7 Tips to Real Estate Agent?s Success: Tip #5 Create a Financial Budget

Every business demands a financial budget and the real estate agent?s practice is no exception. Small business financial budgeting is critical given the historically ups and downs of the real estate market place. Your financial budget should plan for your marketing costs, any additional costs such as education and your forecasted income.

Most individuals recognize that a budget improves overall financial performance. Yet, when it comes to a business, many small business owners drop the ball and ignore this critical step in improving their own financial business success.

Projected profit and loss (P&L) are part of any business plan. Actual P&L figures can be found within any completed tax return. P&L statements can be quite complex if the organization has high dollar volume. For the typical real estate agent, P&L statements are quite simple and probably take only 1 to 2 hours per month to complete and review depending upon the agent?s record keeping whether software driven or paper and pencil. These projections should be monthly and followed up with actual expenditures.

A financial budget has 2 categories:

• Revenue
• Expenses

Revenue is determined by your products and services. Revenue should be broken down for the real estate person into listings and sales and tied to the marketing plan and overall sales goals.

Expenses need to be consistently measured and managed. Specific categories may include:

• Staffing compensation
• Staffing benefits
• Other staffing costs
• Dues and subscriptions
• Marketing (business cards to purchased leads' lists)
• Management fees
• Office supplies
• Professional fees
• Rent
• Internet fees
• Advertising
• Telephone
• Utilities
• Travel ? gas
• Travel ? lodging
• Travel ? food
• Entertainment
• Education

Having a written financial budget will assist you in keeping within your projections. But, most importantly, a financial budget that you actively review will help to ensure that you are not one of the 40% or 80% who drop out after the first year and will allow you to be one of the 10% who stay within the real estate industry after 3 years.

P.S. Read the previous tip 7 Tips to Real Estate Agent?s Success: Tip #4 - Establish Sales Goals

Leanne Hoagland-Smith quickly doubles results for her clients from individuals (small businesses owners, entrepreneurs and young people) to large organizations by creating executable strategic action plans along with the necessary business skills to pull it off. By closing the gap between today's unsatisfactory performance to tomorrow's goals, limited resources are maximized with waste including time being reduced. Please feel free to contact Leanne at 219.759.5601 or visit http://www.processspecialist.com/ and explore how she can help you.

One quick question,if you could secure one new client or breakthrough that one roadbloack holding you back from success, what would that mean to you? Then, take a risk and give a call at 219.759.5601 to experience incredible results.

Mention that you read this article and receive a complimentary 45 minute coaching session.

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DIY Steel Buildings

DIY or Do It Yourself steel buildings are self built by owners. DIY steel buildings offer a unique opportunity to construct a building solely according to personal preferences. Do It Yourself is the popular trend in America, the personal identity of a person being reflected in his belongings. DIY thoughts can be realized in construction using steel materials. Steel is a flexible alloy that can be engineered to any type of structure. DIY steel buildings are very much functional since the design is chosen by the user. DIY steel buildings include temporary shelters, garage, storage area, commercial buildings and retail buildings.

DIY steel buildings can be custom designed. The builder can either personalize available patterns or design a new one. Plenty of patterns are available from web resources and manufacturer catalogs, to be modified according to individual needs. The customer has the privilege to add suggestions regarding size, shape, height, area and structure patterns. The color of the panels can be chosen from the available pool. Accessories also can be included according to the client's needs. The custom design pre-engineered steel frame system is available in readymade DIY kits. The DIY kits also include all the necessary subsystems such as bolts and screws for the assembly of the steel building.

DIY steel buildings incorporate arch models and straight roof models. Rigid frame work models are also available. Arch models are easy to install and ergonomic. They integrate walls and roof to a single arch structure, and offer maximum space to occupy. Straight roof models give a traditional look to the structure. DIY steel structures require a strong foundation to be mounted on. According to the requirement of soil, the builder can construct base rail system or concrete slab for the foundation. The steel frame is then erected. The roof and wall panels are fastened with anchor bolts and screws.

DIY steel buildings can satisfy all the requirements of the customer. The buildings are also durable and weather resistant. DIY buildings are economical since labor cost can be avoided. Sophisticated tools are also unnecessary. DIY steel buildings can be assembled easily with simple tools within a short span of time. DIY steel kit manufacturers offer warranty for about 30 years.

Steel Buildings provides detailed information on Steel Buildings, Commercial Steel Buildings, Pre-Fabricated Steel Buildings, Steel Storage Buildings and more. Steel Buildings is affiliated with Metal Building Kits.

Budgeting for Baby

If you are expecting an addition to your family, or just planning on having a baby in the future, you need to start thinking about how you are going to budget for your little one.
Many first-time parents are shocked when they realize how much having a baby can cost. And I am not just talking about the doctor bills. It's all the little things, such as diapers, clothes, formula, baby food, and toys, that add up to cost big bucks!

When my wife and I had our first child, we learned a lot about what we really needed and what was a waste of money. So now that we are seasoned veterans and expecting our second baby, we feel confident that we can avoid the same wasteful mistakes we made the first time around.

Here is a list of 6 things that your baby can live without, followed by 4 things that we could not have lived without:

Baby Wipe Warmer - An unnecessary waste. My daughter never fussed when we used baby wipes that were room temperature. Baby wipe warmers are just an attempt to get parents to spend more money on something they really do not need.

Expensive Clothes - You are going to find that your little one will grow out of his or her clothes incredibly fast. It's one thing to spend a little extra for a nice dress or outfit for a holiday or special occasion. But it doesn't make sense to spend a fortune on clothes that will be worn only once or twice. Instead, choose the lower priced items (as long as the quality is satisfactory), especially for little onesies and sleepers.

Another tip: don't remove the tags from babys clothes until they are ready to be worn. We have outfits that my daughter grew out of before she even had a chance to wear them. Since we had already removed the tags we were not able to exchange them for a bigger size.

Brand Name Goods - Using generic items instead of brand names can save you hundreds of dollars per month. We used the brand name baby formulas for the first few months and then switched to the generic brand after we realized it cost 60% less. Not only did our little girl not mind the change, she actually seemed to prefer it. The generic brand seemed to give her less gas.

Toddler Foods - When our baby was first learning to eat solid foods, we tried dozens of different flavors of baby food. We thought it was important for her to adjust to the new foods and to try a variety of flavors.

But as soon as she got used to the new texture, we started making our own baby food. Carrots and sweet potatoes worked especially well when mixed in the food processor.

And we never even bothered with the 'toddler foods'. They are an expensive waste. Look on the supermarket shelf and you will see the jars of diced fruits and vegetables 'just for baby'. But you know what? You can cut up a pear or a green bean yourself. It will save you money and you will know that the food is fresh.

Large and Expensive Toys - When my daughter was born we spent several hundred dollars on toys for her to play with, plus we received many more as gifts. We got her all sorts of giant stuffed animals and high tech toys that danced or played music.

Do you know what her favorite toy is? A squeaky bath toy shaped like a crab. It cost $1.49. She regularly pushes aside all of the fantastic toys we bought her for that inexpensive little crab.

Now I'm certainly not telling you not to buy your little one anything expensive or fancy. Just keep in mind that she may just push it out of her way so she can play with the box.

Baby Walkers - You hardly see these in stores anymore, but they can be found. Skip it. They are dangerous. Stick a baby in one of these and they can wheel themselves into trouble before you know it. There have been horrible incidents of children rolling down a flight of stairs or running into a table and knocking something down on top of themselves.

The 4 BEST purchases we made...

An ExerSaucer - An exersaucer looks very similar to a walker with one major difference...it doesn't move. The exersaucer stays firmly planted on the ground and allows the baby to 'stand' and play with all sorts of toys that are attached to it, plus any other toys you give to him.

My daughter absolutely loved being in her exersaucer and it gave us a chance to get something done around the house while she was occupied. We knew she couldn't get into any trouble and we constantly changed the toys so she would not get bored.

But be warned. Once baby becomes mobile he likely won't want to use it anymore. He can have a lot more fun crawling around getting into all sorts of trouble!

The Best Car Seat You Can Afford - Keeping your baby safe is no joke. Having a quality car seat is vital in case you get into an accident. Be sure you read the manual and secure baby tightly each time you take her out.

Also, contact your local police station and ask them if they offer free car seat installations and inspections. Most towns have a few officers who have received special training on installing car seats. If your town doesn't offer this service they can get you in touch with a neighboring town that does. Even the best car seat is useless if it is not installed correctly.

Bundle Me - Unless you live in a climate that is warm all year-round, a Bundle Me is a great timesaver. It is basically a cozy blanket that fits into a car seat or stroller. Rather than bundling baby up in a snowsuit and blankets, just place her in the car seat and zip it up. You'll be surprised how warm she stays.

It is especially handy when you have the type of car seat in which the base stays in the car and the seat pops out so you can carry it around. You can have baby all snuggled up inside rather than struggling to do it in the cold.

Shopping Cart Cover - You've probably seen them in the supermarket. It's just a cloth or vinyl cover that goes over the top section of a shopping cart. The baby sits in it and it prevents her from touching the shopping cart with her hands or mouth.

Many people will argue that this is unnecessary, but I see it as a valuable safety device. Countless numbers of hands have touched those shopping carts and who knows what kinds of germs they left behind. Keeping my little girl healthy is more than worth the $20 expense.


About the author:
written by Mike Collins of
http://www.saving-money-and-living-debt-free.com

Choosing The Best School Backpacks

A school backpack (book bag) is something a student uses daily ? and choosing a quality one may not be an easy task for any parent. What do you look for? What makes a backpack a ?quality backpack?? At first glance every backpack may appear to be strong and long lasting. It is only with usage during the year that you get to know the true story.

As many parents have learned, the pressure to keep up with academics has been increasing with the importance of national standardized tests. This often means more homework ? and more books being brought home. Even the size of books increase as each year passes, thus making it heavier for young shoulders. As your child advances through the grades, the importance of shoulder padding in the backpack increases. It is therefore necessary that every parent provides his or her child with a comfortable and spacious school bag.

Here are some good tips to use when looking for a quality backpack:

- It should be spacious enough to easily store all the student?s materials.

- It should have sufficient pockets for non-book items ? perhaps even a holder for water bottles or cell phones.

- It should have wide and soft straps to help distribute the weight and make it easier to carry.

- The straps should have high tensile strength.

- The backpack should be double stitched.

- Zippers should be of good quality so they do not rust. (Some days it may rain ? and zippers that rust may ruin an otherwise good backpack once winter starts.)

- Handles that are reinforced are a plus. This is often a weak spot for those students who regularly overload their backpacks. Look for extra stitching and backing in these areas.

- The book bag should also look attractive to the student.

If you notice your child using only one of the shoulder straps regularly when using the backpack, you may consider purchasing a sling backpack. These backpacks are designed to be used on one shoulder ? and have wider straps to properly distribute the weight. (They are also quite fashionable.)

On the other hand, if the backpack user is also riding a bicycle to school, it would be better to use a two-strapped backpack (and not a sling). This is mostly to help keep the load balanced during the turns.

If you tend to notice that your child?s backpack tends to wear out at the bottom, you may consider looking for a backpack that has a leather bottom. These take a tougher beating and have a better chance of lasting throughout the school year in such cases.

Good quality backpacks are often made of a durable poly, nylon or canvas. These are soft on the body and very strong for carrying heavy loads. It's also important that a book bag is attractive, trendy and appealing to children. Yet, how long they last will depend upon the quality of the materials used and the attention to detail in the manufacturing process.

Taking some time to do a little research before buying a backpack is well worth the investment.

About the Author:

Catherine Silva is the owner of http://www.duffelbagsnbackpacks.com Also see http://www.duffelbagsnbackpacks.com/fanny-pack-briefcases.html and http://www.duffelbagsnbackpacks.com/school-backpacks.html

Tips For Choosing A Buyer's Real Estate Agent

If you have ever bought a home you know how important it is to choose a good real state agent. The right agent can help you find the perfect home to match your needs. Most people, however, find it hard to look for a good agent. In this article we will explain how to find the perfect agent for your needs.

The first thing you should do when choosing your agent is to see how honest they are. Call the ethics board and make sure they haven?t done anything illegal or unethical. Getting an honest real estate agent is very crucial to making sure everything goes smoothly.

The next step is to make sure you find a real estate agent who works in your area and other areas. If you select an agent who only will deal with people in your area then it will be harder for them to find people who are selling houses.

Make sure your real estate agent is friendly. If your agent isn?t friendly not only will it ruin your time of looking around they may repulse some sellers. You need someone who has a positive attitude and believes they can find the house of your dreams.

Try to find an agent in a realty company. Even if the company is only a small one it still gives some insurance to the buyer. It also means that the agent has the proper training and connections to help in your search for the perfect home.

Lastly make sure you like your agent. While a lot of people don?t think you need to like the company of the person you work with for a successful business they are wrong. If you find your agent repulsive then it will be hard for you to successfully work with them to find a house.

Following these basic steps you should be able to find a good agent when buying a home. However, the first thing to check for will be to make sure your agent is in fact an agent. Always check to make sure they are who they say they are.

Don't think that these precautions suggest that most Realtors are dishonest. In fact, most Realtors I have dealt with were fine - but you may as well find the best!

Try the Exclusive Buyer Agency Raleigh NC - an exclusive buyers' agency with a DIFFERENCE!

Juvenile Diabetics Get Help from a Fish

Sometimes simple solutions rule. Isn?t it great when that happens? Well, recent research shows that a simple solution can help prevent juvenile diabetes for millions of children all around the world ? and simple salmon is the solution!

Research from a nationwide study at the Norwegian Institute of Health revealed that when parents give their children cod liver oil (don?t worry, I?ll get to the salmon), during their first year of life, the risk of juvenile diabetes goes down by more than 25%. That?s significant. And the discovery was so important it was published in the highly respected, peer-reviewed American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Scientists believe the reason for these results is the inflammation reducing capabilities of omega 3 fatty acids in certain fish with high EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Those names are a mouthful, but they work wonders. And salmon is the highest source of EPA and DHA. (See, I told you I?d get to the salmon!)

There are two kinds of diabetes ? type 1 and type 2. In both diseases, the body is unable to make insulin properly or use and store glucose. This causes blood sugar problems. Type 2 diabetes is traditionally adult onset. But, because of poor lifestyle health habits, more and more children are developing Type 2 diabetes.

Juvenile onset diabetes (type 1) usually begins in childhood or adolescence. And then the production of insulin shuts down entirely requiring daily insulin injections. Over time, there are often complications for insulin-depend diabetics. Within 15 years of the onset, over 80% end up with major eye damage. Some have kidney failure and need kidney dialysis to survive. And 35% of juvenile diabetics die from heart attacks before their mid-fifties.

Isn?t it great that omega 3 fish are swimming to the rescue? But, it?s not the first time. Over the past two decades, research has proven that EPA and DHA have many incredible health benefits, including positive results for people with type 2 diabetes. Now this new study shows omega 3 fish oil can also help prevent type 1 juvenile onset diabetes. Kind of makes you want to kiss a fish. (Or maybe not!)

EPA and DHA are found in cold water fish like cod and salmon. And salmon, from unpolluted Arctic Ocean waters, is the purest, most potent source. Since a common cause of type 1 diabetes is autoimmune disease, scientists believe the extraordinary natural, anti-inflammatory, immune building properties of omega 3 fish are what helps to prevent juvenile diabetes.

When taken by a mother during pregnancy and nursing, pure fish oil with EPA and DHA provides many other life-long health benefits for children. For example, it greatly improves a baby?s nervous system, vision and hearing. Research also shows omega 3 fish oil is vitally important for the development of a baby?s brain and produces higher intelligence.

So, if you want your child to grow up smart, strong and healthy and be well equipped to swim up stream, my recommendation is to make sure you and your family eat more cold water fish and add high quality omega 3 salmon oil capsules to your diet.

Michael Byrd has over 18 years of education and experience in the fields of physical therapy, health, fitness and nutrition. His pursuit of wellness has led him to the many health benefits of fish oil and other natural whole foods that will help you to look younger, feel better and stay healthy. Request your Free nutritional CD at http://www.omega-3.us.

Buying Cyprus Property

Buying a vacation property has become more than just trendy ? it has become an important part of anyone's financial portfolio. People from Western countries are increasingly snapping up vacation properties in the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, and other choice locations in warmer climates.

One island that is seeing renewed interest is Cyprus. Being a relatively new member of the European Community, Cyprus property are also seen a surge in demand because English is widely spoken as a second language.

Being part of the EEC is expected to be a precursor to increased property prices, making Cyprus an excellent long-term investment for real estate. The stable economy is expected to continue to grow as a result.

Investment properties in Cyprus are like tax havens

The exciting news for any property investor is that Cyprus is almost like a tax haven within the European Community. There is no inheritance tax or gift tax, pensions from abroad are taxed at a flat rate of just 5%, interest earned on foreign capital imported into Cyprus is tax exempt, and investment income remitted to Cyprus by foreign nations is taxed at a flat rate of 5%. Even the corporate tax rate is a flat 10%. Cyprus also has signed double taxation agreements with many countries, including the United Kingdom. A Capital Gains Tax of 20% is payable on the sale of immovable property in Cyprus, but no capital gains tax is payable on gains from investments. Personal income tax rates range form 0 - 30%.

Interestingly, there is increasing demand for Cyprus properties from non-traditional sources, including the Middle East, Russia and its former states and United States, as well.

According to Glen Young of SunSeaker Properties, the island has the dual benefits of being popular for both retirees and vacationers. Retirees buy property in Cyprus for their own use, largely to bask in the warm Mediterranean sun and escape the snow and cold winds of winter. The attraction of Cyprus as a second home (or a new first home) is helped by a skilled work force, relatively affordable prices and a friendly, welcoming population.

But Cyprus is also a popular travel and leisure destination, with regular affordable flights from major European cities. Visitors look for quality accommodation, such as villas and apartments can offer. This makes Cyprus property a good investment, earning an income until the owner wants to sell and cash in...or until the owner decides to retire and use the property for his own purposes.

Of course, over 320 days of sunshine certainly don't hurt land values on this Mediterranean island.

Unlike in many other sunshine destinations, the legal system in Cyprus is mostly based on the British legal system and is designed to safeguard the property purchaser. This makes it particularly attractive to UK investors. Once the contract of sale is signed and a deposit is paid, the contract is registered at the land registry office. This procedure protects the purchaser's ownership rights until the title deeds are issued and transferred to his or her name. The contract in the hands of the Land Registry cannot be withdrawn by anyone, and therefore the property cannot be leased, sold, transferred or mortgaged. Only the purchaser himself can alter this status.

Cyprus investment properties might require some patience

With so much going for it, even Cyprus is not perfect. Sometimes it does take patience to buy property in Cyprus. As with many sunny locations, the bureaucrats don't always see the need to rush and paperwork can take longer than an eager buyer would sometimes like.

In the case of buying property off-plan, it can often take a couple years for the development to be completed...meaning that the buyer might need some bridge financing until the property can be let and income starts rolling in. Mortgages, usually up to 75%, are readily available, and the wise investor will look for one that requires only 30% to be paid down over the period of construction, making financing affordable to average investors.

With a little planning and patience, Cyprus properties are easy to obtain and promise to carry a positive return on investment. Sooner or later, everyone retires; it's never too early to stake out an investment property on your favorite Cyprus beach.

David Leonhardt operates a freelance writers service. Read more about at Sunseaker Properties or more specifically about Cyprus properties for sale.