For many budding ‘homepreneurs’ (home based business entrepreneurs), starting a search for a legitimate and lucrative home based business opportunity can be a very daunting prospect. The terms ‘Pyramid scheme’ and ‘Scam’ strike instant fear into the heart of every would-be home based business owner out there. So given that there are some absolute diamonds in amongst the rocks, and a growing army of people out there who have been able to sift the wheat from the chaff and are now achieving stellar results from the businesses that they are running from the comfort of their own homes, how can you be sure that you will meet with similar success. Is there a simple check-list that will help you decipher the facts from the fiction and get to the results quicker?Whilst it is certainly true that to become a new-wave entrepreneur you do need to be open-minded and a lateral thinker, open to new possibilities and new ways of doing business, you certainly should not be leaving your common-sense – or your morals – at the door when you embark on your search. Finding the right business may take some time, and will certainly require you to do your due diligence. But to help you, I have put together a simple check-list of 5 of the most important things I believe you should take into account when deciding how ‘real’ any business opportunity is and how likely you are to be able to succeed within a reasonable time frame.1) Is the website original or is it just another generic spin-off promoting a company that promises you can ‘get rich in the next 48 hours’? People with a real business to offer will have something real to promote, and most likely the website will give you an insight into who they are and what it was they wanted when they came to the industry. How original (or genuine) do you think the person is who lies behind a generic ‘sign-up’ here website plastered with Ferrari’s and fake cheques?2) Is there a phone number on the website? Can you have a conversation with a real person, who actually cares about what it is you are looking for and can honestly advise you as to whether their company may be able to help? Or are you dealing with an automated system, that assumes you are a moron and tells you that all you need to do is sign-up NOW and then find some other morons who might like to do the same?3) Do you know roughly what it is you are going to be doing? Any business worth its salt should have an ‘About the Business’ section on the website that gives you some idea of what you will be doing or selling.4) What Training & Support is available to you after you have joined? You can have the best business in the world but if there is no-one there to train you when you start, you are going to waste an awful lot of time figuring out the nuts and bolts before you can get out there and start driving.5) Is there a set-up fee? This is a tricky one. Many people, when they first start looking for a business assume that they can get started for free and be a millionaire in 48 hrs. Ask yourself this question: why do Franchises have such a considerable set-up fee? (Answer: because somebody spent an awful lot of time and money figuring out a system that worked and then invested a huge amount into providing training and a solid support structure for each new business owner who starts in business with them). A home based business opportunity is no different. Yes, you can set up your own business and try and figure it all out, but if you are looking for a business that is going to provide a proven structure for you with high-quality training and support, that is going to significantly improve your chances of success, who do you think is going to bear the cost of all that? The company has to make a profit somewhere! You can invest in a proven system up front or you can count the cost of failure later. But business is business. If you start a business for free, what do you think is the value of the training on offer? And just what do think the level of commitment is going to be from a person who invested nothing in themselves to get started?I will leave you with what I think is the final acid test in deciding how confident a business is in itself and its system:DOES THE PRODUCT OR SERVICE COME WITH A MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE? This for me is the real deal clincher. If the company is not prepared to back itself, do you think it is worth backing the company?I hope these tips help you in your search, and I wish you every success in finding the business that is going to drive your dreams forward for you this year.Successful searching!

The business teamwork mentality must be attained by all who run their own company or who work for a company. When running your own home based business, you will have to tackle all the same obstacles that any other company has to in the corporate world. Marketing, advertising, promoting, and running your business are never easy tasks to handle alone. Offline businesses cannot function properly without teamwork and neither can online businesses.Entrepreneurs running their own home based business will have to learn a form of teamwork which calls for them to leverage time and effort from a team. While many entrepreneurs work their home based businesses alone, they can still benefit from teamwork by connecting with various resources over the internet. There are plenty of businesses and mentors that offer online training classes that can teach entrepreneurs how to create the best business plans and other great information about running a company.There are many home business operators who were once under the impression that running your own online company or corporation was an easy ticket to wealth, but this could not be further from the truth. Hard work makes dreams come true, and there is no way around that fact. More often than not, ‘owners’ of any type of company are the hardest workers. This is because when you own your own company, you do every task there is to the fullest because you know that it will benefit your company and therefore ultimately benefit your bottom line. However, when you are working for a paycheck, whether you do a task 100% or 75%, you will get the same reward – that paycheck whether you are aware of it or not. Those who are running their own home based businesses will need to understand that to be successful, a great deal of work is involved, as well as having the best business plans and strategies. Business teamwork makes this work much less intimidating to the home business operator. There are many ways that an entrepreneur can enhance his or her teamwork skills and therefore improve the way they run their business online.There are many online companies that offer the chance for entrepreneurs to learn better business teamwork and other strategies for success. When working for another company, business teamwork is even more important. It is almost impossible for one person to run a successful company on their own. With help, comes teamwork, and with teamwork comes necessary skills for working together. Without these valuable skills, more often than not, a company will not be successful.

Why You and Your Sponsor May Be Like the Lone Ranger and TontoI was watching Lopez Tonight and Bill Cosby was on as George Lopez’s guest. Dr. Cosby told a story about how he researched the Lone Ranger’s name for his side kick, “Tonto”. He discovered that in Spanish the word, tonto, means foolish. In other words, the Lone Ranger rode around calling his sidekick “foolish”.Cosby went further to state the he continued his research on the character Tonto’s nickname for the Lone Ranger. Tonto called the Lone Ranger “Kemo Sabe”.He said that he spoke to many people of Hispanic and Native American descent and none ever knew what kemo sabe meant. Finally, one day Dr. Cosby spoke with a Cuban man who stated that kemo sabe sounded close to the Spanish “que no sabe”, or “he who knows nothing”.So, come to imagine that in the many adventures that the Lone Ranger and Tonto; they were calling each other “foolish” and “he who knows nothing”.This brings to mind the metaphor of the blind leading the blind”What does this have to do with your home based business sales”, you wonder. Well, if you are blindly following your sponsor by using ancient and inefficient methods to build your business your relationship with your sponsor is similar to that of the Lone Ranger and Tonto.Just like the Lone Ranger and Tonto you care about each other and you will follow each other through thick and thin. Most likely your sponsor for your home based business is a family member, friend, or co- worker.Making money on the side just by talking to a few people sounds like an easy way to earn some extra income. Eventually you may even be able to fire your boss and work your business full time. And if all goes well, in the near future you will be able to retire rich and young.But as time progresses and you have depleted your warm market (family, friends, and co- workers). The money is not coming in as quickly as you thought it would. Now you may be starting to at look your sponsor in a different way. The funny part about it is your sponsor has begun to look at you differently also.Each of you were taught the “slow and painful method of getting nowhere fast” to grow your business. Many entering the home based business arena are deceived with these old fashioned methods to build your home based business. These methods do not increase sales of your home- based business.Outdated methods do not bring rapid and simple results that can be tested and proven quickly.The Lone Ranger in your life (your sponsor) may be leading you down the path of the foolish (Tonto) because he knows nothing (que no sabe) about growing a business in the new millennium. Sales of your home based business opportunity can be easy and enjoyable. The long steep path to riches of the past is no longer necessary.If you are presently reading this article then you have obviously decided to follow after your own dreams and make sales in your home based business.

The economic crisis that beset the world market in the last few years has led people to rethink their investment strategies. In many key cities around the globe, many older workers have postponed their retirement to cope with the economic changes. Of course, investing is still a good way to ensure that one can retire comfortably, but on the other hand, strategies have shifted in response to the movements in the global economy. One of the more solid investments anyone can go into is commercial real estate. In order to find success in this type of investment, one needs reliable commercial property management. Property owners, for example, can benefit from property management as it maximises their profits while minimising headaches associated with dealing with tenants.

Much like residential property investment, commercial property investment is about finding a top-notch location that can serve the needs of a particular market. That is why it is astute to study the demand within and around your property’s location vis-a-vis the emerging trends and development.

On the other hand, location and market research are but a part of the bigger equation of investing in commercial property. The first hurdle property owners like you must face is to attract tenants to your property. After all, tenants are the ones who pay off your investments. If you want to find tenants faster while ensuring that rental fees are at par with your property’s worth, you need the services of commercial real estate agents. Property investors can vouch for the great service they give.

This article is the first of two that will cover the various aspects of buying real estate in Israel. The first article will provide a general overview of the Israeli real estate system, the major differences between transactions in Israel and the United States, and the most important considerations in such a transaction. The second article will cover special issues when the property is new and being bought from the contractor, and also taxation associated with purchasing and selling property in Israel.

There are two types of property in Israel: privately-owned (private land) and state-owned property administered by the Israel Lands Administration (“Minhal”). Private real property, like in the U.S., is owned by the buyer with title vesting in him. Land is registered in the land registry (Tabu) under the name of the buyer. On the other hand, title to Minhal property does not pass to the purchaser. Instead, the buyer gets a long-term lease to the property which is usually for 49 years with an option for an additional 49 years. Over 80% of the land in Israel is Minhal land, so the buyer should not be deterred from buying it. However, private land is often viewed as preferable. As each type of land involves a slightly different purchase process, one of the first things to check is whether the property is private or Minhal.

Most buyers start the process by obtaining the services of a real estate agent in the area in which the buyer is seeking to buy. An agent’s fees are success based and range from 1-2% plus VAT depending on the size of the deal, and your negotiating abilities vis a vis the agent. The fees usually become a legally binding obligation once a legally binding purchase agreement is signed. Agents are required sign the potential customer on a written agent agreement and then add each property they show the buyer to the agreement, asking the buyer to initial next to the property to establish the agent’s right to a commission in case the buyer purchases that property. Many agents try to sign you up on many properties without actually showing you them all. This can cause a conflict between you and multiple agents so it is advised only to sign after the agent has physically shown you a property.

After finding a property and negotiating a price with the seller, the actual process of buying the property commences. The process of buying land in Israel is different from that in the U.S. in numerous ways. First, there is no standard escrow process and there are no escrow companies. Second, there is no title insurance. Rather, lawyers play a dominant and indispensable role in the purchase process and are responsible for protecting their client’s interests and handling the multifaceted and bureaucratic process from start to finish. Should each party retain its own attorney? Ethical rules of the Israeli bar are more liberal than in California and allow one attorney to represent both buyer and seller, a situation that happens often. However, a foreign buyer is particularly vulnerable and should not rely on the seller’s attorney, given the obvious potential for conflict of interest. Attorney fees vary between 0.5-2% of the deal plus VAT, depending greatly on the experience of the attorney and the size of the deal.

After finding a property and negotiating a price with the seller, and at times before retaining an attorney, it is not uncommon for the parties to sign an informal (binding or nonbinding) memorandum of understanding which sets forth the main terms, such as price and date of transfer of possession. The buyer may ask for a small deposit at this stage. Most attorneys caution very strongly against the signature of an MOU as it oftentimes leads to legal disputes as the parties who are not yet advised by an attorney do not realize that such a document will be binding upon them, and they may fail to insert certain critical language to it.

There are a few important issues to take into account prior to signing any document. First, the buyer’s should obtain a print out of the title of the property and make sure they are dealing with the true owners. The seller’s should be identified by formal identification. Second, given the fluctuation of the $/Shekel exchange rate and the devaluation of the dollar, purchase prices are now negotiated in Shekels. For a U.S. buyer to protect himself against further dollar devaluation, he should either negotiate a floor exchange rate, or have sufficient Shekels on hand to buy the property

Third, as there are no standard inspection processes in Israel, it is absolutely vital that no binding agreement be signed before the buyer have a contractor or architect conduct an inspection of the property to make sure that the property is in proper shape. For example, small cracks in the wall, which may or may not have been intentionally concealed by the seller, may indicate that parts of the property have been illegally built and are sinking. It also advisable to retain a licensed appraiser in order to obtain an appraisal as to the value of the property This is especially true for foreign buyers who are less familiar with property values in Israel. An appraiser is also qualified to give an opinion as to whether the apartment/house was built in accordance with the building permit and local zoning laws and regulations, and also to provide information as to what else may be built in the vicinity of the property in question.

The next stage is to retain an attorney to represent you. No transactions in Israel take place without attorneys. The lawyer is responsible for drafting the contract and conducting several aspects of the due diligence. The role of the attorney is vital because there are no other documents that set forth the rights and responsibilities of the parties, no escrow companies and no title insurance to verify title. Remember: other than when buying new property directly from the contractor, there are very few provisions set forth in the law that provide protection to either side beyond what is negotiated and written in the contract.

In preparation for preparing the contract, your attorney will examine title of the property; verify who the owners are and whether the property is owned free and clear of any third party rights or is subject to a mortgage or lien. If the land is Minhal, the attorney will check how many years are left in the current lease and whether a lease payment is due to the State. Usually, the lease payment is paid for the 49 years in advance and thus no monthly or annual fees are due from the purchaser at the time of the sale. However, if the lease is over, or the lease payments were not previously paid for in advance, a monthly or annual lease payment will be due to the State.

One of the issues that the attorney does not check, but which is the responsibility of the buyer is inspection of the property. While the seller is obligated to disclose any defects in the property, he may not. Also, defects may become apparent following the sale. In addition, building code violations such as unauthorized enlargement of the house are common and could result in future municipal lawsuits, demolition orders or payments to the city. As stated above, the best way for the purchaser to minimize these risks is to hire an engineer or architect that will inspect the property before the signing of a binding agreement!

Another very important issue which must be ascertained is whether the property is subject to betterment tax. Betterment tax is levied by the local municipality or regional counsel on properties which have received additional construction rights as a result of a change in the local zoning laws. Thus, if a house has become entitled to construct an additional level, then that is deemed to be a taxable benefit, which is taxed at the high rate of 50% of the value of the benefit. The seller is usually responsible for paying this tax, but if the contract does not address this issue, then the obligation may fall upon the purchaser, who will not be able to transfer the property to his name without settling this debt.

The most important part of the agreement from the standpoint of a purchaser is the part of the contract dealing with the payment schedule and escrow arrangements. The agreement must establish the portion of the purchase price which is paid to the seller at each step of the process, from initial signing of the agreement until the transfer of possession and title.

The amount to be paid at each milestone is negotiable and it is important to understand the various material milestones in the process. Usually, the first milestone is filing a “warning” on the property’s title at the land registration office (“tabu”) after the contact is signed stating that the property is under sale and cannot be re-sold by the seller. Another milestone involves the removing of any mortgage on the property. If a mortgage exists on the land then the seller is required to bring a letter of intent from his lending bank setting forth the sum required to be paid to the bank in order for it to release the mortgage. In such a case a certain sum is usually paid after the mortgage is removed, or the buyer pays off the mortgage directly to seller’s lending bank to release the mortgage.

Another milestone occurs when the buyer providing the seller with all the documents required to transfer title. These documents include certificates from the tax authorities and the local municipality that the seller has paid all debts owed and that there are no building violations. Another crucial document which is required to be furnished by the seller is an irrevocable power of attorney which authorize the purchaser’s attorney to sign any document and take any action required in order to transfer the property to the name of the purchaser. This power of attorney is irrevocable, by the terms of Israeli law, because the rights of a third party, the purchaser depends upon its validity. These documents, especially the power of attorney, is released to the purchaser against payment of all or almost all the purchase price to the seller, as the transaction is near the end and the only remaining action is actual transfer of title by the purchaser’s attorney, and granting of possession. [not done any more]

With regard to apartments, a few additional point should be mentioned. First, joint buildings (condominiums), buildings containing two or more apartments, involve relationships between tenants. These relationships are covered by building by-laws and address issues such as use of common property, entitlement to use unused building rights, the share of each apartment in building maintenance, and so on. The purchaser should ask the seller for a copy of the by-laws. Many times buildings do not adopt by-laws in which case the statutory by-laws set forth in the Real Estate Law apply. Second, various attachments to the property, such as parking spaces, should be part of the title to the apartment. Third, in addition to arnona, each apartment pays monthly house committee dues. The purchaser should inquire as to the amount of the dues, but unless one is dealing with a building which provides many services (a pool, exercise room, doorman, etc.) these dues are usually fairly nominal.