Millions of people across the world desire to work for themselves from home. Some of us want to be our own boss because of the flexibility we can gain as a result of working for ourselves. Others are very much attracted to making extra money or more money than what they earn from the 9am – 5 pm normal job, while working for lesser hours. The cost of setting up an offline business can be mind-blowing and breath-taking as compare to setting up an internet affiliate marketing business and an online home business. Only few people can really distinguish the differences cost while.Many people, who do not understand starting an online business or an online home base business involves lesser cost than starting any offline business, are very scared of starting one. Internet affiliate business and home base businesses are increasingly becoming very popular since most people have now realising that the cost for setting up one is minimal or can even cost nothing at all than they ever have thought of. This has led to the increasing rise of internet affiliate marketing business and other online home base businesses. As a result of this rise, this has fetched a fortune to many people. It is now a booming business, yet the market is just too young than you would think.Now the basic essentials for setting up your own home base business are, a computer with an internet connection, a mobile phone or home phone, and a little space in your bedroom or sitting room. Some people will even work sometimes with their top on their bed in their bedroom. Only your laptop with an internet connection will make a complete office for setting up a very big business from home.Affiliate marketing is a big business as it can provides anyone the opportunity of selling products and services to millions of people across the world via the internet. It is a very lucrative business if it is done properly.The starting point is to pick the kind of market, (that is product or services you would be interested in promoting). Ask yourself, is the product or services you have picked a hungry market? Are there many people out there who will be interested in that kind of product / services? If the answer is yes, then you have landed yourself a business and an opportunity to make some good money. If the answer is no, you must not continue with that product or service because that will not make you money. That means you have to research other markets in order to find a hot niche market that will sell like a hot cake or candies.The next thing is to evaluate your skills. Do I have the skill that is required to become successful as an online affiliate marketer, or a home base business owner? If the answer is no, then you have to learn and acquire that knowledge. Like said earlier, it is a very lucrative business / industry, and for that reason it is worth acquiring the right skills for becoming successful.There are ten thousands of already made products ready for anyone to promote them and earn commissions. Hope you have heard of Amazon and eBay affiliate programs, though as a matter of fact the earnings is not much to writing home as compare to some great affiliate networks out there.All the hard work in producing the product has all being done for you. All you have to do is promote, earn commissions and enjoy your life at home with friends and family. Choosing the right niche is the key to succeeding in your new business. Imagine promoting a hot product that pays out $45 per sale. $45 x 500 sales per month will fetch you a fortune of a whopping $22,500 in just one month. There are supper affiliate marketers who will make more than 500 sales in just one day. I know you will doubt this fact but I am going to prove this in just 2 simple ways out of several.The best way of running a sustainable and profitable internet affiliate marketing business or online home base business is by using social media and building a great list. There are some people who have up to 200,000 to 500,000 and even more than 1 million followers on twitter alone. Let us say they intend to promote a product that is paying out a $45 commission per sale. Again, let us say they tweet this product to their 1 million followers and only 1% percent of the followers choose to buy from their affiliate link. That affiliate just made $450,000 from just one tweet (1,000,000 followers x 1% followers buyers = 10,000 followers buyers x $45 commission per sale = $450,000 for tweeting that one particular product). That is a whopping $450,000 and can happen in a day.There are lots of online marketers with an email marketing list of more than 500,000 to more than a million subscribers. You compare that list to the twitter marketing illustration I discussed earlier above and decide for yourself why it is worth to set up an internet affiliate business and an online home base business. Also see for yourself why millions of people across the world are diving into the online industry. This reason has led to the increasing rise of millions of people setting up an internet affiliate marketing Business and an online Home Base Business.
Home Based Business Vs Conventional Business
Whether you intend to run a home based business or a conventional brick and mortar one, you can surely enjoy a lot of perks and privileges that is innate in having the same kind of business. While there is no such thing as a perfect entrepreneurial pursuit, one thing remains the same: there are unique advantages to it as much as there are advantages to it too. Now, a home based business may be worth comparing with a conventional brick and mortar business in terms of costs, marketing, and its market in general. Knowing these should help you decide which business type is suited best for you.Start-up Costs. More often than not, a conventional business will demand a lot on start-up costs. Renovating your place of business, the implements required to operate, and many other demands will call for a lot on your finances. This should not be the case when you opt to have a home based business though; as you have your home fitting just right to accommodate your entrepreneurial pursuits.Operational Expenses. Operational expenses may be less when you have your home based business. This is because you do not have rents to think about, and you do not have store staff to pay for. In addition to this, operating your conventional, brick and mortar business also implies that you have to pay utility bills too, on top of maintenance costs and expenses. This should not be the case with a business you run at home; as you pay your home bills, you pay your business’ bills along.Marketing and Promotions. A conventional brick and mortar business would compel you to have more and more people in order to gain back your investment and monthly fixed expenditures; thus, the need to have an extensive and intensive marketing strategies as well. This implies more costs on your end. The same is not true with a home based business though, as marketing in this kind of business happens by word of mouth.Market as a Whole. With a fixed area to undertake your conventional brick and mortar business, you have a very limited market. This is not the case when you run a home based business. With a business type as that of the latter, you can even be a travelling salesperson expanding your market constantly.With all these things in mind, aspiring entrepreneurs with less investment capacities should opt for a home based business; while those who have the means to risk may go for the conventional brick and mortar one.
Top Ways to Turn Your Small Business Into a Business Empire
Top ways to turn your small business into a profitable business empire.Small businesses are those businesses which may be started with small capital investments. There are millions of people who are running small or home businesses. Nearly 70% of newly started small businesses fail due to lack of capital, competitions and various other reasons.Before we look into the reason for success or failure of small businesses let us look into some of the most successful businesses that were started with some powerful and innovative ideas. if you start any small business in a routine way then you may earn just hand to mouth. To take your small business on top you must provide something new and innovative.How some of the ordinary people turned their small business into a global business empire:(1). King c. Gillette: A traveling salesman found that his straight razor had dulled and it has become impossible for him to make a close shave. Many time his dulled razor use to cut his skin as there was no sharpness left so he started thinking about new safety razor. A new idea about making a twin blade razor was born in which disposable blade may be put and replaced. Even though many engineers rejected the idea but he continued to experiment and today Gillette have become a billion dollar company. He introduced a low cost, disposable blade that can make close and safe shave.Summary: He faced a problem and wanted to find an innovative solution to that problem. Although he was a salesman with limited resources but he knew that idea can be turned into money. He realized that if his dreams can be realized then he can turn it into a profitable business empire. This is the power of innovative idea. An innovative idea can make unlimited wealth. Any small business can be turned into a big business empire if you try to introduce some new concepts.(2). Tory Kumon: A high school mathematics teacher in Japan, Toru Kumon, became concerned because his second grade school son was bringing home poor grades in mathematics. Encouraged by his wife to find a better way to teach his son, Kumon began to examine the textbooks and exercises being used. Kumon felt that there were better ways and looked for a different method for his son. The Kumons worked together and while his wife supervised the home work of their son, Toru Kumon re-wrote the exercises and drills for his son, giving him a slightly more difficult set of problems every day. By the time the son had finished eighth grade, he was working through calculus problems, easily and correctly, and could handle work found on university entrance examinations.Toru Kumon realized that if his son was having this problem, there would be other children in the same situation. Kumon then decided to take his methods to other parents whose children were having these same challenges. He did this by opening Kumon Learning Centers throughout Japan. Kumon was not without his critics, though. Members of the educational establishment were against him – primarily because it was not their idea. They could not refute the fact that the Kumon system works. Today kumon have more then 26000 centers in 46 countries. This is the power of a small and powerful idea!Summary: Kumon saw a problem – poor academic performance and defined it as an opportunity – opportunity to create a learning system that would resolve the poor academic performance problems. After working with his son and finding something that work, he found he could provide this service to other parents that were having the same challenges. At the same time, he could create income for himself. He provided something of value and a lower cost than many of the alternatives.(3)Amancio ortega: Amancio Ortega was born in the year 1936 in Spain. His father was a railway worker and his mother worked as a maid to support the family. Due to the financial problems that his family was facing, at the tender age of 13 he started working as a delivery boy at a shirt makers shop. Thereafter he worked for a lot of stores and tailors and closely studied as to how the products and cost of the products changed as they traveled from the manufacturer to the consumer. As a result of this study he became focused on the importance of getting the products directly to the consumer by eliminating the middleman. During his experience of working as a manager of a local clothing shop he realized that only rich people were able to afford high fashion clothes because of the high prices they came with. Having observed this, he was determined to manufacture high fashion clothes that were low priced and accessible to all. He continued to gain experience and knowledge while working until 1963 when he started his own company with just $25. He started designing and making fine bathrobes and started selling it to customers and also started supplying them at various stores. Later on with the profits that he earned with the help of this business he started his own factory. Today his personal worth is more then $20 billions. This is the power of innovative ideas on which a small business is developed into a business empire.Let us try to shed some light on the innovative ideas that he used to turn his small business into a fortune.(A)He realized that the high end fashion clothes were only accessible to rich people as only they could afford it. A major portion of the price margin was consumed by the middlemen. To eliminate this problem, he started creating high end fashion clothes or rather look-alike of top fashionable clothes for the masses at affordable prices by eliminating the middlemen. In this way then number of people who bought his clothes increased and in turn he became very popular.Benefits to the consumer: Due to Amancio’s innovative idea, the middle class people who could not normally afford costly and latest designs were able to avail these fashionable clothes at reasonable rates.(B)Direct Retailing: Amancio realized that middle men like wholesalers, semi wholesalers were deciding the final selling prices of these clothes and thus they ended up being very costly. Thus he opened his own string of stores called ZARA where he passed the margin that was being taken by the middle men to the customers.(C)When Amancio started his business; the industry standard was to introduce new fashion twice a year. Thus people had to wait for a very long span of time and would visit the shop only twice a year to buy the new fashionable clothes. Amancio introduced the unique concept of instant fashion by introducing latest designs and new fashions within 2-3 weeks. This in turn pulled people to his shops many times in a month. This also helped customers by bringing new designs to them and the shopkeepers were benefited too because of the constant visits by the customers.(D)Modifying unsold designs: Some designs do not sell as much as the popular ones. What Amancio did was to change and alter the failed designs so that they would be sold. He did this by putting up new patterns and accessories on the old designs.(E)Advantage of information technology: To know more about what type of designs sell and what type does not sell and also to know more about the unsold stocks, Amancio took advantage of information technology that allowed him to monitor the unsold inventories. This also helped him realize the actual taste of the customers.Summary: Amancio ortega started a small business with just $25 but today his personal net worth is more then $20 billions. At the time he started his business there were already thousands of businessmen, designers, and established fashion houses but only he was able to make it to the top because he introduced something new in his small business and rest is history.Most of the self made billionaires possessed or developed the following qualities to become rich and these are necessary for success in any business: They started with a small business and developed into a business empire. Some of the qualities required to develop a small business into a business empires are as follow.1. A burning desire to become rich
2. A fixed goal and a sound business plan to materialize it.
3. The faith and persistence in your efforts and making the tough decision of never to give up even after many failures.
4. A practical plan of action
5. Developing the ability to organize information and creating something new out of it.
6. The ability to innovate
7. Working towards developing new ideas and innovations instead of worrying about the investments required for the business.
8. Compensating for lack of education with self education and mastering all specialized knowledge with practical experience.
9. Finding ways to make money without any capital
10. Trying to create something new that would provide additional benefits to the customers or to the industry.
11. They are never ashamed to take up even a small job so as to learn in and outs of the business and to sharpen their skills in the field.
12. The ability to turn even $1 into thousands.
13. Creates opportunities for themselves instead of waiting for them to happen
14. They mastered all the specialized knowledge that is required for the selected business and tried to learn everything that is necessary to make a fortune
15. Developed their ability to create the best.
16. Creates and develops only such things that have a demand or that will be sold for sure.
17. They are never afraid of competition and beat it with the help of better products.
18. They always think and plan 10-20 years ahead of the time
19. They develop a profitable idea to attract investment.
20. They start initially with a knowledge based or skill based business.
21. They learn how to think like a customer and constantly try to find ways to provide goods and services at a low cost and with high value.Summary: whatever small businesses you want to start first of all make a research about the ideas that are being used by top and successful companies. Now try to find some loop holes or better solutions and try to introduce them in your small business.
Search Engine Marketing – How and Why?
Here’s an overview of search engine marketing from the perspective of a Greensboro, NC marketing firm. According to Wikipedia, the definition of Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is a form of internet marketing that involves the promotion of websites by increasing their visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) through optimization (both on-page and off-page) as well as through advertising (paid placements, contextual advertising, and paid inclusions).1 Depending on the context, SEM can be an umbrella term for various means of marketing a website including search engine optimization (SEO), which adjusts or rewrites website content to achieve a higher ranking in search engine results pages, or it may contrast with pay per click (PPC), focusing on only paid components.2
Due to the many intricate details in the complex technology of search engine marketing, a large number of marketing professionals and business owners do not understand the ever-changing nuances and methodologies so they rely on top ad agencies or marketing consultants for their expertise in managing their search engine marketing.
Spending on paid search has increased more than 20 percent from 2012 and with product listing ads, this will continue to grow. Your website will need to be highly optimized in order to be relevant in organic search or you will need to pay for search ads to target certain keywords and phrases. Mobil spending on paid search has also experienced a huge year with more than a 30% increase in 2012. If your search marketing campaigns are implemented by a professional marketing consultant or a top ad agency, your results with generating leads will be much better and your ROI will be much higher.
Spending on SEO to organically optimize your site will be very important as new surveys have shown increases in effectiveness for Organic SEO to generate leads. Hummingbird is focusing on original content relevant to the products or services so SEO will be very critical in 2014 and beyond. Paid and Social media will certainly generate new leads, but according to the latest surveys, Organic SEO is increasing while PPC has slightly decreased and Social has remained constant. B2B companies are seeing the largest percentage of leads from SEO with PPC and Social Media being quite a bit lower based on percentage of leads generated. The 2011 survey from WebMarketing 123 is available to view via PDF along with the 2012 survey from Web Marketing 123.
There are many areas of search marketing specialty under the main heading of Search Engine Marketing or Search Marketing for short. The sub-categories for branding, conversion, mobile, landing pages, public relations, search term research, ppc, social marketing and blogs are all very important to the overall search marketing category.
When a person is interested in a product or service, they will begin searching or hunting for those items via online sources. It could be found through text, video, or audio components. If they are hunting or searching, this should give you a very good clue that they are somewhere in the buying cycle. It could be driven by a search to fill an immediate need or potentially a future need. Whether captured through a paid or an organic source, these leads are very good quality as you have a captive audience who is already interested in the product or service. Your job is not so much to sell them on the idea of the product or service itself, but to educate and provide information on how your branded product or service can yield value to that consumer. What’s unique about your brand and how can you make their life easier?
Here’s a multitude of reasons why people buy things:
Marketing… (Had to do this one first since we are a marketing firm) Marketing makes you remember brands and it changes product perception. It not only gives the rational view, but also provides the emotional arguments or attachments to draw you in closer. Product design and packaging make the product sexy. Slogans or bi-lines ring in your ears when you think of certain brands. Music attachment with stars or celebs make products more memorable if partnered successfully. Many marketing experts are also very knowledgeable about the psychology of buying. And lastly on the marketing reason, did you really plan to get those snacks at the store, or was it the marketing promotion to buy one and get one free. (BOGO as some reference)
Creatures of Habit… If you go to the movies, will it matter whether the popcorn is piping hot or just luke-warm? In most cases, it will not matter because you will eat the popcorn out of habit whether it’s good or not.
Moods… If you feel good, then you are more likely to reward yourself with nicer things. If you are hungry or have craving, you are more likely to take care of your immediate craving versus putting that craving off for a longer term goal like a diet objective. If you are depressed or sad, you may make an impulsive purchase to try and lift the depression or sadness. If you are mentally exhausted from a long day at the office, you may give in to your kid at the store to get such and such item just to avoid the negotiations or arguments so you can get out of the store faster.
Temptation… Companies want you to try things that make you feel good or try things give you satisfaction. It could be succulent chocolates, a mixed drink, and products attached to your own image such as beauty products to make us look good, trendy watches, or designer clothes.
Impulsivity… If you see a sexy package, your brain receptors may default to reward and then you rationalize to justify the unnecessary purchase. Some people are affected by the advertising and marketing more than others and respond to ads, offers, and promotions because they feel because they are getting a deal, that it justifies the unnecessary purchase. ADHD will certainly make an impact with more product purchasing.
Peer Pressure… You sometimes get products simply because your neighbor has them. The product may not be worth a flip, but you still get it because the Smith’s have it. You see others in the community with certain shoes, clothes, etc. and you get them because others have them first so you can be like them.
Reaching Out to Your Market Online – Best Online Advertising to Promote Your Product
Online ads, pay per click, affiliate marketing, advertising in Facebook, banners… there are several old and new methods of advertising online that has emerged in the internet today. There are some who are also advertising their advertising services all throughout the web and promising that they can give good traffic in no time. Internet marketing experts even disagree on what is the best online advertising available now.
Online advertising has become attractive to business owners, as most of these advertising methods are cheaper compared to the usual print or billboard advertising. Advertising online also allows you to deal with targeted traffic – or individuals online who are most likely interested in your business, thus it has greater chances of getting reliable results when it comes to advertising.
There may be varying opinions about what is the best online advertising available today. Internet marketing experts may have their own reasons for naming one online marketing method to be better than the other. Say if you want an advertising that will work for you long term, you can choose article marketing. If you want fast and quick results, search engine optimization may be on top of the list, or if you want cheaper and quicker results, you can also make use of pay per click advertising and if free advertising falls in your best online advertising category, there are lots to choose from. You can indeed make many choices, considering also your goals and preferences.
Below are some suggestions on how to promote your products online. It is important to remember though that these advertising methods, like any other best online advertising methods available, is focused on bringing targeted traffic to your site which is essential in internet marketing. The job of converting this traffic into sales still lies in your strategy to draw potential customers into purchasing your product or service and not just visit your site.
1. Search engine optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
2. Pay per click marketing (PPC)
3. Article Marketing
4. Affiliate Marketing
5. Banner Advertising
6. Free advertising on social networking sites (Facebook, MySpace)
7. Forums
8. Link Exchange
9. E-mail advertising
10. Online classified advertising
SEO experts would probably argue that advertising on search engines is the best way to advertise online, thus would recommend search engine optimization or search engine marketing. Indeed, advertising in search engines is one good way to make your business visible to the online world, as these are the major tools in the internet. You can also choose to advertise in other websites by using pay per click, banner advertising and some free services like the social networking sites and forums. E-mail marketing and article marketing are also good options in advertising online. To get the most out of the various advertising methods in the internet, you can even do more than one of these methods, which for sure, will bring the best results you are looking for.
As previously mentioned, the best online advertising is not just about traffic. You also need to have good landing pages and an attractive website to convert these traffic into sales.
The Finer Points of Internet Auctions
WHAT IS A PENNY AUCTION?
Penny auctions have exploded in popularity with the massive growth of the internet. However, few people know the true origins of penny auctions.Beginnings actually stretch back to the Great Depression. Those were hard times for everyone, but even harder for farmers. Farmers struggled to bring in steady income because of droughts and crops not selling as well as they had previously. As a result, the banks would foreclose on the farmers who couldn’t keep up with their mortgage payments.
The banks weren’t satisfied with just repossessing the house, they wanted to raise as much capital as possible, so they resorted to selling off the possessions of the owners of the repossessed houses. There was not much the farmers could do about it so they began bidding ridiculously low prices, pennies, on the items while threatening others who dared to bid higher than a few pennies.
The auctions of today hardly resemble their tremulous beginnings. Being part of a penny auction today is exhilarating, fun, and addictive. It combines the selling format of auctioning with a little bit of chance factored in.Auctions are a game of strategy but also a game of luck.
The premise behind penny auctions is giving people the chance to win an item at a drastically reduced price.Auctions make that possible by spreading out the cost of the product among multiple bidders. In order for a person to take part in an auction, they must pay a set price for each bid. For example, if a person wanted to bid on a fifty dollar Amazon gift card then he would spend a dollar for each time a bid placed. If he ended up winning the gift card, then he would only have spent a few dollars for a fifty dollar gift card. Usually penny auctions sell bids in packages.
HOW PENNY AUCTIONS WORK!
The main foundation of penny auctions is the pay-per-bid format. It is the key that allows bidders to win items at the fraction of their retail value and allows the auction owners to keep their site profitable. Most y auction sites run on the same premise: people pay a set amount for each bid, whenever a person places a bid within the closing seconds of the auction time will be added, the last person left with a unique bid after the clocks runs out will win the item. There are a large variety of items that can be won, but they tend to be popular electronics or gift cards to popular stores.
There are two types of auctions: lowest unique bid auction and highest unique bid auction. Lowest unique auction sounds confusing but it is actually quite simple. A unique bid is when only one person has a bid at a certain price. Bids usually start at one penny, a bidder can then place a bid at two pennies. Until another bidder places a higher bid, the most recent bidder will be the lowest unique bid because that was the only bid at two cents and nobody bid higher. However, penny auctions generally don’t stop at one penny. It is not uncommon to find auctions that end up at a couple hundred dollars based on the popularity of the item being auctioned. However, the same principles apply for those auctions. Highest unique bid auctions follow the more traditional auction format such as eBay. The person with the highest bid at the end of the auction wins the item.
Auction site owners turn a profit by selling bids. Say twenty people are bidding on a ten dollar gift card at one dollar per bid, at the end of the auction if there were twenty bids placed in total then the site owner would have made twenty dollars with a ten dollar profit.Auctions do seem like a win-win situation:The site owner makes money while the bidder gets an item for dirt cheap. However, not everyone wins in penny auctions. The people who paid one dollar each bid but left with nothing to show for their investments will not be so happy.
HOW TO WIN!
Penny auction has a lot of chance mixed into it, but one can incorporate strategy that will help raise the chances of winning. Playing smart can make all the difference between gambling and auctioning.
The first crucial tip to winning penny auctions is to know how to manage your bids. Your goal should be to win as much as possible without spending a ton of money buying bids. Managing your bids means that you should already know how much you are willing to risk in order to win an item. The amount of capital you are willing to risk will determine how many bids you can use. Once you know how many bids you have to spend on an item, then you will be better able to manage how and when you place a bid. That will keep you from blowing away all of your bids in the first few seconds of the auction.
The next tip is to practice time management. When fighting in the trenches of penny auctions, you have two enemies: other bidders and time. Knowing when to bid is a must if you want to have success. Placing a bid when there is a lot of time left on the clock is never a good idea. You have to remember that the key to winning a penny auction is being the last one standing when the clock runs out and that each bid increases the amount of time left. It would be a good practice to wait until the last few minutes of the auction before you begin to bid.
The final tip for successful auctioning is to keep your emotions under control.Auctions have a lot of similarities to gambling, and just like gambling, your spending can get out of control. If you keep your emotions level, it will keep you from making rash decisions and blowing loads of cash. Keep your mind clear so that you can gage the behavior of the other bidders and outsmart them.
HOW TO AVOID SCAM SITES!
Penny auctions are a great addition to the web whether you want to win an item that otherwise you wouldn’t be able to afford or if you simply enjoy the thrill that comes with bidding in auctions. Unfortunately, scam sites have tarnished the reputation of the legitimate penny auction sites. However, there are ways that you can protect yourself from scamers and enjoy your auctioning without having to worry about losing your money due to dishonesty.
Checking the reputation of the auction site before you start spending your hard earned money is always a good idea. Chances are other people have tried the site before you and some of them have left reviews. The reviews are your way to gage whether a auction site is trustworthy or not. If a site is getting overwhelmingly negative reviews, then that is a clear indication that you should steer your business elsewhere.
Another tool you can use to protect yourself is checking the Alexia ranks of the auction sites. Alexia rank will give a solid view of how much traffic the auction is getting. If you see a huge difference in the amount of traffic Alexia is projecting and the amount of active bidders on the site, then warning signals should be ringing in your head. Some auction sites have been known to set up robots that automatically bid on projects in order to keep the auction going and inflate the price. That is known as shill bidding. You can sniff out those sites by comparing the traffic the site should be getting to the amount of users using this site.
CONCLUSION!
New legislation may come out later down the road that will officially make penny auctions gambling, but until then, it is a fun, exciting auction that allows one to win the item they’ve always wanted but couldn’t afford.Auctions are also quite lucrative for the site owners because of the pay-per-bid strategy they’ve incorporated. Penny auctions had humble beginnings with farmers who just wanted to get back at the banks who kicked them out of their house. More recently, auctions have enjoyed an explosion in popularity with the rise of the internet.
There are two main formats fora auctions, lowest and highest unique auction, however they both run on the same premise where the last unique bid wins the item. Winning a penny auction will require a certain amount of mental tactic and a bit of luck. However, you can increase your odds of winning by practicing certain techniques such as managing your bids wisely, learning how to work with the time, and keeping a level head and your emotions under control. When you combine those three strategies to your bidding plan, you will find that you win a lot more often.
It is important that you do your due diligence to protect yourself when participating in auctions. Not every auction is run by honest and trustworthy people. There are people out there who just want to take your money. You can protect yourself by ensuring that you only bid on sites that already have a very positive reputation from real users.
How to Find Great Live Auctions for Resale Items
Hi, my name is Walt. I’m an auctioneer with 25 years of experience in the auction business and licensed in the state of MA. I own Quick Auction Service, a company that specializes in building and running custom auctions, I’m also the webmaster of my own site and have been on eBay for 8 years. Besides eBay, the types of auctions I run most frequently are antiques and on-site estate auctions, although I’ve run everything from business overstock auctions to charity & special event auctions.
I enjoy sharing my knowledge and stories of the auction business. My goal for article is to help folks get the absolute most out of their auction experience.
Whether your fresh out of the package or a seasoned dealer I think I can offer something in this article to help you with your auciton adventures.
There may be as many reasons to attend auctions as there are types of auctions to attend. Maybe you want to attend an auction to buy items for re-sale on eBay, or some other market. Maybe you want to furnish your home with wonderful antiques, or you want to furnish your home as inexpensively without sacrificing quality.Some folks are just looking for a fun night out. With a little perseverance all these things are possible.
There are antiques and estate auctions, auto auctions, overstock auctions, absolute and no reserve auctions, real estate auctions, specialty auctions where only one genre of items are sold, tailgate auctions, live auctions, online auctions, sealed bid auctions, silent auctions, charity and fund raising auctions and many more.
Can you really buy for pennies on the dollar at an auction? You bet! Many times I’ve seen folks buy and re-sell at the same auction on the same night for a good profit, although be advised, this should only be done after the auction is over.
There are a lot of ways to find an auction, but here are some tips on how to find and attend the best ones.
Visit the genre of shops in the area that apply to the type of auction you want to attend. IE: If your looking for a good antique auction to attend, stop in the local antiques shops and ask for what there are for good auctions in the area. Sounds obvious right? But listen to what they don’t say as well as what they do say. Oftentimes when a dealer speaks poorly about an auction he or she attends, it may be likely that they are trying to keep a good thing secret. Think for a moment, why would a dealer keep attending a lousy auction?
Newspaper ads: I personally like to find ads in the classified ad section rather than flashy display ads. Flashy ads are usually indicative of an auction that will be high priced, may have reserves, (a set price on an item), and usually an enormous crowd. While any auction can be profitable to attend, it is usually best to steer clear of the glitzy ones, at least for the beginner.
Here’s the minimum you want to find out before you go. If there is a phone number in the ad, call and ask for the terms of the sale. What forms of payment do they accept? Is it an absolute auction? An absolute auction is one that has no minimum or reserve bids on items. These are the best auctions to attend! Is there a buyers premium? A buyers premium is like a tax that everyone who makes purchases at that auction must pay above the winning bid price. Most auctions these days do charge a buyers premium, 10% is not unreasonable but I feel much more than that is greedy, and the auctioneer that charges over 10% is counting on most bidders not doing the extra math as the bids quicken in pace.
A fair auction will have ample time to inspect the merchandise, usually at least 2 or 3 hours. Find out when inspection starts and make sure to attend! Never attend an auction if you can’t make the inspection, not unless your prepared to gamble. Most auctioneers sell at a rate of about 100 items per hour, which is why they sell “as is”. They simply don’t have the time to give a detailed description of all the items. Since almost all items at auction are sold AS IS, there are sure to be some damaged, refinished, fake and incomplete items at any given auction. Beware of any auctions that offer very little or no inspection time.
Good auctions will usually have 150 to 400 lots. A lot may be one item or a group of items. The exception to this are specialty auctions, auto auctions, real estate auctions etc.
When you attend your first sale, take note of the 1/2 dozen or so dealers that buy the most often. See if you can find out about other area auctions they attend.
When you do find an excellent auction, attend it as often as possible. By frequenting good sales, you help increase the bottom line of that business. It’s difficult for many auctioneers to keep the quality of merchandise consistent, so good attendance certainly helps. And when an auctioneer gets to know you as a buyer, he/she will go out of the way to accommodate you, to keep you coming back.
Hiring An Auction Company
Estimating your assets value:
Typically, one of the first questions a business owner will ask me is, “how much will the assets bring at an auction”. After taking the time to review the assets, the auctioneer should give the client a conservative estimate of the sale based upon his experience and the current market trends. It is important that the company give realistic expectations so the seller can make informed decisions based on their best interest.
Compensation and Expenses:
Is the company you are considering working for you or against you? The agreement you decide may determine this.
A business owner should carefully consider how the auction company is compensated. The most common commission structures include: straight commission, outright purchase of assets, guaranteed base with a split above to both auctioneer and seller, guaranteed base with anything above going to auctioneer or a flat fee structure.
In a straight commission structure, the company is paid an agreed upon percentage of the total sale.
In an outright purchase agreement, the auctioneer simply becomes your end buyer. The company purchases your assets and relocates them. While this can be an option in some unique situations, keep in mind that they will want to purchase your assets at a very reduced price to make a profit at a later date.
In a minimum base guarantee, the auction company guarantees the seller that the auction will generate a minimum amount of sales. Anything above that amount either goes to the auction company or split with the seller. While a seller might feel more comfortable doing an auction knowing that he is guaranteed a minimum amount for his sale, keep in mind that it is the best interest of the auction company to secure a minimum base price as low as possible in order reduce their financial liability to the seller and secure higher compensation for the sale.
In a flat fee structure, the auctioneer agrees to show up for the sale and call the auction. There is no incentive for the auctioneer to get the best prices for your assets. The auction company is compensated regardless of the outcome of your sale.
What is the best option for business owners? In my experience, an agreed upon straight commission structure. This puts the responsibility on the auction company to offer the best outcome for everyone involved. There is an incentive for the auction company to work hard for both parties, set up and run a professional sale, get the highest bid and sell every item on the inventory. Successful auctions translate to a higher bottom line for both the seller and the auction company.
Auction Expenses:
In most auction agreements the expenses to conduct an auction are passed to the seller. If the auction company pays for the expenses, it is simply absorbed in higher commission rates.
All expenses should be agreed upon in advance in a written contract. Typical expenses will include the costs of advertising, labor, legal fees, travel, equipment rentals, security, postage and printing. A reputable auction company will be able to estimate all expenses based upon their experience in previous auctions. An agreement should be actual costs charged as expenses, not an estimated amount.
Advertising is typically the highest cost in conducting an auction. The auction company needs to set up an advertising campaign that will promote the sale to its best advantage and not overspend to simply advertise the auction company.
Once the auction is complete, the auction company should provide a complete breakdown of all expenses to the seller, including copies of receipts within the auction summary report.
Buyer’s Premium:
What is a buyer’s premium? If you attend auctions regularly, you are very familiar with this term. The auction company charges a fee to the buyer when they buy an item at auction.
The buyer’s premium has been around since the 1980′s and is standard auction practice. It was first used by auction houses to help offset costs of running brick and mortar permanent auction facilities. Since then, it has spread to all aspects of the auction industry. It is prominent in online auctions and allows auction companies to cover added expenses incurred from online sales.
It is the responsibility of the auction company to provide clear disclosure of the buyer’s premium to both the buyers and the sellers. Those not familiar with auctions are often taken back by the buyer’s premium. They looked upon it as an under handed way for the auction company to make more money. Reputable auction companies will provide full disclosure within the auction contract, advertisement and bidder registration.
Typically, an auction company will charge online buyers a higher buyer’s premium percentage than those attending an auction in person. Extra fees are incurred with online bidding and are charged accordingly to online buyers. This provides the seller a level playing field for both online buyers and those attending the auction in person. Without the buyer’s premium, there is no way to do this.
Pre-Sales:
We’ve all been there. We’re looking forward to attending an auction only to find that some items were sold prior to the auction date.
As an auctioneer with over thirty-six years of experience, I can honestly state that pre-sales will hurt an auction. When a company decides to liquidate their assets, it is easy to sell off high-end pieces of equipment through online sources, equipment vendors or to other businesses. The seller receives instant cash and avoids paying a commission to an auction company.
Auctioneer’s find themselves appearing to acting in a self-serving capacity when potential clients say they are planning to sell off parts of their inventory prior to an auction. It’s hard not to consider the auctioneer’s commission when they warn you not to pre-sell anything. Yes, the auctioneer wants to earn a commission on those sales but it is more important that the auctioneer protect the sale from potential negative backlash that comes from pre-selling. The buying public knows when an auction has been “cherry picked” prior to the sale and it reflects in their bidding. It becomes a sale of “leftovers” and that impacts prices.
A buyer who purchases prior to the auction usually does not attend the sale. They already bought equipment at a good price with no competition. If they do attend the auction, they tend to let others know of their great pre-sale purchases which again, impacts prices and the overall excitement of the sale.
It is important to understand that auctions work best with a complete inventory. You want competition on your higher end equipment. The easy to sell items make it possible to gain respectable prices for hard to sell items.
When a business owner decides to liquidate their equipment assets, there is only one opportunity to do it right. Hiring a reputable auction company will assist you with a professional, orderly and timely liquidation.
Five Tips for Selling at Live Auctions
Ah, the old-fashioned country auction! The idea of a country auction conjures up certain images for people. The image of a fast-talking auctioneer offering up an antique table or chair is a popular example.
People who are buying household goods or collectibles are looking to get their items at the lowest price possible. However, the people who are selling their items at auction are hoping for the highest price!
Unless a person is in the business of buying and selling antiques or other items, not a lot of thought goes into how goods are prepared for sale via the auction process. However, if you are one of the growing number of people using auction venues to sell your collectibles or other inventory, there are a few things to learn first about how to sell at auction before you bring a truckload of stuff over to the next event.
Tip 1: Make sure the things you want to sell are a good “fit” for the auction house you’ll be using.
Never bring a load to an auction house without actually having been to one of the previous auctions. It’s important to get a feel for the type of goods that the house sells. For example, at one very rural country auction it was common for the owners to sell live chickens, pots and pans, car parts, and farm equipment.
After close investigation, this would not be the right venue for selling your daughter’s “Hello Kitty” collection. On the other hand, the spare John Deere parts that you bought at last week’s yard sale might be just the right thing for the buying crowd at this auction.
Tip 2: Be sure you clearly understand the terms and policies of the auction house.
Visit with the auctioneer ahead of time. Call to find out what the best days and times are to visit. One of the worst possible times to drop in for an informational visit with an auctioneer is the day of the auction. Call ahead and ask. While you’re at it, find out what are the best days and times to drop your stuff off.
Once you have a little time with the auctioneer, you’ll be able to find out what type of commission he or she takes from consigners (which is you), and what type of paperwork might be needed. Some auction houses send out Form 1099 tax forms at the end of the year. An auctioneer may need to see your identification and have you fill out a W-9. Be prepared.
Find out what happens to your items if they don’t sell. For example, some auctioneers may have a minimum starting bid. If, for some reason, one of your items does not sell, it may be grouped with another one of your pieces. Know the auctioneer’s strategy beforehand so that you aren’t surprised on pay day.
Tip 3: Make sure the auctioneer knows what you’re selling.
It might be perfectly obvious to you that the signed print you are consigning is a rare and valuable piece of art. However, the auctioneer may not know this particular artist. Make a note of anything particularly special about your items, and leave the note with the piece. Be sure to tell the auctioneer about it as well. He or she might determine that this is something to highlight on the company website or in the newspaper listing.
Tip 4: Present your items neatly.
No one likes to have to dig through a box full of grimy and greasy car parts to see what treasures might be in there. Separate the parts and lay them out on a flat, or use more than one box to de-clutter the lot.
There is no need to buy fancy display boxes. It’s easy enough to go to the local convenience store or supermarket and ask if you can have the emptied boxes or flats that they are discarding.
While it’s good to present clean items, take care not to ruin the value of anything by over cleaning. For example, if you find some old cast iron cookware, clean the obvious dirt and grime, but don’t scrub it to its original finish. For many people, this ruins the value of the item. So, clean and tidy and organized is the key here.
Tip 5: Don’t complain to the auctioneer if your stuff doesn’t sell for as much as you’d like.
The phrase to remember here is, “You win some; you lose some.” That’s just the way it is. There are some days where an auction house is loaded with people who all seem to want what you’re selling. There will be other days where the crowd is sparse, and the bidding is simply not competitive.
Remember that it’s in the auctioneer’s best interest to sell your things for the highest possible hammer price. But sometimes, it’s just not going to be a stellar sale. The auctioneer is only human, and is also disappointed if a sale doesn’t go as well as planned.
If you notice that every time you bring a bunch of goods to sell that you’re not realizing as much as you think you honestly should, try another auction venue and compare apples to apples. That is, bring the same types of items to the new auctioneer and compare the results.
Unless the auctioneer is particularly disagreeable or inconsiderate to you or buyers, there is no reason to confront him or her about a sale. If you find you just don’t care for an auctioneer’s style or methods, find another one. Believe me, there are plenty of them out there!
The primary thing to remember as you learn how to sell at auction is that the business is unpredictable at best. You will have good days, some not-so-good days, some great days. The more you sell, the more experience you will gain, and the more enjoyable the business will be.
Real Estate Auctions – The New Land Rush
On a sunny afternoon in Florida, an energetic crowd gathers on the lawn of a high end luxury estate. A loud and eager banter between an auctioneer, a group of bidders and bidder assistants fills the air. For several minutes the auctioneer asks for the next highest bid and the bidders respond. Suddenly the bidders grow silent. The high bidder holds his breath in anticipation of winning the auction. The auctioneer calls for one more bid. In a loud clear voice which rolls over the audience he says, “Fair warning, last chance” the auctioneer pauses, “SOLD!” And in less than 10 minutes another multimillion dollar estate has changed owners.
Successful real estate auctions like the one above are happening all over North America and the Caribbean. Recently real estate auctions have been on the rise, the increase in popularity is partly driven by growing inventories and fading buyer confidence. Properties that were selling in weeks using traditional methods are now languishing on the market unable to attract buyers even as seller’s lower prices. Many say the real estate boom is over but savvy buyers and sellers are profiting from real estate auctions.
Real Estate Auctions Work in Up or Down Markets.
Regardless of trends or market cycles, real estate auctions provide an open and transparent process for buyers and sellers. Properly conducted real estate auctions attract ready and willing buyers and motivate them to act now.
The auction method removes the “wait and see” attitude which serves to further depress real estate values. Buyers are always concerned about overpaying. Buyers gain confidence with their purchases at real estate auctions because they can see what others are willing to pay.
When market demand is high and inventories low, real estate auctions can deliver selling prices well above what a willing seller would have accepted in a negotiated private treaty sale. In good selling climates many property owners using traditional real estate methods; negotiating with one buyer at a time, leave thousands of dollars of equity on the table. During up markets real estate auctions are the best way to establish top market price.
Evaluating Your Real Estate for Auction
Not every property or seller for that matter makes a good candidate for auction. First of all sellers must be ready to sell now and for the current market value. Also a real estate auction will not fix problems caused by a downturn in market value of your property, if you owe more than a willing buyer will pay, be prepared to come to closing with your check book.
Properties that do well in real estate auctions have a high uniqueness factor. Ask your self, “What makes my property different from most others?” Maybe you own a resort property or high end luxury home, commercial properties and land do very well at auction. Real estate auctions thrive on uniqueness. If your property is like everyone else’s, the best thing you can do is offer the most competitive price.
Most importantly sellers must be reasonable about setting a minimum bid. A seller must look at the lowest, most current comps and price below that to generate the interest and urgency necessary for a successful real estate auction. Once the auction begins and qualified bidders start competing against one another you can watch the selling price increase.
Locate a Qualified Real Estate Auctioneer
Start by checking with the National Auctioneers Association, the best real estate auctioneers belong to this organization. These real estate auctioneers are well trained and adhere to a standard of practice and a code of ethics. Many attend the annual International Auctioneers Conference where the latest techniques and innovations in the real estate auction industry are presented.
Find out if the company you are interviewing is a full time real estate auction firm. Many real estate agents are getting auction licenses yet have no experience with the auction method of marketing. Conducting a successful real estate auction is nothing like (private treaty) traditional real estate sales. Go with a real estate auction pro.
You’re probably better of with an auction house that specializes in real estate auctions. There are many qualified auctioneers who have generations of experience selling personal property; furniture, dishes, lawn equipment and the occasional rare painting. Selling real estate at auction is a complex matter that should only be attempted by full time experienced real estate auction professionals.
Commissions and fees may vary, sellers must pay all marketing expenses up front and buyers typically pay 10% of the sales price to the auctioneer of which a share goes to participating real estate agents.
Types of Real Estate Auctions
Auctions are effective because they create a seller’s market. Professionally conducted real estate auctions create urgency, a reason to buy today and competition for the property. Terms and conditions of sale are established ahead of the auction. Real estate auctions will follow one of these three approaches:
Absolute Auction
The property is sold to the highest bidder regardless of price- using this process often returns the highest sale price.
Minimum Bid Auction
Seller agrees to sell at or above a published minimum bid price – this method is useful for internet auctions.
Seller Confirmation or Reserve Auction
With a reserve auction, the seller “reserves” the right to accept or decline any bids usually within 48 hours of the auction. Reserve auctions are used when there is a lien on the property from a lender or a court ordered sale with a minimum selling price.