New Info Blog

Commodity ETFs (exchange traded funds) are made up predominantly of things derived or cultivated from the Earth. These include energies, such as oil and natural gas, agriculture, which includes crops and livestock, and metals, like silver and gold. Commodity ETFs are also made up of currency exchange traded funds. An exchange traded fund is similar to a mutual fund with one major difference being that it is traded on the market like a stock.

A Gold ETF was launched in March of 2003. Gold ETFs are shares of gold issued as a certificate. This is appealing to some gold investors (coined gold bulls in the marketplace) because they can own gold without having to store the physical inventory.

The gold exchange traded fund inventory is securely stored by their holders in vaults. The holder that launched the first gold ETF is StreetTracks Gold Shares. Incidentally, they are also the largest holder of the fund. The corporation holds such a vast amount of gold that it has recently had to find a larger vault in which to store it. Currently StreetTracks Gold Shares stores about 584 tons of gold, with a value of almost 18 billion dollars. When the ETF launched in 2003 they had only 8 tons.

Gold ETFs are considered a good hedge fund for a commodity exchange traded fund portfolio because of the stability gold has shown over the years. Gold’s value has kept up with inflation for more than 100 years. Recently gold ETFs have been up and down, but as a long term investment, gold is thought by many to be one of the safest.

1/10 of an ounce of gold is equivalent to one share. The average cost to trade a gold ETF is about 0.4%. This is a full percent less than other commodity ETFs. Gold is considered to offer the most liquidity of commodity ETFs, making gold the savvy investors choice.

Recently the name of StreetTracks Gold ETF was changed to SPDR Gold Trust, though its symbol, GLD, remains the same. This was a re-branding done to pull all of the corporations commodity ETF funds under one umbrella, making it simpler for investors to find all of the products they offer

SPDR Gold ETF declined by 12.5% in April of 2008, the steepest since the inception of the ETF. It is expected to be back on the rise with analysts suspecting it will hit record highs by the end of the year.

There are financial advisors who advise against gold ETFs because they feel the funds are a bad choice. Other than for making jewelry, they say, gold is a useless commodity. They also warn that the capital gains tax on gold is almost double that of other commodity ETFs. Some advisors are concerned that the storage of the gold is so secretive, making it impossible to know if the gold is adequately secure.

Most financial advisors and analysts praise gold ETFs as a safe, secure investment because the price of gold, they claim, cannot decline due to political uprise or the fall of financial institutions. They say that gold will always have a value. The global demand for gold ETFs is in a constant upswing, even in the current troubled financial state. Gold ETF, the experts tell us, is of the most secure and trusted assets to invest in today. Consider adding a gold ETF to your commodity ETFs, chances are you won’t regret it.

Ryan helps you understand gold ETFs and how you can profit from investing in a gold ETF

Tags: aim, Ally, assets, Ast, billion dollars, capital, capital gains, cia, commodity, corporations, currency, currency exchange, current, Decline, Diffe, Dollar, ears, earth, etfs, exchange trade, exchange traded funds, expert, financial, Financial Advisors, financial institutions, fit, Gold, heir, inc, inflation, institutions, inventor, investing, investment, investor, investors, Irs, Liquidity, long term investment, Mai, market, met, oic, ounce of gold, pita, politic, price of gold, rent, stock, Swing, Target, Tax, term investment, ups, Valu, Yea

Beginning or expanding a business can be an exciting venture. But to do so successfully, a business owner is going to need capital. That comes from either the owner’s personal check book or financing extended through a bank. To secure financing through a bank, a business owner must understand the 5 C’s of Credit. These guidelines are used by financial institutions as a way of analyzing a borrower’s request for a loan. The 5 C’s: Cash Flow, Collateral, Capital, Character and Conditions are the major elements a bank uses to examine a business and its owner during the loan process. Each can have an impact on a funding request.

Cash Flow
A business owner may feel he or she needs additional capital to run a business, but they must also demonstrate the ability to repay the loan being considered. In determining this, a bank will analyze the company’s projected and historical cash flow in comparison to its debt. A commonly used method, the “EBITDA” ratio looks at a business’ Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization. Broadly speaking, it’s the measure of the cash flow generated by a business. This is the cash flow available to repay the debt once the company has met its other payments required to sustain the business.

A bank may also be interested in how much capital has been invested by the owner, which requires calculated risk. Financial statements and personal credit assist bankers in knowing how much an owner’s personal resources can support the business as it is growing. For companies that have yet to make a profit, elements such as an excellent customer list and payment history also come in to play. Bottom line: the business should be perceived by a bank as solid.

Collateral
Bankers also look at collateral, or the secondary source of repayment. Collateral are assets offered by a company as an alternate repayment source. Typically these assets include real estate, accounts receivable, inventory, and equipment. In a liquidation scenario, accounts receivable can be used to pay down a loan, while equipment and real estate can be sold to generate income to pay down the loan as well. Until a business is established, a business owner will need to pledge collateral that may be linked to personal assets, such as a house. No one wants to be in the position of losing a home because a loan has turned sour. A business owner needs to think carefully about how he or she will handle the collateral element when borrowing money from a financial institution.

Capital
Banks essentially are looking for sufficient equity in the company on the part of an owner. Sufficient equity can aide a business when times are soft. It’s important a company be able to sustain itself during tough times. Additionally, banks want assurance that an owner is truly invested in the company and will do what it takes to turn things around if cash flow becomes a problem. When examining capital, banks typically analyze the company’s total liabilities compared to equity, or the Debt to Equity Ratio. Most banks like to see the Debt to Equity Ratio no higher than 2 to 3 times.

Character
It’s not hard to understand why investors want to invest with those who possess impeccable references and credentials. This is where the character of the loan applicant comes in to play. While the character card can be challenging to assess, a bank will carefully review business and personal credit reports, as well as communicate with vendors regarding a business owner’s dealings with them. Owners need to demonstrate that they are indeed effective leaders and can conduct themselves professionally in challenging times. Securing a business loan from a bank is based on trust, to a large extent. Banks need to know that a business owner will act in good faith at all times to honor any and commitments.

Conditions
Bankers must always take a look at current economic conditions surrounding a business as well as issues surrounding its industry to determine key risk factors. It’s important, therefore, for the owner to make evident the ability to manage these risks to ensure the future viability of the business. Banks will examine the competitive landscape of the company, customer and supplier relationships, and other industry factors that may impede the company’s growth. Business owners should be prepared to describe the primary threats to the business and what measures are being taken to protect the company from these risks.

The 5 C’s of Credit form the back bone to a bank’s analysis when considering a request for a loan. A clear understanding of a bank’s requirements should help a loan applicant be prepared to provide appropriate information and successfully position the company in a way that results in the approval of a loan for the future growth of the business.

American Momentum Bank is a progressive, Florida based bank that strives to offer a deep understanding of our commercial, retail and online banking clients’ immediate and long-range goals, unparalleled personal service, and solutions tailored to our Clients’ specific needs. Experienced, professional management and Associates, combined with flexible decision making, is essential to the success of our Clients. Our banks’ success is a result of our Clients’ and Associates’ success. For more information, please visit http://www.americanmomentumbank.com

Tags: Ally, Amortization, assets, avail, bank, banks, bottom line, business, business loan, business owner, business owners, Calculated Risk, capital, cash, Cash Flow, cia, Collateral, combine, commercial, commitments, credentials, credit, credit report, current, dea, debt, Earnings, economic conditions, element, Elements, extent, Faith, financial, financial institutions, financial statements, financing, fit, goals, heck, history, home, inc, informat, institutions, inventor, investor, investors, liabilities, loan, measures, met, mmi, money, Personal, personal assets, personal credit, Personal Resources, pita, Pledge, Proble, profession, Rate, Real Estate, Regard, relationship, relationships, rent, review, risk, Risk Factor, sit, Success, Target, Tax, Taxes, tough times, viability

Are you a first time buyer of landlords insurance? Best way to look out for several insurance policies related landlord and to obtain a best deal at an attractive cost is with the help of an expert broker. Understanding the terms of each of these policies is essential in order to know what all does these landlord insurance policies cover.

Remember, that in times of a calamity, if you are insured against landlord building and content insurance and you want to make a claim for the damage caused, you should have an inventory, a list of all the things that are missing or damaged in your house. It’s better to prepare them before hand, as you will not be in a position to recall all items at home, while you are stressed out. If possible, take a video of all the inventories at home, but if your inventory and video also gets damaged in the event, then, you will have to recall it yourself. So, keep your video tape or the inventory list in place other than your house, with this you can retrieve back your items if it goes in flames. A landlord building and content insurance covers your exterior part of the building and content covers items within your house.

Are you pondering over certain questions like these. Experts find answers to your queries:

Are tenants contents insured against landlord’s insurance policy?

Not at all. Landlord content insurance policy covers only the landlord’s items, contents that he owns and has offered a furnished building to a tenant. Any items other than the landlord’s in the house, will not be insured. Sofas, chairs, tables and other valuable items owned by the landlord which may be used by the tenant who’s living in this house will be insured, so damages to the landlord’s assets will be properly compensated. A tenant has to avail a different insurance to cover his own items.

Can I buy a normal insurance for a buy to let property?

As you are renting out your property to a tenant, it is considered commercial and will be covered under business insurance, rather than landlord building insurance and you become liable to this. The amount you get from your tenant may be less, but it is still considered as a business property. YOU have certain legal responsibilities towards your tenants in a way that you do not have for your own home.

Kirthy Shetty, Platinum author,

Get all your tips related to Landlords building & content Insurance from: Landlords Insurance

Energy Performance Certificate: EPC for let properties

Tags: aim, assets, avail, bet, bett, broker, business, certificates, chairs, cia, commercial, Damages, dea, Diffe, energy performance, expert, home, informat, insurance, insurance policies, insurance policy, inventor, Irs, landl, Performance Certificate, platinum, Prope, queries, rent, sit, Stress, Target, Terms, tips, Valu

No matter how much money you have saving when you can makes you feel good. And in these tough economic times saving is not only a pleasure, it is a must. The good news is that you can save on every purchase you make. Believe it or not, every single item cycles through various times of the year that it is on sale.

Some items are usually on sale during a particular month or holiday and others are more reasonably priced several times a year. The point is that it pays to do a little research before you make a substantial purchase.

Cars are of course a big ticket item and most of us prefer to get a ‘good deal’ when we are spending thousands of dollars. The good news is that there are several times a year the cars are priced more affordably. The end of the month is always a good time because many car dealerships require or at least prefer that the salespersons make a certain number of sales each month. This makes the store itself look good.

Therefore, the salespersons as well as management are often more agreeable to your terms. The end of the model year as well as the end of the calendar year is also a great time to purchase a new automobile. Obviously the car lots prefer to load their lots with the new models so they are happy to sell the older model at a little discount.

Additionally, there are various times that rebates and special incentive packages are offered.

The best time to purchase computers is during July and August. Take advantage of the back to school sales.

Cookware is priced lower during the months of April and May because of graduation and wedding season. Cookware is also sale priced during the months of October and November as holiday promotions.

Furniture is lower priced during the months of January and July. After the winter holidays the stores receive new stocks of furniture and the same is true of July. At that time the stores are receiving their Fall inventory.

Air conditioners and gas grills should be purchased in the off season if you want a great deal. Jewelry purchases should be avoided during the holidays, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. Most jewelry sales are made during those times so there is little need for the stores to have real sales then.

Linens and bedding should be purchased during January when all the stores are having their annual white sales. As you can see, it is not within the scope of this article to cover every purchase but it is important for you as the consumer to know that virtually everything can be purchased at a sale price at some point during the calendar year.

Find out how you can get a free report on saving at the grocery store and another on saving at the gas pump by visiting:

http://www.money-savingideas.com

Debbie Allen is an Internet Marketer and a writer.

Tags: advantage, Ally, Ast, best time, Car Dealership, cars, cia, dea, Dollar, Economic Times, Fre, furniture, great time, Grocery Store, heir, how much money, inc, Internet Marketer, inventor, lot, market, marketer, models, money, Much Money, new auto, Pleasure, reason, sales, scope, Searc, sit, stock, stocks, t pay, Target, Terms, thousands of dollars, wedding, writ, Yea

The Ironman Event is the premier championship race for the triathlon, a long distance race that combines swimming, cycling and running. It is a highly televised event with a huge following. However, what you may not recognize is that there are many tips to success that correlate between success in the Ironman event and success in network marketing. I know because I have competed in both the Ironman and network marketing. Here are 6 tips of success that I learned from competing in the Ironman that I am applying to my network marketing business.

Tip #1 – Use one method and perfect it. Too many people try too many methods of prospecting when they are building their network marketing business. As a result, they fail to have success. While there are a lot of different ways to train for the Ironman event, I followed on specific training. I will explain later how I came to follow this specific training. When building your network marketing business using online strategies, you should master one method first before moving on to the next method. For example, you might start off with using videos. Once you are good at video you can partnership on to article writing.

Tip #2 – Get comfortable at being uncomfortable. The only sure thing to life is change so accept it and brace it. The Ironman is a grueling event and when preparing for it as well as competing in it, there are many times where I felt that it was insurmountable. However the key to getting through it was to surround myself with a strong support system. In the Ironman, I had group support with 20 other athletes. The key to successfully competing in the event was that support team with the other athletes. Network marketing will also feel insurmountable at times as well. As such you will need to have a support team in place to assist you as well.

Tip #3 – The cure for failure is failure. Thomas Watson, the founder of IBM, said: “The key to success is to double your rate of failure.” Thomas Edison one of the greatest inventors ever failed thousands of times before he created the light bulb. The key is to learn from your mistakes and to move forward.

Tip #4 – Have Goals & Step By Step Milestones. We had a training tax that we followed regularly. We also had a schedule for workouts that we had to complete each week. This outline and schedule helped me to complete step by step milestones to help me to properly prepare for the event. You also want to have goals and step by step milestones when building your business. For example, if you are implementing a blogging strategy, step #1 might be to research your keywords. Step #2 might be to add a post based on one of the keywords to your blog, etc.

Tip tax – Have faith and focus. This is a triathlon not a sprint so I had to have an incredible amount of faith in the process and focus on my end goal in mind which was to complete the race. Success in network marketing is also not a sprint. Therefore you will need to have that same level of faith and focus. Otherwise you will give up right before your success breakthrough takes place. This is the number one reason why most people fail in this industry, they lack faith and focus and give up too soon.

Tip #6 – Be a student and follow people who are successful. You must make an effort to consistently learn and develop yourself. You want to identify people who are already successful at what you want to do and learn. One of the members of my group had successfully competed in the Ironman 6 times. Therefore, I made sure I followed her training program. In network marketing you want to learn from people who are doing what you want to do. One of my mentors is Mike Dillard, a gentleman that has created tons of free and low cost leads for his network marketing business and has taught others how to do the same.

Success in any endeavor requires perseverance and persistence. Anyone can be successful, but in most cases it does not happen overnight. Using these 6 tips will move you forward toward accomplishing any goal.

Dianne Thomsen has been a successful network marketer for 5 years using the old methods of cold calling, warm market prospecting, etc. Now with the assistance of the Renegade University she teaches others how to use the Internet to generate leads. Using the Renegade’s step-by-step tutorials she assists others in building their Internet presence and monetizing through The Renegade Training Affiliate Program.

Tags: amp, Ast, bet, blog, blogging, breakthrough, business, combine, dea, Diffe, Different Ways, ears, endeavor, failure, Faith, focus, Fre, goals, heir, inc, inventor, Irs, lot, many people, market, marketer, marketing, Marketing Business, mentor, mentors, met, mike dillard, mistake, mmi, monet, moving, Network Marketer, network marketing, Network Marketing Business, partnership, People, perseverance, persistence, presence, Prope, Rate, reason, renegade, rent, Rsi, running, Searc, sit, stake, strategy, Stu, Success, Target, Tax, tips, train, Training, watson, work, workout, writ, Yea

It is reported that tax the next ten years, half of the American households will have a partnership based business. An internet based business could be the answer for those that find themselves working too hard, not making what they’re worth at their 9 to 5 job, or spending too much time away from what matters most in a persons life…family.

People are starting to work from home and beginning to live life on their own terms.

The Benefits Of Working From Home

Set Your Own Work Schedule

Spend More Time With Family

Have More Time For Yourself

Enjoy Becoming Your Own Boss

Build Your Very Own Business

Determine Your Stream Of Income

Generate Long-term Financial Security

A very attractive perk to a home business is no commuting. And then work from any room in your home. No set hours…making your own schedule and determine which hours you want to work.
Thousands of people have business making part-time and even full-time income this way. No sales, no inventory, no limit to the income they can earn with an internet based business.

If you first do your homework, and select a company that is honest, well-respected, and find a business that rewards you generously for your work at home efforts. You can then really make a great living with this type of business. Your are required to usually only need a phone, a computer, and an open mind. Yes, that’s right, an open mind!! Because you will be running your own business, on your own terms, as your own boss, earning your own income. That sounds both scary and exciting! But many people have made this work for them!

Larry Buhrandt is a Certified Travel Agent with TraVerus Travel. He has a passion to travel and a desire to help others succeed in the travel industry. http://daytodaytravel.info

VACATION FOR LE$$…ENJOY LIFE MORE…WHILE EARNING AN AMAZING INCOME!!

Tags: Ally, american households, Benefit, Benefits, Boss, business, cia, Coul, Desire, ears, financial, fit, heir, home, home business, Homework, household, Households, inc, inventor, Irs, Job, many people, partnership, passion, People, Rate, respect, Rewards, running, sales, scary, Success, Target, Tax, Terms, Travel, work, working from home, Yea

What is the sub-prime mortgage crisis? Lenders and their mortgage originators steered borrowers who were short-sighted, gullible, unqualified, greedy or all of the above into adjustable rate loans which had extremely low starting interest rates. The problem or crisis is that the loans were designed to adjust to above market interest rates after a short period of time. The loans were attractive to borrowers who were looking for the lowest starting interest rate, to buyers who really could not afford the house they wanted to buy, to lenders who stacked extra closing costs and points into the loans and to investors who bought the loans knowing the low interest rates were only temporary. They all forgot that when something seems too good to be true, it probably isn’t true.

When the interest rate on the loans adjusted upward, many homeowners saw their monthly payments increase by twenty, forty, or sixty percent and some extreme cases more than double. Coupled with a weak economy (or the perception that the economy is weak) in some parts of the country the rate adjustments led to a wave of mortgage foreclosures when borrowers couldn’t make the higher payments. Lenders found themselves owning houses rather than the loans on them and investors in mortgage backed securities found that their investment turned out to be not very good.

So the crisis is real for people who are losing their homes, lenders who have an increasingly large inventory of homes to resell and to investors who lost money. It is a little hard to feel sorry for anyone involved in the crisis except for the homeowners or former homeowners who were mislead by the mortgage originators and did not have the proper advice or foresight to understand what their loans were going to do. The lenders, originators and investors were all sophisticated business people who made money, sometimes a lot of money, in the short term.

Why is this situation a crisis for a first time home buyer? The simple answer is that it is not a crisis. For people looking to buy their first home it can be an opportunity. The perception that the United States economy is weak is simply not true for many parts of the country. The basic rule of real estate: “location, location, location” definitely applies here. Even where the economy is troubled, many people have solid jobs and the inventory of foreclosed or about to be foreclosed homes is high.

The other main rule of real estate, supply and demand, means that the price of such homes is likely to be lower than comparable home in another area. Foreclosed homes are often not in the condition and lenders tend not to put the time and money into repairing them that a normal seller would. Most lenders and investors are no longer interested in making or owning sub-prime loans and even if some are, government regulators are watching closely so you probably do not have worry about being led into a bad loan.

Buying a home at a foreclosure auction is probably too much to take on for a first time home buyer (the topic of mortgage foreclosure is an article in and of itself), but buying a foreclosed home from a lender can be a much simpler process than going through the normal purchase procedure. A lender with many or even just a few foreclosed homes is anxious to get rid of them. The homes are not generating interest payments, which is how most lenders make their money, and are piling up expenses like real estate taxes, repairs and management or security costs. Most lenders are happy to accept a below market price and are often willing to offer attractive financing packages to make a deal work quickly.

Many lenders have special REO (real estate owned) departments and arrangements with local real estate brokers to deal with caring for and selling off foreclosed properties. Just as one man’s ceiling is another woman’s floor, the so called sub-prime mortgage crisis can turn into an attractive way for a first time home buyer to get into a first home. You have to do your homework including hiring your own inspector, attorney and contractor to advise and guide you through a purchase process that can turn out to be a real bargain. Be sure to read and understand your loan documents.

Paul Anderberg
http://www.first-time-home-buying.net

Erik Anderberg
http://www.eanderberg-law-ma.com

Erik and Paul are the authors of many helpful articles about home buying. Visit their websites to read more. Several other articles of theirs are also available on this site.

Tags: Adjustable Rate Loan, advice, Ally, auction, avail, borrowers, broker, business, business people, buying a home, cia, Closing Costs, Coul, country, dea, Economy, Expenses, financing, foreclosed home, Foreclosure, foreclosures, foresight, government regulators, heir, home, Home Buying, Homework, inc, interest rate, Interest Rates, inventor, investment, investor, investors, Irs, Job, jobs, lenders, loan, loans, lost, lot, low interest rates, Mai, many people, market, met, money, mortgage, mortgage foreclosure, People, perception, period of time, Proble, Prope, Rate, Real Estate, real estate tax, real estate taxes, securities, Seller, short period, simple answer, sit, Supply And Demand, t pay, Target, Tax, Taxes, time and money, united states, work, Worry

Underfunding

Make sure that your internet home based business has enough financial backing to carry it through the cash poor early stages. It also should have adequate funding to provide for your needs during occasional slowdown times. Typically, the excitement of a bricks and mortar store opening will provide sales in the early days that may not be representative of a normal revenue curve so that the business owner may form expectations about cash flow that are not realistic. The same is true of a business on the internet, only there may be very few sales in the very beginning until customers find your site and recognize the value of your product.

Too rapid growth

The other side of the cash flow picture which can occur in an internet home based business is that of growth that is too rapid for the planning. You may have laid in inventory levels that sold out so fast that there is not time to replace them before additional orders arrive. Rush refilling of inventory levels can result in higher prices for the acquisition of your product without the opportunity to increase your sales price quickly. This affects your profit margin significantly and can change a small profit into a small loss on the sale of your product. If your response time to process customer orders slows down, it may lead to customer dissatisfaction and loss of future sales.

Failure to plan

A surefire way to create a losing internet home based business is to ignore the need to plan your activities, plan your concept, plan your growth and plan your expenses. Don’t make the mistake of making your first significant sale and using it to treat yourself to a dinner out on the town rather than for the necessary and normal business expenses related to the business. Create a budget with estimates or actual figures of what you can expect for utility bills, internet access costs, equipment, inventory replacement and all other expenses associated with your business and stick to it.

Cheap mentality

Another common mistake that individuals beginning the process of creating an internet home based business make is that of trying to save startup costs by purchasing or using items that are cheap rather than economical. This can end up costing more in the long run because equipment must be replaced sooner or may not function as well as the higher quality counterpart. The concept of using quality business supplies and equipment is true also of the sale of your product. Wherever possible, make sure your product and your business supplies and equipment are economical rather than simply cheap.

Failure to assess results

Finally, stay on top of the results of your internet home based business with regular reviews of the results you have achieved. This practice will enable you to see quickly when too much money is being spent on postage, or sales on a particular short term promotion exceeded expectations. Reviewing income and expenditures is important in the overall planning for the future of your business. There may be seasonal patterns that apply to your business product sales. This can help you in planning for inventory levels or even the best time to take a short vacation trip.

For the best resources to assist you in the creation and continuation of your home business, be sure to check the assistance available at the web site of Internet Home Based Business or Home Based Business to get a Free Report to learn more.

Tags: Ally, Ast, avail, best time, bricks, bricks and mortar, Budget, business, business owner, cash, Cash Flow, Cheap, cia, continuation, Counterpart, excitement, Expenses, failure, financial, fit, Fre, heck, home, home based business, home business, inc, inventor, Irs, lows, Marg, margin, mistake, money, Much Money, patter, Pitfall, pitfalls, Profit Margin, Purchasing, review, Rush, sales, satisfaction, sit, Smal, stake, Target, tips, Valu

Entrepreneurs who are looking to start a franchise start out by searching for the “Perfect Business”.

One unlikely source that those considering a franchise should not overlook is Richard Russell’s Dow Theory Letters. “Why” you ask? What does a “Dow Theorist” know about the “Perfect Business”.

Richard Russell began publishing the Dow Theory Letters in 1958, and he has been writing the Letters ever since (in fact, he has never once even skipped a Letter). The Letters, published every three weeks, cover the US stock market, foreign markets, and every thing economic. And, Mr. Russell is highly sought after for his economic commentary.

However, Richard Russell has written one piece that is his most requested article. Funny thing is… it has absolutely nothing to do with the stock market!

Nope, this piece is where he defines “The Perfect Business” . Go figure.

Here are Mr. Russell’s criteria for the “IDEAL BUSINESS”

1. The ideal business sells the world, rather than a single neighborhood or even a single city or state. In other words, it has an unlimited global market (and today this is more important than ever, since world markets have now opened up to an extent unparalleled in my lifetime). By the way, how many times have you seen a retail store that has been doing well for years — then another bigger and better retail store moves nearby, and it’s kaput for the first store.
2. The ideal business offers a product which enjoys an “inelastic” demand. Inelastic refers to a product that people need or desire — almost regardless of price.
3. The ideal business sells a product which cannot be easily substituted or copied. This means that the product is an original or at least it’s something that can be copyrighted or patented.
4. The ideal business has minimal labor requirements (the fewer personnel, the better). Today’s example of this is the much-talked about “virtual corporation.” The virtual corporation may consist of an office with three executives, where literally all manufacturing and services are farmed out to other companies.
5. The ideal business enjoys low overhead. It does not need an expensive location; it does not need large amounts of electricity, advertising, legal advice, high-priced employees, large inventory, etc.
6. The ideal business does not require big cash outlays or major investments in equipment. In other words, it does not tie up your capital (incidentally, one of the major reasons for new-business failure is under-capitalization).
7. The ideal business enjoys cash billings. In other words, it does not tie up your capital with lengthy or complex credit terms.
8. The ideal business is relatively free of all kinds of government and industry regulations and strictures (and if you’re now in your own business, you most definitely know what I mean with this one).
9. The ideal business is portable or easily moveable. This means that you can take your business (and yourself) anywhere you want — Nevada, Florida, Texas, Washington, S. Dakota (none have state income taxes) or hey, maybe even Monte Carlo or Switzerland or the south of France.
10. Here’s a crucial one that’s often overlooked; the ideal business satisfies your intellectual (and often emotional) needs. There’s nothing like being fascinated with what you’re doing. When that happens, you’re not working, you’re having fun.
11. The ideal business leaves you with free time. In other words, it doesn’t require your labor and attention 12, 16 or 18 hours a day (my lawyer wife, who leaves the house at 6:30 AM and comes home at 6:30 PM and often later, has been well aware of this one).
12. Super-important: the ideal business is one in which your income is not limited by your personal output (lawyers and doctors have this problem). No, in the ideal business you can sell 10,000 customers as easily as you sell one (publishing is an example).

Now, the really interesting thing is that in Mr. Russell’s article, he states that “the ideal business doesn’t exist, and probably never will”.

On that point, I think I have to disagree with Mr. Russell There is a business that meets every single one of Mr. Russells’ requirements of the “Perfect Business”

1. Clients in the US, Canada, Great Britain, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Europe, Japan and India. OK, I’ll admit that’s not the WHOLE world, but it definitely would meet most folk’s idea of a Global Business
2. Products are marketing training and financial education. Pretty much demand there.
3. Products were created by Mr. Kip Herriage, a Wall Street Prodigy who became a VP at one of the the World’s 5 Investment firms at age 28 . This company offers a uniq combination of Estate Planning, Debt Reduction, Tax Strategies, and Investment Knowledge. There is not another, single, product like this in the business. So that about covers Mr. Russells’ #3.
4. This business requires a grand total of ONE employee. Oh yeah, some folks do choose to have a virtual assistant, and outsource various jobs.
5. The “location” is usually your home. So, this means you actually get to take a percentage of your household electricity as a tax deduction! No extra expense there. The virtual assistant costs a whopping $4/hr, and there is absolutey no inventory involved. All orders are direct shipped from the corporate office.
6. Equipment consists of one or two computers and a cell phone. OK, the laptop can be a bit pricey, if you chose to opt for a beautiful 17″ macbook pro.
7. All terms of this business are via credit card or wire transfer. Payment for product purchases are usually the same day as the sale. Can’t get much quicker than that.
8. Of course, you do have to pay taxes. But, other than taxes, there are no government forms to file, or regulations to follow.
9. Sales can be made from home, while in Budapest at a conference, and while on vacations in Oregon and Sedona, or anywhere that has internet connectivity. All from a laptop. All quite portable.
10. The only problem with this type of business is that sometimes it’s too engaging. Marketing can become an “addiction”, so sometimes it’s actually difficult to turn off and enjoy the freedom provided by this type of business.
11. Other than your mind constantly being flooded with marketing ideas, this business can be done in 3-4 hours a day.
12. And, finally, even though this business is Direct Sales, it also offers leverage on several different fronts. For one thing, it is Internet based, so your websites, and ads driving traffic to your websites, can be producing revenue simultaneously. Plus, this business provides have the ability to build a team – and make up to 40% of your team sales. Quite nice.

Now it’s your turn to have a say in this. Could Richard Russell, the “Dow Theorist”, actually be WRONG on this one?

You can visit Richard Russell’s original article by visiting: Dow Theory Letters

Mari Ann Lisenbe is a former corporate software designer who now owns the “Perfect Business” — from her country home near Houston, TX. She is also a recognized leader in the world of web2.0 attraction marketing. Mari Ann would like to thank her former employer, Hewitt Associates, for outsourcing her job in 2003, which lead to her discovery of Entrepreneurship, Direct Sales, and the “Perfect Business”.

You can check-out Mari Ann’s “Perfect Business” by visiting: http://www.YourIncomeReplacement.com

Tags: advice, Ally, amp, Ast, bet, bett, business, capital, cash, cia, corporate, Coul, country, credit, Credit Card, dea, debt, Desire, Diffe, discover, doctors, ears, Education, Emoti, emotion, Employ, Employe, Entrepreneur, extent, failure, financial, Flood, foreign, Fre, free time, freedom, Fri, funny thing, global market, having fun, heck, home, household, inc, income tax, income taxes, inventor, investment, investments, Irs, Japan, Job, jobs, knowledge, lawyer, lawyers, legal advice, letter, Leverage, lifetime, market, marketing, marketing ideas, markets, met, neighborhood, Original Article, Outlay, outlays, Outsource, People, Personal, pita, Proble, Rate, reason, Regard, rent, sales, Searc, sit, Software, South Africa, state income tax, stock, stock market, Target, Tax, tax deduction, Taxes, Terms, traffic, train, Training, vacations, vp, wall street, work, world market, writ, Yea

You might be a leader in the market as far as your ranking is concerned. But given to the ever changing scenario due to the peaks and troughs of the market, there is this unsaid uncertainty. And when the question is of speed is concerned, web-based accounting has all the answers for you. With a simple click of the browser, you are able to manage your accounting related tasks like accounting, cash-flow management, customer relationship management (CRM), inventory control and marketing. You are saved from paying up large sums of money on the hardware and software and instead have top pay up a small amount as fee. A wave of transformation is sweeping business with the help of e-Peach tree, Intacct e-ledger or the QuickBooks online. Internet is the tax from where the companies can have an access to personal information, which includes earnings, income tax holdings, retirement plans, vacation days etc.

A number of advantages await the client company, which has an access to web-based accounting. Using the concerned software, business organizations can reduce their sales returns from a larger percentage to a smaller one. To stay ahead in the race to the top, it is imperative for the companies to set up a computer network. The plus point of this step is that the members of any business organization can keep up the pace with the fast pace of information technology. For sharing any financial information, Ethernet is the preferred choice because of its speed and reasonable cost. Web-based accounting helps the useful data to travel very quickly, particularly if a virtual private network or VPN is set up. This type of accounting system can be useful even for a small business set up. For a speedy growth in the market, the organization can hire a value-added reseller or VAR for the purpose of wiring and system configuration. Utilizing ‘Linux’ in such cases also results in the high performance of the said company.

Web-based accounting packages are used generally in a company for a speed-based management of its accounts. A small business system can customize its accounting system within hours for its clients. Typically, a small organization begins with the preparation of system documentation providing detailed procedures, which includes system activation and de-activation, accounts cycles, sales and purchase cycles, cash receipts, journal entries, financial tax and error corrections. The hallmarks of purposeful system documentation are its ability for an easy user access, systematic specific information including a table of contents, page numbers, etc. It should be also borne in the mind that the procedures should be complete, in easy-to-follow steps. Security of the documentation system should be fool-proof and a thoroughly professional approach should be maintained.

Innumerable advantages await the client companies if the web-based accounting package is installed. This type of effective system enables small businesses to track their progress on a timely basis. The data sheets and other related financial information is always up to date because of the efforts on the part of organizations to periodically submit new features and other upgrades. The completion of technology plan is finally followed by the matching up of the software products with the company’s goals and objectives. An expert handling of the whole process of installation of the software is step in the right direction. Consultants are hired for this purpose, who categorize the available products in the market. They evaluate the bought up software on the basis of competing services, value-added features, unlimited nation-wide dial-up, efficiently workable web-based email, management of the associate traffic etc.

Michelle Barkley is a CPA who advises people on tax preparation and tax calculation. She specializes in Bookkeeping outsourcing, tax return preparation, back office outsourcing and outsourced accounting. To know more about Web-based accounting and Tax return to use the services visit http://www.ifrworld.com

Tags: advantage, Ahead, Ally, Ast, avail, Bookkeeping, Books, business, business organization, business organizations, cash, cia, Control, customer relations, Earnings, expert, financial, financial information, goals, heir, hell, inc, informat, Information Technology, inventor, Mai, mail, market, marketing, Match, money, oic, Outsource, People, Personal, Plans, profession, proof, reason, receipts, relationship, retirement, retirement plan, retirement plans, right direction, s system, sales, Seller, sit, Smal, small business, small businesses, Software, software products, stead, sums of money, Table Of Contents, Target, Tax, timely basis, traffic, Travel, Uncertainty, Valu, vp, work