Naming a new business

Don’t let the daunting task of coming up with a name for your fledging business endeavor ruin your day. Is a name important? Of course it is but you don’t have to wander through life in a haze, crippled by indecision, unable to take the next step forward with your home-based business idea until you get the naming right.

Naming is hard because words can be so subjective. Do you think Google filled initial investors with visions of rich rewards? How about Starbucks? EBay? See what we mean – subjective. You may love it while the rest of the free world can’t stand to even say it.

Deal Evaluator – dirt cheap real estate advice

It’s nothing fancy. Nothing complex. Just unmatched value. The Deal Evaluator is a new service from Platinum Properties Investor Network that allows you to get a quick, experienced second opinion on any real estate deal you are considering. Why would you want our input?

We’ve completed thousands of real estate investment transactions worth millions of dollars. We have feet on the ground in dozens of markets around the country. Our real estate expertise is impressive and we’re happy to offer our opinion to any deal you’re considering for the low price of $50.

No risk advertising with Hydra

We’ve mentioned it before. You can’t rely on walk-in traffic to promote your home-based business. At some point you’re going to have to get out there and drive traffic to a website or phone number. In the old days (yesterday) Google ruled the online advertising world. Their Pay Per Click (PPC) business model set the standard to and was the only game in town for internet advertisers to reach potential customers.

Google is still the behemoth at the top of the internet world but a new player is standing on the sidelines called Hydra.

Hydra is a results based company. Instead of paying for a click by a random user who might be a legitimate prospect, but could be a random clicker also, you pay only for an action. This new model of advertising gets its own acronym, Cost Per Action (CPA).

The Master’s Weekend is on the horizon

The Master’s Weekend is almost here. You didn’t forget, did you? This two day powerhouse real estate investing education only happens twice a year and the dates of March 6-7, 2010 are coming up quickly. Register before March 1 and save 40% off the full rate.

But this year the deal is even sweeter. Due to the proximity of the gathering to the airport, you can attend without the added expense of renting a car, plus Platinum Properties Investor Network has arranged a special rate of $109 at the Costa Mesa Marriott, which is where the Master’s Weekend will be held.

Home-based jobs for the disabled

For those with a physical or mental disability that makes holding down a traditional job in the working world difficult or impossible, there are certainly work-at-home options. One such mode of employment would be offering transcription services, provided you have good English and grammar skills and can type in the 75 wpm range.

There is a near constant need for speeches, lectures, radio and television programs, and more to be transcribed into text. With the internet as a delivery system, it’s a simple matter for a freelance transcriber to sit at home and complete assignments.

Create your own branded empire

Still searching for a brilliant idea for your home-based business? Are you a little bit creative or able to come up with pithy slogans begging to be plastered on a t-shirt, coffee mug, or poster? If so, you’re in luck. Technology has now caught up with you. Companies like CafePress and Zazzle cater to the design crowd. It works like this.

Come up with a great design or slogan. Log on to one of these websites and upload your idea. It’s now ready to be printed on t-shirt, kids’ accessories, mugs, housewares, stickers – the list is lengthy. Every time one of these items sells from the website with your design, you get a commission.

Real estate…patience, patience, patience

Jason brought up an interesting point on episode #155 of The Creating Wealth Show. The phrase “location, location, location” has traditionally been the mantra in assessing the value of a property. Perhaps they should say “patience, patience, patience” instead. Eventually, every market will be a good value again. The trick is to realize that all markets are not a good deal all the time. Don’t get hung up on a particular area, thinking factors like proximity to the beach will make it eternally valuable.

Las Vegas? Terrible right now.

Become a stay-at-home customer service agent

It’s true. In yet another permutation of the home gig, you no longer have to leave the house to be a customer service agent for a major company. Want to work for J. Crew, Walgreen’s, 1-800-FLOWERS? You can. There is a growing demand for people who answer inbound customer calls from these companies and others.

It works like this. Major corporations such as the ones just mentioned outsource their customer service calls to third party companies who, in turn, hire U.S. based virtual customer service agents. Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom, need extra cash, or have grown weary of the morning commute, this might be an employment option that interests you.

Where real estate investors go wrong

The rumors are true. Some real estate entrepreneurs have trouble turning their new business venture into a positive cash flow endeavor. Why is this? Part of the problem is being “motivated seller” focused rather than “deal” focused. Here’s what we mean by that. You can throw a rock in almost any neighborhood in the United States and hit a half dozen motivated sellers. Does that mean you have half a dozen good deals to choose from?

Heck, no!

It simply means there are six people desperate to unload their property. When you start to analyze each deal you will find them to be good, bad, or indifferent. No matter how motivated the seller is, a bad deal is still a bad deal. If you’ve been following our posts at Platinum Properties Investor Network for any length of time, you know we NEVER pull the trigger on ANY deal unless it makes sense the day we buy it.

Property/Deal Evaluator

They’re #2 but that’s okay

While we believe that the information provided at our own website www.JasonHartman.com is the finest investment, home-based business, and internet marketing education around, there are other websites on the horizon worth looking at. One of our favorites for internet marketers is the Warrior Forum (www.WarriorForum.com).

The Warrior Forum is the place to go for anything and everything regarding internet marketing. Everybody hangs out there from millionaire gurus to wet-behind-the-ears newbies and anyone is welcome. Treat them right and they’ll treat you better.

Masters Weekend – Live Event

How to dump a bad property

Are you stuck with a bad income investment property forever? The short answer is no. There are escape routes, though some are better than others. Your best defense against ending up the owner of a bad property is to follow our advice and not invest in a property unless it makes sense the day you buy it.

But, unfortunately, some people stray outside the Platinum Properties Investor Network advice and find themselves stuck with an “asset” that no longer strictly falls under that definition. Here are some ways you might consider getting out of an upside down mortgage.

Make your blog stand out

Blogs on the internet come and go by the hundreds and thousands a day. If the focus of your home-based business is to create a profitable slice of real estate by blogging, here’s what we’ve noticed makes one stand out from the crowd.

1. Enter a new market early, on the way up into the public consciousness, and create lots of valuable content.

2. You’re not going to create a literary masterpiece every day, but bloggers who post regularly, for years, usually end up ahead of the game.

3. Don’t be afraid to be quirky, loud, obnoxious, controversial, sexy, intelligent, or just plain weird. That’s what draws attention, traffic, and money.

Four websites that can grow your business

Social media. It’s more than buzzword to the savvy internet marketer. Tapping into this gargantuan market could send your business into the stratosphere in short order. But how do you know which sites to pay attention to? It seems like there’s a new social media outlet popping up like spring flowers in a meadow.

The truth is, for now, you can ignore most of them. There are four serious players in the field and these are the ones where you should focus your marketing efforts. In no particular order, they are:

1. Facebook.com – This behemoth began as a way for classmates at Harvard to interact. Now it’s getting harder to find someone without a page. Even grannies are grooving on Facebook now. The advantage to your business is the personal aspect. It removes some of the “wall” between business and client.

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