With 20 major islands to choose from, deciding where to buy real estate in the Bahamas can be overwhelming. This quick primer will make it easy to find the island that best fits your tastes and budget.

Nassau and Freeport

The cities of Nassau on New Providence Island and Freeport on Grand Bahama are the only choices for buyers who want urban or suburban surroundings and the amenities that come with it–extensive shopping, a wide array of cultural opportunities, hospitals, multiple golf courses, and direct flights to many major airports.

New Providence, a small island dominated by Nassau and its suburbs, is home to 215,000 people-fully three-fourths of the Bahamas’ population. Nassau has a busy downtown with both modern and historic architecture, and on the outskirts, a strip of high-rise hotels and casinos along Cable Beach. Paradise Island, connected to New Providence by a bridge, is home to the gargantuan Atlantis and other resorts. New Providence and Paradise Island have many gated subdivisions and townhouse developments, as well as high-rise condominiums. On average, real estate prices here are much more expensive than elsewhere in the Bahamas. Expect to spend $1.5 million for a typical canal-front house in one of the popular gated communities. A one-acre beachfront lot (the yardstick we will use throughout this article) would cost at least $3 million.

Grand Bahama, the northernmost of the major Bahamian islands, has a population of 50,000, the greatest part in and around Freeport. Grand Bahama is almost 100 miles long, however, and unlike New Providence, has less populated regions with deserted beaches and tropical pine forests. Lucaya, the residential area of Freeport, has a vast network of interconnected canals lined with thousands of home lots. Canal-front lots are reasonably priced–in the $125,000 to $250,000 range. One-acre beachfront lots in Lucaya sell for $1.5 million and up.

The Out Islands

After Freeport, the largest “city” in the Bahamas is Marsh Harbour, with a population of only 5000. The majority of settlements in the Bahamas are even smaller, with just a few hundred souls. This is the world of the Out Islands-large areas of untouched land with the occasional house or small village.

Abaco and Exuma

The Abacos and Exumas are not adjacent physically, but they have much in common. They are the most popular yachting destinations in the Bahamas, and their islands and cays provide beautiful cruising grounds. Abaco and Exuma are better known than the other Out Islands, and they each have several major resort developments. Prices are therefore higher. One-acre beachfront lots on Great Exuma are selling in the $1-2 million range. Abaco has prices in this range as well, but also less expensive beachfront in some locations.

Bimini

Hemingway made his “island in the stream” famous as a center of deep-sea fishing, and it remains so today. Bimini is also just 50 miles from the east coast of Florida, which ensures a good yachting crowd. Bimini has one major resort development, Bimini Bay Resort and Casino. Bimini Bay has no casino, but it does offer condos with boat slips in the $600,000 range. The only beachfront lot listed on Bimini, for comparison purposes, is a 2.7 acre parcel for $1.7 million.

Eleuthera

With sixty miles of beaches and only a few dozen hotel rooms, Eleuthera is a paradise for beach lovers who enjoy privacy and unspoiled natural beauty. Eleuthera has four major resorts planned or underway, but none is near completion yet, and overall, the island is still rustic and relatively unknown. Eleuthera is therefore less expensive than Abaco and Exuma–one-acre beachfront lots sell in the $500,000 range. With a population of 8000 and close proximity to resort-rich Harbour Island, Eleuthera has good infrastructure, stores, and services. If and when Eleuthera’s nascent resorts succeed, prices may catch up to Exuma and Abaco.

Andros, Cat Island, Long Island

These three islands are the next step up in remoteness and the next step down in name recognition, infrastructure, services, and prices.

Andros is said to be the largest unexplored landmass in the hemisphere. The island’s interior is home to the six-foot iguanas, the rare Bahamian boa constrictor, and who knows what else. The east coast of the island, the only populated area, has scattered villages and miles of deserted beaches. For those not afraid of who-knows-what-else, beachfront lots on Andros are selling in the $200,000 to $250,000 range.

Fifty miles long and with a population of only 1600, Cat Island is one place where you’ll never have to wait in line. Cat has many miles of spectacular pink-sand beaches and several delightful boutique resorts. A one-acre beachfront lot will set you back $350,000-400,000.

The aptly named Long Island is 96 miles long and only seven miles wide at its widest point. Long Island has a varied topography ranging from hills and cliffs in the north, to flatlands in the south. Deadman’s Cay, the commercial center, is fairly well equipped, with a medical clinic, banks, and well-stocked food stores. Prime beachfront lots on the island sell for $375,000, and lots on a narrower beach are currently selling for as little as $185,000.

San Salvador, Acklins, Crooked Island, Mayaguana, Inagua

For the true pioneers among you, these islands are farther south, more remote, and less populated. But the prices are tempting. A four-acre beachfront lot on Crooked Island is selling for $525,000-95% less than you would pay in Nassau.

Article by Matthew Simon
Matthew Simon is developing Oceanfront Condominiums on the island of Eleuthera. His latest book is How to Buy and Sell Real Estate in the Bahamas: Insider’s Guide. Matthew may be reached at mattsimonmx@juno.com.

Miami real estate investing is not very hard to learn, even though that there are many facets that are essential to understand before attempting to start investing. While many books and seminars are offered on investing only a few deliver the desired results. Investing is not taught in any university and it is more of an art than an exact science. It requires a lot of perseverance and determination. Many investors learn by trial and error although a mistake could be very expensive and usually devastating. Numerous millionaires made their money through real estate investments. Information, education and research are major considerations for an investor to be successful.

Real estate investing in Miami, Florida is a full time business where investors are constantly trying to maximize their profits and minimize their risks in other to generate wealth over time. Investing is a verified long term wealth creator. It is a numbers game and many of the transactions will not work but it is all worth it when one deal goes through and all your hard work is rewarded. It takes a lot of time and effort to effectively dominate the art of real estate investing. It is a risky business but it is the best way to create lasting financial security. Investing in Miami real estate is an excellent way to make a positive monthly income and built long term wealth and obtain financial independence.

Investors in Miami real estate have recently taken a beating and many have seen their investment properties lose value. An investor should not panic and sell in this market to avoid huge loses. Since it is a long term business an investor should realize that the time is now to rent the property and hold until the market turns around. If an investor requires a predictable and safe return on investment then investing in Miami real estate is not the answer. The business of real estate investing is very risky, and unpredictable but well worth the effort. An investor should consider buying foreclosures and bank owned properties. The Miami real estate market has hit bottom and it should be bouncing back very soon.

Miami real estate investing is different than various types of investing. An investor must overcome many roadblocks and obstacles. Usually finding financing is the single most overwhelming challenge an investor will face when trying to purchase Miami real estate. Using leverage in the business is common so arranging financing is very important. Do not purchase investment property with no money down. Little or no money down has caused many properties to go into foreclosure recently. Investing is not as perplexing, time consuming and financially draining as one might imagine.

Bank owned properties or Reo’s and Short Sales are a good way to start to look for a good deal in Miami real estate to purchase. The list of bank real estate owned (Reo) properties is huge. Not all banks want to discount properties so finding a good property to buy takes a lot of work and patience. Short Sales are the new trend in speculating in Miami real estate. Banks are not very eager to short sale their inventory and it takes usually about two months for the bank to accept or reject the offer. Government foreclosures are another to avenue to search. These properties include HUD, Housing and Urban Development, VA, Veteran Administration, FNMA and Freddie Mac. HUD homes are very popular and usually they will sell to the higher bidder in a weekly online auction. Investors are allowed to bid when the property does not sell to owner occupants. These HUD-FHA foreclosures properties are offer an excellent value. Foreclosures remain the best way for investors to start in the Miami real estate investing business since most of them have instant equity.

The best way to start investing in Miami real estate is buying foreclosures. The tremendous amount of foreclosures now in the Miami real estate market overwhelmingly gives the investor a lot of inventory to choose from in order to purchase the right property at a discounted price. This opportunity will more than likely never be available again and investors should take full advantage. An experienced Miami real estate agent who specializes in foreclosures is essential in order to guide the investor. The agent must have access to current bank owned REOs, foreclosures, short sale properties, pre-foreclosures government foreclosures and other distress listings. Investing in Miami real estate is a very exciting and rewarding business.

Article by Hector Lesende
Hector Lesende is Owner/Licensed Real Estate Broker in Miami South Florida. Search Miami Real Estate We will sell your home from only 1% commission. We provide a free Miami Foreclosure and MLS list

You probably can’t count how many times you heard the phrase, “Nice Guys Finish Last”. These nice guys time and time again allow themselves to get stomped on by women, it’s sad to watch. What makes it more incredible is they don’t even realize their errors and get frustrated with their lack of success with women. In clubs, bars or just at house parties you can spot nice guys from a mile away. They devote much of their time into doing things for women to the point they forget about taking care of themselves. Here are the top 10 reasons nice guys never get women:

1: They are way too needy. Whenever I see guys clinging on to women 24/7 I seriously want to vomit in disgust. These guys have zero self confidence and radiate “loser” where ever they go.

2: His happiness is dependent on his relationships the girl he’s seeing. He has no friends of his own and will devote all his time to that one girl. He calls all the time and doesn’t give her the chance to miss him.

3: Nice guys are well - too nice to women. They don’t challenge women and in short wind up being a push around. Women will not value a man if he doesn’t challenge them and aren’t fun or adventurous. I can’t stress how awful men appear to women that are too nice.

4: Nice guys give up all the power. Women in general will test a man to see what his reaction will be. Nice guys will fail this test by apologizing and doing whatever she says putting aside his own needs. All she needs to do is throw a tantrum and he becomes a doormat.

5: Nice guys tend to be shy around women. He acts nervously around other people especially with women and won’t make the effort to step forward and talk or make any connections with people.

6: Nice guy are emotional tampons. He will sit there and listen to all her problems the way a girlfriend would.

7: Trying to buy her affection with gifts and dinners. Major mistake nice guys make simply because at the core of it women will not respect a guy who tries to buy their affection. It’s the perfect recipe for her to move on to some other guy and the nice guy has nothing to show for, just loads of money down the drain.

8: Nice guys don’t exude confidence around women. Women want a man to take charge and be confident. As much as women want to claim that they want a sweet guy they are completely contradicting themselves because at the end of the day women are attracted to men who knows what they want and take charge with no apologies.

9: Nice guys don’t embrace their masculinity. They feel that they must put in check their masculine desires and apologize for being a man! There is nothing wrong with being a man but thanks to the American feminist movement men today are afraid to show their true masculine nature.

10: Nice guys apologize unnecessarily. Whatever happens they apologize even if it’s her fault. If the girl the women they are with begin to act bratty the nice guy will apologize and give in to her behavior. Save your apologies for big-time bloopers.

There are many nice guys that share several if not all of these characteristics which simply spell disaster for their social lives especially with women. The cold hard truth is that women are repulsed by nice guys. They don’t challenge women and once that happens nice guys are placed in the “friends” category and any attraction is now gone.

Article by Andres Munoz
Andres Munoz is a dating expert and with his latest project he reveals which dating courses are most effective in seduction. Sign up for our mini course and start using these seduction secrets you can use tonight and get immediate results at http://www.datingreviewworld.com/seductionsecrets.htm

Look at the ingredients in most commercially advertised sport drinks and vitamin waters, and you will quickly see they are far from being health drinks. If you are trying to stick to a diet high in alkaline foods, then these drinks are even more detrimental to your health.

Here are a few things to avoid the next time you are shopping for health drinks, especially for those on an alkaline food diet.

? High Fructose Corn Syrup - This is concentrated sugar that contributes to weight gain and abnormal blood sugar levels, which can also lead to diabetes. Excess sugars have no place in health drinks, and you certainly won’t find processed sugar in any alkaline foods.

? Phosphoric Acid is just what it says it is - acid. It is often defined as, “A clear colorless liquid used in fertilizers, detergents, pharmaceuticals and food flavoring, irritating to the skin and eyes and moderately toxic if ingested.” When your diet is supposed to be 80% alkaline foods and only 20% acid forming foods for proper pH balance, this really puts you upside down quickly.

? Artificial Flavors - Some experts call them, “Excito-toxins!” When artificial flavorings are in health drinks, they begin to resemble soft drinks and candy. These artificial substances interfere with your pH balance and force you to consume more alkaline foods to neutralize the acid from the toxins in your blood.

? Artificial Sweeteners - These are so unnecessary in health drinks today. In addition to the acid forming properties of artificial sweeteners, nutritionists express concerns about their effects on the human body. Many consumers now believe that artificial sweeteners may play a factor in diseases of the brain, such as Alzheimer’s. That is one reason why corporations such as Pepsico and Coca Cola are beginning to market health drinks and other products containing Stevia, an all natural sweetener that is actually beneficial. You can learn more about Stevia Sweetener and discover alkaline foods for pH balance by taking the Alkaline Food Test at BestHealthFoodStore.net.

? Isolated Vitamins - When isolated, processed, heated, liquefied and bottled, vitamins and minerals break down before your body can use them. You need vitamins and minerals from whole foods, not from so called health drinks that are really bottled, heated, highly processed waters with colorful dyes and artifical ingredients.

Someone showed me a well-known sport drink the other day and I couldn’t believe the ingredients! This tropical mango flavored health drink didn’t mention mango anywhere in the ingredients, but let’s take a look at what it did list, along with some things to think about when choosing health drinks:

? Sucrose Syrup (this is sugar)

? High Fructose Corn Syrup (more sugar) - A total of 56 gms of sugar

? Phosphoric Acid (the opposite of alkaline foods)

? Glycerol ester of wood rosin (acid forming)

? Modified Food Starch (how was it modified?)

? Natural and Artificial Flavors (your guess is as good as mine)

? Yellow 6, Yellow 5 and Red 40 (artificial dyes)

Another bottle of this not so healthy drink says “Specially Formulated for Tiger Woods” with the same ingredients, but blue dye instead of yellow. I guess that secret blue stuff is what makes Tiger play so well. In fact, experts could argue that Tiger’s recent knee problems are because of too many acid forming foods and not enough alkaline foods in his diet. Many medical and health specialists now believe that an acid/alkaline imbalance can contribute to weak bones and damaged joints.

When shopping for a good health drink, here are some important considerations to keep in mind.

? Is it liquefied, pasteurized or otherwise heated in the bottling process? If so then the enzymes have been destroyed and the nutrients will not easily be absorbed by the body.

? Does it give you chlorophyll from plants to help your cells absorb more oxygen?

? Does it provide natural antioxidants to destroy free radicals? Natural antioxidants are essential for anti-aging.

? Is it made with whole food ingredients like real fruit or other alkaline foods?

Now, let’s take a different look at health drinks on the market today that are not advertised with flashy TV ads or filled with colorful dyes: Here are some of the characteristics of these truly healthy drinks:

? Not liquefied or bottled, but in powder form

? Processed at low temperatures

? Contain live enzymes from whole alkaline foods and chlorophyll from plants

? Complex structures of the whole food ingredients are fully intact

? Loaded with natural antioxidants to combat free radicals

If you buy your health drinks in a convenience store, a grocery store, or in the health food store at the mall, then you are falling short of a truly beneficial alkaline food diet. You will find far better choices online by Googling all natural health drinks.

Article by Cliff Smith
Cliff Smith, as owner of an online health food store, constantly researches the latest health drinks. His FREE Alkaline Food Test is for anyone who wants to know if they are eating enough alkaline foods. Cliff’s personal success is highlighted by his natural weight loss and athletic achievements.

Falling property markets is grim news for house sellers and estate agents. If you are thinking of selling your house in a falling property market, perhaps for job relocation, or simply for affordibility then here is a look at some of your options.

1. You could sell now even though it is a falling property market, you will be protected from further falls in the market. If you are buying another property then the price of the property you are buying is likely to have fallen too so you would not have made a loss.

2. You could sell now and put your money in a high interest savings account. Instead of buying, rent in the area that you are moving to and closely follow the property market. Once the property market has bottomed out then you will be in a strong position to buy a bargain.

3. If you put your house on the market then finding a buyer may be tricky. In a falling market buyers are waiting to see if prices are going to go down, and interest rates may rise and then be cut, making mortgages unpredictable. If you have not sold your house by the time you need to move you could rent out your house and rent in the area you are relocating to. For this option, be sure to have money put aside to cover any costs when your property is not tenanted, charges for repairs and remember, the rent income you receive is taxable.

4. If you sell your house when the market has reached rock bottom, then buy, buy, buy - in this scenario you need to buy at rock bottom prices. Watch the market very closely, read the latest property reports and know what’s happening in the market. You need to buy before prices rise too much. At this point interest rates will be lower and mortgages therefore will be cheaper. At this point for a real bargain you may want to consider a property that requires renovation.

5. Stay put. Buying and selling a house is expensive in itself. Be sure you know why you doing it and check your figures that it is the right action to take. If you are selling because you are struggling to pay a mortgage, contact your mortgage broker and you may be able to renegotiate a lower monthly repayment.

If you decide to sell, be sure to prepare your house to look it’s best. You want to create a fresh, cared-for look. Paint the walls in a neutral, but warm colour, get rid of clutter, make sure all the lights work, fresh smells and fresh flowers. With a small amount of effort and cost, you will achieve the best price. Consider too buying property that requires updating and renovation. Whilst the market is slow take the time to renovate it and then as the market rises you could sell it and hopefully make good gains.

Disclaimer:

All information contained in this article, is for general information purposes only and should not be construed as advice under the Financial Services Act 1986. You are strongly advised to take appropriate professional and legal advice before entering into any binding contracts.

Article by Susy Copus
Susy Copus is a property commentator writing about all aspects of home moving, properties for sale, estate agent directories and house prices for the UK Property Search Engine, Wheres My Property. Susy also writes for Renovate Alerts who specialise in finding property to renovate.

The story is told of an old man who lived as a hermit way up top of a grand and majestic mountain. This dirty hermit, it seemed, absolutely despised anything that had to do with work. Mr Old Hermit avoided doing anything that would require more exertion than the bare minimum.

It just so happened that one day the king of the country rode up near Mr. Hermit’s abode on that amazing mountain. As he passed by, the king realized that the view of the entire kingdom from the hermit’s land was incredible. Every corner of the vast region was visible and it seemed to glow in brilliant detail. The king, thrilled at his discovery, asked Mr. Hermit if he might just sit on a stool and watch the view a while. Of course, the hermit was honored and went inside his house to find a stool to offer the king.

Once inside the house, however, Mr. Hermit found he had no good stool! He one he had was in terrible disrepair. He simply couldn’t offer it to the mighty monarch. Terribly embarrassed, he looked all around inside the house for another seat. While he was looking, the king went away.

“He’ll come again, I know he will,” the hermit said to himself. “I must have a stool ready for him.” Mr. Hermit cut some wood and carefully fashioned a beautiful stool.

Sure enough, a few weeks later, the hermit heard the king’s horse approach. Eagerly, the hermit ran to get the stool he’d made. As the king sat on the stool and took in the fantastic view, he sighed. “Thank you so much, Mr. Hermit for the wonderful seat to sit on while I take in the incredible beauty. Do you happen to have a cool glass of water for me, as I am so very thirsty!”

Mr. Hermit turned red-faced and ran into his house. Frantically searching around, his worst fears were realized. He had no clean glass to give to the king, only dirty broken pieces of junk. While he stood in his dirty kitchen trying to figure out what to do, the king went away.

“He’ll come again, I know he will,” the hermit said to himself. “I must be prepared!” He cut some wood, loaded it up on a cart and drove it down the mountain into town. Using the money he got from the sale of the wood, he bought a couple new glasses. Upon arriving home, he cleaned out the spring and repaired the pump, preparing for the king’s next visit.

Sure enough, a few weeks later, the hermit heard the king’s horse approach. The hermit ran to bring out the stool and glasses of fresh water from the sparkling clean spring. As the king basked in the glorious view, he said, “Mr. Hermit, thank you so much for the wonderful seat, the fresh clean water, and the wonderful view. Would you mind if I spent the night here with you on this grand mountain so that I could see the sun rise over my kingdom?”

Mr. Hermit couldn’t believe his ears! He had no bed suitable for a king! He turned and ran into the house trying to figure out what to do. While he was gone, the king went away.

“He’ll come again, I know he will,” the hermit said to himself. “I must be prepared!” Forgetting that he didn’t like work, he cut down some trees and fashioned a beautiful new bed for the king. Next he gathered some sticks and traded them in town for flour to make bread. He took his dirty old bucket and cleaned it at the spring so he could scrub down the inside of his house. Carefully and diligently he prepared for the king to come and spend the night.

Sure enough, a few weeks later, the hermit heard the king’s horse approach. Mr. Hermit invited the king into his sparkling clean house, served him some freshly baked bread, and enjoyed his company during the evening. That night, the king slept on the hermit’s newly made bed and together they watched the bright colorful sunrise across the beautiful kingdom.

Mr. Hermit and the king grew to love and cherish each other’s company. For the rest of his life, the king would come up and visit the hermit, basking in his new found friend’s hospitality and thoughtfulness. Mr. Hermit became the talk of the town whenever he’d show up with a new load of chopped wood or sticks to trade for flour, linens, clothes, or whatever he needed. People couldn’t believe the change that had taken place in the old man who never used to lift a finger.

…And the point of the story? Well, there are lots of points, but the one I’d like to especially bring out is this: Some people go thru life doing the absolutely bare minimum. In doing so, they miss out on some incredible opportunities or get embarrassed they can’t perform if asked.

The same goes when people head out to purchase computers. Some people like to buy the absolute rock-bottom deal that requires absolutely the minimum of expenditure. However, when great new software comes out or something else happens, they realize their great “bargain” actually is a great cause of embarrassment or concern. It can’t perform the way it should.

When you’re looking to get a new desktop computer, don’t settle for the bare minimums. Get quality and good quantities-buy a solid brand, get lots of memory, a big hard drive, a great processor speed, and a good video card. It may cost you a couple extra dollars initially, but the desktop computer will last for a whole lot longer and not be a source of embarrassment or frustration to you.

Article by Kama Wilson
Don?t for a minute allow yourself to act like the hermit when making your next computer purchase. Avoid embarrassment and frustration and be prepared! Get a Dell Desktop Computer or a really good quality bargain desktop computer TODAY!

Most men struggle when coming up with ideas on where to take a woman they just met. Most men think they are required to take their date to dinner and a movie. Taking a girl to the movies is the worst move because you sit there for two or more hours not talking. Not only do you display “boring” on your part you are missing valuable time in not making a connection with her.

Additionally taking a first date to dinner is also a waste of money especially if you discover you both have nothing in common. You may as well cancel out a second date and to top it all off you’re out at least $50 - $70 bucks. If you are the type of guy that thinks he needs to spend money on a date - STOP! You’ll never gain any respect and the wrong type of girl will exploit you like an ATM machine.

The best advice for first dates is to keep it casual and inexpensive. As a matter of fact a simple cup of coffee at Starbucks would do just fine. Simply sit down and talk and find some commonalities and see for yourself if you actually like this girl. That’s it! All you want to do at this point is to talk and see if this is the type of girl you want to see a second time.

The very best way to make a lasting impression on your second date is change the scene multiple times within that time frame. So for instance you first catch some coffee at your local coffee shop and head to the mall and shop a bit (shop for yourself!) and perhaps hit the bar with a dance floor. The whole time always keep in mind that you are trying to establish connections and commonalities you are not just doing stuff. “Doing stuff” will get you nowhere and your date will not really be interested in you after awhile.

Men believe that it takes a long time or several dates for women to trust them, well that isn’t the case! Trust is determined by the perceived amount of interaction, which is related to not only the accumulated time but also the depth of interaction with that woman. So if you are doing several activities with that special gal you are in fact changing her perception of the amount of time she has spent with you. You are in affect making one 3-4 hour date seem like several dates because there are several interactions taking place.

Alternatively you can simply use the above tactic on your first date as well. If you feel you are establishing solid connections there is nothing wrong in being spontaneous and taking her somewhere else. Women like guys that are adventurous and fun.

This tactic of doing several things in one date is incredibly powerful as long as you are keeping up the conversation level and making connections. It gives the women the perception that they have known you for a long time the only real trick is to do several things all in the same date. Remember women value themselves on their relationships they have with their family, friends and loved ones. So it’s important that you listen to her that way you can see if you share some commonalities with similar experiences she has had.

The key in making your date fun is to be exactly that, FUN! Avoid taking her to the movies and in particular a nice restaurant. Women are attracted to men that are different and fun they simply find them irresistible. Separate yourself from 99% of the guys out there and you are guaranteed to make your successes with women grow exponentially.

Article by Andres Munoz
Andres Munoz is a dating expert and with his latest project he reveals which dating courses are most effective in seduction. Sign up for our mini course and start using these seduction secrets you can use tonight and get immediate results at http://www.datingreviewworld.com/seductionsecrets.htm

If you’ve ever considered starting your own business, perhaps you’ve considered the pros and cons and found yourself feeling a bit overwhelmed by the prospect of creating a successful business from scratch. With many business ventures requiring a pretty hefty investment, it can be a tough decision to really go for it and start the small business you’ve always wanted, but many of the cons of a traditional business can be tackled by choosing a small business franchise that suits your taste. With the hard work of market analysis and crafting a strong business plan and the proven success shown by companies that choose to franchise, a small business franchise can offer you the freedom of a small business with much less risk than starting your own business from scratch. If you’re still on the fence, consider the following Top 5 Reasons To Start A Small Business Franchise.

Work from Home

With many small business franchises conducting business through the internet and through house calls, you’ll be able to work from home in a variety of businesses that would have previously required commercial office space. Being able to work at home not only frees you up to work when and however long you want to, but also saves plenty of money on commuting costs, office space leasing and commercial storefronts. You can take the money you would have spent on setting up a retail space and pour it back into your business every month, giving your business some extra momentum and ensuring much more profit for you and your partners. Unlike many home business opportunities that rely on supplying you with products that you direct-market to consumers, a small business franchise is a real business in fields ranging from computer services to education to travel and everything in between.

Be your own boss

Most people have had that recurring daydream of being the boss and with a small business franchise you’ll not only be the boss but you’ll also control the direction and momentum of the entire business. franchise opportunities provide you the potential franchisee with a pre-made business that’s ready to go, give you any essential training to prepare you to run the franchise and then set you loose to get your business going and make plenty of money. While there are certain guidelines setup by the franchisor, you’ll experience a lot of freedom in your franchise as you outline your marketing strategy, hire your staff and begin making the important decisions that will help your business succeed. Even if you’ve never run a company before and are a little apprehensive about taking the reigns, the franchisor will give expert training in the specific field and in many cases will offer management training to new franchisees, giving you the training you need to lead your business effectively and efficiently.

Do what you love

For many people, a job is just a job, but with a small business, you have the opportunity to choose the precise business you want to own and run with it. In the corporate world, it’s easy to get stuck in a job where you have no passion for your work and to find yourself simply coming to work every day for the paycheck. While the pay is an important aspect of a job, doing what you love and having passion for your work is often what takes someone from viewing their work as a job to seeing it as a career. There are hundreds of small business opportunities in nearly every field and niche-market, so if you’re ready to dive in and start your own business, there’s bound to be a small business franchise that fits you to a tee.

Set your own schedule

Whether you’re a stay at home mom, someone looking for a second job or simply someone who doesn’t want to conform to the 9-5, Mon-Fri work week, you’ll benefit greatly from the flexibility that comes along with owning your own small business. Most small business franchise opportunities are either run from the home or appointment based so you’ll be able to set your schedule week-to-week and also decide which days to work and how may hours in a week you want to put into your new business. The more time you put into your business, the better chance you have to succeed financially, but many small business franchises can also be done on a part time basis as a second job or as a job for a student or primary caregiver, allowing you to work as little or as much as your schedule allows.

Meet your financial goals

The main reason most for-profit businesses exist is to make money, and with a small business franchise you’ll be in a great position to generate sizeable profits even within the first year. Because all of the hard work of market analysis and testing has been done by the franchisor, when you purchase a franchise business you’ll know that plenty of people have already tried and tested the proposed business model and have had success. Unlike many other business opportunities, a small business franchise can be a stand alone business and many times can be run by just one or two people but with the majority of small business franchises you can expand as your business grows by adding more units or locations and instantly increase your profit potential. Franchise businesses also have been shown to recoup the initial investment and begin to make profit much faster than a small business startup, which will put you in a position to make more money faster and grow your business at an exponentially higher rate.

Article by Candice Clem
Find more small business information, work from home franchises and small businesses for sale at Small Business Sale.

When you are trying to decide the best online brokers for you, first determine your priorities and what type of investor you are. Other items to consider when you are choosing the best online brokers are commissions, fee structures, balance requirements and customer service.

E*TRADE is an inexpensive option for best online brokers for active traders who are experienced and don’t need a lot of technical advice. You will need a minimum of $1,000.00 to open an account with E*TRADE. There is a $12.99 fee for both market and limit orders. Also, you are required to pay $40.00 per quarter to use their services.

Fidelity’s commission fee for both limit and market orders is $19.95. The minimum amount of funds to open an online account with Fidelity is $2,500.00. There is no quarterly or annual fee to use Fidelity’s services. This is the best online brokers for investors with a higher net worth who likes all the frills of a full service broker. Because Fidelity is considered a full service broker they provide a wide range of investment tools and calculators and are rated extremely high for customer service.

Scottrade only charges $7.00 per market and limit orders. The minimum opening balance is only $500.00. This is one of the best online brokers for being inexpensive. Because they are inexpensive they don’t offer a lot of technical or research support, you are basically on your own. Scottrade does not charge a quarterly or annual fee. Scottrade does charge an additional fee of 0.5% of the total principal in addition to the $7.00 flat commission fee.

Charles Schwab might be considered by some as the pioneer in the discount broker world, but they are definitely not the cheapest of the best online brokers. Charles Schwab charges $19.95 for both limit and market orders and they also charge an additional $0.015 for all shares over 1,000. You will be charged a $45.00 per quarter service fee to use their brokerage services. You also need to be aware that if you purchase more than 5,000 shares, Charles Schwab will charge you $0.003 for every additional share.

TD Ameritrade was formed when TD Waterhouse and Ameritrade merged. TD Waterhouse was acquired by Ameritrade in 2005 and charges a flat fee of $9.99 for per trade for any amount of shares. There is no minimum account opening amount. According to current investors, TD Ameritrade rates very high for customer support and research tools in the best online broker’s area.

Sharebuilder is one of the best online brokers for new investors. They provide a wide range of investment strategy support. Sharebuilder has no minimum opening account balance requirement. With Sharebuilder you can also set up automatic investments for buying and selling stocks online for only $4.00 per trade. Regular limit or market orders will cost you $15.95 each. As a side note, Sharebuilder is part of ING Direct.

Firstrade is a relatively unknown broker as far as best online brokers. It appears as if they charge $6.95 for market and limit order commissions with no quarterly or annual fees. Firstrade does not have a minimum opening funding requirement. However, as with most discount brokers you will receive little or no technical support.

Vanguard is considered more of a full service broker like Fidelity and Charles Schwab. Because you will receive additional services you will pay more than you would if you choose a discount broker as your best online brokers. Vanguard is going to charge you $25.00 per market or limit order trade. You will also have to pay a $30.00 annual service fee. The opening balance for Vanguard is $3,000.00.

This is only a small sampling of the best online brokers. Each online broker has different requirements for opening account balances, quarterly or annual fees and commission structures. You will need to decide which broker is going to fit your needs and goals.

Article by Jayme Hanson
Jayme Hanson operates an information site about Learning How To Invest. Articles include information on Investing Money Advice, Online Brokerage Firms and Money Market Investing.

While there are quite a lot of people looking to change jobs or even start their own businesses, many people often overlook the possibility of a franchise business. Whether they think it will cost too much or possibly not allow them the creativity and freedom they are looking for in their business, franchises can often be a mystery to most new entrepreneurs. If you have ever wondered about the pros and cons of franchise opportunities versus traditional business opportunities, take a look at a few of the reasons in favour of and against buying a franchise business.

If you have ever started a small business before, you undoubtedly know how hard it can be to get a business off the ground. In fact, the vast majority of new small businesses rarely make it past the 5 year mark, let alone go on to become successful corporations. This is one of the main advantages of a franchise. With a small business franchise, you will get all of the benefits that come with every small business (being your own boss, setting your own schedule and business philosophy, even being able to work from home) but you will also get some of the benefits of a large, successful corporation (centralized support, large scale advertising, continual product development and advancement, etc.).

Franchises like Jani-King and The Cleaning Company have built hugely successful franchise businesses in the home cleaning industry. Both of these companies have made their franchisees very successful by offering a complete package to setup the franchisee with everything they need to get going, even if the franchisee has no prior experience in the business world or in the service industry. This intensive training coupled with the time-proven systems developed by Jani-King and The Cleaning Company make your franchise very likely to succeed.

Very few entrepreneurs start a business solely with money out of their own pockets and, for the first time business owner, investors and loans are almost a given. What many people don’t know about franchises is that since they have proven to be more likely to succeed than the average small business, most banks are more willing to give out small business loans to franchisees that to entrepreneurs with traditional small business start-ups, so if you have been having trouble getting approved for a small business loan, you may find the bank singing a different tune if you choose to start a franchise.

Imagine you decide to start a landscaping company that will focus mainly on giving your customers a beautifully manicured lawn and garden. If you are a first time entrepreneur, you may have trouble getting investors to sign on and help you purchase all of the necessary equipment, but if you chose a franchise like GreenThumb Limited (a well-known and successful lawn and garden franchise) you will undoubtedly find it easier to get a loan or a few investors.

Furthermore, banks and investors often require a detailed business plan describing your business model down to the very last detail. If you have never written a business plan before, you may find this a daunting task and when you know that your business depends on how you articulate the business plan, it only adds to the pressure. With a franchise business, the business plan will most often already be written for you. The franchisor will put together a detailed business plan for you and your investors explaining the overarching themes as well as the minute details for your particular franchise. The franchisor will not do all of the work for you, but having a strong name and a well-proven business plan behind you will definitely work in your favour when it comes time to seek investors and loans.

Finally, consider that with a franchise business, your success rate will be higher than any small business that you could start on your own. Almost every major franchise started out as a small business, then expanded more and more each year and finally chose to take their strong business plans and recognizable names to the realm of franchising. Succeeding as a business start-up is a great feat in and of itself, so the prospect of taking a business model that has been proven to work and being able to own your own franchise will nearly guarantee that your business will find success.

Do not assume that the franchisor will do all of the work for you. Every business will be a lot of work, but with a franchise you will get plenty of training up front and ongoing support from the franchisor. Their support staffs will help you out with any questions you have related to the franchise, how to properly manage people and anything to do with the business in general. Whether you choose one of the many home business opportunities such as Cardgroup Greetings or The PC Support Group which allow you to work at home or something with a physical location providing much needed services like The Little Gym, you will most likely find that the businesses that succeed most often, and make the most sense fiscally, are franchises.

Article by Candice Clem
Find more franchise opportunities and information about small business and home based businesses at Franchise Gator.