What an Education Loan Can Help You Achieve

Every year the costs of education keep spiraling upwards. The education is necessary in order to achieve a level of success in the world we live in. Education may be at different levels whether its high school education, Bachelor’s level education, Master’s level education & doctorate or PhD level education. Each level of education has its varying levels of influence on a person’s life but at any level this education is important. Colleges charge so much these days that bank’s and even the institutions of learning provide loan options to people who want to study to get the education they desire.

Education loans help you to get an education regardless of how expensive the education may be. This is especially true if this education is provided by an institution such as an Ivy League institution. If you have the necessary knowledge to cope with the rigors of a strict academic curriculum then cost shouldn’t be a limiting factor in your quest to get this necessary knowledge. You will definitely find it easier to offset the costs of your education with a loan while you study hard to improve yourself. At the end of the educational period you will benefit a whole lot more than you would if you took out the loan to buy a car or a house.

Different types of education loans exist and they vary based on who is offering these aids for education. Some loans are offered by government bodies and institutions and others are offered by private bodies. Most loans offered from the government are usually offered without interest rates attached to their repayment terms others come with an obligation for service in a military institution e.g. ROTC loans. Most government loans are actually called government grants and they are usually used to designate loans that require no repayment terms. Other government loans that require paying an interest rate also exist but these sorts of loans are hardly available. Private education loans on the other hand almost always come with repayment terms and requirements. Some of these funds are given free of charge and with no obligations but in this case these funds are usually called scholarships.

Different requirements exist for individuals who require education loans. These requirements often vary according to the institutions that are giving out these loans. In the case of government institutions the requirements are usually less stringent. If a state government institution is disbursing these loans the only requirement may be that the individual should be a resident of the state and enrolled in one of the available state institutions. Private loans or scholarships on the other hand have more stringent requirements especially in the case of scholarships which usually that the individual applying for the scholarship distribute some measure of academic excellence prior to enrolling in an academic institution.

The repayment terms for an educational loan usually starts at some period after the individual who benefits from the loan has graduated from the said institution. The repayment terms will also have some degree of flexibility to help them cope with payments on their graduation.

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Understanding the Risks Before Starting a Home Based Business

Starting a home based business has myriad advantages over a regular 9-5 job. It gives you freedom to work the way you want and also gives you flexibility to work when you want to. However, it has its share of risks too. Let’s see what they are.

Security

The most important reason why people hesitate to run their own business is paycheck security. They are accustomed to getting regular paychecks and fear letting go of this safety net since it is unknown as to when they will begin seeing any income from their new business.

However, if the current economic downturn is anything to go by, security is nothing more than an illusion. People who had secure jobs, earning a fat pay in their so-called secure jobs until recently, have been kicked out for no fault of theirs as a result of the company cutting expenses.

Results

Even if you do all of the hard work to make your home based business a success, there is no guarantee that you will always achieve what you want. The results depend on many external factors like market conditions, competition and the economy among others.

When you start up a home based business, you will need time to learn all the skills required to work efficiently. Chances are that your income will be reduced, especially during the initial startup period. However, with a solid business plan, hard work and a certain amount of luck, there is a good chance that you will achieve your goals.

Family

You home will no longer be just a place where you get to spend time with your family. Your home will now be your work space and as a result you are likely to have a lot of interruptions and possible family disturbances which may affect your productivity.

Additionally, since you are running a business full time, you may not be able to spend a lot of time with your family, which can affect your relationships. You will need to find a balance between family time and work time in order to maintain your family life and to succeed in your business.

Avoiding the risks

Now that you know what kinds of risks are involved in starting your own business, let’s see what we can do in order to reduce or even completely avoid those risks. The best way to minimize risks is, of course, planning as much as you can in advance, so that you do not face unexpected situations.

Starting small is a smart option if you are working on a limited budget and not sure if the money you invest in your home business will bring in good returns.

If you feel that the risks of doing it are too much, consider doing it part time at least in the beginning. This way, you can continue getting a paycheck from your current job while you work at home and learn about the intricacies of various aspects of a home business.

When you are confident that you can handle the entire business yourself and live off the initial income that it initially generates, you can then leave your regular job and enjoy the freedom that your own business will give you.

You will be much better off assessing all the risks and opportunities associated with a home based business before embarking on such a journey rather than regretting your decision later. Remember that these risks are not something that cannot be overcome, given the potential returns that you can receive from starting a home based business

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How to Start a Home Based Business – How to Conquer Your Fears

No matter how brave we think we are, there is always a small amount of fear inside us. In this article we will touch upon the facts about how to start a home based business by overcoming our fears? First of all, this is done by recognizing your fears, then understanding the roots of your fear, building up your inner strength to cope with these fears and overcoming them. Fear is born within you due to the accumulation of negativity over a period of time. Fear prevents you from being successful. Here is some information regarding some fears about starting a home based business and strategies to overcome these fears: Failure    You can overcome the fear of failure by accepting that nobody’s perfect and learning from your mistakes. Rather than focusing on your failure, focus on research and working hard to achieve your goals. Consider failures as learning experiences to make to your business grow stronger.    Developing your self confidence    Lack of self confidence can lead to a lot of fears. So build up your self confidence by replacing your negative feelings with positive feelings and feeling of unworthiness with worthiness.    Bringing positivity around you   Have more positive people around you who encourage you. You should avoid negative talks of being unsuccessful. Real friends are the medicines to unhappiness. Good friends bring a lot of positive feelings.    Focus   Focus and concentrate on everything positive. Focus on your target without deviating.   Do your homework    Learn about all that is to know about how to start a home based business. You cannot keep guessing around with things. Do your homework well.   Learning how to handle financial pressure    You may be worried about running out of cash while starting a business. It takes time to make a profit from a business. Therefore you will need to make prior arrangements for your ongoing expenses in order to drive away the insecurities involved with financial stress in the initial stages of your business.    You can also get support from your spouse or family to take care of the expenses until you can establish your business. Doing business while you are still employed could also work well in the initial stages.   Feeling lonely    In a regular job your social needs are met since you have your colleagues with you. In business you might feel lonely. This can be overcome this feeling by building relationships with people online or offline through groups, association, forums and social media websites.    Lack of knowledge    Many entrepreneurs fear that they are not smart enough to start a business. You can overcome this drawback by educating and training yourself in the respective field.    Minimizing risks    The major cause of fear in a home based business is the risk involved. This can be minimized by
Doing the business while you are still employed
Getting support from your spouse and family
Choosing a business with lesser risks
Not knowing the process    Many people who don’t know the process of how to start a home based business may have the fear of the unknown.This can be overcome by reading business related books and enrolling in courses. Also get the advice from established entrepreneurs.   You can’t completely free yourself from fears. Some fears are rational. It becomes negative when you misinterpret and exaggerate them. When you come up with the question of how to start a home based business fear is the last thing that should come in your way. Confront your fears and think about how to solve the underlying problems.

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The Flexibility of a Home Based Business

Having the flexibility of a home based business enables you be able to do work and take the children out at the same time.The summer holidays can be really hard going if you have to work but with a home based business that is also Internet based as long as you have your laptop, phone and a cup of coffee, you’re well away! Having the flexibility to be able to do business where ever you go is amazing!During the summer holidays it really can be a juggling game for so many people and my heart goes out to all you busy mums and dads or course. Life is crazy and sometimes the most important of tasks have to be put on hold for this period of 6 – 7 weeks.Starting an online career can be a huge learning curve but it will be the best decision you make. People in general feel the need to move with the times and have a home based business that would appeal to the masses, a business that people can actually make money from, an opportunity that has an amazing product and a home based business that you would be proud to promote and believe in 100%. I believe once you have found a home based business that ticks all the boxes success is just around the corner!If you are looking to start a home based business and have some flexibility make sure you do your due diligence and check out thoroughly whatever company you are looking at and that you have phone contact with the person whose business you are going to join. Best wishes in your endeavours.Internet marketing can be a lonely old business but the rewards are huge. If you are reading this article I urge you to find a home based business that you are really passionate about and build it as hard as you possible can… and I wish you every success in your endeavours!

Steps to Take in Choosing a Home Based Business Opportunity

There are a lot of advantages one can enjoy if you are able to establish your own business, especially if you conduct it at the comforts of your own home. With a home based business you will be the one to dictate your own schedule and more importantly, you will have the opportunity to earn the kind of money you want. It should be noted though that starting a business requires a lot of hard work and time as well, even though it would be done at home. It is best that you follow certain steps, so that it would serve as your guide in jump starting your home business.The very first thing that you need to do in starting your home based business is to determine which among the many options you want to try. There are several home based income opportunities you can choose from these days, and choosing which one you want is actually one of the crucial steps you need to take.In choosing your home based income opportunity, you need to know that you can either choose to go the internet way or conduct a business at home offline. If you are more comfortable conducting a business at home operated offline, then you need to choose whether you want to sell items or provide services. If you are a sales kind of person, then you need to choose a product to sell, or make one. Selling certain products at home is not as difficult as it seems, especially if you have a designated place you can conduct your business on. For example, you can always hold garage sales, so that you can conveniently do it at your own garage. Aside from that, you can also sell pastries or deserts, which you can simply place inside your refrigerators. With this, you actually do not need to have an actual place to conduct your business, since people will just drop by to buy your products. On top of that, you can soon accept orders, so that you will have more chances of expanding your business.Providing services is another way of starting a business based at home. You can provide tutoring; dog walking, or handyman services at home. Aside from that if you are quite a techie person, then offering to troubleshoot and fix computers would also be a good way to earning some money and eventually start your business. You need to make sure that you provide high quality services, so that you will be able to gain more clients. With more clients you have, you will be able to expand your business in just a short period of time. The important thing about providing services is to identify your skills and talents, which you think would be able to help people. Therefore, starting today, you should try to get to know yourself better and identify them.Once you have determined the kind of home based business opportunity you want, you need to make people around the neighborhood be aware that your business exists. You can do this by applying certain marketing techniques to promote your business. You can make use of banners and post them on strategic points in your location, so that people in your community would soon call or visit you. Tell your friends and relatives about your business, so that they can also help in spreading the news.

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Starting A Home Based Business In Today’s Economy

Starting a home based business is scary!A home based business can be one of the most rewarding, yet scariest, events of your life. It is very risky, but the potential rewards can be very appealing. This post explores tips to help make your endeavor successful.Make success your goal! When you are starting a home based business, it is important to keep your focus and have a plan. Figure out what you want to accomplish with your business! Determine what success will mean for you.Here are tips for starting a home based business successfully:Don’t let your home business prevent you from networking. Starting a home based business means you’ll have to increase your networking efforts. You’ll need to look for local events where you can show off your business. You’ll be able to meet potential customers and network with businesses you may want to affiliate with.Thinking of running a business from your home? Be sure to research the price ranges of the products or services you will market. Also, know how much you need to make from each sale and how much your clients will pay for your products or services.Do not let your home business blog or website distract customers from your home business! Otherwise, your efforts will suffer! Make sure the blog or website has minimal distractions. You want customers to want to digest the information on your blog and explore it easily.If you are planning on starting a home based business where clients will visit your home, you will need to purchase business insurance. Your business policy will provide coverage for your business assets and liability coverage in case a customer gets injured on your property.When working from home, don’t forget to eat properly! Eating healthy foods is very important to your brain! It will keep your mind clear, efficient, and functioning. Also, don’t over-eat. It’s awfully tempting to raid the kitchen during the day.When starting a home based business, be sure to remind yourself that it is still a business. Keep all receipts for home business expenses, like mortgage, phone, energy, and insurance bills. A percentage of these expenses for maintaining your home can be deducted when you file your taxes. Also, make certain when you begin a home business to consult with an accountant to ensure that you adhere to all local, state, and federal laws regarding starting a home based business. It is essential to keep accurate financial records. An accountant can advise you about available tax benefits.It is sometimes easy to become overwhelmed when running a business from home. Be sure to take time for yourself. Work “me” time into your work schedule so you don’t forget to take some time off. Try not to forget where work ends and family time begins.There are several factors that can increase your chances of success when starting a home based business, despite the hundreds of variables at play. This post is just a fraction of the information you will need to gather as you continue increasing the traffic of your home business blog or website.Does starting a home based business sound right for you?

Things That a New Small Business Owner Must Expect

Many people dream about starting their own business, but very few are actually able to live their dreams by executing them, and even fewer make it past the first five years. This is mainly because a large number of times, some business owner don’t really know what to expect.There are no words to describe what it feels like but in simple terms; it’s fun but scary at the same time. A large number of small businesses fail because of an inability to successfully make it past year one.Many business gurus believe that with the right knowledge of what to expect, a new small business owner will know how to prepare for upcoming challenges. Here are a few things that any new small business owner should expect.Be Ready to Hustle When You’re TiredIsn’t that what being a small business owner is about? You may be thinking that as a small business owner, you can take a day off when you feel like it but that’s not the case. As the brains behind the entire operation, you need to hustle even when you feel like you’ve done enough. That’s the difference between being an employee and a business owner; you’ve never done enough.There will always be paperwork that you need to sign, orders that you need to make and customers whom you need to talk to, especially in the first year. Just like in every other phase of life or an industry, the initial period is always make-or-break, and the end result highly depends upon how much work you put in.You can spend each second checking and rechecking your plans and improving them, working on ideas and developing new strategies. After all, there’s so much on your plate (marketing, product development, vendor contracts and employee training)You Can’t Make Every Customer HappyIt’s true that as a business owner, you need to retain a sense of balance in everything you do but when it comes to satisfaction, you can’t make everyone happy. As a small business owner, you’re bound to make quite a few customers unhappy and the truth is, you don’t really need to make everyone happy, either.It’s important that you remember that the key is to have a consistent customer service policy and handling complaints carefully. If your product doesn’t impress a customer all that much, then the way you handle a complaint is sure to make them a loyal customer.A major factor that differentiates your small business from that of a larger conglomerate’s is that you, as the owner, can give customers the attention they want, which is why they are likely to approach your brand in the first place.Be the Master of All TradesWhen you first thought of starting a business, you may have guessed that you’d only have to sign things and the wheels of your business would turn themselves. Wrong. In year one, you should expect to be able to do everything and know how every process works.Along the way, you’ll think ‘they didn’t teach me this at business school’ as you try to find a good web hosting company for your company website or take aesthetic pictures of your products so you can post them on a social media account. You don’t learn everything about starting a business; you have to experience it hands-on.From managing office operations during the day to writing content for your website at night, you’ll have to do most of it in the first year. You’ll be lucky to have friends or family who’ll be willing to help around but in year one, you can’t afford to hire many employees. In addition, even when you do get people on-board, you’ll have to know how to do things yourself before teaching them the basics.Be Familiar with LawsNo this is where it gets interesting. Staring a small business will require you to be familiar with laws about hiring and taxes so that your business will genuinely be able to help people in the community by offering employment.There are a number of regulations, laws, and licenses you need to know about before you can officially carry out operations as a business. In the beginning, you should expect to hire a lawyer for such needs because it’s impossible for you to know all the complex regulations that surround the startup of a small business.This is crucial because no matter how hard you work on your business, it’s likely that even a small detail or legality can be held against you. You’ll be doing yourself a favor by investing in proper legal advice and obtaining all the licenses you require. Nevertheless, legal counsel isn’t cheap so you should expect to have enough financial resources.There Will Be Some Bumps along the RoadFailure, no matter how big or small, is an inevitable part of running any business, whether big or small. You could make a product that doesn’t turn out as successful as you thought, your marketing strategy may backfire or worst-case scenario, you get a wave of negative feedback.The first year won’t be failure-free but that doesn’t lessen your chances of reaching success. To keep yourself prepared for these situations, business experts advise that before you should quit your job, you need to have some savings. To be more specific, you should have enough money to support yourself for a year.You need enough savings because no matter how well you plan the first year of your business, you can’t predict the future so there is always a chance that you might fail. There’s nothing wrong in preparing yourself for the worst-case scenario while planning for the best.ConclusionThese are just some of the things that every small business owner must expect, especially during the first year after launching their business. Of course, no amount of expectation and preparedness can actually make you battle-ready to start a business but knowing a few of the most common symptoms will help you diagnose and reassure yourself that this is supposed to happen.

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Home Based Business Tax Benefits: The Top 5

Did you know owning a home based business has considerable tax benefits? The idea that only the rich have access to tax benefits is a myth!

The first step is to own a home based business and run it with the intention to make a profit. The important word there is “intention”. You don’t really have to make a profit to take advantage of these benefits. Now, you can begin a home based business for little cost and can run it part-time from your home while having a full-time job.

In time, and with some effort on your part, you will be able to leave your day job and work from your home full-time and take advantage of all of the benefits a home based business has. The best part is you can take advantage of the home based business tax benefits as soon as you start your new business!

Owning a home based business allows you to deduct some personal expenses you wouldn’t usually be able to deduct. These things include but are not limited to: dining out, a new computer for the office, dental and medical expenses, and some vacation related expenses. The money you can deduct for operating a home based business is not insignificant and can amount to well over ten thousand dollars.

Here are the top five deductible expenses for Home Based Businesses:

1. Vehicle Deduction

This IS the most complicated home based business tax benefit you get. It is also where most people get into trouble with the IRS because they didn’t correctly document their vehicle related deductions. If you are going to use vehicle deductions, I can not stress enough that you MUST document everything properly. Keeping a diary or travel log to track mileage, maintenance costs, etc. will save you time and many headaches.

How does the vehicle deduction work? Basically, you determine how much of the time you use your vehicle for your home based business as a percentage. You are then permitted to take that percentage of time and apply to the cost of operating your vehicle. For instance, if you use your vehicle 60 percent of the time for your home based business, you are permitted to deduct 60 percent of the costs of operating the vehicle.

2. Meals and Entertainment Deduction

First things first, in order to take advantage of this tax benefit, you must have proper documentation. This primarily means you need to save your receipts and record who you spoke to about your home business. Normally, you will be able to deduct up to 50 percent of the cost, but make sure you check beforehand.

As long as it is related to your home based business and document the costs properly, you can also deduct up to 100 percent of the expenses of entertaining people in your home. You may come to realize the tax benefits are much greater if you entertain in your home instead of taking someone to your favorite restaurant.

3. Home Office Deduction

This one of the more intricate home based business tax benefits, but it has the potential to save you thousands of dollars every year you own your business.

To claim the home office deduction:

1. You must render significant administrative or management activities for your business out of your home. For example, you do your paperwork, make calls, do your training, and perform other business functions out of a set area in your home.
2. You have no other office where you conduct significant management or administrative activities for your business.
3. You must use a specific part of your home exclusively for business. It doesn’t need to be an entire room though. A particular section will do.
4. You must use this designated section regularly for at least 45 minutes a day, four or more days a week. The work hours must not be occasional or sudden.

What can you deduct? You are permitted to deduct part of your home, utilities, and part of the interest and taxes you pay that are related to owning your home. You can also deduct office supplies like new computers, printers, phones and furniture used for your home business.

4. Travel Deduction

Did you know the Internal Revenue Code (Section 162) allows you to deduct “traveling expenses…while away from home in pursuit of a trade or business…”? As the owner of a home based business, you can visit family and friends all over the world and deduct some of the expenses associated with the trip. You just have to make sure at least half of the days of your trip are “business days”. Essentially, as long as you plan ahead and document properly, you can deduct a lot of the costs associated with traveling and vacationing… Every year. How is that for a home based business tax benefit?

5. Medical Expenses Deduction

In order to take advantage of this home based business tax benefit and, you will need to employ your spouse and cover them with a comprehensive family medical plan. This allows you to deduct all of the costs associated with the your family’s medical expenses. But, there two important requirements in order to take advantage of this deduction.

The first is you must have proof your spouse has done actual work for your home based business. The second is you must establish a legal document called a “Self Insured Medical Reimbursement Plan.” Do a search on that phrase in Google to see what that entails. It’s pretty straight forward.

5 Important Advertising Tips

1) Advertising is Key! Truth is…you can’t afford not to advertise. Statistically speaking, research shows…companies that maintain their advertising throughout a recession are poised to reap benefits over their competitors, who do not advertise, especially once the market begins to recover. Therefore, slightly increasing your advertising in order to get the edge over your competition is a good idea. However, if you’re not in a position to do that, try to maintain your normal spending levels if at all possible. First and foremost… advertising is the promotion of a company’s products or services carried out essentially to drive sales of the products or services, but also, to build a brand identity and communicate any changes or new products or services to the customer base. If you want to grow your company’s profitability and improve your bottom line…you must ADVERTISE!

2) Choose your advertising method wisely. Here are some options.

a) Print advertising: newspapers, magazines, brochures, fliers & direct mail

b) Outdoor advertising: billboards, kiosks, trade shows and events

c) Broadcast advertising: Television, Radio and Internet

d) Covert advertising or in layman’s terms “product placement”: now this is the advertising you see in motion pictures-or with sitcoms on TV…this is a unique form of advertising that companies do to showcase their product or service.

e) Public Service advertising: is traditionally reserved for socially relevant messaging, political integrity, poverty, religious or civic events, nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organizations.

f) Celebrity advertising: of course this is when a famous person is asked to be a spokesperson for your product or service. Today there are growing companies that bank on the power and influence of celebrity advertising. In most cases, the celebrity lends instant credibility and influences the target customer base positive manner thereby increasing the company’s profitability.

3) The difference between having an advertising plan and having an advertising strategy is critical. It’s like this…if you want to get from point A to point B that’s your plan. Your strategy is how you’re going to do it. For example if my plan is to drive to Savannah then I have to formulate a strategy on how I’m going to get there…either by car, plane or train etc. Once I determine the how, then I must map out my route…that’s my strategy. Your advertising plan consists of what your goal is. For instance, let’s say your plan is to increase sales by 30% and promote your special July 4th sale including half off of everything in stock. Well the advertising strategy must include the execution of the plan. If you want to inform your prospective customers about your sale…you’ve got to figure out “the how factor”…how are you going to get that message across? What vehicle will you use? Then you must strategize an effective campaign relaying the pertinent information to the target audience utilizing a creative advertisement to effectively communicate your message. You may decide to combine flyers, TV, radio & internet along with a celebrity endorsement. So the advertising plan and advertising strategy are very different but function in partnership…because one doesn’t work effectively without the other.

4) The one key word to use in advertising The best word in advertising is…”FREE” anything free is going to instantly grab attention and make your customer curious to find out what is being offered for free! However, if you’re limited on what you can offer for free…there are other advertising techniques you can use…i.e., special offers are nothing more than good old fashioned “bribery” because you hook the customer with the BUY ONE GET ONE OFFER or Buy TWO GET ONE HALF OFF! This technique is very effective because you have given the customer an incentive to spend more!

5) The most important element in effective advertising The industry terminology is called “THE CALL-TO-ACTION.” But I like to call it, the WOW Factor or the “Special Sauce.” In today’s society we are spoiled. Most of us want everything now, at our convenience and deeply discounted. Consumers today don’t want to spend too much time or energy looking for a great deal. Most importantly we look for a quality product or service at a great price. Thus, the key for any company or business…is to offer their target audience something unique that’s going to “knock their socks off!” However, you must offer something that will influence the target customer to take action right away! The WOW Factor equals activation! To make sure you get that activation; you must give it the KISS test; KEEP-IT-SWEET & SIMPLE!

The Finer Points of Internet Auctions

WHAT IS A PENNY AUCTION?

Penny auctions have exploded in popularity with the massive growth of the internet. However, few people know the true origins of penny auctions.Beginnings actually stretch back to the Great Depression. Those were hard times for everyone, but even harder for farmers. Farmers struggled to bring in steady income because of droughts and crops not selling as well as they had previously. As a result, the banks would foreclose on the farmers who couldn’t keep up with their mortgage payments.

The banks weren’t satisfied with just repossessing the house, they wanted to raise as much capital as possible, so they resorted to selling off the possessions of the owners of the repossessed houses. There was not much the farmers could do about it so they began bidding ridiculously low prices, pennies, on the items while threatening others who dared to bid higher than a few pennies.

The auctions of today hardly resemble their tremulous beginnings. Being part of a penny auction today is exhilarating, fun, and addictive. It combines the selling format of auctioning with a little bit of chance factored in.Auctions are a game of strategy but also a game of luck.

The premise behind penny auctions is giving people the chance to win an item at a drastically reduced price.Auctions make that possible by spreading out the cost of the product among multiple bidders. In order for a person to take part in an auction, they must pay a set price for each bid. For example, if a person wanted to bid on a fifty dollar Amazon gift card then he would spend a dollar for each time a bid placed. If he ended up winning the gift card, then he would only have spent a few dollars for a fifty dollar gift card. Usually penny auctions sell bids in packages.

HOW PENNY AUCTIONS WORK!

The main foundation of penny auctions is the pay-per-bid format. It is the key that allows bidders to win items at the fraction of their retail value and allows the auction owners to keep their site profitable. Most y auction sites run on the same premise: people pay a set amount for each bid, whenever a person places a bid within the closing seconds of the auction time will be added, the last person left with a unique bid after the clocks runs out will win the item. There are a large variety of items that can be won, but they tend to be popular electronics or gift cards to popular stores.

There are two types of auctions: lowest unique bid auction and highest unique bid auction. Lowest unique auction sounds confusing but it is actually quite simple. A unique bid is when only one person has a bid at a certain price. Bids usually start at one penny, a bidder can then place a bid at two pennies. Until another bidder places a higher bid, the most recent bidder will be the lowest unique bid because that was the only bid at two cents and nobody bid higher. However, penny auctions generally don’t stop at one penny. It is not uncommon to find auctions that end up at a couple hundred dollars based on the popularity of the item being auctioned. However, the same principles apply for those auctions. Highest unique bid auctions follow the more traditional auction format such as eBay. The person with the highest bid at the end of the auction wins the item.

Auction site owners turn a profit by selling bids. Say twenty people are bidding on a ten dollar gift card at one dollar per bid, at the end of the auction if there were twenty bids placed in total then the site owner would have made twenty dollars with a ten dollar profit.Auctions do seem like a win-win situation:The site owner makes money while the bidder gets an item for dirt cheap. However, not everyone wins in penny auctions. The people who paid one dollar each bid but left with nothing to show for their investments will not be so happy.

HOW TO WIN!

Penny auction has a lot of chance mixed into it, but one can incorporate strategy that will help raise the chances of winning. Playing smart can make all the difference between gambling and auctioning.

The first crucial tip to winning penny auctions is to know how to manage your bids. Your goal should be to win as much as possible without spending a ton of money buying bids. Managing your bids means that you should already know how much you are willing to risk in order to win an item. The amount of capital you are willing to risk will determine how many bids you can use. Once you know how many bids you have to spend on an item, then you will be better able to manage how and when you place a bid. That will keep you from blowing away all of your bids in the first few seconds of the auction.

The next tip is to practice time management. When fighting in the trenches of penny auctions, you have two enemies: other bidders and time. Knowing when to bid is a must if you want to have success. Placing a bid when there is a lot of time left on the clock is never a good idea. You have to remember that the key to winning a penny auction is being the last one standing when the clock runs out and that each bid increases the amount of time left. It would be a good practice to wait until the last few minutes of the auction before you begin to bid.

The final tip for successful auctioning is to keep your emotions under control.Auctions have a lot of similarities to gambling, and just like gambling, your spending can get out of control. If you keep your emotions level, it will keep you from making rash decisions and blowing loads of cash. Keep your mind clear so that you can gage the behavior of the other bidders and outsmart them.

HOW TO AVOID SCAM SITES!

Penny auctions are a great addition to the web whether you want to win an item that otherwise you wouldn’t be able to afford or if you simply enjoy the thrill that comes with bidding in auctions. Unfortunately, scam sites have tarnished the reputation of the legitimate penny auction sites. However, there are ways that you can protect yourself from scamers and enjoy your auctioning without having to worry about losing your money due to dishonesty.

Checking the reputation of the auction site before you start spending your hard earned money is always a good idea. Chances are other people have tried the site before you and some of them have left reviews. The reviews are your way to gage whether a auction site is trustworthy or not. If a site is getting overwhelmingly negative reviews, then that is a clear indication that you should steer your business elsewhere.

Another tool you can use to protect yourself is checking the Alexia ranks of the auction sites. Alexia rank will give a solid view of how much traffic the auction is getting. If you see a huge difference in the amount of traffic Alexia is projecting and the amount of active bidders on the site, then warning signals should be ringing in your head. Some auction sites have been known to set up robots that automatically bid on projects in order to keep the auction going and inflate the price. That is known as shill bidding. You can sniff out those sites by comparing the traffic the site should be getting to the amount of users using this site.

CONCLUSION!

New legislation may come out later down the road that will officially make penny auctions gambling, but until then, it is a fun, exciting auction that allows one to win the item they’ve always wanted but couldn’t afford.Auctions are also quite lucrative for the site owners because of the pay-per-bid strategy they’ve incorporated. Penny auctions had humble beginnings with farmers who just wanted to get back at the banks who kicked them out of their house. More recently, auctions have enjoyed an explosion in popularity with the rise of the internet.

There are two main formats fora auctions, lowest and highest unique auction, however they both run on the same premise where the last unique bid wins the item. Winning a penny auction will require a certain amount of mental tactic and a bit of luck. However, you can increase your odds of winning by practicing certain techniques such as managing your bids wisely, learning how to work with the time, and keeping a level head and your emotions under control. When you combine those three strategies to your bidding plan, you will find that you win a lot more often.

It is important that you do your due diligence to protect yourself when participating in auctions. Not every auction is run by honest and trustworthy people. There are people out there who just want to take your money. You can protect yourself by ensuring that you only bid on sites that already have a very positive reputation from real users.

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