All businesses require a bookkeeping system. If you have a small business, you will need a consistent, chronological and accurate small business bookkeeping system so that information is always available and reliable whenever it is needed. Your bookkeeping system will be the key to your company’s success. Any mistakes and miscalculations will tremendously cost you and your small business.Outsourcing small business bookkeeping needs can help you avoid the mistakes of bookkeeping. By allowing an experienced bookkeeper to handle your small business bookkeeping needs, all the information you need will be available at your fingertips the moment you ask for it. Many companies today are making a move to outsource jobs to offshore destinations because it provides a more reliable and accurate way of handling small business bookkeeping.There are many advantages of outsourcing your small business bookkeeping system. Outsourcing assures you that special attention is given to your background operations and you can concentrate more on your core business. Listed below are just a few of the advantages of outsourcing your small business bookkeeping system:1. Experience: Many small business owners still insist on handling the books themselves instead of hiring a competent and experienced bookkeeper. This eventually results in significant errors because there is no way for them to double check whether they have done things correctly. Outsourcing your small business bookkeeping system assures you that you have an experienced bookkeeper who is able to handle your books in the most efficient and productive way. They can easily find errors and suggest corrective actions right away.2. Books are reconciled: If you decide to outsource your small business bookkeeping system, you are assured that your books are always reconciled monthly with the bank statement. There are still businesses that fail to do this either because they forget to do it or they just do not have the time to do it monthly.3. Backup books: Many small business owners think that small business bookkeeping is a simple process that does not need a backup only to find out that once technical and computer problems arise, they have no backup books to trace the paper trail. Outsourcing small business bookkeeping can do the backups for you. And because they are offshore, you are assured that your data is easily recoverable in the event of a disaster in your area.4. Wrong entries: There is a set of standard bookkeeping categories for expenses. Hiring an experienced bookkeeper through outsourcing assures you that your expenses are filed under the right categories and that there are no redundant categories created. Small business bookkeeping by inexperienced people can result in mis-categorization of entries resulting in erroneous data.Responsible small business owners understand that outsourcing their small business bookkeeping system will help keep their business on top of its competition and they can easily monitor how the business is progressing. By maintaining and outsourcing your small business bookkeeping needs offshore, you are assured that your data is always available and accurate come tax reports and returns time.In the end, outsourcing small business bookkeeping requirements will be worth your investment.
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.
Ready to Start a Home Based Business? Whoa! 2 Red Flags That Say NO
So, you want to start a home based business. Well, you are certainly not alone. Millions of individuals scour the internet every month searching for legitimate home based businesses with the dream of making it big and leaving their jobs. Every day, someone is thinking, “There must be a better way,” or “Please help me quit my job,” or “I want to work from home.”
Today, many people are afraid. They are fearful of their economic futures, and the term, “This Economy” is spoken everywhere, and not in a positive light. What this means is that there are a lot of people struggling to make ends meet. Many are hoping for an economic miracle. Others have decided to start a home based business to help improve their situation.
Before you act on the impulse to start a home based business, there are a few things to consider. Let’s examine two major “red flags” indicating that you are NOT ready to venture into the world of the home based business entrepreneur – and what you can do to change the situation.
Red Flag #1: You feel desperate. You don’t make enough money. Perhaps you hate your job, and you’ll do anything to leave your current job situation. Or, you may be afraid you are about to lose your job.
Why this indicates that you are not ready: If you are feeling desperate and miserable, this is not a good time to start a home based business because you will carry that feeling of desperation into your search for a legitimate home based business opportunity. And instead of calmly weighing the pros and cons of various serious and profitable opportunities, You will be more likely to act out of desperation, falling for “get rich quick” scams – probably more than one – and spending your already hard-earned money on something that you feel will be a quick fix to your situation – that “magic bullet” that, frankly, does not exist.
How to change the situation: The first thing to do is calm yourself, and look at where the feelings of desperation come from. What can you change in your own attitude to make your job more bearable while you search for a profitable home based business? Instead of feeling angry and desperate, can you teach yourself to see the positive in your situation?
For example, if you already have a job – even if it’s not a great job – you could be thankful that you have a source of income that can help you save up for the right opportunity. You could sit yourself down and take full responsibility for where you are – after all, you made the decisions that led you to where you are now, and you can now make decisions to take another direction, if you choose. Just do it rationally, and without emotion. Release your feelings of desperation and hate – those feelings are not who you are. You are a lot bigger than that! There are plenty of places online to learn the techniques that can help you change your own outlook. Use search terms like “self development resources” or “self development techniques,” etc.
Red Flag #2: You are broke. You have debts you cannot pay, and you think that if only you could start a home based business, that this will cure everything.
Why this indicates that you are not ready: I don’t care whether you think you’ve found the Holy Grail of home based businesses. If you are already in deep debt, you will go further into debt. Why? Because being in business for yourself costs money. Even if you have a paying job, and just want to start something on the side to help pay your debts, if you are unable to stay current with your payments, you will not be able to get the credit or financing that you might need to get your home based business off the ground.
Running a business costs far more than the “5 to 10 hours per week” that so many business opportunities tout as being all that’s necessary to succeed. Scheduling your time commitment is only one part of the equation. You need to schedule your money commitment (aka “budget”) too.
How to change the situation: First of all, understand at the get-go that if you intend to start a home based business, you WILL need to spend money.
Stop searching for “free home based business opportunities,” or “easy home based business,” and get real.You don’t get anything for nothing. Ever.
So, before you decide to jump into a home based business, decide how much you can save for your start up costs which will undoubtedly include advertising, website hosting fees, months of carrying your business before the search engines begin to recognize you, and qualified buyers begin to find and visit your website.
If you are truly passionate about starting a home based business, then you will do what it takes to pay down your debts and begin to formulate a logical plan to undertake a serious home based business venture.
Until that day, you are not ready.
Depending on the type of home based business opportunity you are looking at, you can probably find others who are already active in the opportunity what type of budget is necessary to maintain the effort until you begin to earn profits.
Finally, you may be saying, “But, I really AM passionate about starting a home based business! Where can I get the money?”
This oft-asked question has a relatively simple answer – but unless you have the strength, determination, and self-discipline to do this, you won’t do it.
And this is where the rubber meets the road.
Here is the answer (drum roll please): Sell your stuff. Get rid of it. Sell on eBay. Sell on CraigsList. Have a yard sale – have more than one yard sale. Just sell your stuff.
Most people have far more stuff than they need. Do you REALLY need 10 pairs of shoes? How about that (Heaven forbid), that “Wii” you just had to have? How about your collection of collectible bears, NASCAR, purses, Goth skulls, or electronic do-dads?
How badly do you want to start a home based business? How badly do you want success? Sell the TV – or at least one of them (it’s a huge time waster anyway).
Sell the 4×4 SUV that you really don’t need to begin with. If you have kids, get them on board with you – kids are great dreamers and the thought of better stuff might nudge them in the right direction.
What else can you do? Stop spending needlessly. Buy your clothes from thrift stores instead of the department store for a while. One person we know plans “treasure hunting” trips to thrift stores with her kids – it has become a fun game, not a deprivation. Do you really need that new handbag? Do you really need that piece of jewelry? Brand name versus generic? And on, and on…
If the last few paragraphs offend you, and you cannot bear to 1) part with your stuff and/or 2) stop buying more stuff in order to realize a dream, then you are not passionate about starting a serious home based business opportunity. That’s just the way it is.
But… If you felt your heart begin to pound just a little when you thought about possibilities instead of limitations, if you felt hope instead of desperation, faith instead of fear – then, my friend, you WILL find a way – not only to START a home based business, but SUCCEED.
Copyright (c) 2009 Kathleen Tremblay
Kathy Tremblay’s passion for internet marketing stems from years of non-traditional living: from working at a Colorado guest ranch, to cycling in New Zealand, and working in Antarctica. Life in a cubicle is just not for her.
A terrific collection of tools to help you achieve your dreams is available at www.StrategiesForSuccessInLife.com [http://www.StrategiesForSuccessInLife.com] which is THE resource for the renowned Charles Haanel’s Master Key System – the very system Kathy has used to plan and meet her own goals.