You have finally started your home based business. Your success will depend on several factors no doubt but unfortunately one aspect that is often overlooked or neglected is to give a professional look to your home based business. Some entrepreneurs neglect this aspect knowingly thinking that it is a waste of time and money. There are others who neglect this aspect because of cash flow problems. Whatever your problems, it is extremely important that your business projects a professional image to your customers, competitors and to your well-wishers. More so if you have to meet your customers and clients regularly in your home office.1. Professional looking Home Office.The first step to make your home based business look professional is to have a good home office. You have to designate a room, a section of the house or even the garage for this purpose. Create a good working environment, choosing the proper colors for the walls. Equip your home office with essential furniture, equipment and fixtures to start with. You will require items such as, a table, two chairs, telephone, filing cabinet, computer, printer, trays and a table lamp.2. Project a Bigger Image of Your Business.Though all these equipments are necessary for your day to day work it is also important to impress your visitors. The first impression is the best impression. Your clients should get the impression that they are dealing with someone who is organized, knows his or her business and doing well. Your conversations with your clients should also convince them that your home based business is much larger and prosperous than what it appears to be.3. Business Website.Today with the development of the Internet and the availability of the computer in most homes, the website has become a necessity. A website can make your business appear big, professional and organized. With an attractive and informative website you can make your home business appear as big as or bigger than your million dollar competitors. You can give detailed information about your home business, your products, any specials and discounts available from time to time.4. Business Cards.Quite often most of us have made use of other peoples’ business cards to look for addresses or phone numbers but we do not have one of our own. Entrepreneurs new to business do not realize how effective a business card can be. A business card projects professionalism, your business image and credibility. They become very handy to promote your home business in seminars, conferences, trade fairs, and other functions.5. Stationary.Make your envelope and letterhead look professional with your logo and address printed attractively. Print the URL of your website, address and phone number on all printed material that goes out of your business. All this add up to give your business a professional look while at the same time promoting your business.6. Avoid Interference by Family members.One of the major problems faced by home based business entrepreneurs is family members popping in and out of their home office thus distracting them from their work. This must be discouraged right from the beginning. Customers and other businessmen who come to discuss business matters dislike this interference. This makes your business appear cheap and ordinary.Conclusion.The above mentioned ideas will help you to project a professional image for your home based business. The more professional you appear, the more confident your customers and clients will be in doing business with you.
Divorce Law – The Intersection of Divorce and Real Estate Law – What Happens to Marital Domiciles?
If husband and wife own real estate in Rhode Island and are getting divorced and have no minor children then there are many possible dispositions concerning the marital domicile.
The parties agree to sell the property
There may be negotiations during the Rhode Island (RI) Divorce concerning one spouse buying out their husband or wife’s share in the property. The parties can agree to a single appraisal or hire their own appraisors. Some parties simply agree to the fair market value and do not need an appraisal. If husband and wife’s appraisals are different then they can negotiate the fair market value of the property. After determining the fair market value of the property, the parties should look at all mortgages owed and determine the equity of the property. The equity in the property is the difference between the fair market value and all liens and mortgages. This article only pertains to divorce and family law in Rhode Island (RI).
The equity in the property will determine what amount the person who is refinancing should pay the other party to buy out their equitable share. At the refinance closing, husband or wife may deed the property by quitclaim deed. Upon transfer of the deed, the spouse will receive their agreed upon share of the marital equity.
If the parties cannot reach an agreement and there are no children, the property will probably be ordered to be sold at the Rhode Island divorce trial.
In some cases, one spouse may agree to take less then half of the equity in the property. This could be done for numerous reasons including: disparity in earning capacity, admissions of an affair or infidelity, offsets from other assets etc.
Parties may also agree to a multitude of different scenarios which might include one party living in the marital domicile and refinancing in the future to buy out the other party’s share. This usually involves the party who remains in the house granting a mortgage to the other spouse.
There is really no limit to the types of agreements that parties can reach and it is possible that the parties could trade off assets in which one spouse receives a different asset such as a retirement account in exchange for the other party obtaining title to the real estate. Be careful because there may be federal tax implications to such tradeoffs!
This can get tricky because a transfer of the property without a current refinance will not take the person who deeded the property name off of the mortgage and promissory note.The person who deeded the property without refinance must make sure that the other party actually pays the mortgage, taxes and insurance on a timely basis otherwise their credit could be effected.
You should seek legal counsel from a Rhode Island (RI) divorce and family law Lawyer / Attorney concerning all of the possible scenarios.
Division of the marital domicile when parties have minor children.
If both parties agree that one spouse should reside in the marital domicile with the minor child / children they can agree to a deferred sale of the property. The person who is not living in the house with the children often receives a mortgage to secure the rights to receive money in the future.
If the parties cannot resolve this issue the court will determine whether or not it is in the best interest of the minor children to defer the sale of the marital domicile. The court must look at whether or not the parent who is residing in the marital domicile can afford the mortgage, taxes, insurance and upkeep taking into account any child support, alimony or income that the person receives. The RI family Court must also determine how long the sale of the house should be deferred in the best interest of the children.
If the parties cannot determine issues of child custody, visitation and physical placement then the issues become a lot more confusing.
Legal Notice per Rules of Professional Responsibility:
The Rhode Island Supreme Court licenses all lawyers and attorneys in the general practice of law, but does not license or certify any lawyer/ attorney as an expert or specialist in any field of practice.
David Slepkow is a Rhode Island lawyer/ attorney concentrating in divorce, family law, restraining orders, child support, custody and visitation. David Slepkow has been practicing for over 12 years and is licensed in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Federal Court. Free initial consultations. Credit Cards Accepted.
A Guide on Successful Product Creation and Internet Marketing
Product creation in Internet marketing is getting stiffer and stiffer nowadays owing to tough competition between Internet-based businesses. Putting up a new product requires plenty of brainpower and finances along with an ability to take risk. With that, even if you have the product well-set already, you have to position it strategically in the Internet landscape for others to notice. You should get the interest of Web users and turn them to actual customers. Aside from the usual physical products, many different products that thrive well on Internet marketing include E-books, membership sites, and video lectures.
The long and difficult process of product creation begins with ideas. They are easy to get – compared to the effort that comes with analyzing the market for that idea. Before the idea turns to a product, businesses often spend money, even amounting to millions of dollars, to ensure the success of the new product that emerges from an idea. Businesses undertake many types of market research and surveys before releasing their products to the public. Now, you may think that because your business is small, you can’t afford research or you don’t have to do research; you can and you should. The Internet allows you to disseminate materials needed for your market study to many people at once without your having to spend a cent.
It is a common maxim in business: Look at your destination first before mapping out your journey. So what are the goals you intend to accomplish with your product creation ventures? The everyday travails of your business may make you forget the end in sight. On the other hand, prepare to entertain new developments that come to your mind in your product creation. Your conception of a product may have started this way, but a few tweaks here and there along with some market research results and it ends up another way. Take it as the result of a creative process, not as a failure to reach your goal. After all, your product creation activities are intertwined with a long-term goal that you should strive to sustain at your utmost: profit generation. So if your less profitable initial idea evolves to a more profitable product, be thankful!
With your product made up already, start doing some aggressive Internet marketing. A product purchase typically comes after more than five times a customer is exposed to an informative call-to-buy message. Thus it is important to get the contact details, like the e-mail address, of potential customers who are on the brink of a sale. Use the results of your market research to determine the demographics to which you should concentrate your marketing efforts.
With consistent product creation, you can make an inventory of your products that you can market in due time. Just keep making products – the moment you succeed in making and marketing a product, customers are surely wanting more from you, so give it to them. Keep them on your side through constant product creation.