Build a Home Business with a Minimal Investment

Working from home is a great way to earn an income while staying home with the kids and enjoying savings on gas, sitters, and inventory. You might even be considering your own home business. A home business can come in many shapes and forms. Let's explore the different types of home based businesses and how you can start your own home business with minimal investment.

Home Business Start-Up Ideas

There are several ways to start a home business. You can sell tangible products and keep an inventory on-hand in a warehouse, storage building, or even in a spare room of your home. You can offer a service that requires no inventory, only skill. You can sell informational products online in the form of e-books, password training sites, or e-newsletters. Or, you can find a home business opportunity in which a company or individual provides a proven blueprint for success based on their research and experience.

Home Business Investment

No matter what type of home business you are considering, an initial investment will likely be required. If you plan to sell a tangible product, you will have to invest in inventory, website design, and marketing. If you offer a service, you will need a website or local marketing campaign to promote your services. If you plan to join a home business opportunity, many of these require a start-up investment if they're legitimate.

The amount you invest should be based on what you can afford and how soon you feel it will return a profit. Don't over-estimate the potential of a business. It's best to expect less at the start, and rejoice later if the home business exceeds your expectations. What works quickly for one person might take much longer for you.

Consider your experience in the field and how well you understand marketing and promotion. Is it possible to start small with this endeavor until you see a profit on your bottom line? An investment that doesn't bring profits is lost forever. Think it through before taking a leap with your money.

Ups and Downs of an Internet Home Business

If you're a newbie on the Internet, it will take time to learn all the ins and outs of online marketing. The Internet is a great marketplace and provides many opportunities to earn money, but it's also a very competitive market. It has grown so large that popular products and services can be difficult to promote. Explore niche markets to find popular products or services that few companies are offering. Use the search engines to find out how many companies are offering the service or products. Then, be sure there is a demand for what you plan to offer. A small demand online can still mean thousands of potential customers!

The good news is you can start an Internet home business fairly cheaply. Websites, once designed, can be hosted for very low monthly fees. You don't have to pay rent for a building or high utility bills. You'll avoid landscaping costs, heavy equipment maintenance (except your computer), and sometimes even high local taxes.

Learn from Others

If you're uncertain about how to get started with an Internet home business, find a home based business opportunity that offers detailed instructions on how to promote and earn profits. Many gurus have found business formulas that work well and they are willing to share these with you.

There are websites that research home businesses to find lucrative opportunities, and you can usually try their offerings for a minimal investment. You might be surprised at how simple it is to start your own home business online.

Business Investment Decisions

There are many investments that a company can make. It is a financial manager’s job to help the management team evaluate the investments, rank them and suggest choices. This process is called capital budgeting.

Some investments, however, defy financial analysis; an example of this may be seen in charitable donations, which provide intangible benefits that financial mangers alone cannot evaluate.

It may be argued that investment decisions fall into one of three basic decision categories:

Accept or reject a single investment proposal

Choose one competing investment over another

Capital rationing – with this particular category, the limited investment pool is active deciding which projects among many should be chosen.

Whilst each corporation uses its own criteria to ration its limited resources, the major tools are:

Payback period

Net present value

Payback period method – many companies believe that the best way to judge investments is to calculate the amount of time it takes to recover their investments.

Analysts can easily calculate paybacks and make simple acceptance or reduction decisions based on a necessary payback period. Those projects that come close to the mark are accepted, those falling short are rejected. For example, the managers of a small company may believe that all energy and labour saving devices should have a three-year payback and that all new machinery must have an eight-year payback. Additionally, research projects should pay back in ten years. Those requirements are based on management’s judgements, experience, and level of risk.

By accepting projects with longer paybacks, management accepts more risk. The further out an investment’s payback, the more uncertain and risky it is. Payback criteria are desirable because they are easy to use, calculate and understand; however they ignore the timing of cash flows and accordingly the time value of money. Projects with vastly different cash flows can have the same payback period.

Another disadvantage of using payback is that it ignores the cash flows received after the payback.

Net present value methods

The same method used for valuing the cash flows of bonds and stocks is also used to value projects. It is the most accurate and most correct method. The further in the future a dollar is received the greater the uncertainty that it will be received, referred to as risk, and the greater the loss of opportunity to use those funds, referred to as opportunity cost. Accordingly cash flows received in the future will be discounted more steeply depending on the riskiness of the project.

The way a business wishes to fund itself are financing decisions independent of investment decisions.

In my own experience, I have only ever used the payback method, along with my fellow business colleagues, perhaps because this has always been easier to understand and use and calculate. This served us well but caused frequent conflicts between operations, marketing and finance, for understandable reasons.

In summary, whereas most companies may continue to use the payback method due to the aforementioned reasons, it is well worth noting that another option is there and, especially for the financial side of the business, gives a very interesting option.

Business Opportunity Investment And Business Loan Finance

Buying a business opportunity is likely to be an extremely challenging task when arranging the business loan. This is largely due to the usual lack of commercial property as collateral for the business financing to buy a business opportunity. When buying a business that does not include commercial real estate, business borrowers need to realize that business loan options will be greatly reduced in comparison to a business purchase that can be financed with a commercial mortgage.

The suggestions and advice in this commentary build upon commercial loan covenants that are commonly provided by commercial lenders willing to offer commercial financing throughout much of the United States for buying a business opportunity. There will often be various private financing scenarios in which the seller might be willing to wholly finance a business opportunity acquisition, and we will not attempt to discuss those commercial loan possibilities in this commentary.

Length of Business Loan to Expect When Buying a Business Opportunity

When purchasing a business opportunity, commercial loan terms will almost always include a reduced amortization period in comparison to a commercial real estate loan. A business loan term of ten years is normal, and that length of loan is likely to be tied to a requirement that the commercial lease will not expire before the loan matures.

Likely Business Loan Interest Rates to Buy a Business Opportunity

The likely range to buy a business opportunity is 11 to 12 percent in the present commercial loan interest rate circumstances. This is a reasonable level for business opportunity borrowing since it is not unusual for a commercial real estate loan to be in the 10-11 percent area. Because of the lack of commercial property for lender collateral in a small business opportunity transaction, the cost of a business loan to acquire a business is routinely higher than the cost of a commercial property loan.

Business Loan Down Payment Requirements for Buying a Business Opportunity

Although there will be variations based on the type of business and several other factors, a common down payment requirement for a commercial loan to buy a small business opportunity is 20-25 percent. The presence of seller financing might lessen the down payment needed to acquire a small business opportunity.

Buying a Business Opportunity - Business Loan Refinancing Options

A related business loan issue to anticipate when buying a business is that refinancing the business opportunity loan terms will normally be even more difficult than the original business financing. There are currently some new business loan programs in the final stages of development that could dramatically improve future refinancing options. But until these new business financing options are finalized, it is important to arrange the best possible terms initially and not depend upon refinancing possibilities.

Avoiding Problem Lenders When Buying a Business Opportunity

The selection of a commercial lender might be the most important phase of the business financing process for buying a business. An equally important task is avoiding lenders that are unable to finalize a commercial loan for buying a business.

By avoiding such lenders, commercial borrowers are likely to avoid many other business financing problems frequently associated with buying a business opportunity. Avoiding problem lenders will be instrumental to the eventual success of both the business loan process and the long-term financial health of the business being acquired.

Copyright 1995-2007 AEX Commercial Financing Group and Stephen Bush. All Rights Reserved.

Auto Sound Systems are an Investment in your Car Make it Great

For those who love tunes and the ability to take them along wherever you may roam, there are some great auto sound systems that allow you to basically plug in your favorite tunes to play as you go. It doesn't really matter which style of MP3 player you use, most of the newer auto sound systems at least have the ability to read and translate the material from these players into great music for you to enjoy on your ride by simply plugging your MP3 player into the car stereo.

Many of us find that lugging around an MP3 player with all of our favorite tunes (or at least most of them-with up to 40 gigs of hard drive space it might take a while to fill completely) is much easier and more practical than attempting to lug around a huge case of CDs. It is also great for those of us who find ourselves disappointed when we purchase CDs only to find that we really only like one or two songs. Now we can simply download the songs we know and love while avoiding those we are uncertain about or at least waiting until more songs come out before deciding whether or not to purchase the entire collection of songs. Having an auto sound system that allows you to enjoy the convenience of simply plugging in either your MP3 player or a memory card or stick in order to have your favorite songs at your finger tips at all times is fantastic.

I don't know about you, but I am absolutely hooked on audio books. I love to read and find so little free time in which to get my feel of the latest and greatest best seller. Audio books allow me to hear the stories I've been eagerly awaiting at my convenience and in my SUV as I'm making my daily commute or running errands. These books are also a great way to enjoy long car trips. You can even check your local library in order to find an excellent selection.

I typically try to find stories that might interest the children on long car rides as well (such as the Harry Potter books or The Polar Express). This instills a love of reading in them and I don't have to worry about the stray 'grown up' word that some audio books contain. Good auto sound systems not only play great music but also sound wonderful when it comes to the spoken word as well. This is not only true when it comes to books on tape, CD, or MP3 but also talk radio and national news stations as well.

When you begin your search for your next auto sound system make sure you consider all the possible features you may wish to include. You can find sound systems today that include GPS, DVD players, navigational tools, CD players, MP3 players, satellite radio receivers and countless other nifty features. Choose the auto sound system that will suit your needs and interests best and enjoy it for as long as you can. A good sound system is something that will stay with your car, truck, or SUV so it is best to make that particular investment long before you plan to trade your vehicle in on another. At the same time a good auto sound system can be an excellent incentive to hold onto your vehicle a little while longer.

Investment Strategy

Because investing is not a sure thing in most cases, it is much like a game – you don’t know the outcome until the game has been played and a winner has been declared. Anytime you play almost any type of game, you have a strategy. Investing isn’t any different – you need an investment strategy.

An investment strategy is basically a plan for investing your money in various types of investments that will help you meet your financial goals in a specific amount of time. Each type of investment contains individual investments that you must choose from. A clothing store sells clothes – but those clothes consist of shirts, pants, dresses, skirts, undergarments, etc. The stock market is a type of investment, but it contains different types of stocks, which all contain different companies that you can invest in.

If you haven’t done your research, it can quickly become very confusing – simply because there are so many different types of investments and individual investments to choose from. This is where your strategy, combined with your risk tolerance and investment style all come into play.

If you are new to investments, work closely with a financial planner before making any investments. They will help you develop an investment strategy that will not only fall within the bounds of your risk tolerance and your investment style, but will also help you achieve your financial goals.

Never invest money without having a goal and a strategy for reaching that goal! This is essential. Nobody hands their money over to anyone without knowing what that money is being used for and when they will get it back! If you don’t have a goal, a plan, or a strategy, that is essentially what you are doing! Always start with a goal and a strategy for reaching that goal!

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Investing Basics – What Are Your Investment Goals

When it comes to investing, many first time investors want to jump right in with both feet. Unfortunately, very few of those investors are successful. Investing in anything requires some degree of skill. It is important to remember that few investments are a sure thing – there is the risk of losing your money!

Before you jump right in, it is better to not only find out more about investing and how it all works, but also to determine what your goals are. What do you hope to achieve with your investments? Will you be funding a college education? Buying a home? Retiring? Before you invest a single penny, really think about what you hope to achieve with that investment. Knowing what your goal is will help you make smarter investment decisions along the way!

Too often, people invest money with dreams of becoming rich overnight. This is possible – but it is also rare. It is usually a very bad idea to start investing with hopes of becoming rich overnight. It is safer to invest your money in such a way that it will grow slowly over time, and be used for retirement or a child’s education. However, if your investment goal is to get rich quick, you should learn as much about high-yield, short term investing as you possibly can before you invest.

You should strongly consider talking to a financial planner before making any investments. Your financial planner can help you determine what type of investing you must do to reach the financial goals that you have set. He or she can give you realistic information as to what kind of returns you can expect and how long it will take to reach your specific goals.

Again, remember that investing requires more than calling a broker and telling them that you want to buy stocks or bonds. It takes a certain amount of research and knowledge about the market if you hope to invest successfully.

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What Is Your Investment Style?

Knowing what your risk tolerance and investment style are will help you choose investments more wisely. While there are many different types of investments that one can make, there are really only three specific investment styles – and those three styles tie in with your risk tolerance. The three investment styles are conservative, moderate, and aggressive.

Naturally, if you find that you have a low tolerance for risk, your investment style will most likely be conservative or moderate at best. If you have a high tolerance for risk, you will most likely be a moderate or aggressive investor. At the same time, your financial goals will also determine what style of investing you use.

If you are saving for retirement in your early twenties, you should use a conservative or moderate style of investing – but if you are trying to get together the funds to buy a home in the next year or two, you would want to use an aggressive style.

Conservative investors want to maintain their initial investment. In other words, if they invest $5000 they want to be sure that they will get their initial $5000 back. This type of investor usually invests in common stocks and bonds and short term money market accounts.

An interest earning savings account is very common for conservative investors.

A moderate investor usually invests much like a conservative investor, but will use a portion of their investment funds for higher risk investments. Many moderate investors invest 50% of their investment funds in safe or conservative investments, and invest the remainder in riskier investments.

An aggressive investor is willing to take risks that other investors won’t take. They invest higher amounts of money in riskier ventures in the hopes of achieving larger returns – either over time or in a short amount of time. Aggressive investors often have all or most of their investment funds tied up in the stock market.

Again, determining what style of investing you will use will be determined by your financial goals and your risk tolerance. No matter what type of investing you do, however, you should carefully research that investment. Never invest without having all of the facts!

[Insert Your Resource Box Here]

Investing Basics – What Are Your Investment Goals

When it comes to investing, many first time investors want to jump right in with both feet. Unfortunately, very few of those investors are successful. Investing in anything requires some degree of skill. It is important to remember that few investments are a sure thing – there is the risk of losing your money!

Before you jump right in, it is better to not only find out more about investing and how it all works, but also to determine what your goals are. What do you hope to achieve with your investments? Will you be funding a college education? Buying a home? Retiring? Before you invest a single penny, really think about what you hope to achieve with that investment. Knowing what your goal is will help you make smarter investment decisions along the way!

Too often, people invest money with dreams of becoming rich overnight. This is possible – but it is also rare. It is usually a very bad idea to start investing with hopes of becoming rich overnight. It is safer to invest your money in such a way that it will grow slowly over time, and be used for retirement or a child’s education. However, if your investment goal is to get rich quick, you should learn as much about high-yield, short term investing as you possibly can before you invest.

You should strongly consider talking to a financial planner before making any investments. Your financial planner can help you determine what type of investing you must do to reach the financial goals that you have set. He or she can give you realistic information as to what kind of returns you can expect and how long it will take to reach your specific goals.

Again, remember that investing requires more than calling a broker and telling them that you want to buy stocks or bonds. It takes a certain amount of research and knowledge about the market if you hope to invest successfully.

[Insert Your Resource Box Here]