Buying a commercial property – work with a real estate agent

Purchasing a commercial property is a complex process, which involves many aspects. Being able to find what you are looking for at an acceptable price can turn out to be rather difficult. The process is similar with the one of buying a common residence, but includes more steps and of course more paperwork. From dealing with finances to negotiating the best price for the certain property, you need to take care of many details and it will probably take you a lot of time. Working with a commercial real estate agent, who has enough experience and market knowledge will be beneficial for more than one reason.

Wide selection

If you are not yet certain of what property you need, than viewing as many as you can is probably necessary. A specialized real estate agent is constantly working with sellers and buyers, which means he or she knows exactly what properties are available for sale, and which of them are suitable for your requirements and desires. Being in this domain for some time, means that the professional will have a better access to any property you might be interested in. Buying a commercial property requires more search than buying a regular residence. An experienced agent will show you an increased range of properties suitable for your needs, which can only come as a plus, saving you a lot of time. A professional will take care of every detail and arrange meetings for you, giving you the chance to choose from a wide selection of buildings. Tracking down adequate properties that can meet your demands will be much easier for a specialist of this domain. Trying to come across the ideal estate on your own is barely impossible.

Better price

Everybody knows that when it comes to buying estates negotiation plays an important role. Especially when it comes to commercial properties, managing to obtain a better price is crucial. A real estate agent knows the market and the prices as well. Being able to benefit from a fair price requires you to have some knowledge in this area, which you probably do not have. A real estate agent will be able to give you enough information concerning the value of the certain estate, and advise you if the asking price is fair or not. The agent will also negotiate on your behalf, and with years of experience he will certainly be able to obtain the best price possible. Only this way you will be able to find the best deal for a commercial property, which will give you the chance to handle better you finances. Therefore, if you are planning on expanding your business or are just starting out, the first thing you need to do is find a reliable and trust-worthy real estate agent.  There are numerous professionals out there, so you need to make your choice carefully. Look online for options and after you think you have found the right person, ask for references and then settle a meeting.

How to make a steady income from freelance jobs

Nowadays, the trend of being your own boss is very popular, as many people prefer the idea of working on personal projects, rather than for a company that does not pay them enough for their work. However, if you are interested in quitting your day job altogether and basing your entire income on freelance jobs, there are a few things you should consider, just so that you avoid future financial problems.

Build your reputation

Most freelance websites allow employers to leave feedback to the freelancers they have hired, so do your best to offer your best services in order to increase your clientele. Don’t expect to have a lot of clients from the beginning, as there are probably other users that have more feedback than you have, but this does not mean that you should give up your dream of becoming a successful freelancer, just that you have to have a little patience and don’t quit your job until your account has started to have a constant number of requests. When you offer high quality services, clients will return whenever they have a new project, not to mention that they will recommend you to others and you will soon become successful.

Don’t put your eggs in the same basket

To increase your odds of gaining more projects, you should always open accounts on several websites. However, focus on maximum 2 or 3 websites, otherwise you risk overlooking details and not succeeding with anyone of them in particular. Once you start gaining a few projects, you will decide which websites work better for you and which ones you should abandon. Always take advantage of any offer you can find and never refuse and projects that are offered to you, especially in the beginning when you want to put yourself out there as much as possible.

Always be on the lookout for new jobs

Even if you are currently satisfied with the projects you are working on, many freelancers make the mistake of burying themselves in one project, only to realize when it is about to end that they have no idea what their next job will be. This is why if you want to maintain a steady income, you should always be on the lookout for new jobs, even though you may not be able to do everything right away. Many employers are willing to wait a little before they can receive their project, so put your organizational skills to good use and always make sure your agenda is full. Make a habit out of spending 30 minutes every day looking for new projects. In the long run this will prove to be a very successful marketing techniques and it will help you land enjoy projects to stay busy all the time.

These are the three main rules that you should keep in mind when trying to make a steady income out of freelancing. Even though this idea appeals to many people, it does take a lot of work and dedicating to become successful in this line of work.

3 tips to start a small business

Starting a small business is something that many people consider doing these days. They just no longer like working for someone who may not have the best managerial skills or they feel that they could do better on their own. If you are one of those who want to take control of their financial situation and be their own boss for a change, starting a small business might not be such a bad idea. Here are a few tips to ensure your success in the business world.

Choose something that is easy to sell

Whether it is something that you can manufacture on your own, such as decorative items, or something that you will buy from a manufacturer and essentially resell to others, it is important to choose something that will be easy to market, especially in the beginning. Even if your dream is to target a certain niche of customers, you will need to cover your investment at first, so it is best to start with something that you strongly believe it will sell. Of course, you also have to factor in competition level, because markets that are highly competitive and already have well-established retailers are a lot harder to penetrate. Some of the most successful businesses were started from ideas that few people thought of. If you think that a certain product will sell, go for it!

Ensure you have the proper garage storage

For the first year of activity, you should keep your business at home and avoid investing into a large deposit. You can use your garage space to deposit the products before sending them to their final buyer. A few garage shelves bought from the right supplier will ensure you have the proper organisation and thus everything will go smoothly. These days garage shelves come in all shapes and sizes and can carry a significant load, so you can rest assured that you will find anything you need to create your small deposit. Even if your initial capital is low, try to invest in strong and durable shelving, as you might want to move the units with you if your business grows and you’ll relocate, thus saving further investment down the line.

Advertise your products using social media

Social media is by far the best way to advertise your products and gain recognition amongst potential customers. The best part about social media is that it is mainly free. You can always go for paid ads, but if you consider that your business may not afford to spend that much on advertising from the first months of activity, you can still obtain decent results when using the regular resources offered by these platforms. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, use all the resources available online these days and soon enough the results will follow.

These are the three main steps you should follow in order to open a successful business. Everything starts from an idea and the courage to put it into practice. The important thing is to maintain your enthusiasm and work hard to promote your ideas.

How to become your own boss

Working long hours at a dull job is unfulfilling if you have the soul of an artist. If you have fallen in love with makeup artistry, there is no way of coming back from that. Why not turn your passion in to a paying job, and see how step by step you reach the life you have always dreamed of having? If you have ever enjoyed a makeover Ottawa, then you probably know the important role a makeup artist has in the life of women everywhere. Even if you start off with a small freelance makeup artist business, with some determination you can reach a success greater than you thought. But what are the first steps you need to take to make all of these things reality?

Get the proper education

Having an eye for beauty is not all it takes to make it out in this industry. Even though you might think that you have talent, this is only the main ingredient you need to become a successful makeup artist. There are many other things you need to learn before you can call yourself a makeup artist. If you think you have what it takes to success, then the next step you should make is to find your mentor. Finding a professional makeup artist who can guide you and help you start out in this industry is the most important thing you need to do. Education is crucial even in this domain. There are many techniques your probably do not know about and that you can learn only with the help of makeup lessons. Not only will you develop proper skills, but if you choose the right makeup artist as your muse, you will also receive the inspiration you need. Makeup artistry is not just a job; you will need passion, ambition and perseverance. Look for an accomplished artist that can reveal you the secrets of the makeup world. This is an important step you need to not skip if you want to provide your future customers with the best services.

Be organized

There are many things to take care of when you are planning to become a freelance makeup artist. You will need to be organized and take it one step at a time. Make sure you have managed to put together a proper kit that has everything you need. If your budget is limited, start small, but use only quality products. This way, in time, you will make a name for yourself. Keep focused and do not give up, even though it might take some time to reach the level of success you desire.

How to reduce energy costs for your small business

It is within the interest of all businesses to save money and maximize profits. Small businesses in particular are often required to decrease monthly bills, tasks which is not at all easy considering that the electricity bills are constantly rising. For this reason, it is crucial to be on the lookout for smart energy savings. Taking matters into your own hands by creating energy-efficient plans will allow you to understand electricity needs and save money on dreaded power bills. There are many solutions to accomplish this goal such as windows and doors Guelph, but not only. What will you need to do?

Get an energy audit

The first step in beginning to save energy is to get professional assistance. More precisely, you should look for utility companies that offer low-cost or even free of charge evaluations for your business. More often than not, this will require an onsite visit and an evaluation of your energy needs and usage. In addition to this, there are many online calculators that give you suggestions according to the information you provide about your business.

Try to negotiate a better deal

If you don’t look and ask, then you are not likely to find better deals coming from energy providers. After all, you are a businessperson and negotiation should be your most important weapon. You never know when there is the possibility of obtaining a better rate from the utility provider. For this reason, you should do your research and make sure that you are getting the best deal possible. Another option would be to change energy providers. When the contract is up for renewal, you have the perfect excuse to compare costs.

Save money through energy efficiency

Insulation is always a good place to start when it comes to energy efficient solutions. While some business owners will try to seal the doors and windows using spray foam or rubber strips, it is better to replace them altogether. The truth is that advanced window technology can help you minimize the costs of heating and cooling. Thanks to the advancements made in window technology, it is possible to buy windows that insulate against heat and cold four times better than conventional ones.

Company policies

A good idea would be to turn off office equipment when it is not used. This even means avoiding switching plugs off the wall. In order to truly make a difference in the behaviour of the employees you should incorporate such tasks into company policies as well. For instance, make a policy to turn off the computers when they are not used as well as the heating and cooling equipment.

Inventory management: Tips to prepare for customer purchasing

Running a small business doesn’t mean you can’t think big or dream big for that matter. Your business may be small in terms of manpower or even turnover, but you still can reach a huge pool of customers or clients, especially through e-commerce platforms and web marketing efforts. However, once you do that, you need to prepare for customer purchasing, because having products available when people actually want to make a purchase is essential in supporting the growth of your business. Although it may seem like a pretty basic and straightforward process, making sure that there is product when a customer wants and is ready to purchase is not as easy as it may look. It takes a highly coordinated effort and it goes all the way back to how efficiently you physically handle products, which also includes storage solutions. If you’re storing your goods in a warehouse or stockroom off-site, then the first tip for your business is invest in warehouse shelving units that allow you to efficiently handle goods.

Tip #1: Don’t underestimate storage

Indeed, while inventory management is all about forecasting demand and ordering sufficient goods without overstocking, preparing for customer purchasing goes beyond effective stock ordering. Once you’ve got everything you ordered, you need a good storage system to make sure that all products are loaded fast and safely and retrieved the same way once an order is placed. Picking errors and slow product movement result in long lead times and customers today are comparing your services against those of e-tail giants such as Amazon or eBay that get the products into their hands incredibly fast. Investing in the right type of warehouse shelving units or racking system for your stockroom can help with the speed of product handling operations, which improve inventory management processes.

Tip #2: Facilitate order entry

There’s nothing a potential buyer hates more than not being able to place an order quickly and easily. You need an order entry and processing system that’s not only user friendly, but also meets the needs of the customer. The more you reduce the number of clicks a customer needs to make to place an order, the better your conversion rate. In addition, you might want to contemplate the possibility of implementing an automated system that triggers an electronic order to the manufacturer, because that way, every time a customer places an order with you, you place an order with the manufacturer, which means your stock levels won’t ever go below a certain level you can set up.

Tip #3: Improve product handling

Many businesses often overlook the importance of physical product handling, just as they overlook the important of the right storage systems. This process refers to the activities of actually picking a product from shelf, packaging it and loading it for shipping. Some products may require stronger packaging as not to be damaged during shipment and this means an extra cost for your business, which obviously needs to be evaluated against the revenue potential of the products through trade-off analysis, but that’s a different area. What’s important here is to improve product loading, storage and retrieval process as much as possible as to reduce any risk of damage to a minimum.