Working From Home Is Not Rocket Science!

OK - So It's time to make a change. A BIG change! You have decided to leave the rat race and that daily commute for a nice peaceful work environment at home. A home-based business. A business that you can work from home. A business that you can work from home in your PJs. A business that you can commute from your bedroom to your home office in your home. Sounds like a pipe dream, but very possible. You see - home-based businesses abound and the opportunities are countless. 

Just Google home-based business and see what you get! Everyone has a book or seminar to sell you on how to get started. Pages and pages of links with business opportunities all over your face! But you really should not be intimidated by all these  pages of links and listing of proposals. You need to first push yourself away from table or in this case, your computer screen and ask yourself some important questions. 

When thinking about starting a work from home business, you need to visualize in your mind of how you want to live and what you would like to do. You need to visualize your ideal life. Be sure and consider how your work, learning, family and fun will work into your everyday life. You will need to work out all the details. The clearer the vision, the more the details of your business will fall into place. Once you have your vision, and then build a support team around you. 

With so many home based business opportunities out there it is easy to feel overwhelmed. You need to find people who will support you. You need to put your attention on finding out what gives you joy and pleasure and focus on the things that you love doing. Focus on your talents. This is the way to find something you really want to do. You should build a support team that will not only cheer you on but can help you when things are not going right. 

Begin to explore the  business opportunities out there. There are many, many home-based business opportunities out there. You can succeed if you find one that suits your talents, explore all the available ideas and have the support of family, friends and other business owners. You should take some time to search the Internet to help with your search. You can also talk to other small business or home based business owners. You need to research the market you want to get into and formulate your vision. Or you can simply just go to our blog here and look at what we think are the current, hottest, and most likely easiest business ventures to explore!

Remember - All new business owners will find that it is necessary to take risks and so will you. It is scary and exciting to leave your comfort zone. This is the time to challenge yourself. If you fall, get up, dust yourself off and try again. Try something new and remember you can do anything you want to do.  Visit our blog now at www.scottfreelifestyles.com and begin something new where you can have control of your destiny! Let's Get Busy!!

 

There's BIG Bucks In The Import/Export Business!

HOW TO START AND OPERATE YOUR OWN PROFITABLE  

IMPORT/EXPORT BUSINESS AT HOME
 

What is a good way to build up a successful business from nothing and have fun doing it? The import/export business may be your answer. Not only does it require little financial investment to start, but it offers the prestige of working with clients from all over the world. You don't need previous experience in the field, but you should have a good head for organizing. Fulfilling a successful import/export business requires constant attention to little details.

Do you know some local manufacturers looking for ways to increase their market for the goods they make? Or are you planning a trip abroad and want to make some contacts for setting up a business? If you have an ability to sell, and an air of diplomacy, the import/export business might be right for you. All you need is the desire and determination to make it work.

As you progress in the business, many factors become obvious and easy to handle. For example, you'll need to find a person to handle shipments, called a freight forwarder. And you'll need to create solid contacts and strong relationships with reliable suppliers. But after a short time, you can be well on your way to making a sizeable income - with a very low overhead.

Do you like the idea of running your own business? How would you like a tax deductible trip to foreign places a couple of times a year? The advantages of an import/export business are great. The biggest advantage is the money you'll make. Once you get the business underway, the commission for setting up sales is very profitable. And after you establish and maintain a number of exclusive accounts, you'll find the time you spend is highly rewarded with money. Take a look into the import/export business. Consider the risks, and consider the advantages. Talk to people in the business. Is it for you?

HOW IT WORKS

Of all the manufacturers in the United States, only a small percentage distribute goods outside of North America. The goods that do find foreign markets are exports. On the other hand, anything that is manufactured outside the country and brought in for sale, is imported.
Although it seems obvious that all manufacturers would want a worldwide market, it is not easy for a company that is limited in its scope and abilities. That's where you come in.
 
An import/export agent is a matchmaker. Manufacturers of domestic goods seek foreign distribution; foreign manufacturers want a United States market. You need to find them, make a solid connection, and establish a business relationship with these companies.
The agent's commission is generally about ten percent. Now, think of ten percent of $500,000 or ten percent of a million. Although that may seem like a large order, it wouldn't be, if you’re talking about machinery, raw materials, or computers.

The market is unlimited and there are hundreds of manufacturers looking for foreign distribution. Sporting goods, clocks, electronic games, radios, housewares, garments, tools - anything can be readily imported or exported if there is a consumer demand and if you can get the products.

The United States Government encourages exports. Indeed, it is those sales that keep our balance of payments with the vast amounts of goods that are imported. And you'll find government agencies helpful in establishing your business.

Grab a FREE copy of "How To Start & Operate Your Own Profitable Import/Export Business At Home" NOW?

 

Protecting Yourself As A Professional Finder!

Nothing is more important than protecting yourself as a Professional Finder. If you are planning to work as a finder, you need to illustrate this by being professional.

And there is nothing more convincing than to have a set of agreements & contracts in place, and have a banking relationship with your bank.

 
 Agreements & Contracts

Now that you’ve broken the ice, have established some rapport with the parties you are trying to get together, and presumably have discussed terms in previous correspondence and phone calls, your next step is to get something in writing. This must be from one or the other, committing one or the other to paying you your fee. From the legal standpoint, a clearly orded, concise and specific exchange of letters should be sufficient.

With a covering note, saying something like, “I know this letter may sounds kind of stiff, but it’s a standard formality – something I must have for my files before we can finalize,” you might write this kind of letter:

Dear Mr. Hale:

I think we have now agreed on the terms of my compensation in return for acting on your behalf in finding (whatever). It is to be (so many dollars, a one payment %, payments based upon units of sale – other). Upon your acceptance of these terms, I will reveal the full identities – name(s), address(s), and phone number of the principals to you, together with the last of the information in my possession which I have, until now, withheld in order to assure my compensation for services rendered.

Further, it is understood that you were not aware of (whatever opportunity) prior to (date of first contact), and that you will protect me for my fee, whether or not you were acquainted with the opposite party in any other way.

Accepted by (signature): ________________

Representing (company): _______________

Date: _______________________________

To go even one step better, an actual contract would do if you can get it. Many would refer to such a contract as a “Finder’s Protection Agreement.” We prefer, “Business Service Agreement”. Such a contract can be put together with your attorney or paralegal that are familiar with such agreements.

A minimum of two copies should be made – one for you, and one for your principal. Not being an attorney, obviously we cannot do as good a job in designing a form that will protect you down to the last period and comma. So if you really want to do up the contract form “right”, consult an attorney.

Some greedy, unwilling-to-work finders will sometimes try to get into the act.” They will claim that by merely providing a name, they are entitled to a fee. This is why the last paragraph in the contract form is so important. It would say, “I have signed no such similar agreement with any other person(s) having anything to do with our specific (transaction – again, spell out precisely)”.

Generally speaking, if another finder has provided only a name, and performed no other services, he does not, legally, have as much as a balloon of air to stand on. The courts still (generally) consider the rule of “value given for value received.” Also, most frequently, prior dates on correspondence will protect you and your principal from the professional suit-threatener, do-nothing, Johnny-come-lately finder.

Bank Confirmations

Good banking connections are vital to many areas of professional finding. One of your first orders of business is to establish them. Talk to your banker. Make up some mythical transactions as examples. Get his opinion on the best ways to deal – with this kind of assurance, bank confirmations, behind you. If you’re not satisfied with what you’re told, see another banker; maybe still another, maybe a dozen or even more. Compare notes. Then do business with the bank that seems to know most, what they are talking about.

To learn more about Finders Contracts and Agreements, and Banking Relatrionships, you need to read “Striking Gold in the Finders Fees Business”. Visit www.Find4Fees.com.

So You Wanna Be A Fat-Cat Professional Finder!

Let’s back up here for a minute before we talk about making big money as a Fat Cat Professional Finder. Sure – there are plenty of big bucks to be made as a professional finder IF……… That’s right – IF..… If you do it right! And most folks don’t do it right. The reason being is that most people who jump into this business of finding – jump into it without knowing the game rules. This is why most fail at this business.

You can’t go into this half cocked. Would you believe that most people, even people who call themselves finders, do not really know what a finder is. Although so much has been written about the easy money fortunes being made as a finder, most people do not know what a finder is, or how to earn finder’s fees. So in order to define what a finder is, let’s first point out what a finder is not.

A finder is not a dealer. Dealers take-on a product, or service for sales and promotions. Dealers are only responsible for distributing the product, or service, from the main source to the end user.

A finder is not a pre-seller. Pre-sellers take a selling price from a product source and add-on what they feel to be a fair margin of profit, and sell it. When a sale is made, the pre-seller buys the product from the source and ships it to the buyer.

A finder is not a representative of, or agent for, either buyer or the seller. Representatives and agents are authorized by their clients to negotiate the purchase, or sale, of specific services and products. They can legally sign documents obligating their clients.

There you have it. Very many people who call themselves finders are not really finders at all. They are really Salesmen, Agents/Representatives, and/or Pre-sellers. The answer to the question is; that a finder is nothing more than a “match-maker” for a fee. The Professional Finder simply matches qualified buyers with qualified sellers, or vice versa. In business life also, the meaning of the word “find” is just that. Where a sale of something is involved, you find a buyer.

The Business of Finding

Where an acquisition of something is involved, you find a seller. We have found that the best way to find one party to a business transaction is to look in your own community (buyer or seller). Then match up his/her needs with those of another party (buyer/seller) in another city, state, country and away from your local community.

But you don’t have to stop here. You can also bring together two parties – one in Florida, and the other in Singapore, even if you live in Kansas City. Many Professional Finders are doing this and making a fortune.

The advent of the Internet has brought the world of communications to your fingertips. So Google away my friend and bring together a buyer and seller of any commodity!

Why A Finder?

And why not? You ask, “Why would anyone or company pay a Finder’s Fee?” Good question. There are over 300 million people in this country of ours, and millions of small, medium, and large companies. Now – do you think that these businesses can know of all the sources of supply, service providers, potential buyers, and potential sellers? Of course not!

Does it really make sense that companies spend thousands and hundreds of thousands, and tie up important employees to do nothing but research the existence of these suppliers, buyers, and service providers?

All they would have to do is get a finder to go to the expense and trouble of locating the contacts they need. The fees will be much less than what they would have spent if they had done the research them-selves.

Many limp-wrist finders complain that its hard work, difficult to weed through hundreds of unqualified leads before they find one good solid source. They continue complaining that this time wasted is keeping them from earning their fees. Now! Whoever said it was that easy? If it was that easy, do you think anyone would have need for a Professional Finder, or even consider paying a Finder’s Fee?

The finders who complain are the failures. Keep this in your mind; a finder earns his/her fee by weeding through the unqualified leads or losers; by following all of the dead-end paths; and by, eventually, getting hold of a real genuine source, buyer, seller, or whatever.

This is what a finder gets highly paid for doing. The company or individual that pays these Finder Fees pays it so they will not have to chase down all of those unqualified leads, and dead-ends. That is the name of this game.

What Are Finder’s Fees?

Finder’s Fees are basically a fee for providing a service to an individual, or company. For example, let’s look at some situations:

– A Texas man earned $43,000 on a single business transaction. This transaction consisted of making 3 telephone calls, several emails, and about 7 hours of his time. The transaction being the closing of a scrap metal deal involving a seller in Pittsburgh, PA and a buyer in Houston, TX. Not a bad days pay!

– A California woman collected a Finder’s Fee of $225,000 for the sale of beautiful mountain retreat in Santa Cruz, California. This transaction dealt with the sale of prime real estate that involved the seller in California and the buyer from Egypt. It took this young woman 2 telephone calls and 2 emails to close this baby.

– A New York couple collected a Finder’s Fee of $80,000 on a single sale of precious stones from Brazil to a buyer in Reno, Nevada. The sales continued and earned this couple an average yearly income of $34,000 for the next 3 years.

– A New Jersey man collected a Finder’s Fee of $60,000 for matching a buyer of distress computer merchandise in Louisville, KY from the seller in Santa Clara, CA. This transaction involved 2 telephone calls, 2 emails, and one letter of correspondence.

– An Arizona woman collected a Finder’s Fee of $14,700 for locating 48,000 travel mugs in closeout merchandise. This transaction consisted of only 2 telephone calls and about 2 hours of work.

Each of these situations in which the above individuals collected money, was in Finder’s Fees. As you can see, the possibilities are endless. If you keep your eyes and ears open, you can make a killing in this business.

Where Are Finder’s Fees Opportunities?

Walk through a shopping center, a discount store. Drive through any industrial complex; visit any dock where longshoreman is unloading cargo.

Watch any office building or high-rise business structure of any type. Attend an auction. Read the classified sections of any newspaper. Research the Internet. Get listed on chat/blog sites. Excellent sites to find buyers and sellers are Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Read the ads and contents of trade and business magazines in many fields. Chances are great that a finder somewhere along the line had much to do with the creation of the business momentum that you will have observed. The “Finder” reaches into every remote area of American and International business and collects his fees. The horizons are as broad as the composite whole of our American economy itself. Here are just a few examples of finders’ fee offerings:

– Fees for finding insurance policyholders willing to convert their insurance premiums into tax-deductible items

– Fees for uncovering hidden estates

– Fees for finding buyers, sellers and traders in blocked, frozen or restricted foreign currencies

– Fees for finding those willing to rent letters of credit

– Fees for renting your own collateral, and having it too

– Fees for finding big quantities of cosmetic and pharmaceutical products available for resale

– Fees for finding sellers or buyers for any kind of production tools or equipment and earn a 5% fee for each “closed” deal

– Fees for locating financing

Rare? Unusual? Odd? Yes! But, we have presented this small handful of way out examples merely to show you the long tentacle “reach” of the Finders’ Fee Business.

You can earn tremendous fees in the “finding” business if you set it up “right,” work at it “right,” and cash-in on it “right.” Our purpose is to show you the way. We will tell you about the most lucrative fields, how to set up your own finder’s service, the equipment and supplies you’ll need, the know-how and where- how you’ll need. To learn more about this exciting and very lucrative business, Click Here.

Seven Ways to Tell if Your Gold is Counterfeit

Forward by Peter Krauth, Global Resources Specialist

I had just finished a walking tour of the Royal Canadian Mint when I saw it. Right there, out in the open, was a 400-ounce bar of pure gold. It was chained to a display table and kept safe by an armed guard. At the time, in 2005, the bar was worth $220,000.

Today, the same bar is worth $667,700. In just seven years, gold prices have jumped by 203%.

But it's not the eternal fascination with gold that has boosted the price. With growing levels of worldwide uncertainties, mounting inflation risks and government distrust, people are clamoring for gold primarily as insurance.

According to the World Gold Council, 2011 saw gold bars and coins reach nearly $77 billion in sales, versus 2002's $3.5 billion. And in November alone, the U.S. Mint's sales of the popular American Eagle coins jumped 131% in the wake of the election.

With the market for gold growing at a feverish pace, it's now more important than ever to know that your gold is the real deal-especially with gold prices looking to break through the $2,000 mark in the new year.

Here's why.........

Gold counterfeiting is nothing new. In fact, just recently there were reports of fake gold bars from China turning up in New York. Instead of gold, their centers were stuffed with tungsten.

But rest assured there are a number of methods you can use to mitigate the risks of ending up with counterfeit gold. Some are simple, quick and inexpensive. Others are more elaborate, detailed, and not so readily accessible.

Here are seven ways to find out if the gold you own is real:

Fake Gold Test #1: Size

Whether we're talking about coins, wafers, or bars, the producers of these items usually have very exacting standards. So a little research goes a long way to making sure you get what you expect.

Find out what the true dimensions of the item should be, then compare them to what you have.

To do this, buy yourself a good quality pair of calipers so that you can measure the diameter, thickness or other dimension of your gold item very precisely.

Gold is a very dense metal, so some counterfeiters may make a coin in a wider diameter, in order to compensate for a less dense metal. If you compare gold to iron, it takes twice the volume of iron to equal the same weight of gold.

Plating other metals with gold still allows them to match the proper weight, but the size would be off. The difference could be very minor, but if you know what to look for, you can spot the fake. 

Fake Gold Test #2: Magnetic

Gold is not magnetic. So if it sticks, your gold is fake. But to do this, you'll need a stronger than average magnet. The kind available from a specialized hardware store should do it.

Keep in mind that counterfeiters obviously know this too. So they'll typically use metals that aren't magnetic to avoid this type of detection.

Just don't use this test alone. 

Fake Gold Test #3: Weight

Obviously, one true and tested way of being sure you get what you ordered is by quantity. And weight is a great way of checking. Get yourself a good quality, precise scale. Then, based on the stated weight on your coin, wafer or bar, it should match up perfectly.

Keep in mind though, that gold is weighed in troy ounces. One troy ounce is equal to about 1.09714 "avoirdupois" ounces, which is the normal 1 ounce measurement we use in everyday life. 

Fake Gold Test #4: Visual

Knowing what you're looking for will certainly help here. It's a learned skill, but keep an eye out for anything that looks odd or abnormal. A decent, strong magnifying glass goes a long way to pinpoint oddities.

You can search for high quality images of your coin or bar, then compare that with what's in your hands. Be meticulous in your search for minute details, all of which must be spot on.

Gold coins are a good option for gold "investments." You see, counterfeiters will often (but not always), fake larger gold items because it's more worth their while. After all, if you're going to go through all of the painstaking trouble and risk, the payoff might as well be big.

The test methods I've described so far apply to pretty much any form of "investment" gold. But if you take the leap and acquire a larger-sized gold item, there are a few other tests that can be performed for veracity.

The truth is, anyone who owns gold in the form of a larger bar, say 10 ounces and up, ought to consider having it verified. 

Fake Gold Test #5: Assay

One option is known as the fire assay test. This is typically used by gold explorers/miners who require absolute certainty that their drilled samples are the real thing.

Fire assays are an ancient method. They are the most widely used and considered the most reliable. The downside is that it involves drilling into the gold bar to provide at least 12 gram (0.2 ounce) to be tested. Some feel removing even a small quantity of the bar will take away from its integrity. But some gold bullion dealers, for their own assurance, will decide to cut your bar if you've agreed to sell it to them.

Another downside with fire assays is that you're really only testing the small portion you've sent to the testers. So if there is a void or other metal in the center of the bar, the test won't find it.

Assay testers will usually take about three days and charge about $35 to test a gold sample. They'll also provide an official signed report with the results. 

Fake Gold Test #6: X-ray

X-ray testers are another option to check your gold. Jewelers will sometimes use these to test any gold they buy.
The tester quickly performs chemistry analysis to determine what elements are present in the gold. They also can tell the purity and fineness of the metal.

X-ray testing does have a ±1% accuracy rating, so while minor, there is some chance for error. The other drawback is that it's essentially a surface test, so if there's a void or another material in the center of the bar or coin, then X-ray testing won't detect it.

On the plus side, it's nondestructive and non-intrusive, so the integrity of your gold won't be compromised. You'll know, at least, if the surface of the item is real gold. 

Fake Gold Test #7: Ultrasound

Ultrasound testing is a way to "look into" your gold. It uses the same ultrasound technology familiar to all pregnant women.

Essentially, this method scans the item, providing a digital image of the gold bar.

If there is an air gap or other material inside the gold bar, this will show up as a darker area on the screen's image. This is expensive equipment, so it may be challenging to find someone who could provide testing services.

The advantage is that ultrasonic flaw detectors can actually "see" the inside of your bar, so the results provide a high degree of confidence in the bar's integrity. 

Of course, there are other tests you can do to mitigate your risk of ending up with a fake. Probably the single most important thing you can do is to buy your gold from a reputable dealer.

While it sounds obvious, a little research can go a long way. Ask friends or acquaintances for referrals and check the website of a government mint for "partner" bullion dealers.

Also, consider buying from dealers that offer a product guarantee, as well as a future promise to repurchase anything they previously sold to you.

Keep in mind, though, that the biggest counterfeiter of all is your own central bank. Since the 2008 crisis, the Federal Reserve has created trillions of dollars out of thin air.

So your best insurance against even more fiat money counterfeiting is to own some physical gold. Just be sure you know who you're buying from and what you're getting.