Does Financial Success or An Online Home Based Business Require an MBA?Several months ago I started my online home based business. I was brought up at a time and in a family where education was a given. My father was a successful lawyer so my mother never had to work. It was a given that when I completed my private school education which my father worked hard to provide for me, that I would attend college.In my world at that time there was no other conceivable possibility. You graduated high school and then you went to college – Period. So I did. The first year was a miserable failure and I left after it and began my working career. I would ultimately go back to college and finally get a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, while I worked.So here I am, over thirty years after high school, having worked all those years. The most money I ever made on a job was a salary of $52,000 per year. The last company I worked for, I rose from Controller to the underpaid President and the company shut down. Now I am one of the millions of unemployed Americans.I, like many millions of people, looked for an opportunity to create an online home based business. I have been at it for a few months. My success is growing. I picked internet marketing and network marketing because I enjoyed blogging in my last job. I also had been spending time studying internet marketing on my own. Today I belong to a couple of network marketing organizations and have my own blog, which I post to almost every day.I have become an entrepreneur, and like many online home based business entrepreneurs, I am driven and committed to success. But success does not come easy in the online home based business arena. My primary products are the network marketing programs to which I belong. They provide the opportunity to achieve financial success by following a specific program of internet marketing and entrepreneurial education, and marketing the programs to others looking for a business opportunity.Network marketing has been around for a long time and despite its negative reputation, it is a viable business model that can lead to tremendous financial rewards. I have seen, and personally know a number of people that have achieved amazing success in an online home based business of network marketing. Many did achieve this incredible level of success through hard work, but without a college degree.There are many things you need to learn to become successful at internet marketing or network marketing as an online home based business. But you don’t have to go to an Ivy League college and spend five or six years and $200,000 to learn what you need to know. You don’t need an MBA or even a bachelor’s degree to be a success in network marketing.You can learn how to make an amazing living by joining these network marketing companies at a fraction of the cost of a college education. Now there are millions of people looking right now for a business opportunity like an online home based business. To achieve success in network marketing, like any other business, requires an investment.Just like college is an investment in yourself that you or your parents pay for, joining a network marketing program is an investment in yourself for which you must pay. There are no free lunches. Starting an online home based business requires and investment of time and money. It is that simple.But when you compare the value of the investment you make in a network marketing company that provides you with the system, tools and education that allows you to create unlimited success and wealth, with the value of a college education, you might be surprised.If you are an entrepreneur or want to be an entrepreneur with your own online home based business, you need to have the skill set and mind set of an entrepreneur. I suppose you can get most of it going through college and graduate school, spending years and tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. Or you can cut to the chase, so to speak, and get the education, skill set, and mind set much quicker and for a lot less money. And while you are learning and developing you are making money.This is the reality of our world today. This is the reality of the knowledge based worker era. You get to choose your path in life and you have to live with the results. No way around it, success requires work. But the path you choose is up to you. One way or another if you want to achieve financial success today, you need to invest in yourself. If you don’t you limit your opportunities in life.You can invest in a college degree and hope that you are able to find a job. You can work for somebody else your whole life and watch all the benefits go to the owner. Or you can invest in yourself and join a network marketing program with unlimited earning potential and the satisfaction of owning your own online 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.

Auctions are those events where properties or goods are sold to the highest bidder. Auctions are mostly public events, where bidders make a series of bids and purchase a particular item for a high price. During auctions, bidders decide the price of an item rather than the seller. It depends on bidders to decide the amount they would want to pay for a specific item. During an auction, a bid is a proof of a legal binding. Bidders agree to pay the amount that they have bid. In a high profile auction, bidders may have to pay a deposit in escrow accounts or give a proof that they can pay for those items.

Types of Auctions:

Different types of auctions take place around the world. Below mentioned are some types of auctions:

1. English auction:
This is a basic type of auction. In this type, people can see the item and then start bidding. Bidders slowly raise the value of their bid until everyone gives up. The highest bidder is the winner. An auctioneer manages an auction, keeps records of the on going bid and decides the winner. Sometimes, the seller will quote a minimum amount for an item to the auctioneer, below which the auctioneer cannot sell that item.

2. Dutch auction:
In this type, the auctioneer sets a particular price and then gradually lowers the price. People in public will start bidding and later decide which prices are suitable for the item. A seller may use this type of auction to sell large quantities of same products to the public. For instance, a seller may want to sell a large amount of hay and will thus, decide to sell this hay to people for the same amount, once a reasonable price is decided.

3. Silent auction:
In this type, the bidders in public will present their bids in a sealed format. These sealed bids open at the same time and bidder with the highest bid wins. There could be a modification in this type of auction. The bidders are allotted a specific period to bid. They can roam in a room displaying the items, and write their bids on an associated sheet of paper. The bidders are allowed to see bids of other bidders and can choose a higher price for an item. At the end of the allotted time, bidder with the highest bid is the winner.

Examples of Auctions:

Auctions can be of two types either public or private. Sellers may trade any kind of items in both types of auctions. Some areas where auctions take place are:

1. Antique auction: An antique auction consists of a trade opportunity as well as provides entertainment.

2. Collectable auction: In a collectable auction, the seller may put up collectables like coins, vintage cars, luxury, stamps, real estate, and luxury for sale.

3. Wine auction: In wine auction, bidders can bid for rare wine, which may not be available in retail wine shops.

4. Horse auction: Bidders can bid for young horses of the best breed.

5. Livestock auction: In livestock auction, bidders can buy pigs, sheep, cattle, and other livestock.

The other examples of auctions may not be public. These auctions are for bidders from corporate levels. Some examples of private auctions are:

1. Timber auction
2. Spectrum auction
3. Electricity auction
4. Debit auction
5. Environmental auction
6. Auto auction
7. Electronic market auction
8. Sales of business auction

Bidders in an auction need to examine the items displayed and decide an appropriate price for an item. Thus, auctions help buyers in getting the best deals and in gaining better profits for sellers.