Most people would love to work from home. Well most people would love the idea of what working from home is and what it gives you. That is, time flexibility, financial freedom, being your own boss, working your own hours etc.What however, stops most of us, is the fear to take that leap of faith or find the right business for us. We want to find the top home based business but where do we start? So we keep meandering along the current path where our financial and lifestyle dreams elude us.The problems with working from home can be vast, high risk, arranging office space, etc. The list can go on and on, and let’s not forget the money side of things. Most small businesses costs thousands to start up and working from home may mean you need to rearrange your house and pay thousands in inventory costs. Finding that top home based business is tough.I spent a lot of time researching to find that top home based business. My aim was to find a business that provided me with the ability to work from home, yet not having to risk quitting my job while I start it. I wanted a top home based business that allowed me to have small start up costs, but still provided me with huge earning potential.I then stumbled upon a world renowned financial author Robert Kiyosaki. His book Rich Dad Poor Dad won the New York Times bestseller. He explained a very important concept called the cash flow quadrant – the very first tool I used to help fine me that top home based business.He explained that people were in four categories. The Employee, The Self Employed, The Investor and The Business Owner. Basically, the self employed although their own boss, trade hours for dollars and if they take a break from their business so does the money from their pockets. The employee is the same, trading hours for dollars and working for the boss who earns all the money. The investor, well there is huge potential there but you need a lot of money to make money. The real system that works for you is business. He explained having a system that allows you to work less and still earn great money is where you can really become rich.I had to be on the B side of the quadrant. I had realised that a financial expert had basically pointed me in the direction of a top home based business. The answer was in that B quadrant. I did some more research on the author and realised he endorsed Network Marketing.Network marketing really is the top home based business, with little start up costs, an ability to contribute as much time as you like, great earnings potential, no risk and the ability to obtain your desired lifestyle. There is no competition like in a corporate hierarchy and everyone helps each other succeed. They key with network marketing companies is to do your research! Find the best company. The one that pays you well, rewards you for your efforts, is very team orientated and has a wonderful product.

OverviewRunning a small business takes a lot of work. Every small business owner would like to see their business in the best position to grow. One of the surest ways to invest in your small business is to have a website. There are still a lot of businesses that do not have a website for their customers. In today’s online world people expect to be able to do an online search and find your business, products & services there. If you want to take steps to improve your small business, this is one essential place to start. Here are a some benefits for your small business having a website.Brand RecognitionThe vast majority of customers today use the internet when they are searching for the product or service they need. By owning your own website, you will be able to extend the overall presence of your business, being both offline and online. There are a lot of small businesses that do a lot of their marketing online. Not only does this save money, but consumer studies show that this is more effective as well, since your potential customer is already online using their mobile device to search for you. Your website can provide all the information about your business, products and services you provide, how they can contact you, maybe even shop online for your products 24/7, you can offer helpful information, tips and hints and you can provide photos of your business, team, products and testimonials from happy customers. Your website is your representing your brand online.More TrafficCustomers need to know that your business has a product or service to sell. Many customers are searching for quality products and services at a great price. However, it will be very hard to find your business if you don’t have a website. Building a quality website will drive traffic over time automatically to your website. This increases the amount of people who see the products or services that your small business offers. Always take the time to build a quality website, with quality information, in order to build up your web traffic.Higher ProfitsThere are few things as impactful in marketing in today’s world as having a website. If you want higher profits in your business, it is important to invest in a website that will drive customers to sign up for your newsletter, call you for a quote, buy your products direct from your online store or call you for more information about the services you offer. Over a period of time, this will lead to higher profits in your business. Every small business owner wants to increase profits in their business over the long-term. Dollars spent investing in a quality website that is customer friendly will yield many more dollars for the business in the future. All small business owners must think about the long-term trajectory and vision of their business and seriously consider investing in a website.Final ThoughtsThere are many small businesses today that do not have a website. They either do not understand the importance of owning their own website and the benefits to their business or they think they do not have the money to invest in one. A good question to consider is what money are they losing to their competitors (who are online)?The good news is that this is now easier than ever before to get a website. There are hundreds of web designers ready and able to build a quality website, most likely several right there in the area where they live. Anyone worried about building or coding a site can simply hire someone to do so. The price of building a website has gone down drastically in recent years.Investing in a website will do several things for your business. Not only will it increase your brand recognition in the marketplace, but over time it will also drive traffic leading to potential increased sales, ultimately yielding higher profits for the business.

Estimating your assets value:

Typically, one of the first questions a business owner will ask me is, “how much will the assets bring at an auction”. After taking the time to review the assets, the auctioneer should give the client a conservative estimate of the sale based upon his experience and the current market trends. It is important that the company give realistic expectations so the seller can make informed decisions based on their best interest.

Compensation and Expenses:

Is the company you are considering working for you or against you? The agreement you decide may determine this.

A business owner should carefully consider how the auction company is compensated. The most common commission structures include: straight commission, outright purchase of assets, guaranteed base with a split above to both auctioneer and seller, guaranteed base with anything above going to auctioneer or a flat fee structure.

In a straight commission structure, the company is paid an agreed upon percentage of the total sale.

In an outright purchase agreement, the auctioneer simply becomes your end buyer. The company purchases your assets and relocates them. While this can be an option in some unique situations, keep in mind that they will want to purchase your assets at a very reduced price to make a profit at a later date.

In a minimum base guarantee, the auction company guarantees the seller that the auction will generate a minimum amount of sales. Anything above that amount either goes to the auction company or split with the seller. While a seller might feel more comfortable doing an auction knowing that he is guaranteed a minimum amount for his sale, keep in mind that it is the best interest of the auction company to secure a minimum base price as low as possible in order reduce their financial liability to the seller and secure higher compensation for the sale.

In a flat fee structure, the auctioneer agrees to show up for the sale and call the auction. There is no incentive for the auctioneer to get the best prices for your assets. The auction company is compensated regardless of the outcome of your sale.

What is the best option for business owners? In my experience, an agreed upon straight commission structure. This puts the responsibility on the auction company to offer the best outcome for everyone involved. There is an incentive for the auction company to work hard for both parties, set up and run a professional sale, get the highest bid and sell every item on the inventory. Successful auctions translate to a higher bottom line for both the seller and the auction company.

Auction Expenses:

In most auction agreements the expenses to conduct an auction are passed to the seller. If the auction company pays for the expenses, it is simply absorbed in higher commission rates.

All expenses should be agreed upon in advance in a written contract. Typical expenses will include the costs of advertising, labor, legal fees, travel, equipment rentals, security, postage and printing. A reputable auction company will be able to estimate all expenses based upon their experience in previous auctions. An agreement should be actual costs charged as expenses, not an estimated amount.

Advertising is typically the highest cost in conducting an auction. The auction company needs to set up an advertising campaign that will promote the sale to its best advantage and not overspend to simply advertise the auction company.

Once the auction is complete, the auction company should provide a complete breakdown of all expenses to the seller, including copies of receipts within the auction summary report.

Buyer’s Premium:

What is a buyer’s premium? If you attend auctions regularly, you are very familiar with this term. The auction company charges a fee to the buyer when they buy an item at auction.

The buyer’s premium has been around since the 1980′s and is standard auction practice. It was first used by auction houses to help offset costs of running brick and mortar permanent auction facilities. Since then, it has spread to all aspects of the auction industry. It is prominent in online auctions and allows auction companies to cover added expenses incurred from online sales.

It is the responsibility of the auction company to provide clear disclosure of the buyer’s premium to both the buyers and the sellers. Those not familiar with auctions are often taken back by the buyer’s premium. They looked upon it as an under handed way for the auction company to make more money. Reputable auction companies will provide full disclosure within the auction contract, advertisement and bidder registration.

Typically, an auction company will charge online buyers a higher buyer’s premium percentage than those attending an auction in person. Extra fees are incurred with online bidding and are charged accordingly to online buyers. This provides the seller a level playing field for both online buyers and those attending the auction in person. Without the buyer’s premium, there is no way to do this.

Pre-Sales:

We’ve all been there. We’re looking forward to attending an auction only to find that some items were sold prior to the auction date.

As an auctioneer with over thirty-six years of experience, I can honestly state that pre-sales will hurt an auction. When a company decides to liquidate their assets, it is easy to sell off high-end pieces of equipment through online sources, equipment vendors or to other businesses. The seller receives instant cash and avoids paying a commission to an auction company.

Auctioneer’s find themselves appearing to acting in a self-serving capacity when potential clients say they are planning to sell off parts of their inventory prior to an auction. It’s hard not to consider the auctioneer’s commission when they warn you not to pre-sell anything. Yes, the auctioneer wants to earn a commission on those sales but it is more important that the auctioneer protect the sale from potential negative backlash that comes from pre-selling. The buying public knows when an auction has been “cherry picked” prior to the sale and it reflects in their bidding. It becomes a sale of “leftovers” and that impacts prices.

A buyer who purchases prior to the auction usually does not attend the sale. They already bought equipment at a good price with no competition. If they do attend the auction, they tend to let others know of their great pre-sale purchases which again, impacts prices and the overall excitement of the sale.

It is important to understand that auctions work best with a complete inventory. You want competition on your higher end equipment. The easy to sell items make it possible to gain respectable prices for hard to sell items.

When a business owner decides to liquidate their equipment assets, there is only one opportunity to do it right. Hiring a reputable auction company will assist you with a professional, orderly and timely liquidation.