I must admit, it was very exciting creating my first digital product for my home based business. To me it felt so awesome seeing my name up in lights, beaming out to an audience of fans as if I was a Broadway Star or celebrity. I told you it’s very exciting!Having your name on something that you created from a tiny thought in your mind, worked and reworked putting hours of time in the process to me is an incredible feeling. An amazing transformation takes place inside your being when you recognize the power that you have within. Your creation will be online for as long as you want to share it with others in your home based business. Your product will contribute to our history impacting the lives of all who seek your wisdom, fascinating.Here are some tips to start creating your digital product today!1. Decide on a Topic:
You’ll need to select the topic to build your product around. Do research to determine if your topic will provide value in the home based business market place or is in demand.A great way to identify this is to search on Amazon and check the topics others are interested in or creating products for already. Another great place to identify the topic you want to tap into is in forums. If there is a niche you target in your home business, consider signing up for a forum that is related and tap into the conversations. Identify problems and find solutions to assist.2.Get Inspired:
What resonates or interests you? What are you personally passionate about? Do you like expressing yourself better through the medium of video in your home based business? You can create a webinar course. If writing is more for you, write an e-book. Choose your creative weapon that will crush fear and inspire others to greatness. When you start with a topic that interests you the creative juices can flow effortlessly.3. Choose a Format:
Know what format of delivery you will use for your digital product. You may need additional resources depending on the product you decided to create, plan ahead of time. You may need to budget for it in your home business or allow time for creation. If for example you are creating an e-book, you will need a cover design. If you are outsourcing the job to someone, there will be a cost and time constraint involved.4. Be Authentic:
Provide value with confidence. If you need to gather more experience or training on the topic you are considering, start putting your daily action plan into motion until you feel comfortable. You are beginning the journey for branding, You Inc.. When you share your true authentic self with others in your home based business only great things can happen.My first digital product I created was an e-book, a home business power tool. I found this to be a fun project despite my learning curve. The experience for me was very rewarding. It captures my passion for helping others achieve success in their home based business.

Ah, the old-fashioned country auction! The idea of a country auction conjures up certain images for people. The image of a fast-talking auctioneer offering up an antique table or chair is a popular example.

People who are buying household goods or collectibles are looking to get their items at the lowest price possible. However, the people who are selling their items at auction are hoping for the highest price!

Unless a person is in the business of buying and selling antiques or other items, not a lot of thought goes into how goods are prepared for sale via the auction process. However, if you are one of the growing number of people using auction venues to sell your collectibles or other inventory, there are a few things to learn first about how to sell at auction before you bring a truckload of stuff over to the next event.

Tip 1: Make sure the things you want to sell are a good “fit” for the auction house you’ll be using.

Never bring a load to an auction house without actually having been to one of the previous auctions. It’s important to get a feel for the type of goods that the house sells. For example, at one very rural country auction it was common for the owners to sell live chickens, pots and pans, car parts, and farm equipment.

After close investigation, this would not be the right venue for selling your daughter’s “Hello Kitty” collection. On the other hand, the spare John Deere parts that you bought at last week’s yard sale might be just the right thing for the buying crowd at this auction.

Tip 2: Be sure you clearly understand the terms and policies of the auction house.

Visit with the auctioneer ahead of time. Call to find out what the best days and times are to visit. One of the worst possible times to drop in for an informational visit with an auctioneer is the day of the auction. Call ahead and ask. While you’re at it, find out what are the best days and times to drop your stuff off.

Once you have a little time with the auctioneer, you’ll be able to find out what type of commission he or she takes from consigners (which is you), and what type of paperwork might be needed. Some auction houses send out Form 1099 tax forms at the end of the year. An auctioneer may need to see your identification and have you fill out a W-9. Be prepared.

Find out what happens to your items if they don’t sell. For example, some auctioneers may have a minimum starting bid. If, for some reason, one of your items does not sell, it may be grouped with another one of your pieces. Know the auctioneer’s strategy beforehand so that you aren’t surprised on pay day.

Tip 3: Make sure the auctioneer knows what you’re selling.

It might be perfectly obvious to you that the signed print you are consigning is a rare and valuable piece of art. However, the auctioneer may not know this particular artist. Make a note of anything particularly special about your items, and leave the note with the piece. Be sure to tell the auctioneer about it as well. He or she might determine that this is something to highlight on the company website or in the newspaper listing.

Tip 4: Present your items neatly.

No one likes to have to dig through a box full of grimy and greasy car parts to see what treasures might be in there. Separate the parts and lay them out on a flat, or use more than one box to de-clutter the lot.

There is no need to buy fancy display boxes. It’s easy enough to go to the local convenience store or supermarket and ask if you can have the emptied boxes or flats that they are discarding.

While it’s good to present clean items, take care not to ruin the value of anything by over cleaning. For example, if you find some old cast iron cookware, clean the obvious dirt and grime, but don’t scrub it to its original finish. For many people, this ruins the value of the item. So, clean and tidy and organized is the key here.

Tip 5: Don’t complain to the auctioneer if your stuff doesn’t sell for as much as you’d like.

The phrase to remember here is, “You win some; you lose some.” That’s just the way it is. There are some days where an auction house is loaded with people who all seem to want what you’re selling. There will be other days where the crowd is sparse, and the bidding is simply not competitive.

Remember that it’s in the auctioneer’s best interest to sell your things for the highest possible hammer price. But sometimes, it’s just not going to be a stellar sale. The auctioneer is only human, and is also disappointed if a sale doesn’t go as well as planned.

If you notice that every time you bring a bunch of goods to sell that you’re not realizing as much as you think you honestly should, try another auction venue and compare apples to apples. That is, bring the same types of items to the new auctioneer and compare the results.

Unless the auctioneer is particularly disagreeable or inconsiderate to you or buyers, there is no reason to confront him or her about a sale. If you find you just don’t care for an auctioneer’s style or methods, find another one. Believe me, there are plenty of them out there!

The primary thing to remember as you learn how to sell at auction is that the business is unpredictable at best. You will have good days, some not-so-good days, some great days. The more you sell, the more experience you will gain, and the more enjoyable the business will be.