Starting an Online Business – Ins and Outs of Your Venture

Internet or online business is a field that has gained a lot of publicity recently. There are great opportunities waiting for all kinds of people, no matter what industry they represent. There’s just one question to answer: how to begin? Starting an online business is not that difficult, yet it can be challenging if you don’t have some of the basic elements in place.Nowadays, the point of entry is much easier to reach as new entrepreneurs can start their businesses from a small corner of their homes, having only a computer and an internet connection. This big change from physical to virtual gives a good advantage for wealth seekers to reach multitudes of people with very little effort. It is because of this new resource that starting an online business endeavor is an attractive choice for people searching new ventures.When starting an online business, one must first be familiar with the internet itself and its business applications. This includes things like doing market research, conducting competition analysis, understanding how various web tools work, and becoming aware of the culture and trend of the internet as a marketplace.In doing so, it is essential to plan for a good concept, product, services and content. The internet is one fast busy business district, so making the content and concept of the business should mean taking full advantage of its capability. Selling goods to audiences all over the world is often the ultimate goal of many online businesses. Therefore, we should consider an interactive online shopping, a convenient global access, and a perfect showcase for people to obtain information about the company and its products. It is also important to achieve efficient means of communicating with clients and customers.One of the first pieces of online real estate every entrepreneur needs to have is a website. This basically deals with having a domain and finding a web host. The domain is a unique address on the internet that the business owner chooses. It is usually named after the actual business name of the company (or taken from the product itself) since some customers often type it in the web browser.The web host, in plain English, is a company that provides you with the service of hosting your website on their servers (nowadays, there’s no point in having your own servers sitting in your office). Very often, hosting companies also offer domain registration, which makes the whole undertaking a lot easier because you end up with just one company handling both your domain and your hosting. After you have your domain and hosting set up the next step is to have the website designed.Despite the fact that this is usually the most expensive part, it is not advisable to design the website yourself if you don’t have any knowledge in this field. The safest thing to do is to buy a premium WordPress theme and have it installed on your hosting account.Once the website is ready there are a couple of things yet to do. One of the most important ones is setting up a payment processing system. Fortunately, this is not that difficult thanks to services like PayPal. It is a highly recommended service due to its popularity around the internet and high safety standards. If you intend to sell digital products it is also advisable to deliver them online via a download link or an email attachment. This makes the whole process a lot quicker, and a customer can enjoy their purchase right away.Unfortunately the “if you build it they will come” phrase does not apply to online businesses. This means that you have to build the traffic to your website on your own. The purpose is to avoid your website to be wiped out by other websites. In order to don’t let that happen you have to learn some basic SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Having your website ranking highly in search engines like Google, Yahoo! and Bing is the best way of attracting a constant stream of new customers.In order to keep track of the transactions made, it is helpful to install a free and easy traffic analyzing tool such as Google Analytics. The statistics it provides will give you valuable information about what’s going on in your business in terms of pure numbers.Finally, in the business world, online and offline; honesty, credibility and integrity are important values that the consumers always consider. Gaining and keeping their trust is essential for that matter. Let us never forget that success doesn’t happen overnight. Starting an online business is never difficult as long as much dedication and hard work is put into it.

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Multifamily Apartment Financing and Estoppel Agreements

Rental Income Might Not Be What the Owner is Representing?Estoppel agreements insure you that the rental income being presented will be delivered. Suppose you’re a prospective multifamily apartment buyer, and you purchase your first apartment building. The good news is that the apartments still have tenants. According to the lease summaries and rent rolls provided by the sellers, the tenants pay a combined $50,000 per month.Now the bad news. You first month rolls around and the all of a sudden your income is now a combined $25,000 per month! What happen?Okay, so what did the you do wrong? You and the commercial lender should have obtained an what is known as an estoppel agreement from all the tenants before making the loan.What the heck does estoppel mean? Estoppel is a a rule of evidence whereby a person is barred from denying the truth of a fact that has already been settled. An Estoppel agreement is a form given to the actual renter of the unit and filled out with the respective rent being paid.Estoppel agreements are used in various commercial properties where you would have people or companies renting space from from a landlord. It insures that the rental income records being produced by the seller are accurate and up to date. Some lenders will require this to be done as a condition of granting a loan on the property. Regardless of any paperwork or promises made by the seller of a property, a Estoppel agreement should always be fully executed and verified against any and all income statements.

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Distance Learning – Post Graduate Online Education Degrees

According to the Survey of Earned Doctorates, as of 2004 there was a 3.4 percent increase in doctorate degrees awarded in the United States. In June, 2004, a total of 41,155 research doctorate degrees were earned by postgraduate students. The recent increase in doctorate degrees awarded after a decade of decline can be partially attributed to the convenience of distance learning postgraduate online education degrees.Postgraduate degree programs offer students an opportunity to explore a subject to attain the highest levels of proficiency in that area of study. Courses can be based upon a curriculum or independent study and research. A recent study released by both Penn State University Outreach Marketing and Communications and University Continuing Education Association revealed that distance learning is anticipated to grow ten times quicker than on-campus education over the next ten years. Further, about 45 percent of college enrollment are adult students who frequently prefer distance learning opportunities to classes on campus. Sun Chairman Scott McNealy states, “Technology has to play a huge role in education. (It’s) changed commerce…publishing…banking. It’s got to change education big time.”Distance learning postgraduate online education degrees afford busy students the opportunity to earn doctorate degrees at their convenience, without having travel to and attend traditional classes. By the time students intend to pursue distance learning postgraduate online education degrees, they are usually computer literate, self-motivated and able to manage their time properly. These are all essential elements to success in virtual classrooms. The two basic types of postgraduate degrees students may earn are professional doctorates or research doctorates.Professional doctorates. The United States requires terminal professional doctorate degrees to perform in certain fields, such as dentistry, medicine, law, chiropractics, occupational therapy and psychology. Prior to entering these professional doctorate programs, students are required to complete a bachelors degree, preferably in a related field. Professional doctorate degrees, such as J.D. and M.D., usually do not require students to complete a thesis, although some do require an original research paper to be submitted. Doctorate degrees usually take three years to complete after postsecondary education, although distance learning postgraduate online education degrees may be earned more quickly. Because online education courses are often geared for the busy adult learner, students can progress at their own pace.Research doctorates. The research doctorate that is most commonly earned is a Ph.D. The time is takes to complete research doctorate degree programs can vary quite a bit, depending on course pursued. It is common for students to take two to three years to complete coursework and three or more years to conduct pertinent research. The benefit of a Ph.D. is that a holder is qualified to pursue an academic career as an expert in their field. Distance learning research doctorate degrees are conveniently pursued online and can be easily worked around professional schedules.Honorary doctorates. These degrees may be awarded for substantial contributions to a field and are not necessarily academic.Financial Aid. Federal financial aid and loan programs may be applied to distance learning postgraduate online education degrees. Employers may offer tuition reimbursement for coursework. Private loans may also be secured to pay for higher education. Students have several options available that can help them finance their doctorates.Thesis. Some postgraduate doctorate degrees require students to write a thesis. The learner defines their own area of research and takes years to write a detailed paper, which may be made available as pertinent information to other students in the field.Coursework. Distance learning postgraduate online education degree programs offer students ongoing guidance through coursework, email, virtual lectures and online discussions. Students are, however, expected to work independently and use a variety of research resources to complete their course requirements.Online Students. A recent national study entitled Degrees of Opportunity revealed some interesting facts about online students. Eighty-nine percent of those surveyed felt that the benefits derived from higher education are equal to or even greater than the money, time and effort involved. Lyungai Mbilinyi, Ph.D and author of this report, stated, “Eighty-one percent associated higher education with a sense of personal accomplishment and seventy-eight percent believed education would better develop their talents or pursue their interests. Despite the assortment of obstacles many adults face when considering a return to school, the overwhelming majority believe the resulting benefits have made it worthwhile.” Finally, eighty-four percent of enrollments in higher education programs are non-traditional students such as distance learners and adults with jobs. Students who participate in distance learning postgraduate online degree programs are not only seeking better positions, but the increased knowledge and self-esteem that comes with an advanced education.The study “Growing by Degrees: Online Education in the United States, 2005″ found that full distance learning postgraduate online education degree programs were offered by 38 percent of schools. The popularity of postgraduate online degree programs makes it clear they are a viable way to earn higher education and improve career options.

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