Do you like the idea of investing in real estate? If so, then you are in the right place, as our resident experts have produced what we like to call “the insider guide to real estate investing.”

So sit back, turn off the phone, and spend the next 30 minutes reading the following information through a few times. It really is that valuable!

Okay, over to the experts…

Find the right agent

When you are looking to sell one of the properties in your portfolio, it’s important to find the right real estate agent. At the end of the day, do you really want the hassle of putting the property on the market and showing people around? Of course not. That is why we have agents.

In order to find the right agent, do some digging around in the local area. Ask people you know for recommendations, and drive around a few neighborhoods to see which agents are selling properties similar to your own.

Buy low

The key to successful real estate investing is buying low instead of at the very top-end of the housing market in your area.

Ultimately, if you can buy a property at below market value, then you have more chance to make a profit, which is what real estate investing is all about.

Don’t feel bad about making low offers, and don’t be concerned about offending the seller. The best way to make a low offer is by listing legitimate concerns about the property. For example, if it requires a lot of repairs, then point them out to the seller before making your offer.

Also, you should always try to find people who are motivated to sell, such as a home owner who is about to have their property foreclosed, or someone who has had their property listed on the market for a long time.

Search for quick flips

Smart real estate investors realize that doing a lot of hard work or taking on a big project is never a good idea. In no time at all, you will be bogged down in small details, and as the project starts to get out of hand, your profit margin diminishes.

Instead, it’s a much better idea to search for “quick flips.” This means you find a property that is priced below what it is actually worth, and then you turn around instantly to sell at a profit. No need to spend time doing repairs or any of that stuff.

Whether you want to earn a little bit of extra cash in your spare time, or make a full time living, you can achieve whatever you want with just your laptop and an internet connection.

Millions of people are now working from home, with some even getting a six figure income into their bank accounts every year.

How is this possible? Pay attention to the following 3 ways to make money with your laptop…

Binary Options

It was only a few years ago that trading on the stock market was reserved for the privileged minority. Now, this all a thing of the past, as anybody with a laptop can get involved in the action and start making money.

One of the most popular forms of trading right now is Binary Options. The reason? Because it is fast paced and exciting! Visit PlatinumTrader.com for more details.

Affiliate marketing

Want to know the really lazy way to making money with your laptop? The answer…affiliate marketing. In a nutshell, affiliate marketing is all about promoting other people’s products for a commission. You could be an affiliate for big companies such as Amazon, or independent companies who sell digital goods such as software.

The best part about affiliate marketing is that there is no product creation or customer support to contend with. You simply get someone to click on your affiliate link and then wait for the checks to start arriving. This means you can make money online with the least amount of hassle possible.

Blogging

It is now extremely easy to get a blog up and running and start getting traffic. Simply use a platform such as WordPress, so you can create a professional looking blog, and then start writing blog posts about a subject you are interested in. If you are not much of a writer, then you can hire freelance writers to create the posts for you.

So how do you make money with blogging? The best way to achieve this is by placing advertisements on your site. This can be done with a service such as Google Adwords, or you might even be able to sell your advertising space to relevant companies.

Conclusion

We hope that the above 3 ways to make money with your laptop have started to give you some ideas on how to get started.

Remember, you probably won’t get rich overnight, but if you stick with it and follow a plan, then you could soon be joining the ranks of people who have quit their job and are making a 6 figure income.

Why on earth would anyone want to start their own home based business? Don’t you need special knowledge to make something that like that work, as well as technical skills so you can set-up a website and sell products?

Actually, it might not be as hard as you think. Thousands of people around the world are starting a home based business as we speak, and this number looks set to increase significantly in the years to come.

One of the main benefits of a home based business is that you can say goodbye to the daily commute. No longer will you have to endure the painful hours of being stuck in traffic, or being packed in like a sardine on the subway.

Instead, you can wake up in the morning and walk down to the kitchen table, turn on your laptop and then start making money.

Here are some things to keep in mind when starting your own business from home:

What will I do?

One of the biggest decisions you will have to make is choosing what area to base your home business around.

For example, if you are interested in trading the stock market, then Binary Options could be a good choice for you.

You could also get into affiliate marketing, start a drop-shipping business, or even create your own digital information products.

Setting up a website

In order to start seeing traffic online, you need a website for people to visit. If you are not a technical person then hiring a website designer could be beneficial.

Also, there are now a number of options out there that allows you to set-up a website without any technical skills at all.

A platform such as WordPress is used by millions of website owners around the world, and it is so easy to create stunning looking websites. There are thousands of templates to choose from, as well additional plugins that give better functionality to your site.

Setting goals

One of the main problems facing home based business owners is focus. Let’s face it, there are literally a million different ways to make money, and unfortunately, many beginners try to find out about every single one.

If you want to avoid this happening to you, then the best way forward is to start setting goals for yourself. This way, your focus shifts from what method you are following, to the outcome you want to achieve.

At the end of the day, does it really matter what method you follow? All that matters is that you reach your income goals so you can quit your job and live the home business lifestyle.

Thanks to Clyde Tait for the post.

Accounting is an essential part of any small business. Not only does it allow you to stay on top of the numbers, but you also keep on the right side of the law and avoid any trouble with the Inland Revenue.

Let’s face it, no-one wants to get in trouble with the government, which is why you should always keep your accounts up-to-date and 100% accurate.

Below are 3 small business accounting tips for you to follow:

Accounting software

We live in a time where technology moves at a rapid rate, and it can sometimes seem confusing about what you should buy to help in your small business.

Accounting software should be at the top of that list, as it automates many of the most boring tasks, so you don’t have to spend hours of your time slaving away.

Best of all, most software programs are extremely easy to use, which means you don’t need to be a technical wizard to make them work. Put simply, if you can turn on a computer, then you can operate accounting software.

To get the one of the best programs on the market, you can visit kashflow.com online accounting software, as they have been getting many rave reviews about their product from small business owners just like you.

Keep personal and business finances separate

A major mistake made by many small business owners is having the same bank account for both their personal and business finances. If you’re business is really small, then this might not seem like a big issue, but in the long-run it’s much better to keep everything separate right from the start.

Avoid any further confusion by applying for a business bank account right away, and keeping all of your personal and business finances completely separate. This helps you no-end when you are preparing your accounts at the end of a tax year.

Find an accountant

If your business is starting to grow, or if you are not very good with numbers, then it can be very beneficial to hire an accountant to take care of your business accounting.

There are many skilled accountants out there who work exclusively with small businesses just like yours, so you should have no problems in finding a suitable candidate.

A good way to find an accountant is to ask family, friends, and associates if they can recommend anyone. Often, you will get lot’s of recommendations from doing this, and it increases your chances of finding an accountant who is trustworthy.

Do you like the idea of sitting at home and getting paid for answering a few questions?

If so, then you might want to take a closer look at online paid surveys.

Online paid surveys are nothing new. In fact, they have been around since the dawn of the internet, with many companies coming and going over the years.

The big question is whether or not paid surveys are a scam? The truth of the matter is that some are and some aren’t. Just like in any industry, there are some bad apples who are looking to make a fast buck by scamming you out of your hard earned money.

How to avoid the scammers

The best way to avoid rogue online paid surveys is to look for recommendations. There are some websites that make it their mission to review every paid survey company out there, and then give you the honest truth. For example, take a look at this review to gain a better understanding of how these websites review the companies.

Try them for yourself

Another good way to separate the legitimate companies from the scammers is to try the surveys for yourself. At the end of the day, you can read all the reviews in the world, but you are only going to know for sure when you give a survey company an honest try.

Sure, it might be a little bit time consuming, but once you find a great online paid survey then it will all be worth it in the end.

Some different types of paid surveys:

Focus groups

Generally, focus groups tend to pay the most money, and it has been reported that some participants have received up to $300 just for answering a few questions. Be aware though, that you can only find these surveys online, the actual survey will take place offline.

Mystery shopping

Another popular option is mystery shopping. Typically you can find companies offering these opportunities online, and then you will be rewarding with a nice sum of money for shopping in your favorite stores and giving your honest opinions.

Online paid surveys

You can find online paid surveys all over the internet, but it does take some time to find the legitimate companies. The main advantages of doing surveys online is that you don’t need to leave your house, as everything can be done from your computer.

In fact, there are lots of people all around the world who have made online paid surveys their full-time income. Why not join them?

Brian Dalton is an expert an income generation analysis and home working.