Ever since electronic means have reached nearly every household in the globe, many people are getting involved with different types of free home based business ventures. However, even if we say that these ventures are free, they will still include negotiations and deals. Meaning, you may not have troubles with finances as of the moment, but you will have further problems in other aspects in the future. That is why it is important to follow certain pointers before engaging in a free home based business to avoid any kind of adversity.The thing about these free home based business ventures is that they are generally free. And by free, it means there is no any form of financial payment whatsoever. But, in order to put particular businesses in motion, certain investments must be done on your part.For example, let’s say you are planning to put up an advertising site, wherein your own website will be a place for other businesses to promote their products and services. First, you will need to purchase a domain name for you to use, and you will also have to purchase website packages from providers. After that, you will also have to enhance your site. You must put contents such as blog posts, designs, entertainments, etc. in order to drive traffic.However, given that there are so many websites all over the internet, there is a small probability that you will succeed in this area. Not unless you are a very skilled web master. So, you see, free home based business ventures may seem more advantageous because they are “free”. But, in the end, if things don’t go as planned, you will end up losing your investments than making them grow.On the other hand, this is only a possibility. If you know how to establish a business very well, then the only thing you have to do is apply your knowledge on your chosen free home based business of choice. If you do freelance writing, for instance, you can have multiple clients. This way, if you fail to impress one, you still have a fallback. Additionally, it would help if you are skillful in the field that you have decided to work on.One great thing about free home based business ventures is that you can earn money without having to go anywhere. And with such set-up, you can also involve other members of your family to help you.

Estimating your assets value:

Typically, one of the first questions a business owner will ask me is, “how much will the assets bring at an auction”. After taking the time to review the assets, the auctioneer should give the client a conservative estimate of the sale based upon his experience and the current market trends. It is important that the company give realistic expectations so the seller can make informed decisions based on their best interest.

Compensation and Expenses:

Is the company you are considering working for you or against you? The agreement you decide may determine this.

A business owner should carefully consider how the auction company is compensated. The most common commission structures include: straight commission, outright purchase of assets, guaranteed base with a split above to both auctioneer and seller, guaranteed base with anything above going to auctioneer or a flat fee structure.

In a straight commission structure, the company is paid an agreed upon percentage of the total sale.

In an outright purchase agreement, the auctioneer simply becomes your end buyer. The company purchases your assets and relocates them. While this can be an option in some unique situations, keep in mind that they will want to purchase your assets at a very reduced price to make a profit at a later date.

In a minimum base guarantee, the auction company guarantees the seller that the auction will generate a minimum amount of sales. Anything above that amount either goes to the auction company or split with the seller. While a seller might feel more comfortable doing an auction knowing that he is guaranteed a minimum amount for his sale, keep in mind that it is the best interest of the auction company to secure a minimum base price as low as possible in order reduce their financial liability to the seller and secure higher compensation for the sale.

In a flat fee structure, the auctioneer agrees to show up for the sale and call the auction. There is no incentive for the auctioneer to get the best prices for your assets. The auction company is compensated regardless of the outcome of your sale.

What is the best option for business owners? In my experience, an agreed upon straight commission structure. This puts the responsibility on the auction company to offer the best outcome for everyone involved. There is an incentive for the auction company to work hard for both parties, set up and run a professional sale, get the highest bid and sell every item on the inventory. Successful auctions translate to a higher bottom line for both the seller and the auction company.

Auction Expenses:

In most auction agreements the expenses to conduct an auction are passed to the seller. If the auction company pays for the expenses, it is simply absorbed in higher commission rates.

All expenses should be agreed upon in advance in a written contract. Typical expenses will include the costs of advertising, labor, legal fees, travel, equipment rentals, security, postage and printing. A reputable auction company will be able to estimate all expenses based upon their experience in previous auctions. An agreement should be actual costs charged as expenses, not an estimated amount.

Advertising is typically the highest cost in conducting an auction. The auction company needs to set up an advertising campaign that will promote the sale to its best advantage and not overspend to simply advertise the auction company.

Once the auction is complete, the auction company should provide a complete breakdown of all expenses to the seller, including copies of receipts within the auction summary report.

Buyer’s Premium:

What is a buyer’s premium? If you attend auctions regularly, you are very familiar with this term. The auction company charges a fee to the buyer when they buy an item at auction.

The buyer’s premium has been around since the 1980′s and is standard auction practice. It was first used by auction houses to help offset costs of running brick and mortar permanent auction facilities. Since then, it has spread to all aspects of the auction industry. It is prominent in online auctions and allows auction companies to cover added expenses incurred from online sales.

It is the responsibility of the auction company to provide clear disclosure of the buyer’s premium to both the buyers and the sellers. Those not familiar with auctions are often taken back by the buyer’s premium. They looked upon it as an under handed way for the auction company to make more money. Reputable auction companies will provide full disclosure within the auction contract, advertisement and bidder registration.

Typically, an auction company will charge online buyers a higher buyer’s premium percentage than those attending an auction in person. Extra fees are incurred with online bidding and are charged accordingly to online buyers. This provides the seller a level playing field for both online buyers and those attending the auction in person. Without the buyer’s premium, there is no way to do this.

Pre-Sales:

We’ve all been there. We’re looking forward to attending an auction only to find that some items were sold prior to the auction date.

As an auctioneer with over thirty-six years of experience, I can honestly state that pre-sales will hurt an auction. When a company decides to liquidate their assets, it is easy to sell off high-end pieces of equipment through online sources, equipment vendors or to other businesses. The seller receives instant cash and avoids paying a commission to an auction company.

Auctioneer’s find themselves appearing to acting in a self-serving capacity when potential clients say they are planning to sell off parts of their inventory prior to an auction. It’s hard not to consider the auctioneer’s commission when they warn you not to pre-sell anything. Yes, the auctioneer wants to earn a commission on those sales but it is more important that the auctioneer protect the sale from potential negative backlash that comes from pre-selling. The buying public knows when an auction has been “cherry picked” prior to the sale and it reflects in their bidding. It becomes a sale of “leftovers” and that impacts prices.

A buyer who purchases prior to the auction usually does not attend the sale. They already bought equipment at a good price with no competition. If they do attend the auction, they tend to let others know of their great pre-sale purchases which again, impacts prices and the overall excitement of the sale.

It is important to understand that auctions work best with a complete inventory. You want competition on your higher end equipment. The easy to sell items make it possible to gain respectable prices for hard to sell items.

When a business owner decides to liquidate their equipment assets, there is only one opportunity to do it right. Hiring a reputable auction company will assist you with a professional, orderly and timely liquidation.

Running a successful home based business can give you tremendous joy, happiness and fulfillment. This will be more so if you had been working for a Boss before you started your own home based business. What is it that makes this huge difference in the lives of these entrepreneurs working from home?1. You are the Boss and the Lord of all that you survey however small your business might be. This will give you a lot of self satisfaction and pride. No longer will your Boss be breathing over the back of your neck. You can make your own decisions courageously and fearlessly.2. You no longer have to commute long distances. There are many who spend at least 4-5 hours commuting to work and back. It is a pity that such valuable time is lost day after day and now you can utilize this time in your home business. Furthermore you will save a huge amount on your gas bills.3. When to start work and the number of hours you will work are all decided by you. This does not mean that you will work only a few hours a day thereby neglecting your business. The fact is that you can make it flexible to look after the kids rather than send them to day care or transport the older ones to school.4. One of the main reasons for working at home is to spend more time with the family and your home based business provides this wonderful opportunity. You can reschedule your work whenever the situation demands and be of assistance to your family. Your physical presence at home will certainly be a morale booster to all the members of your family.5. Much money that would normally be spent on commuting to work, on daycare and other matters could be saved when you are based at home. In addition your spouse and the children could also assist you in your business when required thus enabling substantial savings.6. Office politics is pervasive in most work places. Some people know the art of survival in any situation whereas some cannot. Most people detest carrying tales to their Bosses, back biting and currying favor. For such people a home based business is indeed the opportunity they have been longing for to get out of such an environment.7. As an employee you never had the opportunity to give free play to some of your inherent talents. In your own home based business there are no limits or restrictions and you have the every opportunity to display all your skills. You will indeed be pleasantly surprised to see the talents and skills that have been lying dormant within you all these years.8. As the owner of a successful home based business you are no longer an ordinary employee eking out a living on a 9 to 5 job. You get recognized by the banks, small business organizations and by the community as a successful businessman. This boosts your pride and self esteem.There are bound to be stressful situations and ups and downs in running your home based business. If you work with dedication, commitment and continue to remain focused on your business the joy of being the proud owner of a successful business will outweigh everything.