Pros and Cons of Business Online Marketing

There are things which an entrepreneur should take into consideration before launching off into things such as Business Online Marketing. We all know that online marketing has lots to offer especially for those people who would like to put up their businesses the easy way without having to spend a large amount of money at all. All they have to do is set up an internet connection to their computers and business will come pouring in as they patiently wait in their seats.

We are always aware of the advantages of Business Online Marketing, but it is also important to know the disadvantages which it would imply on you as the entrepreneur so that you would be aware if you would be willing to take the risk and if you would be able to handle the impending pressure once you have started business online.

Here are some of the disadvantages on can get from Business Online Marketing; transacting business online may mean that all the Internet Marketer or seller has to face is his computer. This could leave him feeling isolated from the rest of the people in the world. The world wide web is faceless in most cases and it may appear cold and inhuman. Unlike in selling in shops and establishments, where one can get to interact first hand with the customers and socialize, selling online deprives the seller from actually interacting with actual people.

Next is the honesty of the Internet Marketer or sellers. There have been circumstances wherein sellers online lie to their customers. As a result some customers lose a level of trust with online sellers. It can be hard to tell if people are lying when one is only communicating with them through computers. Additionally there is also the online traffic competition where not only hundreds but thousands of sites compete every minute of the day to walk a step up from their current ranking. Wherein one has to compete with other websites online that sells or gives the same products and services as the Internet Marketer or seller’s site.

Another disadvantage of Business Online Marketing is the application costs where the money which you use to apply online and to buy your very own web site domain name. You would not get anywhere unless you have your very own web site to sell your services and products with. Other Internet Marketers or sellers make use of existing sites, for example they partner with the existing sites so that they would be able to open up a site in their own country, but still working under the existing sites name.

Lease-Option and Rent-To-Own Properties – 11 Ways to Find Them When They’re Not on the MLS

Lease-options (also known as rent-to-own, and similar to lease-purchases or land contracts) are a good way to find properties to buy when you can’t buy traditionally. Perhaps you have poor credit, or no down payment. Or maybe you’re not sure about a new neighborhood, and want to rent before buying. The problem is: Lease-options can be difficult to find. Many aren’t listed as “lease-options” on the MLS (“Multiple Listing Service”–the real estate databases used by Realtors), and others are not on the MLS at all. Here are some little-known ways to find a lease-option when they are not listed on the MLS.

But, first, the fundamentals:

A lease option combines a lease for a piece of property and an option to buy the property at some point in the future. There’s no one “standard” lease. But the lease can be typical for your area. (The secret to this technique lies in the option.) The lease says that the tenant has the right to occupy the property for 12 (or 24, or whatever you choose) months, paying rent of $x a month. It contains the same basic provisions as any lease: keep the property clean, no illegal activities, pay rent on time, etc. There isn’t anything unusual about the lease.

The magic is in the option. The option gives the tenant-buyer (the renter who may become the owner) the right to purchase the property for a specific amount in a specific time frame so long as he obeys the terms of the lease.

So those are the fundamentals. The problem is: How do you find them? If you go to a Realtor, he/she isn’t going to find many–if any–on the MLS. But don’t let that stop you. There are many, many of them out there. You just need to know where to look.

Non-MLS Rentals

Many rental properties-single-family homes, townhouses, and condos-are rented out directly by the property’s owner. Remember, as we pointed out above, that many owners are “reluctant landlords.” All the points made above apply to non-listed rent-als. In addition, these owners are facing the hassle of dealing with calls from many “tire kickers” and less-than-serious callers. So, many get frustrated pretty quickly.

And the person seeking a lease-option has another advantage: The ability to speak directly to the owner. Now, technically, even if a property is listed with an agent, you can speak directly to the owner. But the owner has decided to use a real estate agent, in part, to avoid all that hassle. It’s poor form, and usually not a good idea, to try negotiating directly with a seller when that seller is represented by a real estate agent. In the case of non-listed rentals, there is no such buffer. You can call and, in most cases, speak directly with the owner.

There can be another advantage, too: Not having to deal with a real estate agent who doesn’t understand lease-options, doesn’t “believe in them,” or thinks that he or she is protecting the owners’ interest by not accurately presenting your offer to the owners.

You can find these properties in the classified ad sections of newspapers. You can also find them on online services such as Craigslist. And you can find them by looking at bulletin boards at your local supermarket or other locations. And if you can’t find enough by looking, then place your own ads in the newspaper, on Craigslist, and on bulletin boards.

Here are some clues to properties that might work out as lease-options:

For Sale by Owner (FSBOs) Properties

These are properties that the owners are trying to sell themselves. People often try to sell properties themselves for two reasons: In a seller’s market–when there’s more demand than supply–FSBOs figure that the house will pretty much sell regardless of who the agent is, how much marketing is used, or even the price of the house. So why, FSBOs wonder, should they pay an agent 4%, 5%, 6%, or even more when all it’ll take is a “For Sale” sign. In a seller’s market, it’s very difficult to find lease-option properties, especially among FSBOs.

The picture changes sharply in a buyer’s market-when there’s more supply than demand. In a slow market, some sellers think they can’t afford to pay an agent’s commission. They think that they’ll end up with more money in their pockets if they sell the home themselves. They’re often wrong, but that’s their strategy.

One other thing to keep in mind about FSBOs: The asking price of their house is far more likely to be too high than too low, or even properly priced. In part, they don’t have access to all the tools a real estate agent does. In part, they’re emotionally attached to their homes.

Sometimes, they had an appraisal on their property for one purpose, such as a refinance or home equity line of credit (in which cases, the appraisals tend to be on the high side), and they think that the appraisal was an accurate reflection of the value upon resale. It isn’t. And sometimes they’ve used one of the many online services, such as Zillow, to price their homes. Those services sometimes are reasonably accurate. Often, they’re not.

So, in any market, hot or cold, FSBOs are likely to be overpriced. And in a slow market, that means most will sit there and just not sell. That’s why you, the buyer, should have a real estate agent on your “Dream Team” even if you’re planning on finding the property yourself. Your agent can quickly tell you whether the price being asked by the seller is reasonable.

When dealing with a FSBO, a lease-option buyer can offer closer to what the FSBO actually wants. The catch, of course, is that the sale will occur a year or more into the future, not today. If the FSBO needs all of his equity out of the property, this strategy won’t work. But if the FSBO can wait a year or two, there are golden opportunities for the lease-option buyer. The tenant-buyer explains to the FSBO that he can pay what the FSBO is asking (or close to what the FSBO is asking). Just not right away. It’s the same basic strategy that’s used above, for listed homes for sale. But now you can make your case directly to the seller.

Owner-Advertised Lease-Options

Sometimes owners will advertise lease-options. They understand the benefits of lease options to them-immediate cash flow, often at higher-than-market rent, plus a good opportunity to sell their homes-and decide to try it themselves. You can find these anywhere owners advertise-local newspapers, bulletin boards, Craigslist, and so on. In structured formats, such as newspapers and Craigslist, look under both properties for rent and properties for sale.

Owner-Advertised: Other Delayed Purchases

Be sure your agent also searches using other terms that describe similar structures. These terms include “lease-purchase,” “rent-to-own,” “rent-to-buy,” “land contract,” and “contract for deed.” In each case, the owner is signaling that he or she wants to sell, but is willing to wait for the sale occurs. Some of these techniques, and some of these terms, are more often used in certain areas of the country than others. So search for them all.

Owner Financing

Search for properties on which the owner is willing to hold financing. This means the owner is willing to act as the bank. He doesn’t need all the money at closing. He’s willing to take payments over time while the tenant is living in the home. And many owners don’t have the lending criteria as strict or inflexible as the big banks.

But don’t stop there. Remember: A lease-option couples a lease with an option to purchase. So look for owners who are trying to rent their properties but are open to selling, or for owners who are trying to sell, but are open to renting.

Properties for Rent and for Sale

The first step is to find properties both for rent and sale. Even if they’re not listed as “lease-options,” owners are willing to lease and sell. All you’re asking is that they lease now and sell later.

Former “For Sale” Properties Now Listed for Rent

These might be properties that had been listed with a real estate agent, or properties that the owner was trying to sell himself. It doesn’t matter. But the house didn’t sell, and now it’s up for rent. These are properties that the owners really would like to sell. But they weren’t able to, so they’re will-ing to rent. Again, you’re offering a solution to their problem. You’re willing to rent now, and may be willing to buy later.

Former Rentals Now for Sale

Along the same lines, look for properties that first were listed as rentals, but now are listed for sale. There probably will be fewer of these than those first for sale, now for rent, but it never hurts to look. These, too, are properties that the owner is both willing to rent and to sell.

Thus far, we’ve identified properties that we know the owners have been willing to both rent and sell. Now we’ll move on to owners who might be willing to both rent and to sell.

Vacant Houses for Sale

Start with owners who are trying to sell, and whose house is vacant. These owners may have bought a new home, but haven’t yet sold the old one. They’re paying two mortgages-usually an uncomfortable situation. You can help out by providing a quick revenue stream–your rent payments–while offering the possibility of a sale in the future. If you’re able to, target the properties that have been on the market the longest.

Rentals

You’ll find more prospects among owners who are renting out their homes. It may be their former primary residence, and they’ve moved on to a new home. Or it may be a property they’ve held as an investment property for awhile. It’s important to remember that many owners are “reluctant landlords.” It wasn’t their original intent to rent out their property. They don’t particularly enjoy the whole rental process, and they don’t like the hassle of dealing with tenants. But somehow they’ve become landlords and they’re trying to make the best of it.

For these owners, the solution you’re offering is the immediate gratification of a rental, and the longer term possibility of a sale. It may help if the property is vacant, but even reluctant landlords whose tenants have given proper notice, and haven’t moved out, may be eager to end their landlording hassles.

Investors

Some investors put together lease-options, then market the lease-options to tenant-buyer with a markup. These are called “sandwich lease-options” because the structure resembles a sandwich: An owner on one side (one slice of bread in the “sandwich”) lease-optioning the property to an investor; the investor in the middle (the meat in the sandwich), and the tenant-buyer on the other side (the other slice of bread in the “sandwich”).

So those are many of the ways you can find a lease-option or rent-to-own home even when the property may not be listed on the multiple listing service. And the point worth repeating is: Some homes will be “advertised” as a lease-option. Many won’t be. You’ll reduce or eliminate your competition by looking where others aren’t looking.

Learn How to Get an Interesting Lifestyle

What is an interesting lifestyle and how do you define it?

I came up with a sentence that I felt covered it well.

“Doing what you want to do”

Simple isn’t it? An interesting life has been created by an interesting character. So in order to develop an interesting lifestyle one must first become interesting or at least have an interest in life.

Nope. It just means that you should have an interest in life and what it offers. If you are interested in learning about the late Mayans then go to South America and learn first hand. If you want to experience the waves in Hawaii then go visit the place and ride the waves. It beats the hell out of just reading a book about it. Motivating yourself into taking action that will enrich your life.

One way to get inspiration is to try and look at people who already have a lifestyle that you want and learn how they achieved it. This is why I recommend reading auto-biographies.

One such person is the famous rapper Jay-Z, he wrote a very good book called Decoded.

The book is about his view on life and the many lessons he learned from it. If not it will at least inspire you to go get what you want out of life. You don’t have to agree with everything an author have to say. But acknowledge that this is how they view life and you should do something about your life too.

One of my personal favorite people are Richard Branson or Tony Robbins. These two live an exemplary lifestyle that many people dream of. Doing research on them or reading about their stories will help inspire and motivate you on your own path.

What all this proves is that an interesting lifestyle can not be categorized. It’s interesting if you find it so. An interesting lifestyle is a life lived with passion.

“Life becomes interesting when you take an interest in life.”

People who aren’t living an interesting life are usually lazy people.

It takes a lot of work maintaining such a lifestyle. People with interesting lifestyles are busy people. So be prepared to spend huge amounts of time on developing your lifestyle. But I would say that once you’re find something you’re passionate about, then it becomes more of a personal holiday than actual work. Developing an interesting lifestyle is enjoyable. It’s a passion.

Impact Resistance Test in Home Furniture

Impact tests are those that assess the strength of the cabinet against the occasional impact that will happen during its lifetime.

HEIGHT IMPACT

Before determining the impact point is placed a sheet of foam, from which we determine the drop height of the impactor. Then, place a second sheet of foam.

The test method is performed according to the following process: first determine the loading point of the seat (point on the seat in the vertical center of mass of the user’s mass) then place a sheet of foam to determine the drop from of it until the impactor, then place a second sheet of foam between the first and the impactor and finally dropped freely impactor with a mass of 25 kg. This process is repeated 10 times and any other position that is considered of importance. If it is a product intended to be used by more than one person, try a square from one end and a central place.

A test which simulates the same is based on American standards ANSI / BIFMA: the test procedure is to drop freely a mass of 102 kg that hits the seat from a fixed height of 152 mm measured from the uncompressed seat to the base of the bag. After it, the test is repeated, this time with a bag loaded with 136 Kg. After the first impact of the seat, it must to be fully operational and after the second must have been produced no sharp breaks.

HEADS RESISTANCE TESTS

Impactor is situated to the starting position of test and control the test parameters, such as time between impact and stop in case of breakage.

Another way to test the seams and seat structure is applying energy from impact test on backrests and armrests. To test is essential to block the movement of the seat sliding and impact in the center of the upper back (or at the rear edge of the seat if it is backless chairs) or on the side of the armrest in the position considered most unfavorable. A total of 10 impacts at each element, from the outside in, with the impact hammer, that consists of a cylindrical head of 6.5 kg mass attached to a steel tube 38 mm in diameter with a thickness of 2 mm and a length of 1 m to the low friction joint. The angle of fall of the hammer to the achievement of impact varies between 38 º and 68 º depending on its intended use the seat.

TABLE IMPACT TEST

In the studies of impacts on tables is turned on the strength of the table to occasional impact when placing things on top of it. The test consists of dropping the impactor freely over the top of the table 10 times, following the same steps that in the case of impacts on the seats of the chairs. The drop height varies between 180 and 240 mm, in the case of tables with glass top security than the drop height varies between 240 and 300 mm, in this case, instead of using two layers of polyether 25 mm thick, using a polyether foam 100 mm thick.

BATHROOM AND KITCHEN FURNITURE IMPACT TEST

It determines the resistance to hard charges located on the drawers of kitchen and bathroom. The test consists of dropping a steel ball of 42.8 mm diameter and a mass of 324 g from a height of 600 mm above the bottom of the drawer when the drawer is 2 / 3 of its total opening. At the end of the test evaluates the possible flaws that affect the mechanical strength or functionality. The fronts of the kitchen and bathroom cabinets (doors and drawers) are impacting the central part of himself with a leather ball with a diameter of 200 mm and a mass of 5 kg from a height of 500 mm. In the case of lower cabinets with doors, are tested after being closed and opened 45 degrees and found that there are no breakages and that the elements continue to function correctly.

TEST IMPACTS ON CHILDREN’S FURNITURE

The impact tests on children and juvenile furniture ensure durability of the model at such issues as the base (cribs), trays (chairs), mattress, safety barriers, etc.., Special mention by the type of furniture and what type of audience that will be use it, where any defect in design or accidental breakage of any component can cause a serious accident.

Test consists on impacts on both the mattress and in the barrier. The base of the cradle hits a thousand times in each of the six points identified by the European Standard. Its dropped freely and avoid the impactor rebounds (10 kg device with a tip mass in the opposite hemisphere and a guide to maintain the vertical and secure the point of impact) from a height of 150 mm between the base and the impactor is placed a cushion with a density test (35 + 2) kg / m3 and a thickness of 60 mm, dismissing every 5 completed trials.

To test the resistance of the head and sides of the cribs, the impactor is placed lateral (pendulum of steel cylindrical head covered with a layer of rubber 10 mm thickness and a hardness between 76 IRHD and 78 IRHD with a total mass of 2 Kg) ready to hit the crossbar or side 10 times from outside and the next rung 10 times from inside to hit all the bars (or all points determined whether it is solid side). The impact is made on a point at a height of 200 mm below the top edge of the side, dropping freely side impact from a horizontal position. Each and every one of the corners of the cribs are impacting five times inside and five on the outside as close as possible to the top edge impactor dropping freely from a 60-degree angle.

Berths are also tested by impacts. The bases are tested on the two beds and the steps of the staircase to the upper bed. The impacts on the bunk bed frame are made on seven points from a height of 180 mm measured from the top of the mattress test (in this case, with a density of (30 + 2) kg / m3 and 100 mm thick ). The impact on the steps of the staircase leading to the upper bed is performed ten times in each of the following: on the steps above, below and you’re closer to the center, hitting the center and as close to one side as possible, is dropped from 150 mm impactor (consisting of a bar of 1400 mm, which places a mass of 15 kg, finished in a steel plate of 100 * 100 * 6 mm).