Resources

Sqribble

, 0

There is little question that the internet has created a path for millions of people to build online businesses, sell products, and earn extra money. Many even enjoy a full-time living and have achieved financial independence while building up their presence on the web.

But to do this they had to create a website, build traffic, and draw more people in so they could sell them the products or services that they offer. Of the many different methods for creatiSqribbleng leads and drawing in potential customers, eBooks are one of the most powerful.

From free reports up to full-scale books, the eBook offers a powerful way to bring in the traffic you need to boost your business.

Unfortunately, creating an eBook that attracts potential customers can be a nightmare. It’s needs to be designed, formatted, and written in a way that people want to buy and read. Plus, it can take several days, if not weeks just to learn how to get it right, if at all.

That’s where Sqribble comes in. This is online tool designed to help you create a professional eBook in a short amount of time. But does Sqribble live up to the promise of helping people just like you find the customers they need with a powerful eBook?

What is Sqribble?

There are many eBook creator tools on the market. And while some of them have merit, many others do not offer what you need to succeed. With outdated templates, unreliable programs, and needing additional tools and investment to make them work, Sqribble is designed to be the alternative.

Sqribble is a cloud-based creator tool that lets you create all types of reports, whitepapers, and even eBooks in a matter of seconds. If you write it, you can format it properly when using Sqribble. Created by Adeel and Ali Chowdhry, they bring a wealth of success to the creation of Sqribble. This includes being the creators of several top-selling products on Clickbank.

Sqribble represents the result of many years of work in the online marketing field. By combining expert design with features that really work in selling eBooks, Sqribble is the result of years of experience designed to help people succeed.

Features

SqribbleSqribble offers a number of features that sets it apart from the many standard eBook tools that you can find online.

  • Ready Made, High Quality Templates
  • Templates in 15 Niche Categories
  • Drop Design Features
  • Single Click Automated Content Engine
  • Free Commercial License
  • Free Agency Site

Software:

It all begins with the Scribble software that offers a state-of-the-art system to create professional eBooks in a matter of minutes. The program itself is intuitive and the drag and drop user interface means that even a novice can create what they want quickly.

Training:

It’s not just having access to the tools it is knowing how to use them and what works best that really counts. Sqribble provides a training program that teaches you how to get the most out of the tools, techniques, and features that they have to offer.

Agency:

Sqribble offers a commercial license so you can sell the eBooks you have created quickly and easily. You can even start your own design agency if you wish by using this program.

But there is far more to Sqribble than just how to put together a good report, whitepaper, or eBook, you actually get access to valuable content, create beautiful covers, and even make your work interactive by creating flipbooks from your work.

Pros & Cons

There are many reasons why Sqribble is so desirable to creating a good report, whitepaper, or eBook. For starters, the software itself is easy to use thanks to its intuitive nature. Even for beginners, you set it up and start creating new templates quickly. But there is more to the program that its ease of use.

Unlimited Usage:

You are not paying to create one eBook or write one report, the software can be used over and over again. This means that you have an unlimited resource once you purchase the product to make what you want, when you want.

Free of Glitches:

One of the more annoying aspects of many free templates and even similar software systems that you pay for is the sheer number of glitches that happens. This is especially true with online programs that use limited server space. Sqribble uses a cloud-based server which means that the result is a glitch-free experience.

Free Commercial Agency:

This is a great feature in that you have access to a real commercial agency all for free. This will help you get a leg-up on the competition by having a commercial agency and website that is in-place.

Create a Second Income:

Thanks to the commercial agency license, you can do commercial work which includes creating eBooks for clients. This means that you can become your own publisher and make awesome templates, covers, and add information from outside sources to make eBooks for those who want them.

As an addition, Sqribble offers an agency website that comes with a portfolio that is already filled, so you can gain authority in the industry right away. This is a great way to help you get work from clients and build up your own business. This means that you can add to what you are doing right now or start up your own business in publishing if you desire.

With all the pros, there are a few downsides to what Sqribble has to offer. Arguably the biggest is that many of the really neat features you will have to pay extra for. It’s always annoying when you see so much upselling, but it is part of Sqribble as well.

In addition, when you use URLs as part of your work, you will need to cite the original author and/ or the source. That is really not the fault of Sqribble, but that is the law and for many it is easy to forget and get yourself into trouble.

However, the cons are quite small and certainly should not stop you from looking over and considering this service as being one of the best on the web.

Verdict

Although Sqribble may not be perfect, it does offer many advantages compared to standard eBook formatting sites. The sheer number of templates, different niches, and drop design features provide plenty of variety when looking for the right appearance to your work.

What makes Sqribble so desirable for those who want to create excellent content that is beautifully packages is that it’s all in one place. If you are not sure of how to format your work, there are many different templates to make it easy. If you do not know what works in your industry, Sqribble offers expert advice and tutorials that help you make the right decision. Even if you do not know what to put into your work, you can access other reports, eBooks, and information from the web and put it into your eBook.

If you are an entrepreneur, independent marketer, freelancer, or even a small business owner, you can greatly benefit from having Sqribble as part of your marketing efforts. With Sqribble, you can create and sell eBooks as you desire. This allows you to be your own boss and create good, solid content in an attractive design that brings customers back for more.

Sqribble is an excellent choice for so many reasons, which is why anyone who wants to expand their online efforts by creating reports, whitepaper, eBooks, and more should check out Sqribble.

12 Minute Affiliate System Review

, , , , , , , 0

Is 12 Minute Affiliate System right for you? The fact that you are reading this review means that you wish to understands its pros and cons before taking the jump.

There is little doubt that the most popular money-making system on the internet is affiliate marketing. This is when you sell products from existing companies and earn a commission. Although the concept of affiliate marketing is simple and the opportunities are vast, it is still not the easiest way to make money. It requires some internet savvy along with marketing insight to make your affiliate marketing efforts really work.

This is where the 12 Minute Affiliate System comes into play. It is designed to help beginners and those who have tried to make affiliate marketing work for them.

What is the 12 Minute Affiliate System?

This product can best be described as a “affiliate in a box” system, the extent of which will depend on the membership level that you purchase. The system is designed to be complete, so that you can create leads, promote products or services, and sell them to make money.

The reason why it’s called the 12 Minute Affiliate System is that the advertising claims it takes just 12 minutes to set up and start earning commissions. As with any program, you may earn your first commission within the first 12 minutes or not, but that does not detract from what is an otherwise proven system.

Created by Devon Brown, the 12 Minute Affiliate System is one of several products that he has created which include the Webcopycat among others. He has earned a reputation for creating helpful products for entrepreneurs, small business owners, and those who simply want to create a second income on the web. The 12 Minute Affiliate System is the latest in the line of such products. But does it live up to the hype?

Features

The 12 Minute Affiliate comes with two different plans which carry a monthly cost. The first is the basic plan that offers access to all areas of the program and your choice of one of three affiliate funnels. However, you are limited to just one funnel. The advanced program is more expensive and offers access to all three funnels.

  • Basic: $47 per month
  • Advanced: $97 per month

It should be noted that there is a $9.95 trial plan that lets you have access for two weeks. This offers you a great way to get to know the system and back out if you do not find it to your liking while only being out $9.95.

When you order the system and get set up, you will gain access to three sales funnels for affiliates which are as follows;

  • Making Money
  • Health & Fitness
  • Personal Development

It’s not difficult to understand why these sales funnels exist as they are three of the most popular topics for affiliate marketing. Everyone wants to make more money, get into better shape, and become a better person. Which one you choose is up to you, but once you have decided you will then select from the following affiliate networks;

  • Clickbank
  • JVZOO
  • Warrior Plus

If you select Clickbank, you are pretty much ready to go with at least 13 affiliate product that you can promote on your site. The inclusion of JVZOO and Warrior Plus helps to expand your reach with products that are proven sellers. You will receive your sales funnels which can be changed to reflect your business model.

You can now purchase targeted traffic, which brings people to your sales funnel. Depending on the area that you have chosen, you may find that you are paying a considerable amount for every “click” or person that uses the link to find you. Setting up a home business is the least expensive while health and fitness are the most expensive.

Pros & Cons

There are a number of reasons why 12 Minute Affiliate is a program to consider, especially if you have not delved into affiliate marketing before.

Easy Set Up: You will need to sign up with Clickbank and Aweber, but even that is pretty simple. The easy set up is intuitive, so you get into the program right away, learn what you need to do, and then take action based on the information that is provided. This step-by-step approach combined with the training and support make getting started easy even for beginners.

Proven Methods: While the program itself is innovative in how it helps people get started in affiliate marketing quickly, it is based on solid, proven methods that have worked since affiliate marketing took off over a dozen years ago. The incorporation of Clickbank alone offers a proven program that has helped many thousands of people just like you.

Personalize Affiliate Funnels: This is a crucial advantage because many other similar programs do not let you change the affiliate funnels to any great degree. The key to standing out from the crowd is looking different, so being able to change the appearance of the sales funnel is arguably the most important advantage if you want your marketing to stand out.

$9.95 Trial: Having access for two weeks at just $9.95 is an excellent way to find out for yourself if the 12 Minute Affiliate is right for you. While not a full month, the two weeks is long enough for you to set up a funnel and see if you can earn money within that period.

Training: There are a number of training aids, methods, and guides to help you understand the basics of affiliate marketing in your niche. This is a good starting point for anyone who wants to know just how things work. While not as extensive as some similar programs, it’s still pretty good for those just starting out.

As for the cons, the first starts with the name of the product itself. While you certainly can set up the system in as little as 12 minutes, earning a sale is something else. Although it is theoretically possible and perhaps there has been someone who succeeded in earning a commission just 12 minutes after receiving this program, it is safe to say that your chances of duplicating that feat are remote at best.

Another con is that you are limited to just three affiliate networks to do your selling. Still, Clickbank is one of the more popular affiliate marketing sites, so this is not much of a deficit.

Verdict

There is no doubt that the 12 Minute Affiliate offers some powerful advantages in terms of getting set up and started quickly. Plus, the three main sales funnels are based on popular niches, so with some effort you should be able to make some headway quickly.

For the newcomer, 12 Minute Affiliate offers a good starting place. It teaches you the basics and the system itself provides you with proven affiliate programs such as Clickbank. While earning a commission 12 minutes after getting the program may not happen, you will be on your way towards creating a second income or at least earning money on the side.

If you have experimented with affiliate marketing and are looking to expand your efforts, then this program may be for you. While the training material is probably familiar, by applying other methods you may be able to get a larger return. At the very least, the program itself is built on a solid foundation.

If you do find this system interesting, it is highly recommended that you start with the $9.95 two-week trial to see if this program is right for you. At the very least, you will know that it isn’t for you without breaking the bank.

 

Mortgage Refinancing

What is Mortgage Refinancing?

, , , , 0

Mortgage refinancing is when you have an existing loan with one bank / lender and you wish to transfer this loan to another lender. This can be due to various reasons.

Mortgage refinancing must not be confused with a ‘top up’ loan. A loan ‘top up’ is when you increase your loan amount but remain with your current lender. Refinancing is when you change your lenders.

There can be many reasons for seeking to refinance your mortgage:

  • You are not happy with your existing lender
  • You are looking for a cheaper loan with a better loan structure.
  • Your current lender is not ready to approve your application for an increased loan amount.

Mortgage refinancing will involve the following:

  • Complete the entire loan application process and provide all the documents required by the new lender.
  • Employ the services of a solicitor to arrange the discharge of the current mortgage and transfer the property title to a new lender.
  • Financial penalties payable to the current lender if you are on a fixed mortgage.

You must have a clear financial objective in mind before you decide to refinance your mortgage. The decision should be based on your individual financial situation. You must decide only if it makes financial sense because it takes time, effort and money to refinance your property.

Refinance from a Floating Rate to a Fixed-Rate

You must take into account what mortgage rates are doing. Are they rising or falling? If the floating or adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) is much higher than the prevailing fixed interest rates then it may be a good time to consider fixing your mortgage.

Another important thing to consider is the amount of time you plan to own your home or the investment property. If you’re only going to keep it for a few months or years then it does not make sense to refinance but continue on a floating rate as loan breaking costs can be high. If you’re planning to own the property for longer period of time then it might be advisable to refinance to a fixed-rate mortgage.

Refinancing from a Fixed-Rate Mortgage to a Floating Rate

This again depends upon the length of time you wish to own the property. It makes no financial sense to pay a higher interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage when you wish to sell it in let us say seven years. You may consider keeping your loan either on floating rate or ARM or fix it for a seven year period.

Incase your loan is not assumable you may get stuck with a property if the breaking cost of the loan are so high that it will prohibit you from selling the property.

Increasing Your Cash Flow by Lowering the Mortgage Payment

You can substantially lower your mortgage payments by reducing the borrowing cost by just one half to one percentage point in interest rate. If you have a large property folio even minor changes in interest rates can improve your financial position by mortgage refinancing.

There are different mortgage refinancing options you can use to lower your monthly mortgage payment and improve your cash flow.

  • Simply refinance to a lower interest rate. A lower interest rate will lower your monthly payment.
  • Change the term of your mortgage. You can either increase or decrease the term of your mortgage to take advantage of the most suitable prevailing rates.
  • Refinance to an interest-only loan. An interest-only loan with no principal repayments will improve your cash flow and give you better tax benefits.

Refinance to get Cash from Your Property

You can refinance to get a home equity loan. You can use the money for funding home improvements, pay for children education or pay off high-interest on your credit card debt. You should do this only if you have additional cash flow to pay off the increased monthly mortgage repayments.

Paying off high interest credit card debt with loan against your property makes lot of financial sense. This can result in saving thousands of dollars in interest payments. Apart from the high interest charged on the credit card debt the interest paid is also not tax-deductible as in the case of property mortgage. This is why credit card debt is often referred to as “bad debt”. On the other hand mortgage on a property is referred to as “good debt.”

It is a smart move to use your property equity, rather than your credit cards, to finance expensive purchases.

Mortgage Refinancing

Important Actions to take before applying for Mortgage Refinancing

  • You must educate yourself as much as possible before contacting a mortgage broker. You should have some knowledge about the different mortgage packages and contracts available in the market.
  • You should do some online research and check out a few mortgage broker’s websites in your area. It is also wise to shop around for the best possible deals in the market by talking to various lenders.
  • Work out the financial costs including prepayment penalties, rates being offered and closing costs. Ask questions to get the best deal.
  • Be prepared for credit checks. More lenders you talk to will result in more credit checks. More checks mean lower credit scores. You can circumvent this by gathering as much information as possible before you start talking to the lenders. When you start the refinance process do it in the same month and approach all the short listed lenders simultaneously. This will help you to maintain your credit rating at the time of applying for the loan.

Mortgage refinancing depends upon the prevailing mortgage rates, their likely movement up or down and on your financial situation and plans. It is only after taking into consideration all the above mention factors you must decide whether or not to refinance your mortgage.

 

Real Estate Agents

Do You Really Need a Real Estate Agent to Sell Your Property?

, , , , , 0

Real Estate Agents are expensive and there is always a question on back of every seller’s mind if they should sell their property without employing services of an agent thereby save on commission fee. It is comparatively easier these days to advertise your property on the internet given the fact that numerous websites offer services that allow owners to list their property for a nominal fee.

Given the current technological scenario is it advisable for you to use services of a real estate agent or should you try and sell your property on your won? This is a very important question not to be taken lightly. Your property is a huge asset and the decision you make will have a huge impact on your finances.

I have written series of articles to help sellers with various aspects involved in selling a property to achieve maximum price.These articles will be of great value if you decide not to use services of an agent. There is no reason as to why you cannot do it on your own. However, knowledge is the key to successful selling of your house or investment property.

Ways to Sell Property

How to achieve the Best Sale Price for your Property?

This is perhaps the most important factor on a person’s mind when they put their property up for sale. It is natural for you to expect best possible price for the property. But ask any agent and they will tell you that there is no magic formula and a property will only sell at a price dictated by the market forces. According to them no one can sell a property more than its market value in the prevalent market. If this is the case then why use a realtor?

The truth is that there is that there is no fixed sale price but a broad range between which a property sells.A competently marketed property will hit the upper bracket whereas a property that is not exposed properly to prospective buyers will sell way below its market value.

To achieve the best price for your property you have to generate huge buyer interest, get them to view the property and then explain them advantageous features of the property. If the buyer is an investor you have to explain them not only return on investment but how they can add value to the property by making few simple changes.

Selling a property to achieve the best possible price is a process.  Let us examine this step by step.

Why is it Important to Value a Property Correctly?

If you under price or over price a property it can cost you thousands of dollars. The best opportunity to sell a property is when it first comes on the market.

If your asking price is too high, you could close out the most important ingredient of real estate selling – a combination of qualified prospective purchasers who are looking for properties in your price range at the same time. If you over price your property then it will fail to attract prospective buyers. Your property can sit in the market for months until the price is lowered. Such properties become stigmatized. Even if price is lowered to the right value few weeks later it still may not sell because an impression is created that the seller is unrealistic.

Overpricing also will lead to purchasers having higher expectations of your property. This leads to their disappointment and your lost opportunity. Buyers quickly reject properties they perceive to be overpriced. This can greatly extend the selling period. While a prospective buyer might submit a lower offer, many buyers are embarrassed to make offers that are substantially below your asking price so unrealistically priced properties tend not to receive offers.

If you under-price your property it will sell very quickly but then you would have sold your asset for much lesser money than it is worth. It is therefore very important that you price your property correctly based on market conditions.

How to Determine True Value of a Property?

How can you determine what is the true value of your property? One method is by paying subscription for Property Guru or RPNZ to obtain recent sales figures of properties sold in your area. This will give you some idea of comparable sales but may not be accurate as the published sales figures are 3 to 4 months old and market may have moved. In addition you cannot arrive at correct value of your property simply by looking at raw data because each property is unique. Properties differ in location, character, construction material, land area, built up area, quality ofchattels, up keep and zoning.

The value of property is also determined by zoning and what future development is possible on the property. You should also find out if any zoning changes are likely to take place in your area that will affect the price of your property.

Character of an area is always changing because of development in the vicinity. This can impact value of your property both positively or negatively. You can get this information from the Council or an experienced real estate agent in the area.

It can take years to understand local markets and these can change extremely fast. It is very difficult and takes a lot of time for someone with experience to determine value of property correctly.Through expert local knowledge, your agent can establish a realistic appraisal for your home based on its location, age, size, features and market variables such as interest rates, demand and the availability of financing. Avoid the temptation to be excessively influenced by the experiences other people have had in the sale of their homes/ Properties.

Another method for you to determine the property value will be to get a professional appraisal done but this can cost a lot of money. There is also risk for appraisal to come at a lower value than your expectation. If you have knowledge of the local area and figures of recent sale you will be able to present your case to the appraiser to modify his report. You can enlist help of a professional or a real estate agent to help the appraiser and also challenge an appraisal if it comes in low.

How Best to Market Your Property?

Choosing a marketing plan that ensures your property is exposed to the maximum number of buyers is critical to achieving the best price.

A well planned campaign targeting the right buyers will help ensure that those who are attracted to inspect your home are not disappointed.

Marketing brings buyer leads that are crucial for successful sale of property. This requires knowledge of cost effective ways to advertise to generate buyer interest. An uninformed person can waste thousands of dollars in advertising and generate very low quality leads. Advertising should be focused on target markets by demographic and geographical area. This requires   knowledge and skill on where to advertise so as to get best bang for your bucks.

In all cases, it is important to select the web marketing, social media, newspapers, magazines and target areas that contain the widest audience for your type of property. The value of the internet as a marketing component is now beyond question. Nine out of ten purchasers begin their search for a new property online. Advertising on the internet will also reduce your advertising budget.

A right marketing mix is important to attract buyers.

Top selling tip – You can’t Sell a Secret

The more buyers who know your property is for sale, the greater the opportunity you have in achieving a premium price.

Why Copy Writing is Important?

Copy writing is a very important skill. A well written headline can generate buyer inquiries where as a poorly written advertisement will generate no inquiry. Length of advertisement is restricted by words or space. You have to give exciting but limited information in your advertisement so that a person is excited to either email or call you by phone. The aim is to get a person to view the property. If you give too much information in your advertisement then a person may not contact you. It takes minimum 5 to 7 contacts with a person before a lead can be motivated to make an offer on the property. This is why it is important to get a lead to email or call you so that you can follow up.

If you are not confident then you can hire services of a copy writing professional. Most experienced real estate agent will have developed skill of copy writing because they do this on daily/ weekly basis.

What Advertising Materials are required?

You have to prepare flyers, information memorandums, website advertisements, newspaper/ magazine ads, sign boards etc. Videos and high quality photography is a must to attract buyers.

Pre-paring advertising materials that are professional requires skill and can consume lot of time,money and effort. Mass printing can be expensive. In addition there is delivering effort and costs. You have to load advertisement and pictures on to several websites. At times you may like to translate advertisement materials into other languages like Chinese to increase your reach.  In case of flyers you have to either post them or place them physically in letter boxes.   You can hire someone to do the job but it will cost money.

Real estate companies have bulk advertising rates for videos, photography, website, newspaper/ magazine, sign board advertising etc. As individual buyers you will pay anywhere from 50% to 100% extra.

How to Use Social Media?

Social media is very strong these days. It is a great marketing tool but it has to be used correctly. Your friends and colleagues will turn away from you if you start advertising your property or selling any product to them using social media. The trick to generate interest through social media is to share information that is of value or fun. The information that you are sending should be linked to your website that is marketing your property. This is an in offensive way of marketing your property.

If you have a website or a blog then social media marketing can be very effective. You should use social media posts on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest that point to your blog or website.This is a great way to generate traffic to your website and indirectly get people to view the property you are selling. Your website should have landing pages to capture email and telephone numbers of prospects so that you can drip feed them details of your property.

You can also place targeted paid ads on social media to drive traffic to the page on your website that is marketing your property. These ads can be targeted demographically or geographically. Social media marketing can be very effective only if you know how to use it correctly. Alternately you can hire a professional to do the job.

Information Marketing is Key to Selling Your Property

The key to selling your property is information marketing. Have you ever wondered why we Google so often? It is for gaining information to solve a problem that we may have. It may be to find the cheapest air ticket for a holiday you are planning or a medical issue about which you may wish to learn more. You may be lonely and looking for a bit of romance to perk up your life or simply find which bank is offering the cheapest interest rate to fund your property.

Same is true when you market your property. Buyers want information regarding your property to know if it is suitable for their needs. Does it fall within their budget? They want to know information regarding schooling, transportation, recreation, shopping, weather, crime rate, financing the purchase, values of property in the area, rentals, capital gain, add value potential, return on investment. The list is endless.They have limited time and want to know as much as possible about the property even before they decide to view the property.

There is a process to giving the information they need. The first step is to perk up their interest regarding the property through a short advertisement with attention grabbing headline. Once a buyer has become interested the aim is to get his contact details so that you can contact them on regular intervals and drip feed information regarding the property. It takes anywhere from 5 to 10 contacts to elicit an offer from a buyer. You have to build a relation of trust through emails and telephone calls with a buyer before they become serious about your property.

Apart from a flyer that gives basic information about the property you will need to prepare a document that real agents call an information memorandum which gives detailed information about the property to a prospect. When a buyer gets more interested they will request for Certificate of Title, LIM report, Building report, tenancy schedule, zoning information, development that is possible on your property, copy of the leases if property is rented,  area information like schools, transportation, shopping areas, entertainment etc. You have to be prepared to forward the information and answer any related questions.

You may have on an average of up to 20 to 40 inquiries depending upon how well you have marketed the property. You will need to send basic information regarding the property to the buyer when they first contact you.A third of them may request for additional information. It is important to keep tag of all inquiries and send information expeditiously. The prospective buyers will also phone you at all odd hours seeking clarifications on information you have sent them. This may be relating to title of the property or something in the LIM report that they do not understand. You will have to be prepared to answer all queries.This will need patience and effective communication on your part.

Preparing and sending information about the property is an arduous task. You have to be accurate about the information you send to a buyer so that there are no legal issues later on. It is important that you consult your solicitor or a real estate professional if you have any doubt.

How Staging Can Increase Selling Price of Your Property

How you present your property to a prospect is of utmost importance. A well-presented property can fetch you extra tens of thousands of dollars. Whereas an ill presented property can turn off buyers.  This is especially important when selling residential houses where emotional appeal pays a huge role in the selling process.

For every dollar you spend on staging your property you should be able to increase the price of your property by atleast 5 to 10 dollars. This needs skill and knowledge. If you spend too much money then it may result in diminishing returns. You can hire a professional to do the job or an experienced real estate agent can help you on how best to present your property.

A well-presented property says “welcome”. It doesn’t have to be a showroom but it should appear to be a comfortable place to live.

Your property will be just one of many on the market at any given time. You therefore need to present your property as appealingly as possible. Presentation counts. Experience shows that vendors who make an extra effort usually achieve a quicker sale and, in many cases, a higher price.

The property selling process typically starts several months before a property appears on the market. It’s necessary to look at a home/ property through the eyes of a prospective buyer and determine what needs to be cleaned, painted, repaired and tossed out.

Ask yourself, if you were buying this property, what would you want to see? The goal is to show a property which looks good, maximises space   and creates as much demand – as possible.

Conducting Open Homes

Conducting open homes professionally is an important part of selling your property. You have to clean up your property, mow the lawns, and trim the hedges for the best visual impact. There should be no cooking smell or bad odder of any kind. This can put off many buyers.

The house should be presented uncluttered. Everyone in the house must leave with the exception of the person who is showing the property. There should be no pets because some people may feel uncomfortable.

You have to be appropriately dressed to show the house and answer all questions. You should also have information broachers handy to distribute to buyers with your contact details so that they can contact you for further information. You should also have pen and register handy to jot down each buyer’s details and any information they may need you to send.

Prompt follow up action is very important after an open home. Your property is competing against several other properties in the area. Buyers drift off if there is no proper follow-up.

Open Home Tip

Here are some tips on how to maximise the effectiveness of your property’s presentation.

Less is more!

While you’re cleaning, think about each room and what type of furniture really needs to be in it. Rooms look smaller when they’re crowded with sports equipment, excess furniture and general clutter. Clear out anything that’s not needed to create a feeling of spaciousness. And don’t forget your cupboards – keep them neat and not too full. This creates a perception that your home has plenty of storage space.

When buyers look at a home, you want them to look at the features of the home, not your personal pictures.  You want buyers to picture themselves living in the home, not someone else living there.

Repairs can make a Big Difference

Make sure that all minor repairs are completed. Sticking doors and windows, loose door knobs, faulty plumbing, peeling and cracked paint or faulty fly screens may affect your sale.

Letting the Sun Shine in

Let plenty of light into your home. Nothing improves atmosphere more than brightness. On a dull day, it is advisable to switch lights on prior to the arrival of prospective purchasers.

Make them Comfortable

A warm, comfortably heated property on cold days, adds a feeling of cosiness. On a hot day, don’t forget to turn on the air conditioner or fan (or simply let the breeze flow through).

Inspections: Three’s a crowd

Avoid staying inside the house/ property while a buyer inspects. Buyer’s sometimes feel they cannot openly discuss concerns with your agent in your presence. Golden opportunities may therefore be lost.

Silence is Golden

Should it be necessary for you to remain at home, be courteous but don’t force conversation with a potential buyer. The prospective purchaser wants to inspect your property – not pay a social call. However, should you be asked questions about the property, the neighbours or the district, answer them truthfully, concisely and directly.

Keep it Peaceful

As a general rule it is advisable to turn off radio and television sets during inspections as they can be very distracting. Keep your pets out of the way (preferably out of the house) and clean and stow pet food bowls (other than water of course). Let the agent and buyer talk, free of disturbances.

Negotiating and Accepting an Offer

Negotiating and accepting offers are perhaps the most difficult part to handle if an agent is not involved in the deal. Let me explain.

In any buyer/seller relationship, it’s normal for the seller to ask themselves “I wonder if I should have asked for more?” On the other hand, the buyer may question whether they could have paid less. Direct negotiations often lead to a deadlock. A third person who is neutral to both parties can help narrow the gap between buyer and seller. Using solicitors to close a deal is at times counterproductive because not only are they very expensive as they charge by the hour but try and protect their clients (which is their job) to the extent that that a negotiated deal becomes impossible.

In negotiation there is a saying that he who blinks first loses. Supposing if you as seller take a tough stand and the buyer does not respond to your price then there is no one to break the ice. If after waiting for two to three days you contact the buyer then your position in negotiation is greatly weakened.  Similarly a buyer is hesitant to approach you with a counter offer as he is afraid that his bargaining power will be reduced.

If the buyer is an experienced negotiator then this can work to the detriment of the seller. There are many professional property investors in the market. They are always on lookout for private sale by vendors. This is because they feel that in a private sale situation they are at a great advantage against an inexperienced vendor who may not understand full value of his property and easy to manipulate during negotiations.

The art of negotiation is crucial to success of the deal. Knowing the right time to stand firm, and when to yield, requires experience and a heightened ability to sense the buyer’s intent and level of motivation. In negotiation you can trade terms of the deal for price or vice versa. This requires skill and problem solving approach. An experienced real estate agent can be of great help in negotiating a deal. As a seller he can give you feedback on the financial status and motivation of prospective buyers. He can act tough on your behalf without compromising your position on the deal. As per law agents work for the vendor and therefore it is an advantage for you to employ their services especially during negotiations.

The buyers also discount commissions when they make an offer during a private sale. They make calculations on how much fee a vendor will be saving and make an offer after subtracting the commissions. This defeats the basic purpose of not using an agent which was to save on commission fee. You do all the work without any reward.

You may save a commission by selling a house yourselves, but trying to sell a house without an agent may actually cost you more money than the commission you will save. In addition you will land up in doing all the hard work that an agent is supposed to do; no help with marketing, contracts, negotiations, inspections, appraisals, etc.

People will claim they saved thousands on selling their home and they sold it in one day without an agent. There is a reason they sold it in one day, they left a lot of money on the table! An experienced real estate agent could have more than made up for the commission they charged by pricing a house right and working for the seller’s best interest.

Real estate agents are experts in marketing, educated in the sales process and know how to value a home. Agents are not paid just for the time they spend selling your house. They are paid for all the licensing courses and continuing education they must take. They are paid for their experiencing marketing homes and getting the most money possible for a seller.

You may not save as much as you think when you sell a house yourself

Conclusion

It is almost always better to use a real estate agent to sell a property instead of selling it yourself. A real estate agent will make you more money on the sale of your home/ property, even though they charge a commission. I know many professional investors who have their real estate license and they still use another real estate agent to sell their property for them. Those investors know that another agent has the time needed to sell the property and the market expertise in the area where the property is located. Before you try to sell a house on your own, consider if it is worth the time it will take to understand the process and if you will actually save any money.

Here is a great statistic from USA for people who try to sell a home themselves versus use a real estate agent;

For Sale By Owner (FSBO) Statistics

  • FSBOs accounted for 9% of home sales in 2013. The typical FSBO home sold for $184,000 compared to $230,000 for agent-assisted home sales.
  • FSBO methods used to market home:
    • Yard sign: 36%
    • Friends, relatives, or neighbours: 28%
    • Online classified advertisements: 16%
    • Open house: 14%
    • For-sale-by-owner websites: 13%
    • Social networking websites (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, etc.): 7%
    • Multiple Listing Service (MLS) website: 7%
    • Print newspaper advertisement: 7%
    • Direct mail (flyers, postcards, etc.): 1%
    • Video: 1%
    • Other: 2%
    • None: Did not actively market home: 32%
  • Most difficult tasks for FSBO sellers:
    • Understanding and performing paperwork: 18%
    • Getting the right price: 13%
    • Preparing/fixing up home for sale: 12%
    • Helping buyer obtain financing: 3%
    • Attracting potential buyers: 3%
    • Selling within the planned length of time: 7%
    • Having enough time to devote to all aspects of the sale: 6%

Source: 2014 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers

A real estate agent knows how to handle state contracts

Speaking of contracts, have you seen your state contract recently? In Colorado the state contract is 17 pages long and that does not include the four addendums and disclosures that need competed as well. A real estate agent knows exactly what to look for in a state contract, what is customary for the seller to pay and what is customary for the buyer to pay. In Colorado it is customary for the seller to pay for title insurance and many other costs to be split by the buyer and the seller. There are many costs that the buyer customarily pays. If you have no agent to guide you on what is normal for a seller to pay and what is not, you could easily pay many more costs than you should.

A real estate agent knows title companies, lenders and other agents

A real estate agent knows the market and they also know people in the business. They can help a seller find a title company with the lowest fees and best service. They can help the seller find the best contractor if repairs are needed before the listing or after an inspection.

 

 

Investment Risk

How to Reduce Investment Risk through Real Estate Investment

, , , , , , 0

The investment risk of stock market has made real estate investment the chosen area for many investors who are looking for greater safety. Not only real estate investment poses lower investment risk, it is also highly lucrative if handled properly. You can profit from real estate investment only when you have an effective risk management plan in place.

You can reduce investment risk in real estate by firstly buying property below value. You can then increase the value of the property by doing renovations, applying for change of use or zoning and increasing rent. By purchasing below value and then increasing value you are in effect putting a cushion in place that will reduce investment risk in case the property values move downward.

You can reduce risk by buying a foreclosure or a rehabbing property for very little starting cost, invest a little more on repairing and renovating it and then sell it for a brand new and expensive house. Alternately, you could turn into a landlord and rent out your house for generating a substantial rental income.

Apart from the high yielding nature of real estate investment, you increase safety as you build equity through your loan repayment over a period of time. Capital gain over a period increases the value of your property and increases your equity to loan ratio that provides additional risk cover.  

Investing in real estate provides substantial tax breaks. You can pay back your loans with the tax refunds to increase your equity and reduce investment risk.

What is more, real estate investment allows you to use other people’s money for running your own property business. Even though banks are reluctant to give loans for stocks or gold investing because of their high investment risk, they readily give out property loans since they get something immovable and tangible in case of defaulting.

By using proper investment structures like family trusts, trading trusts, LAQC and corporations you can limit your personal liabilities in case things go wrong with your real estate investment plan.

It is possible to insure your properties of any kind of risk such as fire, earthquake, damage or theft. You can also insure the contents and chattels. There are also innovative landlord insurance policies that cover you in case of rent default or damage to the property.

Why real estate investment is a better suited to a risk management plan?

No other investment can provide a better investment risk cover than real estate. It is not possible to buy stocks or for that matter any other investment below value. Apart from real estate you cannot increase the value of any other investment through your effort.

Risk Management Plan

In real estate it is very easy to put a risk management plan in place. Even if you are new to real state investment, you can understand its basic functional aspects more quickly than other financial instrument. That is why real estate attracts the greatest number of amateur investors looking to improve bad credit records and make money.

Real estate investment is more conducive to a superior risk management plan when compared to stock market because you can cover your investment risk through various types of insurance plans. Unlike stocks where you have no control over your investment, in real estate you have total control over your investment. No Madoff can run away with your money thereby reducing your investment risk.

Property prices have risen consistently by 8% to 10% during the past 300 years. This is because world population is increasing with every passing year and we are not producing any more land. Hence, real estate investment is free from the investment risk of abrupt fluctuations that is a regular feature of the stock market.

But what qualifies real estate investment to a good risk management plan is that the prices of all the real estate properties of an area move at a time. This definitively lowers the investment risk of real estate as compared to stock where not all the stocks will move in tandem even if the market is moving. Hence, in real estate investment you do not have to rely on guesswork and uncertainty, which increases your chances of financial success.

Real estate prices tend to move slowly and steadily. Even if there is a market crash, the property prices at worst go down in value by 5% to 20%. In case of stocks the prices can fall as much by 80% to 90% or the company may go into liquidation making the value of your investment worth a whole lot of toilet paper.

Real estate prices tend to have a built in inflationary proofing as they tend to move up when there is excessive money supply. This greatly reduces the investment risk when inflation goes out of control.

Real estate investment as better suited to risk management plan when compared to stocks or any other investment instrument. In fact, real estate investment beats any other forms of investment like stocks, commodity and currency trading because of its stability of returns virtually free from the investment risk volatility.

 

Mathematics of Financial Leverage

Mathematics of Financial Leverage

, , , , 0

The mathematics of financial leveraging has always been very seductive to Real Estate Investors. This is more so at the time when markets soar. With leveraging, one uses other people’s money to enhance his own profits by acquiring additional interests in real estate. This enhancement process takes the form either of added equity, which is realized at the time the real estate asset is sold, or as additional cash-flow, as in the case of rental properties. Either way, mathematics of financial leveraging makes a compelling case for borrowing against home equity to invest.

There are risks in leveraging that must be understood by an uninitiated investor. For one thing, while leverage allows greater potential return to the investor than otherwise would have been available, the potential for loss is greater because if the investment loses value not only is a portion of that money lost, but the loan still needs to be repaid in its entirety.

It is therefore important to understand the mathematics behind financial leveraging to avoid making mistakes.

How much worth of real estate you can buy with $100,000? Clearly you can buy $100,000 worth of property in a cash deal. You can also buy property worth $200,000 by borrowing 50% of the purchase price. If you are more innovative you can buy $400,000 worth of property by taking out a 25% mortgage or better still you can buy $1,000,000 worth of property by taking out a 90% mortgage. This is interesting mathematics.

Let us say you buy a house of $100,000 in a cash deal with no borrowing. Let us assume that your tenant is paying $8000 in rent.  The operating expenses that include the rates and maintenance cost come to $3000.  You are now left with left with $6000 as cash flow from the rent. If your property appreciated by 10% during the year that is to $110,000. You will have a return of $16,000 ($5000 cash flow from rent + $10,000 in capital appreciation). This will mean that you will have a return of 16% on your investment of $100,000.

Now let us say that you decide to leverage your money and take out a mortgage of 90%. The bank will loan you $900,000 on your deposit of $100,000. You now have $1,000,000 and you decide to buy ten houses with each house valued at $100,000 as in the previous example. Let us assume that your rent of $80,000 from the 10 houses covers the expenses $30,000 ($3,000 X 10 houses) and the mortgage payment of $ 45,000 (5% interest only loan on $900,000). You will be left with $5000 cash flow from the rent. If your ten houses appreciate by 10% as in the last example to $1.1 million your return from your investment will be $105,000 ($5000 cash flow from rent + $100,000 in capital appreciation. This will result in a return of 105% on your initial investment of $100,000. This part of mathematics of financial leveraging that is so seductive to property investors

The after tax returns on a leveraged property will be much higher because you will be able to claim depreciation and maintenance costs on ten properties instead of one. Also the interest paid on borrowed funds of $900,000 can be claimed back to increase the tax refunds.

The above mathematics clearly shows how you can increase your net returns dramatically by leveraging your money.

But we should also examine the downside mathematics of financial leveraging. Let us say the property values went down by 10% in a year instead of going up in the previous example. In the case of a cash deal our loss will be $4000 for the year thereby giving us a negative return on investment of 4%. On the other hand we will suffer a loss of $95,000 or 95% of the value of the deposit in case of mortgage of 90%.

The losses get amplified in case of a leveraged property. Is it advisable to risk financial leverage in buying property? The answer to that question is a simple YES. This is because values of properties have appreciated steadily at 8% to 10% annually during the past 300 years. There are dips in the property cycle but these are far and few in between. If you have the capacity to buy and hold and manage your cash flow you will win in the end.

Please also read about mathematics behind Cash Flow Leveraging, Appreciation Leveraging, Risks involved with Leveraging and how you can contain these risks.

Mathematics of Financial Leverage

Cash Flow Leveraging

Cash flow leveraging is about how borrowing can impact your cash flows from your rental properties

.

The first important thing to understand in cash flow leveraging is the capitalization rate. It is important to know how much the property is paying you. In its simplest form capitalization rate is the net rental income from the property divided by the purchase price.

Let us say you buy a property for $100,000. Let us assume gross income from this property is $14,000. Total expenses that include rates, insurance, maintenance & management come to $4,000. The net income from the property will be $10,000 ($14,000 minus $4,000). The net yield or cap rate on the property will be $10,000 (net rent) divided by $100,000 (purchase price) or 10% in this case.

The next important thing to understand in cash flow leveraging is the cost of borrowing funds. It is not a simple case of interest on your loans but must also into account the amortization cost and the loan period to work out the loan constant. Let us say that the cost of borrowing is 7%.

The difference between the cost of borrowing and the return from your investment property is called the spread. In our example above we have borrowed money at 7% and are getting a net return of 10%. In this case we have a positive leverage or cash flow on the property.

If the return from property was lower than the cost of borrowing we will have a negative leverage. A neutral leverage will occur when the cost of borrowing is same as return from the property.

When you are buying a property for cash flow you have to purchase only positively leveraged property. If you do this the cash flow leverage will work in your favor.

Investors sometimes buy negatively or neutrally leveraged property in the hope that capital appreciation from the property will overcome the short term cash flow losses on the investment. In this case you will need to support the short fall in cash flow from other sources of income. This can become very worry some if the investor loses his job or suffers losses in his business that is supporting the negatively leveraged property.

A positively leveraged property can turn into a negative leveraged property in case of loss of rental income or if the interest rates move up at the time of re-fixing the mortgage. It is therefore prudent for you to allow for the vacancy rates or changes in the cost of borrowing.

No one can allow for all the contingencies that may occur in the future. But if you can work out your figures accurately for the first five years then chances of things going wrong with your investment are greatly reduced. This is because rents will normally go up to provide you with additional cash flow. In addition increase in capital value of the property will give you with an extra cushion of equity.

A negatively leveraged property will move into positive territory given time and a few rent reviews along the way.

As an investor you will keep out of trouble if you apply cash flow leverage properly and make it a habit of buying only positively leveraged properties. This is what Robert Kiyosaki and all savvy investors do. You must always concentrate on cash flow first and capital appreciation later.

You may like to read more about Appreciation Leverage, Financial Leverage, Mathematics behind Leverage, Risks involved with Leveraging and how you can contain these risks.

Appreciation Leverage

Appreciation leverage happens when you borrow money at simple interest and invest it into a compounding investment such as real estate you can create great wealth for yourself

.

Appreciation on properties compounds where as interest on properties (though not exactly simple interest) are normally in fixed installments. If let us say you buy a property in a place where the historical appreciation is at 7% and you borrow money also at 7% interest only mortgage you will find that at the of thirty years your property would have gained in value by at least 3 times more than the interest you would have paid. And better still your tenant would have paid that mortgage.

As a thumb rule if your interest on your mortgage is lower than the expected appreciation rate then you will have positive appreciation leverage.

The best properties are those that have positive cash flow leverage and positive appreciation leverage. Such properties are sure shot winners.

In certain high capital growth areas you will have properties that have negative cash flow leverage but positive appreciation leverage. Depending upon your situation you might like to buy such a property if you have problems of excessive cash flow and a very high taxable income.

No savvy investor will buy a property that has both negative cash flow leverage and negative appreciation leverage. But I amazed at the number of people who are coaxed into buying such properties by savvy sales people. You should try and avoid such properties as a plague.

The ultimate leverage is when:

Cost of Borrowing   <   Capitalization Rate

Interest Rate            <    Appreciation

You may like to read about Financial Leverage, Cash Flow Leverage, Mathematics behind Leverage and Strategies to contain Leveraging Risk

Understanding Leverage Risk

Using Financial Leverage is an excellent way to accelerate your financial growth. But to be a savvy investor you have to understand the leverage risk and learn to manage those risks.

More Leverage  =  More Financial Risk

Less Leverage     =  Less Financial Risk

You must not let the leverage risk scare you away from real estate investing because risk can be measured and controlled.

Where there is more volatility there is more risk. Volatility refers to more frequent deviations from the standard. To understand risk you have to understand volatility.

Real estate has the least volatility when compared to other investment venues. A study carried out has shown that during the past 10 years real estate was ten times less volatile when compared to stocks which tend to fluctuate wildly on a daily basis. Yet there is hue and cry and everyone freaks out when real estate prices go down by five to ten percent.

Even a highly leveraged real state is more stable than stocks. This will imply that real estate has less leverage risk than most other investments.

Even though real estate is very stable leveraging does increase relative risk.

More Leverage = More Returns = More Volatility = More Fluctuations in Cash Flow = More Fluctuations in Returns = More Risk

Let us say you buy a house at a price of $100,000 with cash down. If the price moves up by 10% in one year then you will make a profit of 10% on your investment. In this example we are not taking cash flow into account. If the price moves down by 10% then you make a loss of 10% on your investment.

In the second example let us say you had taken a mortgage of 80%. This would imply that you have made a down payment of $20,000 on the property. Now if the price moves up by 10% i.e to $110,000 then you will make a profit of $10,000 on your investment of $20,000. This will equate to a return of 50%.  Similarly if the price of the property went down by 10% you will make a loss of 50% on your investment.

This example clearly shows the amplification of leverage risk by a factor of five times if the property has a leveraging ratio of 5.

What happens to the leverage risk if your property is purchased with No Money Down deal with 100% mortgage? Your profits will be infinity if the property prices moved up. Similarly your loss will be infinity if the property prices went down. But what is your risk if you have no money in the deal?

A study conducted in 1978 found that leveraged real estate is the only investment that is fully protected against inflation. This is because when there is inflation rents go up and there is capital appreciation. However mortgages remain fixed if they are for long term.

Many investors only look at the upside of financial leverage. Savvy investors try and cover the down side of leverage by taking steps to control it if things go wrong.

Leverage Risk Containment Strategies

You can contain the leverage risk by following the under-mentioned guidelines:

Reduce Financial Leverage Just Before the Market Peaks

Most novice investors start to use maximum leverage when the market is about to peak. This is the time for you to reduce your leverage risk by selling a few properties to pay off your mortgage and increase your equity on the other properties.

Increase Financial Leverage Just After the Market Bottoms Out

This is the time when most people have deserted the real estate market. But it is exactly during this period that leveraging offers the best capital returns in the medium to long haul. Interest rates are low, so the cost of borrowing is minimized. Financial institutions are looking for customers and it is easier to cut a better deal or get incentives from them. Sellers too are more motivated and more flexible on prices and terms of contract.

You should use the equity in your properties to buy more property. You should increase your financial leverage to the maximum because during this period you will have positive cash flow properties reducing your borrowing risk.

Buy Quality Properties

Always buy quality properties. A house or multi-family dwelling that is well maintained and well kept will hold up value better in the long run, and will save you money in maintenance as well. When the markets are down it will be easier for you to find quality tenants willing and relocate into a nice-looking property. Quality properties reduce your leverage risk.

Take the profits and pay down the debt

Greed is always dangerous in any market. This is where most people fall. Do not keep reinvesting your profits to buy more property. That is like betting all winnings on every new roll of the roulette wheel. If you follow this strategy you will lose your winnings because sooner than later markets will move downward. If you do not stand on solid foundation you will lose your profits. The best and safest strategy is not to keep borrowing against your equity. Use cash-flow to pay down the loan or to wait for prices to increase and then sell for a profit to reduce your debt.

Shop for the lowest possible interest rate

Even though the interest is tax deductible you still have to pay some of it out of their own pocket. It is always advisable to shop for the best deal available, using the services of a good mortgage broker. If your loans are substantial the savings could amount to several thousand dollars every year.

Make improvements to your property to increase cash flow

Make improvements and add value to your property to increase the rents so that you have positive cash flow leverage on the property.

Deposit Recycling to reduce Leverage Risk

If you buy a property with no money down you have no personal risk as long as the purchase is structured in such a way that you have no personal liability.

It is not always possible to buy a property with no money down. At times you will be required to put some of your money into the deposit. Your aim should be to take out your personal money from the investment as soon as possible. You can then use this money to buy some more property. This is known as deposit recycling.

The best way to recycle your deposit is to firstly buy the property below market value and then make improvements to increase its value and cash flow. You should then refinance the property and take out your deposit as soon as possible. Your leverage risk becomes zero once you have none of your personal money in the property.

Once you recycle your deposit to reduce your stake in the property (eliminate leverage risk) you should allow the equity to build in the property through appreciation and repayment of loan through the cash flow generated from the property. Do not get greedy and keep taking out loans against the equity in the property.

Reduce Leverage Risk as you grow older

You can apply more leverage when you are young because time is on your side. In case things go wrong you can re-start once again. As you near your retirement age you should reduce leverage risk. Once you are retired leverage only to the extent to reduce your taxes.

Leverage Risk as function of your personality

Each one of us has a different risk profile. Some of us are comfortable at taking more risk than the others. You should study your risk profile carefully and take leverage risk to the extent you are comfortable with. You will have peace of mind.

You may also like to read about Cash Flow Leverage, Appreciation Leverage, Financial Leverage and Mathematics behind Leveraging.

 

 

 

 

build your audience

Build Your Audience: A Guide for Indie eBook Authors

, , , , , 0

One of the most challenging aspects that any author has to face is to captive the readers. You may have written the best story that is ever written in this generation but if it doesn’t reach to the end readers then that will not serve you not only financially but to the purpose of sharing your book out there, hoping to make an impact in this world. Your audience is the bloodline of your writing career!

If you are an indie writer or just starting in the self-publishing industry, building a niche of readers is so important, if not the top priority to be successful. Once you’re done with all the formatting processes, selected the best publishing platform and partnered with the best distributor for your eBook, then you are reading to build an audience.

Keep in mind that not because you have great book shall it land into your lap just like that. It doesn’t work that way. You have to go to the audience and create it. You don’t just wait for the fruit to fall from the tree; you have to do something to get the fruit! Even the successful, known authors of our time, do the work, the hard way.

So how do you effectively build an audience? Here are 7 suggestions to build an awesome readers-writer relationship:

  1. You have to have the gun loaded. You have to make sure that you have a “thing”; something so awesome err a book that has gone through a lot of perfecting process (writing, rewriting, proofreading and editing for countless of times) to give to the readers. You have to tell the best story you can ever tell to the audience.

Self-publishing industry is a booming business today and the competition is tough! It is the aim of every writer to get the right exposure and book visibility in the market. Sad to say, you-adding to the stream of hopeful writers makes it more difficult to build an audience in the eBook marketplace.  The book should be wonderfully written, hence a masterpiece worthy of all your time and effort in marketing it, else you might fail without having the chance of launching it first.

  1. Slowly prepare your audience. Successful authors usually start making a buzz of a book launch at least six months in advance. That is the recommended span of time you need in order to build a relationship. Let them know that you are brewing a good story and a book launch is at hand.

build your audience

Engage potential readers by utilizing the different social media platforms, hinting that you are writing something incredible. Get them under the radar and let them join the process. Let them help you decide the text or fonts, tease them with some lines and excerpts from your eBook, or maybe discuss a little bit about a character or a plot of the story but don’t blow the whole thing.

This is a good exposure as they will be anticipating more of your eBook. By doing so, you are slowing promoting your book, enough to build an audience once launched.

  1. Establish a genuine relationship. Although we cannot contest the great influence of social media platforms in today’s generation to spread the word out, we are somewhat forgetting that those are not just mere platforms. It is composed of people from all walks of life. And when we talk about people, this pertains to real people with emotions and feelings, they’re not just mere statistics or numbers – they are real!

Start an awesome readers-writer relationship through the social media platforms. Take that opportunity to engage and interact with the readers. Be honest and open to them, make them feel that you are human just like them…with all the difficulties and struggles, too.

  1. Be YOU! As an indie eBook writer, you are not only sharing your story to the public, but you are marketing your own creativity as the self-publishing author. So how do you like to be perceived by your readers? It is very important to be yourself! You have to be honest as to who you are. Readers will know if you are phony or you are just being friendly for publicity’s sake. Be honest with your thoughts and sincere with your emotions. Let them see that you are a source of creating expression and your stories matter to them, just as they matter to you.

You have to weigh this though. If you are not good at going public then don’t go out there and take a plunge. If you are good with the podcast, then do the podcast. If you are awesome with group shares and discussions, then take advantage of that. Identify where your comfort zone is and make use of it to establish your audience. As a budding author in this competitive market, the last thing you want is to lose more audience that you earn.

Offer the best options for your potential audience. The ultimate goal of independent writers and self-publishing authors is to generate income through writing. Without your audience, then that wouldn’t be possible. So, make it easy for the readers to have an access to your eBook.

Make your book widely available and accessible by doing the following:

  • You can offer a preview of your book so customers can take a glimpse. This is possible by using the preview tools of your publishing platform.
  • You might also opt for pre-orders. This is highly suggested for indie writers who offer eBooks in series. This gives the readers the impression that your eBook is a hot stuff and they need to secure an eBook copy before it even hits the market.
  • You can also offer a free download. Free marketing is a great way of establishing a good audience. Readers appreciate it if authors give samples or excerpts from the book to download as they most likely buy the whole eBook, even the whole series (if you offer a series)once they like it.
  • Once you were able to self-published the eBook, you can send your eBook samples to some trusted writers and influencers for collaboration through honest reviews and potential endorsements. Once they like your eBook enough, they may even promote it to their audience which is a good marketing strategy.
  •  You can do a book release option. This is where you will let your readers know that you’ve published an eBook and you give them the details as to when and where they can purchase it.
  • Price is also very important. The last thing you want is to shock the potential readers by setting a very expensive price range if you are just establishing a name. Make it affordable for them but not cheap enough to disrespect your hard work and creativity.

build your audienceWeigh this though because there are authors who offered their first eBook entirely for free to build an audience and were able to pick up financially on their succeeding eBooks. Always decide what is best for your book.

You may want to try a little bit of everything to build an audience niche. This means, offer something for a free download, send some samples for honest feedback and more book exposure,  incorporate a book release by spreading out the details that your book was just launched, and always, always make it easy for your readers to purchase a copy of your work.

  1. Time is everything. There is a right time for everything. Building an audience doesn’t happen overnight. Every successful individual even outside the publishing industry (traditional and self-publishing) will tell you that it takes time to get there. They went through the whole process, dirt and grime just to be where they at now. And that’s what you need to do, too. Be patient, work hard, and just go out there, again and again, and again until the right exposure and perfect timing come your way.
  2. Take criticisms and feedback as your stepping stones. As an indie writer, you have to be prepared for the worst critics of your works. To add, expect that the worst reviews happen to come from a handful of your audience.

But that’s okay. Don’t take it personally! Reviews, online bashing, critics, commentaries, and honest opinions are very important for you to grow as an author. It might be harsh and raw especially if you are not used to it, it might sting a little bit, but that’s for your own good. Take those positively and use them as the driving fuel to motivate you to keep on writing and show more of what you got as a writer.

build your audience

Building an audience takes a lot of time, dedication, and hard work. It is a process that you have to deal with in order to establish a good readership. As an indie writer, you have to really invest the effort to engage your readers. The audience wants to feel that you are very genuine when you connect to them. Don’t just build and captivate readers, establish a relationship that will lasts long.

Take time but don’t forget to chill. You have to enjoy being useful to your readers by continuous exchange of information through conversations as much as you enjoy writing for them.

FB Academy Review

FB Academy Review

, , , 0

Have you ever used Facebook ads in the past? If you’re a website owner, or even if you own a particular business, the most probable answer is a big fat yes. One thing which is common in every business owner is that every single one of them wants to drive loads of traffic towards their web page. For this purpose, a majority of these people turn towards Facebook, the most popular marketing tool in the world.

With over one billion users worldwide, this social media website is considered as a godsend for people who want to grow their business. After registering on this platform, they eventually turn towards Facebook ads which are a popular mean of showcasing your products in front of a large audience.

fb academy review

However, when this is such a popular way of online marketing, not many people have mastered the art of Facebook ads. Even if you know the basics of this mechanism, the competition is so tough which eventually stops you from achieving your target. With a large number of vendors selling their own products, it seems impossible for a newbie to make his or her name in this particular field.

If you want to become an expert in the field of Facebook marketing, take a look at the FB Academy Webinar. Founded by a popular entrepreneur Anik Singal, this webinar is ideal for all those people who want to stand out in the field of online marketing. Seems interesting? Have a look at our complete FB Academy review.

FB Academy Review

FB Academy is basically a video training course which lets you generate a valuable amount of traffic towards your webpages via Facebook ads. As compared to other online marketing courses, this one is different in the sense that it is basically a step by step guide on how to convince Facebook users to visit your webpage.

This is a complete package of easy-to-understand templates, video tutorials as well as regular interaction with some of the most famous names in the field of marketing. In this guide, Anik will show the exact ideas which he used in his personal projects. So you just have to replicate these ideas in your Facebook ads, and the rest will be straightforward.

About the Owner

As already mentioned, the FB Academy Webinar is the brainchild of Anik Singal. With over 15 years of experience, Mr. Singal enjoys an unparalleled popularity in the field of online marketing. Apart from creating this training course, he is also the CEO of Lurn and VSS Mind.

Starting from Entrepreneur.com, his name has been mentioned in several renowned websites across the globe, including ABC and the Huffington Post.

Through this webinar, Anik has decided to share his tips with the aspiring digital publishers. Apart from Anik, you’ll get to hear from some of the most popular names in the industry, people who’ve made their name in social media. So even if you already own a webpage but want to increase traffic, you can still learn a lot of new things via the FB Academy Webinar.

What’s Special about FB Academy?

The most impressive thing about this webinar is that any business owner can learn new things from it. Basically, the FB Academy isn’t designed for a particular business. Whether you’re selling a reciprocating saw or even if you own a coffee shop, everyone can learn from this program before generating a considerable amount of money on a daily basis.

Once you’ve signed up with this training program, you’ll get a special invitation to a private Facebook page. This page is crafted for all those individuals who want to excel in the field of online market. You can share your ideas over there and most importantly, you can learn from the success stories of your fellow digital marketers. Similarly, if you have any queries, you can always ask your fellow professionals or even the experts, and they’ll help you in the right way possible.

How FB Academy Works?

The FB Academy webinar comprises of nine different modules. Each module is carefully designed as per the needs of a digital entrepreneur. It starts from giving you the basic knowledge about Facebook ads, how they work and what makes them so special against their competitors.

Afterward, you’ll get to learn about complex topics and how to make sure that your Facebook ads reach in front of just the right audience. It means that unlike your competitors, you don’t have to spend tons of money on advertising your product.

First Module

This is basically an introduction module about Facebook ads. It tells you why Facebook ads are so special and how to make sure that your ads account stays safe from the online scammers. This module comprises of six different lessons, and at the end of this module, you have to pass the quiz.

Second Module

The second module, which is named as the funnel, consists of a total of seven lessons. In this module, you’ll get to learn about different types of online traffic and how to make use of them in the best possible manner. Just like the first module, you have to pass the quiz at the end of the second module.

Third Module

In this module, you’ll get to know the importance and types of landing pages. Afterward, you’ll have to pass a quiz, or you won’t make it to the next module.

Fourth Module

Yet another important module in this training lesson, the fourth module describes everything which is there to be known about Facebook ads. It basically tells you what types of ads are there on Facebook, how to design them and their relevant formats. In addition, you’ll also get to know how to make a Facebook compliant ad via this module.

Fifth Module

The fifth module is the most comprehensive in this training session; it consists of 11 different lessons. In the previous module, you’ve learned about how to create a unique Facebook ad. This module, it is all about targeting the right sets of customers as per your business.

Sixth Module

Once you’ve set up a Facebook ad and started to promote it to your target audience, the sixth module teaches you how to optimize your ads for achieving a higher return on investment. There are six different lessons in it and you’ll have to pass the quiz at the end of this module.

Seventh Module

This module shares some of the tried and tested funnels along with up-to-date strategies which you can implement in your personal ads. Just like the fourth module, it comprises of 10 different lessons along with a quiz at the end.

Eighth Module

After passing all of the aforementioned modules with flying colors, you’ll be awarded an industry-recognized certificate in the eighth module.

Ninth Module

This module shares some of the valuable tips for a digital marketer. It includes how to set up a Facebook business account and how to use different features on that particular account.

Pros

  • Provides in-depth training
  • User-friendly webinar
  • Comes at an affordable price

Cons

  • No refund policy

Comparison

If you want to advertise like a real professional, The FB Academy Webinar comes head to head versus the AdEspresso. Both these platforms offer a budget-friendly training course, and both of them make use of webinars.

However, when it comes to user-friendly training sessions, this is where the FB Academy Webinar outperforms the AdEspresso. When the owner of this program, Anik Singal, has carefully crafted nine separate modules for the convenience of marketers, there is no such thing with AdEspresso. So if you want to learn new things in an easy manner, the FB Academy Webinar can be your first choice.

Conclusion

If you want to make the most of your Facebook ads, it’s time to enroll in the FB Academy Webinar. Set up by a trusted professional, this program describes everything you need to know about online marketing and teach you how to use this social media platform in favor of your personal business.

fb academy review

Chris Farrell Membership

Chris Farrell Membership – Online Success Made Simple

, , , 0

What is Chris Farrell Membership? It’s the first question that might come to your mind. Well, basically Chris Farrell Membership is an educational course that is intended to help us create an online business based on all of the best practices that have been developed through trial and error. It is quite an extraordinary service as it takes the subscriber by the hand and shows how to use the internet to create an additional source of income.

Let’s take an in-depth look at Chris Farrell Membership and see how it might be able to help you develop your online business.

Chris Farrell Membership Features

The Chris Farrell Membership is a subscription-based website that provides video tutorials and courses on how to establish online businesses and websites. After learning to establish a website, it will help you learn how digital marketing works and how to use SEO tools in order to drive traffic to your website. And, ultimately, it will teach you how to monetize the website through non-ad as well as ad-based sources.

Since it is a subscription-based website, it has quite an active community of would-be online entrepreneurs. The videos are based on the established best practices of online marketing. The courses are taught in a simple step-by-step structure with a keen focus on interaction between students in order facilitate collective learning and share all of the insights the website offers.

When you visit the website, the first thing you encounter is an introductory video by Chris Farrell. The video is an excellent example of how he communicates and what you can expect in terms of the quality of the videos.

Prospective students can take a trial membership in order to understand what the website offers before committing to a full membership. Once you have purchased your membership, you will gain access to members’ area, where you will find a number of high quality instructional videos.

There is also a forum for students to interact with each other or to ask questions, which is an excellent way to reinforce everything you’ve learned from the videos. As you can see from the video on the homepage, Chris Farrell communicates quite well, which allows him to effectively communicate technical information.

The navigation of the website is a bit of a drag, but nothing critical. Once you get used to the website’s layout, you won’t have any problems figuring out which video to watch next. All of the course videos are listed in the order in which it is supposed to be watched so make sure to watch all of the videos in the intended sequential order.

Lastly, once you’ve learned everything you need to know in order to start your own website, you will obviously need to host your website. In order to help his students get started, Farrell offers free hosting to those who wish to take advantage of it. Of course, the free hosting bonus is not forever, it is, nonetheless, a good way to get started for complete beginners.

The membership product is specifically designed for those who literally don’t have any understanding of websites, SEO, and other digital marketing tools. It also offers an excellent primer on all of the various sources of income you can tap into using your website. Most of us think of banner ads when we think of online sources of income. However, there is far more to it and Farrell does an excellent job in explaining all of the sources of income.

However, despite being designed for the complete beginner, the course is anything but an introduction to digital marketing and online businesses. It starts off from the very basics such as how PageRank works or how affiliate programs work and covers the technical details of AB testing and so on.

Even people with experience in online businesses can hope to learn from the course. It will certainly help to improve their internal processes and enhance their revenues by adopting best practices in digital marketing and operating an online business. But more importantly, the entire learning experience is in videos. So if you’re one of those who absorb more information from watching videos rather than reading books, then you would definitely benefit from the course.

Pros

  • A step-by-step course for learning online businesses and digital marketing.
  • It is the complete course, from the basics to the advanced.
  • Ideal for those who are inclined towards learning by watching videos.
  • Allows you to learn at your own pace.
  • Free hosting bonus.

Cons

  • Doesn’t offer much reading material.
  • Doesn’t offer much practical experience.
  • No one-on-one coaching in the membership.

Summary

chris farell membershipThe Chris Farrell Membership is the best way to learn about digital marketing, online trends, online businesses, etc. It will help you learn about how to set up a website according to digital marketing best practices and help you attract viewers to your website.

It will help you learn about how affiliate programs work. What type of content attracts more viewers, how to research keywords and how to optimize your website according to the latest ranking algorithms. All of this information is vital to establishing a lucrative online business, and the online course would help you learn everything you need to know in order to succeed in the world of online business.

Comparison

Wealthy Affiliate is also a subscription-based educational course for learning about digital marketing and online business. It offers far more services than Chris Farrell Membership does. For example, it offers web hosting service, website designs and even an analytics platform for your website.

Unlike Chris Farrell Membership, it is not really a dedicated educational course but offers educational services along with its numerous other services. It also has a thriving online community for those willing to learn about online businesses.

Verdict

Based on all of the information we’ve covered so far, it would be a bit difficult to compare the services. However, if we are looking only at the quality of the education and information that is provided by the two companies, it becomes obvious as to which offers a better learning experience.

If you simply want to learn about digital marketing and how to successfully set up an online business, then you should definitely opt for Chris Farrell. However, if you want a number of other services, then Wealthy Affiliate should be your choice. As far as the educational content is concerned, Chris Farrell Membership should be your only choice.