The world wide web is full of offers to start home based businesses. They will tell you that a home based business is the vehicle to generating a passive source of income and can lead to early retirement. Furthermore, it is easy to start and run, and doesn’t require much financial commitment.While there are spectacular successes for some people, on the whole, the results will be disappointing for most. More often than not, many people will quit after a few months with mediocre results, while some might tough it out for a year or two, but still with rather poor results.When I started looking into the home based business phenomenon a few years back, I firmly believed that anyone with the drive to work hard and smart, can start and run a home based business, and make it a success.But now, with the benefit of hindsight, I do not think so. The demands of a home based business are many and varied, and I think not everybody can measure up. I have listed below some traits and reasons which you should NOT have if you want are considering a home based business. If you are guilty of even one of the traits or reasons, you might want to rethink your decision to start a home business.If You Are Looking For A JobYou are going to quit your job at the end of the present month. You have budgeted about 3 months worth of expenses, and is planning to work very hard at a home business so that you can make it a success by the fourth month. You reason that even if your potential earnings fall short of the claims by the fourth month, it should still be more than enough for you to get by.If You Are Not Open To Learning New SkillsYou are not open to nor are interested in learning any new skills. You are going to depend on everything you already know to run your business and have no intention of and do not see the necessity of learning anything new even if it is called for or if your business requires it.If You Don’t Have The Entrepreneurial SpiritYou know that you are not an entrepreneur. Even the thought of striking out on your own scares you. What you intend to do is to find a home based business that comes with step by step instructions. You fully intend to follow the instructions exactly and make the business a success.If You Are In Desperate Need of MoneyYour daughter’s college tuition has to be paid in the next 6 months. Furthermore, your landlord is looking for you for a little chat about the overdue rent and you are quite sure that the bank manager will be calling you soon for an update about the overdue loan payment. So, right now, you need an opportunity or a home based business that can earn you at least a few hundred dollars a month almost immediately.If You Don’t Want To Work HardYou are entranced by the ads on the net about home based business that can make you a lot of money but needs very little work and skill on your part. You don’t want to work hard and are actually looking to make money fast.ConclusionIf you see yourself in just one of the paragraphs above, you need to take it seriously. A home based business is not a walk in the park and if you start one with a handicap, your chances of failure will increase exponentially. Do take a step back and take an objective look at your strengths and weaknesses, and then decide if a home based business is for you.
Real Estate Laws in Louisiana – What You Should Know As a Property Owner
State legal systems in the United States are based on one of two legal systems. Forty-nine states base their laws on the common law system, first used in England.
However one state, Louisiana, uses the French Napoleonic Code as the basis for their legal system. While common law-based legal systems rely on the rulings of judges to set precedents that are used to make later decisions, the Louisiana system does not.
The Napoleonic Code was intended to simplify the laws in a time when many people were illiterate or did not have access to printed information. Ironically, the effort to create a simpler and easier to understand legal system has resulted in one of the more complex and least understood set of state laws here in Louisiana.
There are many other distinctions between the two systems, but it is not as important to know every single distinction as it is to understand that there are significant differences between the state laws in Louisiana and those of most other states.
Real Estate Law Basics
Real estate laws are the laws that address the land and anything built upon that land including ownership, usage, and transfer of ownership of that land. As discussed above, Louisiana’s unique legal heritage has affected the current laws in many ways. One such way is the term used to refer to real estate in this state. While the rest of the United States uses “real estate” in legal documents, in Louisiana real estate is referred to as “immoveable property.”
Inheritance and “Forced Heirs”
Another area which requires the special attention is that of inheritance within Louisiana. The laws regarding inheritance derived from the Napoleonic Code were intended to ensure that assets remained in their family of origin, so while the other 49 states allow property to be transferred as the owner prefers after their death, this is not always the case in Louisiana.
The laws regarding inheritance of real estate can dictate that close relatives including parents or children inherit property before anyone else.
Community Property or Separate Property?
The real estate laws in Louisiana separate property ownership into two categories:
Community property
Separate property
While the difference between two distinctions may seem apparent initially, upon closer inspection, the line becomes less clear. For example, once a couple is married, all properties do not automatically become community properties, and in the case of divorce, one spouse may not have any claim to or rights in regard to certain properties. Some of the factors that are considered in this situation are when the property was purchased and which party’s funds were used, which can be a difficult fact to ascertain.
Home Based Business – Cutting Down on Unnecessary Expenses
Difficult economic conditions and poor consumer spending have affected the financial health of many small business units. It is therefore critical to cut down on unnecessary expenses to increase profit margins. Home based business units should regularly review the budget in order to maintain a healthy cash flow.Appropriate evaluation of cash position can help overcome problems and it also creates opportunities. Self employment can be expensive with the requirements for corresponding utilities and infrastructure.
The following measures should be adopted by small business ventures to cut down futile spending and achieve operational efficiency:Negotiate with Pricing: All forms of services, products and consultations should be solicited through competitive bidding whenever possible. The least expensive quote with potential for high deliverables should be pursued.Leverage Partnerships: Essential resources can be effectively utilized through merger and partnership operations with other small business units. Mutual efforts can be initiated by compatible home based business owners to tide over competition.Monitor Expenses: Managerial actions should be initiated to keep track of expenditure. An annual budget for anticipated expenses should be formulated and frequently monitored over time. Heavy expenses should be broken down in to smaller affordable components.Avail Discounts with Bulk Purchase: Lucrative discounts available for purchase of products in bulk quantities should be undertaken. This provides for advantages and benefits with price difference. This can help save money on a long term.Advantage with Lease/ Rental: Equipments, office essentials and technological accessories can be obtained on lease to avoid shelling a heavy price with one time buy. Sale opportunities at auctions, garage sales and warehouses should be pursued in order to cope up with the pressing purchase needs.Consider New Suppliers: New suppliers should be considered for benefits with pricing, delivery and credit period with orders. There should be negotiations for cutting down expenses.Apply technology: Internet communication can be utilized wherever possible to save costs with postage. Marketing activities can be carried out through economical blogs, websites and internet marketing.Reduce outlays: Home based business owners must look for ways to cut operational costs. This can work to provide savings and higher profits.Update Asset List: An asset audit must be carried out to ascertain appropriate items for the computation of taxes and insurance premiums. Shadow assets that are no longer utilized can cause unnecessary expense for business units. Strategies must be devised to depreciate the given assets for tax purposes.Business costs must be reduced to increase profit margins. The cost cutting measures must be thoroughly evaluated before initiation.Home based business owners must consider outsourcing rather than hiring full time employees. Efficient management of cash flow and liabilities through smart cost cutting measures is essential for the viability of a business.