Ways To Make It Big Without Stepping Foot In An Office

Not everyone wants to work at a nine-to-five job sitting in an office all day. Fortunately, there are other ways to succeed. You may, however, have to be willing to learn some new skills or even take a few risks. If you are open to less conventional possibilities, however, there are many ways to make it big on your own terms. Let’s look at four alternatives.

1. Earn Your Fortune in Real Estate

There are a couple of ways to make money in real estate. If you have a little money to invest or good credit, you can become a home or property flipper. This takes some research, as you want to be able to identify properties with good potential for fast turnover. If you can make improvements to the property, or can afford to have someone do this for you, you can often make a fast profit.

If you don’t have money to invest in real estate, you can become a real estate agent and earn commissions on properties you sell. It’s even possible to earn real estate commissions without becoming a professional realtor. Some people make money by “bird dogging” for real estate agents. This is where you identify properties with good potential and tell the realtor about them. You then earn commissions when the properties are sold.

2. Become a Consultant

Consultants can earn a good living and often travel all over the world. This is a good choice for someone with expertise in a field with high demand, such as helping businesses become more profitable. Many consultants specialize in certain areas such as finance, education, entertainment or technology. Consulting is a good business for people who want to live an independent lifestyle and set their own prices. You do, however, have to be good at networking and marketing yourself.

3. Become a Professional Gambler

While gambling is usually thought of as games of chance, there are people who master certain games and make a good living from them. Poker players are the best known examples of this. There are also, however, people who become skilled at casino games such as blackjack, craps or roulette.

If you want to become a professional gambler, you will need a lot of discipline. You’ll have to master your game of choice and find an effective strategy. This is a good choice for people who like the glamor of casinos. You can, for example, find an attractive setting such as Viejas and make it your workplace.

4. Start an Online Business

There are many ways to make money with an online business. You could, for example, start an e-commerce site and sell physical products on eBay or Amazon. If you don’t want to stock your own products, you can use drop shipping. An even simpler option is to become an affiliate marketer, where you earn a commission for selling other people’s products.

The above are just a few of the ways many people have found success without a traditional office job. If you find something that you are passionate about, you have a good chance of making it work. You do, however, have to take the time to learn how to turn your passion into a real business.

Six Tips to Survive the World of Sales and Get Paid More

It has been said that a good sales person could sell ice cubes to an Eskimo. This is essentially true, in that outstanding selling skills can apply to any sales transaction, even the most challenging ones. 

Sales is a competitive profession, but it can be highly rewarding, too, when helping customers get their needs met and getting paid well for it. Here are some tips to help move to the top of the sales ladder and get that raise in base pay or commission rate: 

Know Your Product

Most companies now offer specialised training for their sales staff. Take advantage of this opportunity to ask questions about what you’ll be selling and get as much background material as possible. 

The more complicated the product, the more information there will be to learn. Try to commit as much to memory as possible, so you can talk easily with your customers about it in a conversational way. 



Carry a binder or briefcase with brochures or fact sheets, usually provided by the employer, and be sure to have a few to leave behind with key clients. Become the expert in your area, beyond your own product. Know the competition, market trends and new developments. 

Talk With Your Clients, Not At Them

To create a winning sales pitch watch a truly good salesperson in action, and you’ll find him or her asking a lot of questions. Beware of being too quick to just offer information or debate when a customer raises a concern. 

Ask the customer what current needs are not being satisfied or what could be done better. Inquire about spending time with your customers outside of the sales pitch to find out what they do on a day-to-day basis. 

This can be extremely informative and help build rapport with your clients. Know how to craft an effective sales pitch so you can sell your product while telling the customers what they want to hear.

Offer Value

Value is the ratio of customer satisfaction to the price of goods or services. Think about what you can offer your customers that goes beyond just selling them something. Maybe it’s helping a busy bookstore owner pull in more business by setting up a reading group or bringing surgeon medical journal articles that are not even related to your product but help the practice nonetheless. 

Try to provide value in every sales encounter. Remember, good salesmanship is a marathon, not a sprint, and maintaining a helpful relationship with your customers will pay off in the end. 

Be Proactive

Check in on your clients from time to time, even if it’s not time for them to buy something. Make sure everything is going well, not just with your products, but with their lives in general. 

Stay on top of weddings, graduations, new baby arrivals, and life’s unfortunate incidents, too, such as illnesses, loss of family members, or downsizing in the workplace. Your clients will remember you as someone who cared more than just about selling, and if you ever get made redundant, you will have a network of people who can offer references and potential future business.

Work for a Good Company

This may sound like an odd sales tip, but people who are happy in their work tend to do a better job, and doing a better job is rewarding personally and financially. Strong salespeople are always in demand, so take some time to find an employer that is the right match for you. 

A smart employer will offer fair remuneration, benefits, training, and mentors to help hone your skills.

Don’t Be Afraid to Be Competitive

Sales is a business where you are almost always competing against someone else. This is not the time to be a shrinking violet. If you work for a good company and believe in your product, you can stand toe-to-toe with the competition with pride. 

Don’t forget to ask for the business. You don’t have to be pushy or forceful, simply ask the customer in a way that feels genuine for you if he or she will be making a purchase or would like a follow up in the near future.

If you maintain a standard of excellence about your work and find an employer to do the same, you will do more than survive in sales. You can thrive and become the model all other salespeople emulate.

Want to Keep Collecting and Save Money? Here's 5 Places You Should Look

For collectors, it is always a constant task to look for new treasures and add them to a growing collection. This is a pleasant and enjoyable hobby for many, even (and perhaps especially) at an older age. However, at times, it can be difficult to know where to find the best pieces and easily expand the collection, especially if you're on a budget. By frequenting the most popular places to look for collectibles, it can make for a great way to find rare products at a great price. 

1. Antique Stores 

Antique shops are an ideal place to find unique items that are still in great condition and are well-preserved. It can be an enjoyable experience to scour the store and be able to view hundreds of incredible items, while having the opportunity to ask questions about the history of each item.

For those who want to purchase a number of collectibles, antique malls are an ideal place to frequent and find dozens of merchants in one location. This is a great place to barter and negotiate with sellers. If you ever spend over $20 at an antique mall, ask for a 10% discount—you should receive it. This little secret can end up saving you lots!

2. Pawn Shops

Pawn shops only sell items that have value, making it easy to find historic products that can increase in value. Jewelry is a high commodity, along with coins, stamps, and musical instruments for plenty of like items. If an item is too expensive, it's appropriate to ask for a cheaper price, as well as pawn a separate item to be able to make the purchase. If you're looking at boats, vehicles, or aircraft for sale, you should keep in mind that the pawn shop will probably rack up the price higher than they bought it for (so be willing to pay more).

3. Garage Sales

It may take a bit of work and energy to dig through another person's personal belongings, but garage sales are one of the best places to search for valuable finds after people often clean out the garage or attic. Better yet, you'll probably find collectibles at their cheapest here. Precious dolls, pocket watches, and antique spoons are a common find for those who frequent the weekend deals.

For older products, estate sales often sell hundreds of items that may be worth even more they are selling for. Keep on the lookout for items like this. If you live in a neighborhood that doesn't hold a lot of garage sales, go to a local thrift store. You can find things for very cheap there, and quite often there are hidden treasures amongst all the junk.

4. The Internet

For those searching for a specific item to add to their collection, the best place to look is online where a basic search can pull up hundreds of websites. Online sellers often sell specific products, making it easier to purchase a gem for a convenient process that beats driving around town. You can try sites like eBay for online auctions; often you can get a really good deal that way, and you can control how much you pay. If you're looking for larger items, such as collectibles cars or planes, you can try trade-a-plane.com. Sites like these will have Trade a Plane airplanes for sale which you can find for a good price. Make sure you don't outbid yourself and end up paying more than you wanted.

5. Flea Markets

Flea markets are an upgrade to garage sales, making it easy to shop in one place for rare finds that are hard to find in stores. Flea markets are often a place where the work has been done for you by merchants who scour garage sales and then sell their best finds. You can barter here as well and get a good price on a valuable item.

Close That Sale: Second-Hand Purchase Checklist

English: Couple on a motorcycle in Rajasthan, India (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Most of us start a sale these days with lots of browsing online and, thankfully, we’re actually going into sales a lot more clued up than we ever have in the past. However, closing a second-hand sale isn’t an easy thing to do, and from introducing yourself to taking a test drive to handing over the cash, there are plenty of areas where a sale could go wrong. 
So to ensure that you end up making not just the right purchase, but the right purchase at the right price, here’s our step-by-step guide to closing a second-hand sale. 

1. Good Introductions

In most cases you’ll end up making an introduction online or over the phone but it doesn’t ever hurt to make a good first impression when meeting in person. Turn up on time, give forewarning and make it clear you’re interested in coming to a mutually good deal, not just getting as a low a price as possible. You don’t need to be overly outgoing, but don’t give your seller any reason not to give you the sale. 

2. Start with the Paperwork

Most of us are edging to get a look at our prospective new bike when we’re closing a deal, but it’s actually much better to start with a paperwork. You should be checking the logbook, the service history and whether it has any motorcycle insurance, MOT or tax left on it. Check that everything is present and correct first, but also make sure it adds up - do the addresses match, does the frame number match? If not, always ask why not - there could be a simple explanation. If there isn’t, the bike could be stolen. 

3. Visual Inspection

After checking the books have a quick look around the bike to check for condition. Of course you’ll want to be checking for scratches, dents and marks but also look for things like mismatched screws, uneven tyres and rust. Check, also, if your seller has fitted any aftermarket alarms and the condition of the locks; these are all points for negotiation after the test ride. 

4. Get Hands-On

Before taking the bike for a test ride just spend a moment getting hands on. Is it the right size for you, are the handlebars comfortable or are you struggling to reach. Your new bike will feel different to bikes you’ve had before, but it shouldn’t feel uncomfortable. Also check the suspension has a slow, smooth spring to it and that the bike starts up easily. Once it’s going, check to make sure the owner doesn’t thrash a cold engine (because they will always do this if they do it when selling!) and that the dials all read appropriately. 

5. The Test Ride

Licensing and insurance can be tricky when doing test rides so you may have to ride on the back or take the bike to an off-road area where you can give it a full test. If you have comprehensive insurance you should be able to take the bike out, but you will need to check the details. When you’re finally on the bike, do a few smooth gear changes, check the acceleration and, most importantly, check the steering alignment: it could indicate a head-bearing problem or even a buckled frame. 

6. Settling Up

So you’ve decided the bike works for you but, in most cases, they’ll be a few small issues. These are grounds for haggling, but stay clear of market-stall bartering, most sellers find it irritating. State that because of x fault or y problem you’re only willing to pay a certain amount and go from there. If this price isn’t right, leave your name and number and, hopefully, you’ll get a call-back...!
For motorbike insurance visit aquote bike.

So You Want to Be a Self-Taught Home Seller?

Summer is your best bet if you’re on the fence about when to sell something prospective buyers would have to travel to see - case in point: your house. It’s during these months that your open house will get the most foot traffic, more so than later in the year, so, yes, your vacation plans will have to wait. But you knew all that, seeing that you’re planning on going it alone and striking it big with the sell, right? In case you’re not sure whether this renegade free-agent path is the right fit for you, here are some pointers that can shed some light along the way to closing the deal and will ideally help make up your mind.

Make Sure You Crunch the Numbers

Putting your house on the market, being as important a decision as it is, also usually comes with huge, paralyzing jitters, which is why most people prefer to use a real-estate agent. Alternatively, some choose to take the road less traveled, which, if done right, might be more rewarding, financially speaking - at the end of the day you’ll be just as well pocketing the 6% from the sale that would have otherwise gone to the agent. To make the leap from wishing it so to actually getting your wish, the first thing you’ll need to do is zoom in on the exact sum you’re expecting to get from the sale.

• If you intend on using the money from the sale for the purchase of a new home, do your homework on what your current home should fetch you in order to achieve that switch. You can use online tools to calculate the mortgage rate on the house you have in your sights, then apply for a bridge loan, against the equity in your current dwelling, for the downpayment.
• In order to list your house on the Multiple Listing Service, you’ll need to come up with the right asking price, which you should set 1) in accordance with the price tags on some other houses in the area which you’ve previously checked, and 2) a tad higher than the sum you have in mind - this will leave some wiggle room for negotiations. Remember that, while not using an agent will definitely save you money, the buyer’s agent commission will still shave some off the final bounty. 

Roll Up Your Sleeves for Some Heavy Lifting

Aside from the legwork entailed by comparing and contrasting your house with others in the neighborhood, which will give you a better idea of what yours is worth, there are other small details to consider - and, all counted, these will demand some effort on your part.

• Advertise the right way - the For Sale sign is one of the best “weapons” at your disposal, as it’s putting out there the asking price and contact details, in plain sight for every prospective buyer or agent to lock on to. Buyer’s agents will also pounce on the opportunity of a commission if you hint at it with a well-worded, brief invitation on the sign. 
• Your arsenal should also include quality photos of both the exterior and the interior of your house - you can use these for your flyers and / or post them on real-estate websites. Instead of relying on old snapshots, take new ones, using a top-notch camera, and only show the best, most current version of your home. Before playing the shutterbug, get your house spick and span, with all the clutter either removed or relocated around the existing space for a better, more attractive use of it, with an eye to showing the place in just the right light.

All that’s left for you to do at this point is get ready for visits - but not before insuring your house, in case of any mishap - and brush up on your knowledge of the law, as, like with any purchase of this magnitude, you’ll be required to sign some papers that you won’t want to just leaf through. Take your time, get a handle on the situation and some understanding of the market, and you’ll not only reach your goal, but also that feeling of fulfillment that comes from knowing you made it happen yourself.