is recognised in all tax statutes, which sets out taxpayers’ primary obligations, and clearly spells out that taxpayers are required to determine the amount of tax payable correctly and to pay it on time.

Disclosure in this context serves two main purposes. First, it is necessary to provide information for audit selection. Secondly, disclosure is relevant to the issue of the abatement of penalties.

Taxpayers have a statutory obligation to disclose to the Commissioner in a timely and useful way all information required to be disclosed under the tax laws. Disclosure here covers items specifically required to be disclosed by statute, and items for which disclosure is required by the Central Board of Revenue Department. For income tax, under section 26 of sale tax act 1990 and 114 of income tax ordinance 2001, the departments requires a complete statement of the taxable income of the taxpayer for the preceding year, together with such other particulars as may be prescribed. The department’s disclosure expectations cover any requirements set out in a particular tax return, in the guide accompanying a particular tax return, or matters for which a specific disclosure form is prescribed.

In the area of tax returns and compliance, electronic commerce may create new variations on old issues as well as new categories of issues. These developments require that practical techniques be developed to deal with these technological innovations. These technological developments touch on a wide range of issues affecting the filing of tax returns.

Electronic commerce is still developing and no electronic money system has yet achieved widespread usage. Nevertheless, it is important to consider these issues now since some issues may require that the needs of filing and providing of tax returns be considered tax returns be addressed while electronic commerce systems are still under development, the filing of tax return of e-business and furnishing evidence. Commerce on the Web can actually facilitate compliance with consumer disclosure requirements.

A New Yorker cartoon once featured two dogs sitting in front of a computer with a caption that read “[O]n the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.” Tax administrators face a similar issue.

Under clause (a) subsection 1 of section 114 of Income tax Ordinance 2001 has make it obligatory on Every person and company regarding filing of the tax return, “…subject to this Ordinance, the following persons are required to furnish a return of income for a tax year, namely (a) Every company and any other person whose taxable income for the year exceeds the maximum amount that is not chargeable to tax under this Ordinance for the year;”

Under section 26 of Sale Tax Act 1990 has make it obligatory on every person and company regarding filing of the monthly tax return, “…Every registered person shall furnish not later than the due date a true and correct return in the prescribed form to a designated bank specified by the Board, indicating the purchases and the supplies made during a tax period, the tax due and paid and such other information, as may be prescribed”

Under section 26AA of Sale Tax Act 1990 has make it obligatory on every person and company regarding filing of the Retail tax return, “…Every person required to pay turnover tax shall furnish a true and correct return in the prescribed form to the Office of the Collector having jurisdiction indicating the value of supplies made in tax period, the tax paid and such other information as may be prescribed.”

Identification of the parties to a transaction is a necessary first step in determining what the tax liability is for the transaction and who is liable for any tax payable. In relation to e-commerce, special difficulties are presented. Where business is done through a website the tax authorities must be able to link the website with the “real world” physical parties behind it. A website can easily conceal the true identity of the person benefiting from any business it does. On the Internet it is possible to use a false identity and it is not currently possible to independently verify a party’s identity. This raises a number of issues because the identity of counterparty is important for numerous tax provisions.

Similarly, unless tax administrations actively look for signs that existing businesses are involved in e-commerce the existence of a website could remain undetected. Furthermore, websites can quite easily be set up offshore or offshore websites can “front” onshore business. It is imperative for Revenue to encourage voluntary disclosure of websites used as part of the selling and, possibly, distribution functions of a business. As a modest first step, tax forms will need to be changed to ask about e-commerce and to get the website address of any business selling on the internet.

Finally, how the tax returns and other documents are to be attached as provided in tax provisions.

The writer is an advocate of High Court and practicing immigration and corporate laws in Pakistan since September 2001. He is a self employed and pioneer in research on electronic commerce taxation in Pakistan. His articles were published widely in the critical areas of cyber crimes, electronic commerce, e-taxation and various other topics. He wrote LL.M thesis on titled “Legislation of electronic commerce taxation in Pakistan” in which he provided comprehensive legal proposals for statutory reconstruction of tax laws for purpose of imposition of taxation on e-business in Pakistan. Currently he is conducting is research on topic ‘Electronic commerce taxation: emerging legal issues of digital evidence’.

Author can be contacted by adil.waseem@lawyer.com.

Low in Saturated Fat

Physicians and nutritionists the world over all agree that a diet that is high in saturated fat can have very negative consequences on a person’s health and wellbeing. Indeed, a diet that is high in saturated fat can cause a person to suffer heart disease, can lead to cancer and can cause a whole host of other health problems and concern.

The Mediterranean diet is noteworthy because of the fact that it is very low in saturated fat. The typical person who follows the Mediterranean diet intakes less than eight percent of his or her calories from potentially harmful saturated fat. This is significantly below the average of people who do not follow a Mediterranean diet regimen.

Includes Plentiful Amounts of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Another reason why the Mediterranean diet is good for you lies in the fact that the diet includes the consumption of a significant amount of fruit and vegetables. Indeed, the diet encompasses more fresh fruits and vegetables than any other dietary program or plan today.

Fresh fruits and vegetables have a significant beneficial effect on a person’s health and wellbeing. People who following the Mediterranean diet and consume generous servings of fruits and vegetables each day have a lower incidence of certain diseases including cancer and cardiovascular ailments.

High in Whole Grains and Fiber

A benefit in the Mediterranean diet is found in the fact that it lowers in the incidence of certain types of cancer. One of the reasons that the Mediterranean diet lowers the incidence of cancer is found in the fact that the diet is rich in whole grains and dietary fiber. Both whole grain and fiber have proven to lower the incidence of cancer, including colorectal cancer.

High in Anti-Oxidants

The Mediterranean diet is high in anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants play a significant role in maintaining the body — including organs, muscles and skin — in top condition. A diet high in anti-oxidants is believed to ensure that a person will live a longer, healthier life.

Low in Red Meat

Because the Mediterranean diet is low in red meat, the diet plan works to reduce the amount of “bad cholesterol.” A diet low in “bad cholesterol” lessens the incidence of cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke.

High in Lean Meats

The Mediterranean diet includes lean meats in moderate portions. The reasonable amount of lean meats — including fish and certain seafood and fish — provides a health source of protein and energy for a person.

Low in Dairy

The Mediterranean diet is low in dairy products. In fact, a true adherent to the Mediterranean diet includes almost no dairy products at all. Any dairy that is included in the diet is low fat or non fat. Because the diet is low in dairy, particularly fatty dairy products, the diet encourages a person to obtain or maintain an ideal weight. Additionally, the diet aids in reducing cholesterol and works to prevent heart disease.

Prevents Disease

As mentioned, one of the reasons that the Mediterranean diet is good for you rests in the fact that the diet plan appears to reduce the incidence of certain diseases including:

– heart and cardiovascular disease

– cancer

– diabetes

– hypertension

– diabetes

Longevity

The history of the people of the Mediterranean region demonstrates that the Mediterranean diet works to extend a person’s life. In addition, while working to extend a person’s life, this diet scheme works to ensure that a person’s longer life will be healthy as well.

A Convenient Diet Program

Finally, the Mediterranean diet is good for you because it is a convenience diet program. In order to follow the Mediterranean diet you do not need to buy any special products or prepare a unique and hard to manage diet plan. If used with moderate exercise, it is a great way to lose weight while remaining healthy.

Site Owner & Publisher Ray Darken – You can gain much more detail from Ray’s sites along with other relevant information at The Mediterranean Diet or http://www.safe-and-easy-weightloss.com/wordpress/

Why should you invest in real estate? Well, investing in real estate for profit is one of the most popular approaches to generating additional income in the United States today. In fact, if you pay attention to recent press you will have seen numerous reports about the real estate investment craze that seems to be sweeping the Nation.

When done carefully and intelligently, real estate can yield fantastic benefits that can not be achieved through any other type of investment. Here are just a few examples of why real estate investing can be such a powerful wealth generator.

1. Real Estate Markets Are Slow to React – Although real estate, like everything else, has ups and downs, it is generally a lot slower to react than the stock market. For example, you won’t get up in the morning and discover that your real estate investment is worth ten or twenty percent less than it was yesterday.

2. Leverage. You can borrow money to buy real estate, whereas, generally you can not borrow money to buy stocks. You can control a large dollar value of real estate with a small amount of your own money by using loans and mortgages. The stock market, by law, limits the amount of leverage (margin) you can use to buy stock. There are no such limits with real estate.

3. You Can Purchase Real Estate For Less Than Its Market Value. In many cases you can purchase a property for as low as 60 to 70 percent of the market value. When buying stocks, you may be able to find a stock that is considered “under valued” but generally it’s tough to do that on a regular and consistent basis.

4. Real Estate Offers A Tremendous Amount Of Tax Advantages Through Depreciation. Real estate basically has two values, the land and the building(s) on the land. For example, if a property is valued at $250,000 and the assessed value of the land is $75,000, the building would be worth $175,000.

The government allows real estate investors to depreciate the value of the building in equal parts over its “useful life” which is defined as 27.5 years. So for example, based on the $175,000 building value above, the annual depreciation value would be $6,363.63 ($175,000 divided by 27.5). This means that for tax purposes, the investor would be able to reduce his/her annual income by $6,363.63!

Many people find the notion of depreciation to be confusing since it’s not really a loss of money. I recommend you check with a qualified tax professional for more details and how this can benefit you.

5. Real Estate Markets Are Insulated Local Markets. For instance, when the stock market falls, it takes down just about everybody and everything involved with it. When home values drop in one city such as New York, generally it does not affect property values in other cities like Boston or Chicago. To protect yourself, you can have a “geographically diversified” portfolio of real estate investments to hedge against these types events.

6. You The Investor Can Control The Value. Another aspect of real estate investment is that unlike any other investment, this investment is controlled by the investor. For example, as an investor, you can increase the value of your investment property by making some modifications to the property such as adding a garage or replacing the carpet, etc. With stocks or any other investment, the investor can’t do anything to increase the value of the investment.

7. The Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH). When a market has prices that always “fully reflect” available information, it is called “efficient”. The stock market for example is considered by most to be an efficient market. When you call your broker to purchase or sell a stock, you can be sure of one thing – the price you bought or sold the stock for was indeed the “correct” price for that stock on that day and at that time. Why? Because the existing price for the stock will already incorporate and reflect all relevant available information about the company such as earnings, and other metrics.

With real estate, the market is very inefficient. Unlike the stock market, with real estate, the “correct” price discovery mechanism is left to each buyer and seller to figure out on their own. There is the almost always uncertainty as to whether the price offered by the seller is too high or too low. Moreover, there is typically little to no help available from analysts and research agencies (like when dealing with stocks) in this respect. This inefficiency is the very reason why real estate offers such a great investment opportunity to be smart and win! But it requires experience and a sharp eye for good deals and great negotiation skill. This expertise can be developed.

If done correctly, real estate is probably one of the smartest investments you could ever make. Hopefully this short rambling has provided you with a fresh perspective of the many benefits of real estate investing. So be smart, continue to learn and above all don’t wait for some magic moment, just get started.

To Your Success!

Rik Foote

Rik Foote is the President & CEO of The Dorian Group, Inc. Dorian is a software company that develops affordable software applications designed to help beginners get off to a realistic and practical start as real estate investors. To learn more about Dorian’s products and services visit http://www.reiscouts.com

After presenting these ideas at the NAREN (National At-Risk Education Network) in Wisconsin last week, I was asked to write an article that would be able to reach more people to spread the exciting word about Dr. William Glasser’s work in the area of Quality Schools.

There are many characteristics that are required in order for a school to be listed as a Quality School. There are currently 13 such schools in the country, with many more on their journey to become Quality Schools.

In a Quality School, relationships are based upon trust and respect, and all discipline problems, not incidents, have been eliminated. Total Learning Competency is stressed and an evaluation that is below competence or what is now a “B” has been eliminated. All schooling as defined by Dr. William Glasser has been replaced by useful education. All students do some Quality Work each year that is significantly beyond competence. All such work receives an “A” grade or higher, such as an “A+”.

Students and staff are taught to use Choice Theory in their lives and in their work in school. Parents are encouraged to participate in study groups to become familiar with the ideas of Dr. William Glasser. Students do better on state proficiency tests and college entrance examinations. The importance of these tests is emphasized in the school. Staff, students, parents and administrators view the school as a joyful place.

All of the above criterion must be in place to be listed as a Quality School. When a school is a Quality School, the dictates of “No Child Left Behind” take care of themselves. Now, of course there will be a few children who have totally rejected school that are unreachable but for the majority, they will learn and do quality work.

The way to achieve this is to implement the three conditions of quality. First, the school and each classroom must create an environment that will meet the needs of the students, and consequently of teachers. All humans are born with five basic human needs. We have the need for survival, connection/love, power, freedom and fun/learning. This is true of students and teachers.

In order to help students meet their need for survival, the school and classroom must be safe. They must feel that they won’t be hurt physically or emotionally. When students feel safe, there is no need to threaten teachers or other students.

In order for students to satisfy their need for connection/love, they must have a relationship with the teacher and the other students. They must believe that the teacher has their best interest at heart. The more you give love and connection away, the more they come back to you.

In order to satisfy a student’s need for power, teachers must listen to and respect their students’ ideas and issues. This does not mean that teachers must agree with their students but they must at least let the students know that they are important. When students feel listened to and respected, they don’t disrespect their teachers and they tend to listen more.

For students to have freedom, they must have choices. They must not be bogged down in rules and regulations. When students have choices, they won’t have the need to create destructive choices of their own.

In school, learning should be fun. Learning is always fun when the learning is useful and the students want to learn what is being taught. Imagine students having fun learning! Isn’t that the dream of teachers everywhere? When your students are having fun, you do too.

I know this sounds like an impossible task but there are many schools doing just that with training in Dr. William Glasser’s Choice Theory. Creating a need-satisfying environment is what actually eliminates discipline problems. If someone has a legitimate, appropriate way to get his/her needs met, then there is no reason to create discipline problems.

Switching courses over to a competency-based approach is critical to the Quality School concept. Students are not permitted to get credit for less than B work and they have opportunities to improve their work until it meets the minimum standard for a B. Concepts are taught in such a way that reduces the need for memorizing facts that can be found in any encyclopedia or text.

This and more speaks to the second condition of quality that students will only be asked to do useful work. It is the teacher’s job to convince students that what they are being asked to do is useful in the real world. If you are successful in that endeavor, you will have willing students. Wouldn’t that make your job more enjoyable for you?

The final condition of quality is self-evaluation. Students are asked to grade their own work. There are two essential items that must be met in order to get accurate self-evaluations from students. First, they must have no fear that the teacher or anyone else will hurt them with an honest self-evaluation. Second, there must be a clear rubric in place that will give students a model against which to compare their own work.

Self-evaluation does not replace the need of the teacher or teacher’s aide (another student already judged to be competent in that particular area) from corroborating the student’s self-evaluation. Students are not punished for less than competent work. Rather they are shown where their work is lacking and given the opportunity to fix it. This, again, is a skill that is seen everyday in the real world. Rarely do people actually loss their jobs for substandard work. They are told what is wrong and asked to fix it.

Of course this is just a thumb nail sketch of what is necessary to become a Quality School but if you or anyone you know is interested in learning more, visit http://www.coachingforexcellence.biz and check our calendar for upcoming teleclasses, chats and workshops.

Kim Olver has an undergraduate degree in psychology, a graduate degree in counseling, is a National Certified Counselor and is a licensed professional counselor. Since 1987, Kim has extensively studied the work of Dr. William Glasser’s Choice Theory, Reality Therapy and Lead Management. She was certified in Reality Therapy in 1992 and continued her studies to become a certified instructor for the William Glasser Institute. She is an expert at empowering people to navigate the sometimes difficult course of life—teaching them how to get the most out of the circumstances life provides them. These are incredibly powerful ideas with equal application to one’s work and personal lives. Kim can work with you to empower your staff and clients and propel your organization to the next level.