Archive for the ‘Franchise’ Category

Is a Restaurant Franchise Right for Me?

Wednesday, September 10th, 2008

If there’s one thing that everybody likes doing, it’s going out to a restaurant. Whether you have experience in the service industry or you’ve always been interested in owning a restaurant, a restaurant franchise might be right for you. Owning a restaurant franchise is one of the most sure-fire ways to have a successful business. People dine out based on brand recognition, and when you become a restaurant franchise owner you’ll be able to offer a familiar name and menu to customers.

When you’re looking for a restaurant franchise it’s easy to see the track record of success that other people have had in different areas. By opening a restaurant business in a nearby area, you can capitalize on the success that the restaurant has seen elsewhere. This is especially true if you are opening your restaurant business in an area where there is a lot of passing traffic. Out-of-town visitors are more likely to eat some place with a recognizable name than to try a local restaurant.

There are nearly a million restaurants nationwide and national sales records for 2008 should reach $558 billion. Even in times of economic hardship, people still continue to eat at restaurants. 70% of adults surveyed say their favorite restaurant has dishes and flavors that are not reproducible in their home kitchens. Although there’s a large initial investment when opening a restaurant franchise, it’s not comparable to going into the restaurant business alone. When you’re independent of the franchise system you won’t have the added benefits of brand recognition and support from the home office.

As you probably know, there are many different types of restaurant franchises to choose from. You can choose based on cuisine, type of service offered or even focus on food specialties, like at Zoup. Zoup is a fast service soup restaurant franchise. It offers a healthy alternative to burgers, fries and normal fast service dining options. If you want a restaurant business like no other, this may be just the right one for you.

You may want to go with a more familiar restaurant franchise, like McDonald’s, Burger King or Carl’s Jr. These restaurant franchises offer a familiarity that come with an expensive price. If you’re married to the idea of owning a burger joint, Checkers may be right for you. Checkers is a drive-through restaurant franchise that focuses on burgers, fries and shakes. In a small but efficient space, your staff will work a double drive-through to provide quick service at a great price.

Restaurant franchises like La Salsa Fresh Mexican Grill offer ethnic food in a casual dining environment. In the industry since 1979, La Salsa is committed to providing fresh Mexican food with the added feature of a fresh salsa bar in each restaurant. Casual dining restaurants like La Salsa are growing in popularity and this type of restaurant franchise is sure to be a winner in your area.

There is no possible way to cover all the different types of restaurant franchises in such a short space. If you’re ready to see what kind of flavors and dining experiences you can bring to your local area, please visit www.franchisegenuis.com.

Is a Children’s Franchise Right for Me?

Tuesday, September 9th, 2008

If you’ve always found yourself drawn to working with children, or are a parent yourself, you’ll be pleased to know that there are a wide variety of child related franchises. These children’s franchise opportunities can help you establish a popular business in your local community or online that helps parents with their children. Whether you’re looking for a retail opportunity that sells children’s clothing or a fun-filled franchise geared towards kid’s parties, you’ll be able to find it.

Owning a children’s franchise just makes good sense. Your target market will never go away. People will always have children and be willing to spend money on them. Some of the other benefits include:

* Regular hours — Most programs focus on after school hours, weekends and summer time.
* Steady interest — Even in hard economic times, parents spend money on their children. Child related activities are often the last to be cut in the family budget.
* Lots of networking opportunities — Since there are so many types of child-centered businesses, you could easily network with others in your area to grow more business for everyone.
* Fun opportunities — Working with children is rewarding and fun! If you want something that offers an alternative to the 9 to 5 corporate world, a children’s franchise is perfect for you.

Children’s franchises run the gamut from child care services to party centers. Since adults are working longer hours, and today’s parents see the benefit of regular extracurricular activities, franchise opportunities have grown by leaps and bounds. There’s everything from arts and crafts opportunities to tutoring facilities. Other popular types of children’s franchises include entertainment, health and fitness, photography and technology based businesses.

Starting a tutoring franchise is a smart move. Since public schools are underfunded and understaffed, good parents know that their children need outside help to make the grade. You can capitalize on this interest by starting a tutoring company with Kumon Math and Reading Centers. Established in 1958 this education service allows you to make a difference in the lives of students. Kumon has a nationwide presence and even national advertising to help you establish yourself in your local area.

If something a little more fun is your style, a children’s business like Monkey Joe’s may be right for you. This franchise helps you create a unique, fun-for-all environment. Kids can jump, slide, and climb; parents can check email, catch up on the latest news or watch sports; and younger brothers and sisters have their very own area where they’re safe and can act like the big kids. In business since 2004, Monkey Joe’s is starting to gain brand recognition for parents who want to treat their children (and themselves) to a good time.

Since childhood obesity has been such a major problem in recent years, a children’s health and fitness franchise is sure to be popular in your area. Companies like Kinderdance help you motivate children to stay active through play-like games and activities that don’t feel like exercise at all! Kinderdance was established in 1979 and offers basic movement and dance training for preschoolers and toddlers. There are also other franchise opportunities that cater to older children and teens to help them stay fit.

Children’s franchises are here to stay, and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t capitalize on the interests of parents. There’s a wide variety of opportunities to choose from, so a children’s franchise offers something for everyone.

Find your perfect children’s franchise or children’s business at FranchiseGenius.com, where you’ll find 1,800+ franchise opportunities to evaluate and compare.

Starting Up A New Franchise

Tuesday, September 9th, 2008

Are you thinking of starting a new booming business? if yes, then look in a direction that might not seem obvious. An example of this is insurance. The truth of the matter is that americans have more and more need for various kinds of insurances, so when it comes to a great business opportunity, insurance is really becoming the way to go. More and more domains of life are coming under insurances. There has been home insurance and life insurance for a long, long time but the growing business opportunity insurance world deals with some less frequently purchased insurances.

One such example is wedding insurance. Nobody wants to sink $25,000 into something that is not insured. Enter a new business opportunity insurance, insuring the wedding. While one is at it, he might as well throw in travel insurance for the honeymoon and liability insurance should someone decide to have one too many martinis at the reception and then choose to sue the newlyweds for damages.

The above might sound like a horror story, but unfortunately there are more and more similar cases popping up all over the nation. The fact of the matter is that the business opportunity insurance offers is a great one because more and more people are suing each other. This need to blame is one reason that insurance is such a big thing nowadays. Capitalizing on this trend is easily done through latching on to one of the business opportunity insurance franchises out there. Starting Up Insurance business is a field best left to the experts, so while one becomes an old pro at the insurance game, it is best to work with firms that know the game well.

Before starting up a brand new franchise, it is advisable to spend a period of time working with another firm who has already capitalized on the growing business opportunity insurance selling has to offer. Working with an existing firm gives one the chance to ease into the insurance world in a non overwhelming way. Once the insurance ropes are starting to become old hat, most people develop a feeling for what type of insurance they would like to work in.

If longstanding insurances seem most secure, go for auto or home insurance, if a new boom is more exciting, try travel insurance or wedding insurance. Once a realm is chosen, a heavy advertising campaign is the best way to ensure that a brand new firm gets a large client base right away. Getting a large client base is the best way to make insurance firms a monetarily and professionally successful business right from the start.

Keep overhead low and make sure to cover all of the loopholes so that hidden costs do not pop up and take away the profit margin. Act fast in advertising, sell an insurance that is bound to not get used often, and the recipe is one guaranteed for success. Target the audience most likely to be interested in the services of the new firm in order to maximize your advertising efforts and watch the business take off.

Obinna Heche. Los Angeles - California

Delivering the best home based business ideas and
opportunities so you can work at home successfully..
http://www.biggsmall.com

Is a Commercial Cleaning Franchise Right for Me?

Thursday, August 28th, 2008

When most people think of cleaning businesses, they normally picture a maid cleaning a house. However, businesses in both retail and industrial have the need for regular cleaning and maintenance services. Even in times of economic downturn, commercial cleaning franchises thrive. Businesses always need to present themselves well to the public and cleaning services are a big part of that. If you buy into a commercial cleaning franchise, you’ll be joining a $94 billion dollar industry that has no signs of going away.

Consider the following facts when trying to decide if a commercial cleaning business is right for you:

* In the next decade, the fastest-growing occupation will be a professional cleaning specialist
* Commercial cleaning franchises account for 10% of the total market in the United States
* Over 30% of cleaning industry customers are office buildings

A commercial cleaning franchise is recession proof and the sky’s the limit when it comes to customers. With a large enough staff and the training provided by your franchise’s corporate office, in a few years you could dominate the market in your area.

Octoclean is a commercial cleaning franchise that has been in business for the past 18 years. Over the last five years, it has experienced a 30% increase in gross, giving it brand-name recognition across the country. This commercial cleaning franchise offers cleaning and maintenance services to businesses of all sizes. It has a relatively low initial cash investment for a commercial cleaning franchise. As an Octoclean franchisee, you’ll get training in running this specific type of business as well as marketing and financial assistance.

1-800 Dry Carpets has been in the industry since 1992 and is an innovator in the world of carpet cleaning. This commercial cleaning franchise allows you to offer a low moisture carpet cleaning system that is organic and less messy than traditional carpet cleaning. Swedry carpet, the system used by 1-800 Dry Carpets, deep cleans without excess moisture which means that your customers can get back to work quickly. One thing that sets apart 1-800 Dry Carpets from competitor commercial cleaning franchises is that the company handles all the telephone calls and appointment setting for you. They believe your time is valuable and you don’t need to spend it on the phone. Instead of worrying about making appointments, you can concentrate on serving your customers.

Workplace Essentials is a commercial cleaning franchise that focuses on one of the most essential parts of any office — the restroom! As a Workplace Essentials franchisee, you can rely on 20 years of experience from the company. You’ll have repeat business from clients for janitorial services on a weekly or biweekly basis. You also have the convenience of a centralized billing system as well as franchisee training. All of these factors make this a smart choice if you’re looking for a commercial cleaning franchise.

Commercial cleaning franchises are here to stay, which makes buying a franchise in this industry a wise investment. If one of these commercial cleaning franchise opportunities looks appealing are you or you’d like to know more about other opportunities, please visit www.franchisegenius.com.

This article is Copyright 2008 by Franchise Genius LLC.

Is a Fitness Franchise Right for Me?

Thursday, August 28th, 2008

Fitness franchises are among the most popular type of franchise businesses. When you own your own fitness franchise, you’ll be tapping into a major need for the vast majority of the population. Each year more and more people want to lose weight and get in shape. As the nation looks at rising obesity rates, especially in children, fitness is going to become a bigger concern.

If your background is in the fitness industry, or you’ve been a lifelong athlete, owning a fitness business could be the opportunity you’ve been looking for. Consider the following fitness industry statistics:

* There are over 30,000 health clubs across the United States
* Over 42 million Americans belong to a type the fitness club
* Adults 55 years of age and older make up about a quarter of fitness club memberships

When you own a fitness business, people trust you with their health. Unlike other types of businesses, your fitness franchise can have a lasting impact on the quality of life of your customers. With this in mind, it takes a lot of trust in order to build a customer base. When you own a fitness franchise business you’ll be backed by the familiarity and high-level professionalism that comes from the fitness franchise. Instead of working hard to prove to the public that you’re running a legitimate fitness business, they’ll know instantly that yours is a gym that they can trust.

Fitness franchises come in many different shapes and sizes, no pun intended. There are fitness businesses that cater to women only. Women-only fitness franchise businesses are growing in popularity and there are many from which to choose. One of the most popular is Curves, but there are many other fitness franchises that have taken advantage of this popular trend. If you want to offer women a secure place to work out and lose weight you may want to consider one of these fitness franchises. While Curves focuses on low impact circuit training, others like Fit Zone for Women offer a wide variety of fitness classes.

Twist Sports Conditioning Centres have been offering athletic training in a gym environment since 1999. This fitness franchise offers personalized training that helps athletes achieve better performance on the court, the field or the ice. The professional trainers focus on challenging customers to push their bodies to new limits. If you’re coming from an amateur or professional sports background, Twist Sports Conditioning may be the perfect franchise for you.

Fitness businesses aren’t just for the young and fit; they are also for the young at heart. Nifty After Fifty is a fitness franchise that allows you to cater to the growing population of older Americans who want to stay fit. While this franchise business is just two years old, it will allow you to tap into a hungry market and offer a facility that will allow them to exercise in a non-judgmental environment. Nifty After 50 offers exercise classes, nutritional training and other services that help customers improve their health and overall quality of life.

These four fitness franchises are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to fitness business opportunities. Find the perfect fitness franchise for you at http://www.franchisegenuis.com.

This article is Copyright 2008 by Franchise Genius LLC.

The Power Of Brand In Franchising

Saturday, August 23rd, 2008

You may be surprised to find that many of your favorite brands are franchises. In fact, without realizing it, you most likely do some sort of business with a franchise every day. You’ve eaten at Baskin-Robbins, Cinnabon, Dunkin’ Donuts, KFC, Pizzeria Uno, and Carvel Ice Cream Bakery. You’ve relied at H&R Block, to ship packages at The UPS Store, and to repair your car at Midas Auto Service Experts. You’ve bought shoes at The Athlete’s Foot, stocked up on vitamin supplements at General Nutrition Centers, had your hair removed or skin rejuvenated at a Sona MedSpa. And you’ve no doubt purchased just about anything and everything at your nearest 7-Eleven. All of these corporations are built on franchises.

Many of these companies are not restricted by national borders. Just as the American economy is going global, so are franchises, which is why so many recognizable brands are found all over the world. For example, The Medicine Shoppe, a retail pharmacy chain, operates more than 200 stores outside of the United States. One Hour Martinizing, the world’s largest dry cleaning franchise, operates almost 200 franchises outside of North America. And World Gym International is living up to its name as it adds fitness centres around the world.

The brand name and its familiar and reliable service or product is what hooks people. For example, before selling Mail Boxes Etc. (MBE) to UPS, you could find Mail Boxes Etc. in any city you visited, and more likely more than one. You knew what services would be offered and had a good idea of the prices for those services. If you needed to mail a package, would you be more likely to look for Mail Boxes Etc., or stop by a local store that mailed packages with a name you didn’t know? Most people would go to a store with a name they knew because they trusted the service. That’s the power of brand identification and not just in the United States. MBE had a thousand stores in other countries.

A franchise’s brand is a very valuable asset. Franchisors know that customers will decide whether or not they want to walk into a store in the franchise system or use the services of a franchisee based on the reputation of the brand name. Unless you happen to be a personal friend of the person who owned Mail Boxes Etc., you probably had no idea who the owner was and probably didn’t care. You just wanted to go to a place that you knew could be trusted to mail a package for you and that you knew would be in there the next day or next week to help you track the package if it got lost.

Remember that although franchise establishments are independently owned and operated, they still maintain the high standards of the franchisor and the uniformity that contributes to brand recognition and reliability. That’s why a tasty treat at a Mrs. Field’s in Maine will be just as tasty at a Mrs. Field’s in Arizona - or in another part of the world.

A franchisor’s advertising and marketing efforts benefit the franchisee as well. After you choose your franchise and become part of a system, you should be able to depend on the franchisor to continue advertising and marketing that brand so that you won’t have to. That ongoing advertising and marketing will continue to bring new customers into your door.

Not all franchises have national name recognition, though. You may decide to get in on the ground floor of a franchise that still needs to build its brand. That’s especially true if you have only a small stash of cash to invest. The large, well-known franchises are usually bought only by a group of investors, or individuals who have a higher net worth, or someone who already owns and runs at least one other unit in the franchise.

If you find any franchise opportunities that interests you but is not name brands you recognize, there’s a good chance most people won’t recognize that brand names either. That doesn’t mean it isn’t a good franchise opportunity, but you do need to be sure you understand what the franchisor will do in your community to help you build the brand, as well as what the franchisor is already doing to build a national brand name and reputation.

Max helps people to understand The Keys to Success in Franchise Business. He shows them how to look for Best Franchise Opportunities.

Some Seriously Profitable Clickbank Tips

Friday, August 22nd, 2008

The “buzz” about Clickbank could convince you that you can virtually fall backward into money using this service. And while Clickbank does do all it can to make the major functions of buying and selling easy to do, it does take some savvy to know the insider tips to really make big money in this marketplace. There is no disputing that Clickbank is the largest marketplace of its kind in the world and one of the biggest hot trends of this decade in terms of internet marketing and money making opportunities. But success has a price which means that many of the big deals are pretty much played out and you have to go in knowing how to look for the good deals that have yet to be tapped. So a few seriously profitable Clickbank tips can help your profitability in this big marketplace along nicely.

Your Clickbank ID is a central code you must have to put into your link. That is the one step that must happen for money to come your way. But you can be a bit savvy how you create that ID in the first place. One clever way to keep your ID from broadcasting that you are a Clickbank citizen is to use a more critic ID code. Something like research4u2 or profits2008 and excellent choices. These have the feel of an internet business and less of one person out on Clickbank trolling for profits.

Having a website is a great step to maximize your Clickbank listings. By adding links to Clickbank so your website visitors can go there and use the marketplace to buy your products, Clickbank can virtually replace your catalog pages and your shopping cart with a much smoother operation that is easy to keep up to date and that puts your products into a broader affiliate market with no work from you as well. Keep in mind your niche markets addressed by your site. You might have a wide variety of products out on Clickbank but not all of them fit with the theme of your web site. So if your web site is devoted to musical instruments, focus the way you add links and do not include links to products that do not fit there. If you have products that have no home to be promoted on any of your websites, it’s easy enough to set up a new one.

If you are thinking about selecting a product as an affiliate on Clickbank and you want to promote it, you want to know that product is doing well in its home setting so you can capture some of that momentum. So do a little research on the websites that support the products you are thinking about. It’s easy enough to run some keyword searches and to find the page rank of those web sites. That will give you an idea if the website owner who is behind this product is putting time and money into SEO on the site which would help it generate bigger profits.

Never stop learning how to make your product listings on Clickbank more successful or how to become a successful affiliate. Make it a private study to learn how to spot products that are on the verge of a boom of success. This will take some intuition and some watching the market so you learn where different products, product groups or categories are going. Like a stock market at any time some products will be surging in sales potential while others are tapering off.

It will take some dedication, creativity and even some courage to make bold moves to keep on top of your accounts and keep them profitable week to week. But if you treat your Clickbank management as part of your larger job of becoming successful on the internet, these efforts will pay off.

Shelly Samuel business information system analyst. Start your own money making business, create your online business for free at http://www.igsonlinebusiness.com/software

Have a Fast Food Franchise? Make Sure Your Insurance is Up to Snuff

Thursday, August 21st, 2008

For fast food franchise owners and others in the restaurant business, especially where laws are quite different than the rest of the nation in California, fast food insurance is one of the areas you do not want to skimp on.

Insurance can protect your business from many problems including liability lawsuits, broken equipment, and other business problems. You will probably need insurance to satisfy the terms of your business loan, and even if you don’t, no fast food restaurant owner should be without fast food insurance.

There are few types of insurance that you should get for your fast food business. Property insurance is important because it protects your building and its contents in case of fire, theft, or other loss or damage. Property damage is required by many types of loans and mortgages, and even if it is not you should still protect your investment.

Property insurance may not cover loss or damage because of natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, power outages, and storms. You will need special peril insurance to cover these things and it is advisable to carry such a policy, especially if your business is in an area prone to these occurrences.

General liability is essential for your restaurant because it protects you from many types of lawsuits. If a customer slips and falls, gets sick after eating at your restaurant, or injures themselves in another way you will be protected. General liability is a must have in today’s world where a lawsuit can bankrupt you unless you are covered.

You should also consider loss of business insurance. This type of insurance is optional, but something to consider. It covers you if you loose sales for a specific reason and can help you to recoup your losses. You will have to weight the benefits of this insurance against the cost of carrying it to determine if it is worth it for your restaurant.

Another type of insurance that is specialized for food establishments is food contamination insurance. If for some reason the food in your restaurant is lost because of a power failure or other occurrence, this type of insurance will cover the cost of replacing it. This type of loss can be devastating to a restaurant owner so it is important to consider this type of coverage.

In all states, but especially in California, fast food insurance is important to protect your business. Some types of insurance are required, and others are optional, so be sure you understand your restaurant’s insurance needs and purchase the protection that fits your business best.

All Franchise Insurance (http://www.allfranchiseinsurance.com/fastfoodquote.html) is a repository of companies offering California fast food insurance as well as franchise insurance in all other states across the U.S. The author, Art Gib, is a freelance writer.

21st Century Tax Lien Investing

Tuesday, August 12th, 2008

There are four reasons why any savvy 21st century investor would want to learn as much as possible about tax lien investing. They are as follows.

Reason#1-Internet Tax Lien Sales:

The Tax lien market has seen considerable change over the last couple years.

It seems like only yesterday that a few of us would gather on the courthouse steps of what county in whatever state we were bidding for.

You would have the pick of the litter and watch the face of the county assessor drop as we all got our fill and stopped bidding.

In the bad old days the assessor would rarely, if ever sell off all of the liens that they had available. That would mean that the county would incur the wraith of an unfunded municipal coffer.

When a person does not pay their property taxes that county is left with an ever expanding deficit of funding for such things as road maintenance.

The bane of the tax assessor was the best kept secret in American investing vehicles, the tax lien. The word just never seemed to get out sufficiently about this amazing investment, thus a lack of sales of tax liens was a problem that needed solving.

The savior of the county came with the advent of the internet. Some of the more savvy assessors grasped the theory that folk just do not always want to travel, even for the BEST investment that money could buy.

The obvious solution was to bring the auction to bidder!

You can now sit in the comfort of your own home or office and make a fortune from GOVERMENTALLY SECURED investments!!! Several states such as Florida and Indiana are truly on the cutting edge of internet technology in the way they handle their auctions.

I, for one am more than happy to have the option to NEVER stand in the rain with my hand up again! While there are still a few of my PLATINUM level states that I heavily invest in and still have to travel to, I now can built my fortune ever higher by merely clicking my mouse!

Reason #2-Ease of Research:

Back in the good old days researching the properties that I wanted to bid on was tedious at best, impossible at worst.

Please do yourself the favor of NEVER bidding on a tax lien for a property that you have done no research on.

Sometimes a tax lien may seem too good to be true nine times out of ten it is exactly that TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE.

5 acres of land for pennies on the dollar sound great right? What if it is landlocked on all sides?? What if you need to drill a 1000 foot deep well??? What if it is an environmental waste dumping ground???? Get the picture?

The research phase of your tax lien purchase is going to be the difference between hitting a home run-redemption with full interest paid, possibility even a grand slam-getting a property for pennies on the dollar OR owning a piece of environment disaster history, made a parcel of useless land that YOU now get to pay taxes on.

Utilize all the tools that are now available to you at your finger tips. I say again GOD BLESS THE INTERNET!!!

Satellite photography has brought to us the power to look at any house in the nation within a few seconds. Like the old saying goes good fences make good neighbors.

Do not bid on a parcel that sits next to a junkyard; noise, dust, stench, environment waste, etc. will all be waiting for you if you win this gem! Good luck selling it!!!

A neighbors yard can look like a junkyard. A Satellite photo can show you if the neighbor has a messy back yard, or a shed that caught on fire and was never demolished.

The curb appeal of your neighbors house is just as important as the curb appeal of your house when you are trying to entice a buyer, especially if the market is hot and they have many homes to choose from.

Another essential tool for research, most importantly if you are going to concentrate of residential tax lien investing, is the deluge of real estate site available at a mouse click.

Now you can find out everything you would ever want to know about a neighborhood or even a whole city by just surfing the enormous number of real estate site that have comparables, resent sales number, noise and light level, and just general gossip. Never forget knowledge is power!

Reason #3 Information about Foreclosures and Failing Markets

Whether you deem it to be a blessing or a curse; we no longer have any privacy.

The internet has given us the ability to find mortgages that are in or close to default. It should be fairly obvious to you by this point in the book that if someone is not paying their mortgage, they are not paying their taxes.

This information is invaluable when you are making your desicion as to whether to buy tax liens for the interest or the property acquistion.

Banks and lending institution become heavy with foreclosed properties when the housing market crashes. They are not nearly as apt to pay off the back taxes on a property that is going to fill their books with more unwanted inventory. It is much easier for them to write it off the books as being seized for tax evasion.

As I mentioned above, so markets are MUCH more likely to redeem than others. Use the knowledge you accrue from your internet research on a given market to make an educated guess as to the outcome of your investment.

If you are only worried about getting an amazing interest rate, look towards investing in an area with a strong economy. You still maybe hit the jackpot, but it will be rare.

If you are looking to expand your real estate portfolio, look toward an area with a weaker economy. A lot of foreclosures and massive real estate sell-off are the indicators of choice. You will acquire your new property so cheap that you will be able to ask half the cost of your competition and still make a killing!

Reason #4 International availability

The internet has opened the doors to the international buyers market for goods and services around the world. Tax lien certificates are a perfect example of this 21st century investing arena.

I do not think you will see too many people flying in from Australia to stand on a county court room steps to bid for tax liens or deeds. While the hope of getting a home in America for pennies on the dollar is a huge draw to any savvy investor, now it can be done with your mouse, not a plane ticket.

Americans will always have the advantage of being able to easily travel throughout the country going to their favorite tax lien auction sites, but the advent of internet tax lien auction site has enpowered the world.

The great part is the county is getting their tax money to provide us with roads, fire and police departments, etc. Whether they use domestic or foreign investor dollars, we all win!

Melford Bibens is an ACE certified personal trainer. He lost 150lbs in 1996 through a self-engineered fitness and nutritional program and has kept the weight off for more than ten years.

He is the author of
, THE comprehensive guide to Tax Lien Investing in the 21st Century.

The Smart Money is Going to Creative Real Estate Investing!

Tuesday, August 12th, 2008

The doom and gloom that you hear on the TV everyday about foreclosures, difficult lending parameters, massive sell-offs, and short sales has peaked the interest of smart investors nationwide.

While people with the capital and credit to take advantage of this turbulent time are making money hand over fist, what about normal folks like us?

What is the secret to making a killing in this perfect storm of real estate upheaval? Three words-Tax Lien Investing!

We are blessed with the best time in history to buy and profit from tax lien certificates. When people have either over-bought or have had a financial down turn, they often lose the ability to pay their mortgage. While this is horrible-it is a fact of life, a fact that we see splashed all over the news every darn day!

One very important factor in this inability to pay the mortgage is that these poor folks will also no longer be able to pay their property tax to the county. While you may have the chance to get an extension from your bank, the government wants their money!

The money the county tax assessor collects goes to fire services, police departments, road maintenance, etc. So needless to say, we want them to get their money too.

When people don’t pay their property tax for a year, the county has the right to auction off the lien (in most states) on that property to collect the delinquent taxes. This is where the smart investor steps in!

Not only do you get an ultra high interest rate, up to 50% and beyond, but if the property owner does not pay the taxes within the granted time period (as short as 4 months)…you have the GOVERNMENTALLY enforced right to foreclose on the homes and property!

In a nutshell this mean for literally pennies on the dollar ie., the cost of the tax lien certificate, you get a house, business, and/or land! Most tax lien certificate can be had for less than $3000; many can be bought for less than $500. That’s right you can get a house with NO MORTGAGE for less than $500!!!

Now that is a brilliant investment strategy that ANYONE can afford. No stock market speculating, no high dollar-high stakes house flipping, no slow-or-no growth bond investing. Just a governmentally guaranteed investment that at worst pays you ultra high interest and at best gets you a DEBT FREE property for pennies on the dollar…sound about right to you???

Melford Bibens is the author of
THE comprehensive guide to Tax Lien Investing in the 21st Century.