Free Professional Online Tax Software – Choosing the Best Tax Program For Taxpayers

Posted on March 31, 2023 by schatzi

For most busy people, filing taxes can be utterly tedious and time consuming. The hassle of dealing with lots of paperwork and calculations are entirely eradicated when taxpayers use the online tax preparation software. These days, the preparation of taxes online has never been made easier. Further, choosing the ideal online tax preparation software for taxpayers will make sure their taxes are accurately and correctly filed. Too, a taxpayer can definitely get the most tax refund.

The very first factor that taxpayers have to take into consideration, when looking for the best tax software, is the kind of taxes they have to file. If a taxpayer owns a home-based business, there is a particular software that suits his business best. A lot of online software programs provide for an e-filing service which is an efficient means of electronically submitting tax returns online. No paperwork is involved given that the online tax software does everything for taxpayers. Further, electronic filing can help them save both time and money; that is why you have to be sure that the tax software you pick out has an e-filing well-suited for all kinds of tax returns. Too, there are several tax-preparation companies that provide for free e-filing on uncomplicated tax returns. Often, prices vary greatly in other tax forms.

Even if online tax software is systematic and precise, it is still necessary to ask the assistance of a person who can troubleshoot problems and ensure that you are following the steps properly. See to it that the software you will have chosen meets your specific needs. Taxpayers who are making lots of donations to charities will prefer to have online tax software which guides them all through the basic steps in making these deductions. Meanwhile, those people who are self employed will have to file their taxes in a different manner; thus they call for tax program which is accordingly designed to their specific needs. A number of software provides only for the process of filing federal taxes.

And as a final remark, free online professional tax preparation software should be ideally made to consistently receive updates as all tax legislation, regulation, and related laws change in time. A good number of software should be automatically updated following new guidelines as these guidelines become instantly available. Bear in mind that you must carefully read the stipulation to be sure that these free software stays up-to-date with the existing tax law to make sure that your income tax return still complies to existing standards.

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Cold Calling in Commercial Real Estate

Posted on March 30, 2023 by schatzi

Commercial real estate is an easier property market segment to work in because it is built around logic and not emotion. Most of the prospecting calls and meetings you make are with people that are ‘business savvy’, and know real needs and solutions when they see them.

The emotion seen with owners in residential property is not a problem in commercial real estate however you do need to know what you are talking about given that commercial is a complex investment property type and the property owners are usually very aware of what is going on. For this reason, and to all the newcomers to the industry, you must know your product very well and be able to talk to it from many angles. Without this many property owners will discount your relevance to them.

Get Your Head and Thinking Straight

B2B cold calling is an essential part of daily activities in commercial real estate however it frequently fails because most salespeople sound like they are making a cold call. Here are two essential rules of cold calling success in commercial real estate:

  • It is the ‘how you do it’ that really matters to the call conversions to appointments.
  • What you ‘think about’ in doing the regular call process also is a critical part of the method.

Change the Name – and you will change the results you get

‘Cold calling’ implies something less than ‘warm’ and pleasant. To solve this problem, I prefer to think of it as ‘Call Direct’. It is a more positive mental image than anything that is ‘cold’! To be successful in making these calls, you must sell the process to yourself and believe that you are good at it.

When calling a prospect in commercial real estate, most salespeople are trying to ‘get’ something from someone. They are trying to ‘get’ an appointment or ‘get’ a listing. The fact of the call is that no one wants to ‘give’ something to someone they do not know, like, trust and respect. This is why most commercial salespeople fail miserably at this process.

But ‘getting’ is not the purpose of ‘call direct’. ‘Call direct’ is a discarding or disqualifying process. It is just like panning for gold or digging for diamonds. You have to turn over a lot of dirt before you find the gems. If you do not understand or accept this principle, then you will become frustrated and think that your efforts are not working. You will give in far too easily (this is what most people do and they therefore struggle to achieve great levels of listings and transactions).

Your objective in ‘call direct’ is to disqualify as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. That eliminates the time and money wasted in sending literature or seeing people who will never use your services, and it stops the fruitless follow-up calls that lead nowhere but to frustration.

You only have 30-45 seconds to deliver a specific and compelling reason for the person on the other end of the telephone to ‘want’ to continue the conversation. Skip the small talk and get right to the point. Be a ‘top performer’ in the call process.

You will be most effective when your 30-45 seconds causes the prospect to identify a real estate related problem in their mind that you can help them fix. People will talk to you if you shed light on a problem they need to have fixed; only for that reason.

Problems in commercial real estate typically focus around loss of rent, tenant problems, wasted time, inefficiencies in returns, competition pressures, disposal needs, functioning of the property, age of the asset, or repositioning etc.

If the prospect (not you) identifies something that is having negative ramifications on their property performance (a problem) AND they are serious about getting rid of that problem, then you ‘may’ have a possible reason to continue.

If there is a possible fit between you, then you can set an appointment to explore the possibilities of helping that prospect in some way get rid of that problem. There is no point in setting up an appointment simply because the other person lets you do so. You must determine that they are relevant to you, they are the decision makers, and that they have an interest in what you are talking about.

Protect your time by qualifying the correct people over the telephone before you make that appointment. There are a lot of prospects out there who think that they are the ‘decision maker’, and in reality are nowhere near those that are. Think like a ‘top performer’ and protect your time; it is the most important resource that you have.

What to Say?

Have you ever been stuck to know what to say when you call prospects in commercial real estate? If you are like many people you will use a script that is fairly typical and ‘all about you’. The process has poor results and ends in low call conversions to appointments. You have to change the call process significantly so that it has some relevance to ‘them’. When you do this your call conversions will rise.

The object of the call is only to get appointments with relevant people. That is the only thing you should be ‘selling’ in the cold call. The call should be used to identify if there is a genuine need on the part of the person that you have called, and then only to set up a meeting.

You are a skillful and relevant commercial real estate consultant in your market, and on that basis you are calling people to see if they have a property need and if you can help them with that.

Remember this fact and make it the foundation of your calls. There is no purpose in setting up meetings with people that really do not need you, or have no ability to make a decision on commercial real estate matters. This market today is not something in which you should waste time. Your time is money and money is precious.

The Call Structure?

The ‘call direct’ structure is so important and must be centred on the prospects situation and not yours. Try this as a basic approach.

  • Tell them your name and company
  • Ask permission to talk to them for 60 seconds
  • Tell them that they can end the conversation if they want to after that point.
  • Get right to the point by focusing on their needs (not yours)
  • Help them identify their business problems by offering a ‘short menu’
  • Never try to convince a prospect to take your services or have a meeting without qualification; instead let them convince you it is worth your time and effort to meet with them.
  • Honour your agreement and let them off the hook if they do not want to engage

Here’s an example of ‘call direct’ for Commercial Real Estate Sales or Leasing:

  • Brian, this is John Brown from Atlas Commercial Real Estate. The nature of the call is property related.
  • Can I take 60 seconds of your time to chat and then you can tell me if we should continue speaking?
  • Thanks for that…. I will be brief.
  • I am just calling to see if commercial property is an issue for you in this market, particularly with sales or leasing needs.
  • ‘Results are on the radar’ for many local property owners at the moment, and we have some ways of helping with that.
  • Is that an issue for you?
  • That’s not a problem Brian, as I said I just want to see if we are a clear fit or a match and can help you in any way.
  • Many property owners are concerned about their returns or occupancy situation in the face of more competition or market pressure. They are looking for ways to increase reliability and consistency of the property’s performance.
  • Its good insurance in this market.
  • Brian, that being said, could these be things be issues for you in the future?….. Or is everything running 100% smoothly?’

In less than 60 seconds you will know if you have someone on the line that is relevant to you. If they do not have any commercial real estate problems that you can fix, then it’s over (for now). Remember, they may not have a property problem today, but they may have one in the future. Put them in the database for another call if you think it is relevant.

If you make ‘call direct’ a scheduled business event at the same time in your daily diary, and you action it with consistency, you will be amazed how much new business you will dig up. Understand also that ‘no’ is an ‘ok’ word that, when given by the prospect, simply needs qualification in case some future need is still hidden in the discussion. You will get many ‘no thanks’ comments as part of the call process. Do not try and push or convert every ‘no thanks’ to an agreement for a meeting, unless you really know that the prospect is truly relevant and that they will have a need in the future.

Make this call process part of your daily business model and continue it even when you become more successful. As you get more referral business from ‘happy’ clients you should still continue the call process as it is foundational to permanent and real success in all types of commercial real estate markets. The only other essential element to incorporate in this activity is a good database program where you can register leads and feedback. This will be your funnel for future business.

As simple as all this sounds it is surprising how many people do not do what I have explained here. They loose focus and quickly revert to old random habits and actions; they then get random results. Your success in the commercial real estate industry is centred around your choices and your ability to change your habits on the things that really matter to your business. Get the message? Happy hunting!

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Affiliate Marketing Tips – Learn How to Become Successful in Online Affiliate Marketing Industry

Posted on March 29, 2023 by schatzi

There are 10 affiliate marketing must know rules for beginners. These tips are known to minimize the number of failures and marketing mistakes. And of course, these helpful tips will help you become a successful affiliate marketer.

Here are the top 10 affiliate marketing tips:

Know the real meaning of Affiliate Marketing and how it can help you

  • Before you start on any business or marketing program you have to get to know its entire process first. Thoroughly research about the idea as well as its drawbacks and successful points to avoid bigger mistakes, disappointments and huge money lost.

Know the right market

  • Before you start promoting a product or services get to know your target market or audience first. You must capture their greatest wish and sell them the right products needed to make money.

Keyword research

  • In order to drive more traffic into your site, you need to have the right keywords that will point directly into your blog. That’s why keyword research is an important tool in any online marketing. If you don’t know how to look for the right keywords, try to use the different keyword tools like Google AdWords keyword tool, Google Suggest, Google Insight, Good Keywords and Word Tracker to help you find the right keywords for your blogs.

Products

  • Another affiliate marketing tip that will surely make money is to have a great product or services to promote. But before you start promoting any product or services, you should do research about it and know how popular or demanding the product is in the market.

PREsell

  • Even if you have the right product and the best affiliate marketing strategy, people don’t directly buy products sold online. This is where PREsell comes in; you have to develop trust among your potential customer. In other words you have to create an environment for your customers to make them feel secure and curious at the same time. Create a website or blog where they can visit regularly and put relevant content and informational ideas which are directly and indirectly talk about the products or services you are promoting.

Planning

  • To become successful in the affiliate marketing industry, you have to plan every action you make. Always plan ahead of time; write everything that you want to achieve in a matter of 1 week, 1 month or 1 year before taking action. This way you are sure that everything is in proper order. Plan the entire course of your affiliate program as will as how much money has to be spent with each product. Planning ahead of time will detect any problems before it occur.

Be patient and persistent

  • “Millionaires are not created overnight” To become successful you have to develop patience, determination, persistence and honesty. Each person has different levels of adaptation skills in a new environment and working online is no exception. Your online earnings will depend on how much work you put on it. You can either work part-time or full-time. To be able to get your first affiliate commission, you have to work long hours, spend lesser time with family and have to research on different ideas.

Content Building

  • Content articles are the heart of your website. People often visited sites that have great content and relevant information that they are looking for. So spend some time in creating unique and new information regularly for continuous flow of traffic.

List Building

  • Make a list of active and inactive subscribers. Subscribers are categorized as active if they have brought products immediately after a few weeks of constant advertisement and emails. Your inactive subscribers are those who have given you their name and email address to receive newsletters but haven’t buy anything yet.
  • The larger list of active subscribers you have the larger is the return revenue. Therefore you give follow-up emails to them regularly with valuable information on what new in the market with bits of reports about your product. This way you constantly remind them of the products or services that you are promoting.

Generating Quality Traffic:

  • There is different methods used in generating traffic towards your site. First time affiliate marketers may choose between article marketing and Facebook marketing. In article marketing, you need to find the right keywords for your product and several articles with those keywords. Then send all your written articles to several article directories with your back links attached to it.
  • If you don’t know how to article writing and submission, you may choose Facebook marketing. Facebook being the widely use social networking site today with over millions of active subscribers is the best place to look for valuable clients. Here you can create fun pages to introduced your product or take part in various discussions on the related topic with your product. You can also increase your friends list and turn them into valuable customers.

These affiliate marketing tips are helpful for beginners who wanted to experience the power of online marketing and how beneficial it is for you.

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Help with Understanding How Pay day Loans Work

Posted on March 28, 2023 by schatzi

So you need cash and you need it fast. There’s nowhere else you can go and you don’t have anything to offer as collateral. What do you do? For millions of Americans who experience the occasional need for some fast cash, pay day loans are a blessing. They’re easy to obtain and offer only smaller amounts, which make them perfect for temporary financial emergencies. But how do these pay day loans work and can they truly help?

Knowing pay day loans
As their name implies, pay day loans are loans you take out against your income. They are short-term loans that are available in smaller amounts (loan amounts can range from less than $500 to a little over $1000).

These loans do not require a collateral or security deposit. You simply provide the lending company with several postdated checks that they will simply encash when the date of your loan payment arrives. The loan payment is then effectively deducted from your monthly income.

What are the requirements for pay day loans?

Pay day loans are one of the simplest loans to obtain. Some of its requirements are simple: the borrower must be at least 18 years old at the time of the loan, he or she must be employed full time with a sufficient monthly income and have a savings or checking account. Pay day loans don’t require you to submit your credit report nor will your credit history be checked.

I have heard about the advantages. What about the disadvantages of pay day loans? Can they truly help?
As a quick fix for a temporary cash problem, pay day loans can help a great deal. You can even apply for and obtain approval within a short time, sometimes within a 24-hour period. This makes pay day loans ideal for times when you have immediate need for cash.

However, due to the fact that they are unsecured loans, pay day loans come with higher interest rates. They are also shorter in duration, with some loans requiring repayment within one week. However, most pay day loans are offered for a two-week period.

This is where a lot of people have trouble with. Many of those who turn to pay day loans almost always do not have the cash to pay back the loan amount and interest after just a week or two. If they can’t pay it back, lending companies often advise them to ‘rollover’ their loan amount.

The rollover involves an additional fee that you will have to pay for not being able to meet your obligation on time. This is usually a fixed rate but over time, this raises the interest rate of the loan amount. If the borrower again fails to pay, the rollover will happen again until the loan amount balloons to a very unmanageable figure.

I truly need cash fast but don’t want to resort to a pay day loan. Where do I go to for help?
Pay day loans are not the only solution to a cash problem. In fact, many lending companies encourage potential borrowers to fully understand what pay day loans entail and to exhaust other means before turning to this type of short term loan. These companies even discourage people from considering pay day loans as their last resort.

If you need money fast, there are other ways you can use for help. Some of these include: a personal loan from a family member or a friend, emergency cash loans from credit unions, banks and financial institutions or a cash advance from your credit card or employer.

You might also want to consider if there are items that you own that you could sell for cash and that might be enough to cover for your emergency expenses. If you can, you might also want to negotiate with your creditors in order to obtain more time for you to pay your bills. Your creditors would rather talk to you than go through a legal process to get their money back, so make sure you consider this option.

Realistically speaking…

Pay day loans can be a big help when you are in a bind. However, like all loans, pay day loans must be managed well. They do, after all, have to be repaid with interest. Before applying for a pay day loan, determine whether they are the best option for you. If you look hard enough, you might find one or two other options that can work as well and is as easily obtained as a pay day loan.

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