Thursday, June 26, 2008

Finding Stuff To Sell Online

Copyright: Earl Williams
The NetMarketer

Billions of dollars worth of products are sold on eBay and other online merchants every year. Where are people getting all these items to sell? Surely, they've emptied their closets and garages by now. Even if they have, finding stuff to sell online is still relatively easy. Several sources are available for those who want to make a little or a lot of cash selling online.

Home Stuff
Not all garages have been cleared of junk. Weekend garage sales are still popular places to find items to sell. Sales in higher income areas tend to net more quality items like designer clothes, high-end furniture, and antiques. However, don't neglect an average Joe garage sale; one never knows what unique items will be unearthed regardless of the neighborhood. Go to these sales toward the end of the day. Homeowners will be more inclined to sell you merchandise at rock bottom prices rather than having to pack up unsold items.

Look through your own garage and closets to find items to sell online. You may be harboring old clothes, books, Cds, and toys that will bring in a few bucks online. Offer to rid your friends and family of their unwanted junk by selling on consignment. You sell their stuff and keep 25 % of the profits. Local retailers may also agree to let you sell their overstocks and returned merchandise on consignment as well.

Buy Online, Sell Online
Finding stuff to sell online is as easy as buying it from the same online source. EBay is an excellent place to find everything from antiques to huge lots of merchandise that you can buy and resell at a profit. Locate other online sources by using search terms such as wholesale liquidators, closeout dealers, and drop-ship services. These same sources can also be found in print media including the Yellow Pages and classified ads in newspapers, trade magazines, and free weeklies.

Auction Action
Unclaimed, slightly damaged, and repossessed merchandise can be purchased at freight claims and government auctions. Check the Yellow Pages for contact information and newspaper classified section for upcoming sales. There's a storage unit operation on every corner these days.

The storage company auctions off the contents of unpaid rental units, although the contents are sold sight unseen, there's probably enough sale worthy items inside to let you break even. Estate auctions are another great source for finding stuff to sell online. Like garage sales, high-income estates yield the greatest finds, but gems can be found regardless of the estate's net worth. These sales are advertised in the newspaper.

Drop Shipping
Drop shipping is an easy, hand off way to sell online. You send the order to the manufacturer or distributor and they ship the product to the customer. No inventory or shipping hassles to worry about.

Local Events
Bazaars, flea markets, and festivals are good sources for everything from unique handmade crafts to valuable collectibles. Like garaging sales, stopping by near closing time for deep discounted deals. Check with the local convention and visitors bureau to find out about upcoming trade shows that are open to the public. You'll be able to buy from manufacturers and sale reps selling the latest products on the market.
Offshore Action

Asia is a good source for finding stuff to sell online. However, the red tape and cost of contacting sources there can be a hassle. Your best bet is to hook up with a manufacturer's rep that has overseas connections. There are enough available home grown sources for locating products to sell to make this option unnecessary.

You may republish this article in its entirety, provided you leave the byline, author's note and website hyperlink intact.


About The Author:Earl Williams is a real entrepreneur who is making money with his SFI marketing business, which is one of the largest Affiliate programs on the Internet. He makes it easy for anyone to build their ideal online business and earn a substantial income from home. Learn how to start your ideal business and start making money online by visiting his website: http://www.earlsfiblog.com/

Monday, June 23, 2008

What is The Self Employed Tax?

Publisher: Earl Williams
The NetMarketer

Are you wondering what the self employed tax is? If you are thinking about going to work for yourself and you are doing research about what taxes you will have to pay when you become self employed you probably saw the self employment tax. The self-employment tax is about half of the payroll taxes that you would pay if you worked for someone else. So when money is taken out of your paycheck each time you get paid when you work for a company that money goes to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes.

The self-employed tax is money that you need to pay to Social Security and Medicare from your own earnings if you are self-employed because even if you are self-employed you need to pay into Social Security and Medicare because everyone who works pays into Social Security and Medicare. The self-employed tax is about 15% so you pay about half of what you would pay if you were working for someone else when you pay the self-employment tax.

If you are going to be quitting your job and you are going to work for yourself financial planning experts suggest that you open a separate savings account and that you put the same amount of money that you would have had taken out of a paycheck that you got from an employer for taxes and you put that amount of money in the savings account every time you get paid when you are self employed.

That way when tax time rolls around you will already have all the money saved that you will need to pay your taxes. If you don't save money in advance you might end up owing hundreds or even thousands of dollars in taxes and you might not be able to come up with a large chunk of money like that to pay your self employed tax and other taxes. So if you can open a new savings account and save money here and there during the year you'll be in a far better financial position when tax time rolls around.

If you thought that you wouldn't have to pay taxes because you were self-employed unfortunately you do still have to pay taxes. The self-employed tax is just one of the taxes that you will have to pay. If you are worried about how to file your self employed taxes you should consider having a professional do your taxes at least for the first year that you are self employed because your first year's self employed taxes are probably going to be the trickiest.

Once you understand the self employed tax and other ins and outs of self employment finances you can probably do your own taxes but at first it's a good idea to let someone who knows more about self employment taxes file them for you. It might end up saving you a lot of money and during the first year of being self-employed is when you'll need your extra money the most.

You may republish this article in its entirety, provided you leave the byline, author's note and website hyperlink intact.

About The Author:
Earl Williams is a real entrepreneur who is making money with his SFI marketing business, which is one of the largest Affiliate programs on the Internet. He makes it easy for anyone to build their ideal online business and earn a substantial income from home. Learn how to start your ideal business and start making money online by visiting his website: http://www.earlsfiblog.com/

Monday, June 16, 2008

Looking At Women Business Mentors

Copyright: Earl Williams
The NetMarketer

It is often said that it is harder for women to open a business than it is for men. Perhaps it is because women often do not get the same treatment as men, or because women become burdened with family life and other aspects of rising and taking care of a home. Whatever the reason may be it is possible for women to go into business on her own. Loans for businesses are also difficult to secure. If you are considering opening your own business, all you need to do is look around at the many women business mentor and mentors around you.

What is a Women Business Mentor?A mentor is someone that you can look up to and learn from, especially in the business field. It is someone who has been down that road before and can offer you lots of tips and advice. Successful businesswomen know all about the pitfalls and hardships of opening a business and she can tell you how to avoid them and how to make the most of your business. She might be able to advise you on how to get started in writing a business plan, who to contact for financial loans or tax help or even how to find a suitable location for your new business.

In addition, a business mentor can give you emotional support. This is very important when it comes to opening your business. It takes a lot of work and the emotional toll can be taxing. Sometimes you need to talk to someone who has been in your shoes and understands your feelings. Opening a business is a tricky thing and you will most certainly experience ups and downs. A business mentor can be your cheerleader during those times and can be there to celebrate your successes.

Finding a Mentor:There are many great sources for finding a mentor for you. You may already know a successful woman willing to give you help and advice. If you don't already know someone in your area that you can count on, you can join a local business group that will have many people that have started their own business. A rotary club or local chamber of commerce is all good sources. Go to the meetings and take the time to get to know the other business owners. Ask them for advice and once you get to know them, stay in contact with them. This is called networking and can really help you and your business become a success both now and in the future.

While it is very hard to start a new business, a good mentor is often the key to finding the help you need. You will need help getting your business off the ground and you will come in contact with many different types of people during this process. There are many things you will need during your endeavor, but many times, a good ear and some encouragement from someone who knows will be your best help.

You may republish this article in its entirety, provided you leave the byline, author's note and website hyperlink intact.


About The Author:Earl Williams is a real entrepreneur who is making money with his SFI marketing business, which is one of the largest Affiliate programs on the Internet. He makes it easy for anyone to build their ideal online business and earn a substantial income from home. Learn how to start your ideal business and start making money online by visiting his website: http://www.earlsfiblog.com

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

How to Spot A Financial Freedom Scam

Copyright: Earl Williams
The NetMarketer

If you are trying to find a way to get financial freedom and you have been looking for business opportunities or job opportunities or ways that you can make enough money to achieve financial freedom you need to be careful because you might end up falling victim to a financial freedom scam. There are some unscrupulous people and companies that will take advantage of the fact that some people are willing to spend their life savings or work really hard in order to get financial independence.

These people and corporations will take your money and will leave you with nothing if you let them. But luckily it's not that hard to spot a financial scam if you know what to look for. Promising someone financial freedom is a common way for con artists to scam victims. Everyone wants to be financially independent right? So a financial freedom scam usually will promise that you can become rich in a very short amount of time without a lot of effort.

That's the dream most people have. Most people would love to be able to get a large amount of money without doing a lot of work to get it and financial freedom scams exploit that desire. So do you know if an offer is a legitimate business offer or a financial freedom scam? A financial freedom scam will usually have a really strong pitch that will draw you in almost immediately but if you look at it closely you'll see that a lot of the details are missing.

A financial freedom scam will also promise you a lot of money, usually hundreds of thousands of dollars or a percentage of a large amount of money if you respond to the offer by putting down some earnest money or giving the person making the offer your bank account information, Social Security number, or other personal information that could be used to steal your money or your identity.

A good rule of thumb is that whenever you are asked to give out your personal banking information, credit information, Social Security number or driver's license number you should assume that the offer is a financial freedom scam and decline the offer. Never give out your personal information or financial information to someone you don't know. If you get a business offer from someone that seems like it might be a financial freedom scam you should do a background check on the person or the company that the offer is coming from.

Check with the Better Business Bureau to see if the company really exists or run a criminal background check on the person making the offer if the offer is coming from a person and not a company. When it comes to keeping your identity and your personal information safe you can't be too careful. Everyone wants to be financially independent but don't let the desire for financial freedom make you a victim of a financial freedom scam. If you are diligent and thoroughly check out every business offer that you get then you should be able to avoid falling for a financial freedom scam.

You may republish this article in its entirety, provided you leave the byline, author's note and website hyperlink intact.

About The Author:Earl Williams is a real entrepreneur who is making money with his SFI marketing business, which is one of the largest Affiliate programs on the Internet. He makes it easy for anyone to build their ideal online business and earn a substantial income from home. Learn how to start your ideal business and start making money online by visiting his website: http://www.earlsfiblog.com

Saturday, June 07, 2008

Internet Marketing, It Takes Time

Publisher: Earl Williams
The Netmarketer

It is probably safe to say that the most important, least expensive marketing tool you possess when it comes to Internet marketing on a budget is your time, the time you spend and the time you wait.

The more time you have to devote to marketing your product, or service, the more your name, or business, will be out there. Whether you create a very detailed website or simply run a blog about your product or service, who is going to take the time to check it out if you have not invested the time it takes to really promote it?

Once you figure out your target audience, or customer base, use these three effective and inexpensive tricks to Internet marketing on a budget: article submissions, newsgroups or forums, and online classifieds. Each of these is either inexpensive or completely free. When using article submissions and newsgroups or forums remember not to be pushy in promoting your article.

Briefly mention your important business in your articles, which do not have to be based on your business itself, and approach members of newsgroups and forums in a friendly manner. Also, be sure to read the rules and regulations of each newsgroup and forum to make sure you are allowed to promote yourself. When using online classifieds, make sure to use a variety of headings that are both professional and intriguing and repost frequently.

Also equally vital is the time you wait to reap the rewards of your marketing. Perhaps your business will be booming after just a couple of weeks, if so, good for you. However, its important to remember that the results of your Internet marketing efforts may even take a couple of months to show. When this is the case, do not get discouraged. Remember, when you have to promote on a very strict budget it will take longer.

Though it may seem difficult, Internet marketing on a budget is indeed possible. If done properly, the potential for effective marketing within the means of a budget is great.

You may republish this article in its entirety, provided you leave the byline, author's note and website hyperlink intact.


About The Author:Earl Williams is a real entrepreneur who is making money with his SFI marketing business, which is one of the largest Affiliate programs on the Internet. He makes it easy for anyone to build their ideal online business and earn a substantial income from home. Learn how to start your ideal business and start making money online by visiting his Website: http://www.earlsfiblog.com

Sunday, June 01, 2008

Advertising on a Limited Budget

Publisher: Earl Williams
The NetMarketer

Starting a small business can be trying under the best of circumstances. You've had your idea, you had the gumption and resourcefulness to acquire enough funds to open, and you're quite sure that if enough people find out about your business, you're going to make a fortune; or at least enough to make a living off of. But that's the rub. How will people find out about your business in the first place?

Your advertising budget may be meager or nonexistent. If this is the case, you'll be dead on arrival if you don't find some free or cheap methods of attracting people to your business. Here are a few ways you can advertise on the cheap. They may not sound like much, but they'll help get the ball rolling when you have no other options.

The first thing you need to do is get a website. You can likely find a domain name for under $10, and find a hosting service like HostiCan that will only charge you about that much a month to keep a website or it might be a little less. This is essential in today's internet age, even if you plan on doing no selling on the actual website.

You can do all kinds of things with a website, and if you devote yourself to learning search engine optimization techniques which is very important. After that you will soon be near the top of a Google search for the genre of your business all for free. As an addendum to this, make sure you add your website address to the signature of your outgoing emails. Getting business cards will be another step along your cheap advertising route, and you'll want to add your website to these as well.

Bumper stickers don't cost much to make up, and if their colorful and creative, people will naturally want them. Put the first one on your own car. After all, if you aren't willing to toot your own horn, why would anyone else? Along the same lines, get some T-shirts made up and wear your T-shirt to public places, particularly places that might be hangouts for your targeted audience.

The most powerful form of advertising is, and always has been, word of mouth. If you are starting up a small business and have done even a modicum of research into what this entails, then you've doubtlessly heard this over and over again. What does this mean to you, though? After all, you can't force people to talk about your business. No, but you can provide the best service and selection which will give them something to talk about.

If you are the best at what you do in at least one area, people will talk about you in a favorable light. Nowadays, it is increasingly difficult to find two commodities that should be as cheap as table salt: friendliness and good service. These two things don't cost you a dime, but supplying them will make a big difference in the success or failure of your business.

You may republish this article in its entirety, provided you leave the byline, author's note and website hyperlink intact.


About The Author:Earl Williams is a real entrepreneur who is making money with his SFI marketing business, which is one of the largest Affiliate programs on the Internet. He makes it easy for anyone to build their ideal online business and earn a substantial income from home. Learn how to start your ideal business and start making money online by visiting his website: http://www.earlsfiblog.com/