How to Sell on eBay and Profit: Zero to 300k Case Study

Learning how to sell on eBay is the easy part. You make an account, set up a listing and wait for the sale.

Easy, right?

Profiting and building a business is the area that no one ever seems to talk about. So the million dollar question still stands:

Can you make money on eBay and afford to eat more than Pizza Pops and Kraft Dinner?

Here’s the good news:

You can be the least sales savvy marketer, the most socially awkward person and still run away with a profit killing machine selling butterflies and rainbows.

Selling on eBay is easier than it looks and profiting happens before you reach the end of the rainbow. No unicorns required.

Anyone can sell on eBay for free.

They have a whopping 145+ million users (May 2014) making lead generation effortless. They’ve already built an audience for you.

All it takes is a systematized process and a few minutes out of your day to tackle these 3 steps.

My case study is going to demystify making money on eBay by demonstrating how a beginner turned a zero dollar account into a $300,000 store in 9 months.

To put the cherry on the top, I collected over 300,000 travel rewards miles…

…enough to travel the world 4 times and catch a show with the wife.

If you’re ready, let’s hit the ground running.

I made an exclusive checklist guide just for this post only. Download your free checklist for a step-by-step guide to your first $300k on eBay.

THE 3-STEP PROCESS TO START YOUR 300K JOURNEY

You don’t need a regression analysis to start selling on eBay.

The concept is simple: you buy stuff for less and sell them for more. There’s no need to over complicate the principles.

Your goal doesn’t need to be $300,000. It can be $3,000,000, $30,000, $3,000 or $3.

Whether you have a magic number or not, successful eBay stores all start by following these 3 steps.

Step 1: Create an eBay and PayPal account.

Step 2: Find products that sell backed with hard data.

Step 3: Choose a strategy that best suits your financial goals, condition and risk.

The first two steps can be done today before you’re done reading this article and the third one comes with a little discernment.

Heck, if you’re an eager beaver, you can have your first eBay sale within the next hour.Hot dam!

Lame/amazing jokes aside, this 3-step process works.

COMMITTING TO A BLIND JOURNEY OF BUY AND SELL (DECEMBER 2013)

I had sold a few things here and there on eBay, but nothing substantial.

I decided to give it a shot and planned my strategy with a budget of $20,000.

I set an aggressive goal to turn this into $40,000 by the end of April for part time hours.

I jumped into the cell phone niche because it’s what I knew. I bought $14,000 worth of iPhones in varying conditions.

It was too bad I didn’t know how to fix the ones that were damaged (80% of them)…

I found some DIY tutorials, followed them, permanently broke a few phones (including one that I threw against the wall), but managed to fix the majority of them.

I was finally ready to start selling by the New Year.

I WENT LIVE ON JANUARY 6, 2014 AND HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED:

I had profited about $4,000 and still had quite a bit of inventory left from the original load.

I upped my budget to a total of $60,000 since my strategy seemed to be working. I expanded my inventory to pretty much all consumer brand electronics and continued the buy and sell game on eBay.

WHY REACH A GOAL WHEN YOU CAN DESTROY IT?

I almost met my $40,000 goal in just one month. Hitting a net credit of $35,246.23 was pretty exciting to see.

May was no different

I eventually hit a plateau in August 2014 at $38,190.32 selling iPhones and a few other consumer electronics.

THE MASSIVE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN APRIL AND AUGUST REVENUE

There was about a $3,000 difference which isn’t mind numbing, but the difference was in what I had built.

I had created a viable business with multiple streams of revenue.

In January 2014, I built a simple website where customers could opt in for exclusive sales and be in direct communication with me.

The trust had already been built.

It was safe to assume that if a customer had received a product (exactly as described), they would be happy to purchase again or refer a friend without hesitation.

These are the exact results I got.

I now had eBay, Amazon, a direct sales channel and a wholesale system that were working synergistically to maximize profits.

I was cutting out the middleman, which meant greater profits while expanding my network of loyal customers.

How did I know what things to sell on eBay? Why did I choose them? Where did I get them for such a bargain?

Let’s dig deep into the step-by-step process I followed.

STEP 1: GET PAST THE SIGN UPS.

Let’s face it. No one likes signing up for new accounts, but there’s no other way around it when using this awesome sales platform.

There are two accounts required to start selling on eBay.

A. CREATE AN EBAY ACCOUNT

Making an eBay account will allow you to create listings and sell your products.

Visit eBay.com or one of their partner sites. This will define your primary currency and target demographic market.

CLICK TO SEE ALL EBAY PARTNER SITES

Head over to the register link and enter your details.

Follow the step-by-step onscreen instructions to complete your eBay account setup.

If you’ve signed up for an email address, you can set up an eBay account.

B. MAKE A PAYPAL ACCOUNT

PayPal is eBay’s merchant services company that allows you to receive payments for your eBay sales. You will need to create a PayPal account to both receive and withdraw money to your bank account.

Visit PayPal.com and sign up for a premier or business account. After you’re done, you can start selling immediately.

If you already have a personal account, you can upgrade it to premier or business status by logging in, visiting the profile tab and clicking on upgrade to a business account.

Next, you will want to add and confirm your bank account so that you can withdraw your earnings. This doesn’t need to be done immediately, but I would strongly advise getting it over with since it takes about 3 business days to complete the verification process.

STEP 2: FIND THE BEST PRODUCTS TO SELL BACKED WITH SOLID RESEARCH

Knowing the best things to sell on eBay normally starts with items you can get your hands on. But where can you find these mysterious items?

First, you need to know how to conduct market research on eBay.

Here is a bulletproof way to find out if your items will sell and be successful on eBay.

1. Visit eBay.com/.ca/.co.uk or the country of the currency you will be selling in.

2. Click on the advanced search link (right of the search box)

3. Enter in a keyword phrase (ex. iPhone 5S 16GB).

4. Check off the sold listings box under the search including heading.

5. Hit the search button.

By default, a list of sold items for your keyword phrase will show up giving you statistics on previous sale prices, dates, and links to the auction listings.

You can laser target your results by using the filters in the left column. I would recommend selecting a condition (new, used, not specified) and the most suitable category at the very least.

It’s important to investigate some of the listings that sold for more or less than the median. Some sellers mark an item as “used” when the item is in fact damaged.

A few key questions that will help identify if your products are popular on eBay are:

• Can I get this item for less?
• Why do some sell higher than others? Can I make mine a higher selling item?
• Is the frequency of sales consistent enough to restock the item (compare dates)?

SOURCING YOUR PRODUCTS

You probably won’t get calls from suppliers offering you a bunch of iPhone 6s for $20. If you do, then don’t fall for it. Or if it’s the real deal…give me a call.

In order to find the best items to sell on eBay, you need to immerse yourself where the sellers are.

I’ve tried getting direct contracts with big name manufacturers, but my volumes weren’t even close to what they wanted. Authorized distributors would offer items that were $25 more than what I could sell it for on eBay because my volumes were not high enough.

Here are a few places you can start finding hot items to sell on eBay:

1. Local stores and chains

Have you ever seen a crazy deal at a major chain store? Well not everyone knows about that same deal.

You can find some easy things to sell on eBay right in your local Walmart, HomeSense and Target stores.

Sign up for their newsletters, do your research and buy when it makes sense.

Keep in mind that storage is a huge factor for any retail store. When it’s time to come off the shelves, items are marked for clearance or they’re sent back to headquarters for an online clearance.

This is where the majority of my travel points were gathered.

2. Local auctions

These can be an absolute gold mine. Local auctions are usually smaller and have some popular items you can sell on eBay for more than 200% margins.

I sold these speakers for $187.44 and purchased it for $40.

Live auctions usually have a pre-show where you can inspect the items available for bidding. Take a look through the items, do your research and bid accordingly.

3. Storage Lockers

I have yet to explore storage lockers, but plan on going to one sometime. These $100 lockers can turn into $30,000 ones if you happen to be lucky.

To be completely transparent, I only want to attend one to say “yuuuuuup” but probably never will.

4. Alibaba and DHgate

The majority of sellers on these sites are from Shenzhen, China – manufacturing central.

There are a ridiculous amount of scams you can run into, but with some due diligence and payment protection, there are some products you can find behind this magical rainbow.

From my experience, never send a wire transfer on your first payment, and if the deal is too good to be true, it definitely is.

DHgate is China’s eBay. It’s a safer solution to purchase items with PayPal and further negotiate on larger quantities.

Take note: any major brand being sold on these sites are fake. Don’t bother trying to pick up Beats by Dre, iPhones or any major consumer items here.

5. Google for Suppliers

This can be hit or miss, but it never hurts to look.

If you found some popular items to sell on eBay, do a quick search and send off some emails. Here are a few examples of search queries you can use to find baby products:

• intitle:”baby wholesale”
• intitle:”baby liquidation”
• intitle:”baby clearance”

STEP 3: THREE STRATEGIES TO CHOOSE FROM AND SOME SICK MATH

Now that you know how to find some top notch items to sell on eBay, we need to choose a plan of attack.

Regardless of the strategy you choose, there is one commonality that makes all of them successful: customer service.

Solid customer service converts leads into sales. In fact, 34% of the people who asked a detailed item related question (pre-sales) purchased the item within 24 hours of receiving a reply.

Here’s a common example you can expect to see by delivering detailed answers promptly:

The magic words when selling on eBay are turnover and liquidity. The last thing you want is dead inventory.

Here are three profitable strategies to consider which will depend on your level of risk and cash flow.

In its simplest form, each strategy is centered around three variables (MVP):

• Margin –Profit margin = Gross Profit / Total Revenue.
• Volume – the number of products sold
• Price – the price at which they are sold

1. Lower margin, lower volume and higher price (medium – high risk)

Margins are around 5% – 30%, while volumes are usually limited by a budget. The plus side is that profits convert into higher dollar figures.

I followed this strategy by selling what I know: cell phones and other consumer brand electronics. My cost on items ranged from $15 – $400 per piece.

The lower cost items usually fell in the range of 30 – 75% margin and the higher priced items were in the 5 – 20% area.

This strategy in particular requires wise budgeting and solid inventory control. Deep pockets certainly help.

2. Higher margin – higher volume – lower price (low – medium risk)

Generally speaking, with high margin comes a low price. Aftermarket cell phone accessories seem to be one of the hottest selling items on eBay.

People will generally sell them for $0.99 – $12.99 and will purchase them from anywhere between a penny to ten bucks a unit.

At the end of the day, if you purchase an item for $0.10 and sell it for $0.20, your profit margin is 100%, but it’s still only a $0.10 profit.

Sellers running eBay stores on less than a dollar margins usually ship from China and move massive volumes.

If you’re in a high cost shipping country like Canada (booo), you may want to reconsider selling these items internationally and focus on a domestic market.

A good chunk of buyers are loyal to purchasing from their own country and prefer getting their items quicker without the risk of it getting stuck at customs.

I haven’t explored this strategy a whole lot, but popular stores like eforcity (US company) recorded over 40 million dollars in revenue in 2008.

3. Sell your personal belongings – limited volume and no investment required. (low – no risk)

This is the most profitable way to do some spring cleaning and make a quick buck without spending another penny.

Take a look through your basement, attic or storage locker and put some of the shippable items up for sale.

For larger items that aren’t worth the cost to ship, you can set a “local pick up” option in your listing.

It should only take a few minutes to make each post.

This is an awesome way for those without a budget to fund strategy one or two.

BEFORE YOU CHOOSE YOUR STRATEGY, LET’S DO SOME SICK MATH.

The cost for selling on eBay is free. Making a sale is not.

eBay is a business. They let you post for free (up to 100 listings/month) but will take a commission for each successful sale.

The brilliant part about their model is that they own PayPal (merchant service) who will also take a piece of the final sale.

So, how much does it cost to sell on eBay?

Here is a list of expenses you should account for and some proven eBay selling tips to maximize your revenue:

Description	Cost
eBay final value fees	4-10% depending on the item type/category
PayPal transaction fees	2.9% + $0.30 per transaction for < $3,000 in monthly sales
Cost of product(s)	Variable
Shipping	Variable
Labor	Variable
Warehouse or Storage	Variable

MINIMIZE YOUR EBAY EXPENSES – MAXIMIZE YOUR REVENUE

Yes, eBay and PayPal fees are high. In fact, that is the single greatest complaint about selling on eBay.

But come on…

They are essentially selling the product for you. They provide a selling platform, find you a buyer, process your payment and provide protection if something goes sour.

eBay fees in the cell phone niche have a whopping 10% commission in addition to PayPal’s 2.9% + $0.30 transaction fee.

And don’t forget about shipping…

eBay Fees Explained:

Yikes is right! Shall we run through an example?

Let’s assume I had 10 iPhone 5s and sold them at $320/piece with free shipping over the period of one month.

Using the eBay fees calculator, this is what my cost structure would look like:

Description	Cost
eBay fees for selling	$32.00 x 10 = $320.00
PayPal transaction fees	$9.58 x 10 = $95.80
Cost of product(s)	$220 x 10 = $2200.00
Shipping	~$12 x 10 = $120 (Canadian shipping)
Labor	~$10/device x 10 = $100.00
Warehouse or Storage	$0.00 assuming you are shipping from home
Total Cost for Selling on eBay	$2835.8
Net Profit	$364.2
Profit Margin	11%

Not a great profit.

HERE’S HOW WE CAN INCREASE OUR PROFITS DRAMATICALLY.

Description	Cost
eBay store fees (month to month plan)	$19.95/month
eBay final value fees	$19.20 x 10 = $192.00
PayPal transaction fees	$9.58 x 10 = $95.80
Cost of product(s)	$220 x 10 = $2200.00
eBay fees on Shipping	$0.00 – variable cost to buyer
Labor	~$10/device x 10 = $100.00
Warehouse or Storage	$0.00 assuming you are shipping from home
Total Expenses	$ 2607.75
Profit	$592.25
Profit Margin	19%

Let’s break this down:

eBay Store Fees:

By registering for an eBay store, you are entitled to a discount on the final value fee and can post up to 150 listings per month.

In the cell phone category, the fee is brought down from 10% to 6% – no questions asked.

The cost for an eBay store is $15.95/month on a yearly subscription or $19.95 month to month.

So when is it worth getting an eBay store subscription?

If you intend on staying within your listing limits, the break-even point is about $500 in gross monthly sales.

Here’s the math:

Description	Cost
None	$500 x 10% = $50.00
Basic Store	($500 x 6%) + $19.95 store fee = $49.95

PayPal fees:

Your PayPal fees remain the same. Since you’ll be accepting more than $3,000 in this month, you move on to the next tier. Your next month will be discounted further by PayPal to 2.5% + $0.30 per transaction. This is a $15.50 in savings assuming you sell $3,200 worth of goods in the next month.

Shipping:

You have 4 options when setting your shipping rates:

1. Free shipping
2. Fixed shipping within a country
3. Calculated shipping based on the weight and dimensions of the parcel
4. Local pick up

Let’s get into the mindset of a buyer.

1. Free shipping

You’ll notice that more established sellers set their items to have a free shipping option.

There are two very good reasons for this:

1. They want to sell their products faster.
2. They have higher margins where they can eat up the shipping costs.

All of my auctions had a free shipping option for these very reasons. I also added an express shipping option for an additional $9.99 to $12.99.

 The strategy behind adding an additional shipping option was twofold:

1. Provide value to those who want their item quick.
2. Make the upgrade affordable enough to entice the buyer, while keeping my net shipping cost low. In fact, the $9.99 was more than enough to cover the difference between my standard and express rates.

Everyone loves free shipping. If your goal is to get your items out the door faster and your margins are significant enough, this is a great way to move items quickly and to stay liquid.

2. Fixed Shipping

This shipping model is ugly. I’ve seen way too many eBayers doing it, and it pains me to see it every time.

Fixed shipping costs deter local buyers from wanting to purchase the item because it’s usually too high. It also forces buyers to mentally calculate if the deal is worthwhile.

Don’t force your customers to think more than they have to.

Others go as far as listing a $100 item at $20 with a $79.95 shipping charge. The click through rate on your listing will likely be higher, but prospective buyers may find it manipulative.

eBay’s fees on shipping used to be less than the final value fees, but they caught on quickly.

Another disadvantage to using fixed shipping is the chance of getting low detailed seller ratings (DSRs). When a buyer leaves feedback, they are able to set the shipping costs to the dreaded one star for any reason they believe to be fit.

Free shipping and calculated shipping can eliminate low DSRs on shipping costs and raise your chances of reaching top rated seller status for further discounts to your eBay fees.

3. Calculated Shipping

This is the option I use for timed auctions. Setting up an auction is unpredictable. You can sell for way above your desired price, but it normally goes the other way.

Also, you eliminate risk in shipping to high cost rural addresses.

It’s simple:

You select Calculated: Cost varies by buyer location.

Then set the package weight and dimensions. The buyer is then able to get an exact shipping cost based on their ZIP/Postal code.

Best of all: no low DSRs allowed on the shipping cost category.

This is great for items with low margin or if you are the type that doesn’t know how to take a loss (raises hand).

Although you may not get the snap purchase because of free shipping, you can offer delivery to various countries without having to worry about it cutting into your profits.

4. Local pick up

If you’re in a highly populated city, people will likely want to pick the item up from you.

Providing the option is a plus for buyers but an annoyance for sellers. I personally did not have any local pick up options available in my store but received multiple requests on a weekly basis.

LET’S GET YOUR ITEM LISTED

There are two ways to list your item:

1. Click the sell button and follow the on-screen instructions.

2. Visit an active or previously sold listing and click on the “Sell now” button below the featured image.

Here’s how you can get your item listed in less than 5 minutes:

• Upload a picture (30 seconds)
• Set a description – it doesn’t have to be an essay (1 minute)
• Set a price (research sold listings)
• Select a timed auction or fixed price (new accounts may be limited to timed auctions only). This can be avoided by purchasing items first and having your feedback score boosted by other sellers.
• Define your shipping costs (free, fixed, calculated, local pick up)

Now list it.

eBay has a massive list of regular users. Your shop doesn’t require any fancy marketing, a million dollar budget or hi-tech coding to be successful.

The beauty of eBay is that the products sell themselves.

YOUR FINAL STEP

Now it’s time to put this simple, yet powerful strategy into action.

To make life easier for you, I’ve created a checklist to summarize this massive 3600+ word article into a few actionable pages.

There will be a whole lot of hand holding and rump shaking goodness in there.

I’ve done all of the research and added some extra tips and resources to save you the pain in searching.

It’ll be like your friend telling you that Big Macs are on sale for $0.99.

Click the image below and enter your email to gain exclusive access to the checklist.

Do you think eBay can be profitable for someone with less than $1,000 to invest? Let me know in the comments below.

Make Money Teaching Online Courses at Udemy

Do you have a passion for teaching? Do you also enjoy learning and helping others learn? Do you want to be part of a revolutionary way to teach online? Well, then Udemy sounds like a good work-at-home (WAH) job fit for you.

What Exactly is Udemy? 

Udemy  is an online teaching platform where instructors teach online courses.

Udemy believes in empowering its instructors to:

• plan the course.
• create the course.
• publish the course on its website.
• promote the course.

No special training is needed, although a teaching degree would be welcome.  You are an instructor, so just having the skill is enough.  Many Udemy instructors do have degrees and are experts in their fields.

As an instructor, you may sign up for free and create an account.  Udemy claims that the average instructor earns $7,000 a year.  There are no maintenance fees and you keep 100% of your profit for each student that you sign up to take your class.  However, should Udemy sign up students for your class, they get 50% of the profit per each student they signed up.  So, you can market your courses yourself or have them do some of the marketing.

What Types of Classes Are Available at Udemy?

Categories include:

• Technology
• Business
• Design
• Arts and Photography
• Health and Fitness
• Lifestyle
• Math and Science
• Education
• Languages
• Humanities
• Social Sciences
• Music
• Crafts and Hobbies
• Sports
• Games

Everything from algebra to speed reading to how to apply makeup, there are many courses in which you can choose.  Most classes are between $29 to $99 per student per course.  However, there are free courses as well as some classes for as low as $7 and some classes may be as much as $500.  There are also certification courses to help you prepare for outside certifications in IT, finance, and business operations.

Udemy recommends instructors charge $10 to $30 an hour for a course.

Classes may be taught in English or ten other languages.  Students may sign up at any time because the courses are recorded and not taught live.

Udemy also offers course packages to businesses through their UFO (Udemy For Organizations) program.  This helps employees learn new skills.  Some of the companies doing this are Oracle, 1-800-Flowers, and Pitney Bowes.

How Does Udemy Market or Help Instructors Market Their Courses?

Affiliate codes and coupon codes are two of the main ways that Udemy helps instructors market their courses.

One of the best ways Udemy helps instructors create online courses is to have the instructors use Udemy’s online resources.  Here are a few of the many resources Udemy includes:

• all-in-one online learning platform.
• unlimited, high-quality video upload.
• course design with development.
• developers working with you.
• 24/7 customer support and payment processing.
• infinite reach.
• your very own mobile app.
• course management tools.
• ways to track your sales and earnings.
• supportive community for instructors.

What Requirements Does Udemy Have for Its Courses?

Obviously, Udemy would want to keep a good reputation and not just anything goes.  Udemy requires that:

• courses contain a minimum of 30 minutes of content with 60% video content.
• courses be well structured for learning objectives.
• both audio and video should be clear and good quality.

Udemy also has a guideline for the course creation.

What Skills/Special Training Do You Need to Work at Udemy?

Again, just really be an expert in your field.  Also, make certain that you have a computer that will connect to the Internet.  You will need the connection to go on Udemy’s platform and use their video downloads.

Are You Considered an Independent Contractor or an Employee at Udemy?

Trainers are considered “freelancers” or independent contractors and responsible for their own taxes.  Should you make over $600 a year, you will receive a 1099 Income Tax Form.

How Much Money Can I Make at Udemy?

Pay is based on what you want to charge for a course, so that would really depend on you.  As I mentioned before, the average instructor makes $7,000 a year.  Payday seems to be an ongoing thing as students constantly sign up for your courses.

What is My Overall Impression of Udemy? 

I was impressed with the state-of-the-art platform as created by Udemy.  Although I don’t think many people could live on $7,000 a year, I do think that this could be an excellent way to build your brand, promote your home business or hobby, and become the expert you were destined to be.

How Can an Interested Applicant Apply to Udemy?

Go here and create and account.  Make sure you do go through all of their terms and conditions first as well as their instructional videos as to how to create a course.

Good luck!

20 Lessons in Success from Andrew Carnegie

No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit for doing it.

∞

He that cannot reason is a fool. He that will not is a bigot. He that dare not is a slave.

∞

Surplus wealth is a sacred trust which its possessor is bound to administer in his lifetime for the good of the community.

∞

And while the law of competition may be sometimes hard for the individual, it is best for the race, because it ensures the survival of the fittest in every department.

∞

Think of yourself as on the threshold of unparalleled success. A whole, clear, glorious life lies before you. Achieve! Achieve!

∞

The average person puts only 25% of his energy and ability into his work. The world takes off its hat to those who put in more than 50% of their capacity, and stands on its head for those few and far between souls who devote 100%.

∞

There is little success where there is little laughter.

∞

The men who have succeeded are men who have chosen one line and stuck to it.

∞

Do your duty and a little more and the future will take care of itself.

∞

People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents.

You must capture and keep the heart of the original and supremely able man before his brain can do its best.

∞

I shall argue that strong men, conversely, know when to compromise and that all principles can be compromised to serve a greater principle.

∞

Concentrate your energies, your thoughts and your capital. The wise man puts all his eggs in one basket and watches the basket.

∞

The first man gets the oyster, the second man gets the shell.

∞

No person will make a great business who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit.

∞

There is no class so pitiably wretched as that which possesses money and nothing else.

∞

Do not look for approval except for the consciousness of doing your best.

∞

Aim for the highest.

∞

You cannot push any one up a ladder unless he be willing to climb a little himself.

Why Pay Cox, Comcast, Dish, Time Warner, Netflix or Hulu? Eliminate Your Cable Bill! Huh?

Why I choose to cut the cord and haven't looked back since and by the way.... LOVING IT!

Long ago when the first flat screen
TVs where available and Hulu was just starting to find its footing on the net as a viable source for TV shows and movies,  I was among the first to sign up. I was at that time about to move into a new apartment beach side and I made a decision that not only changed the way I consumed entertainment it saved me literally thousands of dollars.  

I vowed that I would never pay cable again and after moving into my new flat I simply hooked my desktop to the flat screen TV and "Walla" instant cable with access a whole plethora of entertainment, I haven't look back since and its only getting better and better as time moved on.  Now you can find just about any movie, in theaters or not, live tv shows pay per view and international.1

Streaming has become as common place as having cable TV and since it inception a whole variety of devices has sprung up to help facilitate the viewing of these streams, boxes like Apple TV, Roku, and streaming stick likes Chromecast and Amazon Fire stick all having varying degrees of diverse content.  After doing extensive research and after many trials I have found only one device with the versatility power and prowess to not only bring you the best streaming experience but offer you a Full Windows 10 experience to boot! 

    

Entertainment Simplicity @ It's Best!

Just insert the SquirrelStream tm Micro PC squirrelstreampc.comStick into any monitor with an HDMI connection, add a wireless keyboard and mouse and, you have one of the most powerful Micro PCs available on the market today! Loaded with the latest greatest entertainment package available, you'll  browse the internet on a very powerful  Microsoft Windows 10 Home OS. Featuring Cortana and many many other Windows 10 features and benefits. Join The Cord Cutting Revolution!  

Click Below!

squirrelstreampc.com

DISASTER CHECKLIST

Have you experienced a disaster, including fire damage, water damage, mold, or trauma damage? This simple checklist outlines the disaster cleanup and insurance claims process so you know what to expect at every stage.

RESPOND TO EMERGENCIES

 All home occupants are accounted for and safe
 Call emergency responders if needed (police, fire, 911)
 Evacuate or move to a safe place if home is unsafe

ASSESS DAMAGE

 What kind of disasters have occurred? (water, fire, mold, trauma – may be more than one)
 Where is the majority of the damage located?
 Is the home exposed to the elements? (open so rain or intruders could get in?)
 Take initial photographs (if possible)
 Do not begin cleanup – everything must be documented properly

CALL DISASTER RELIEF COMPANY

 Find companies by searching ‘restoration company’ + location or specific damage (example, ‘water damage company’ + location)
 Choose a local company that is 24/7 and provides a fast response time
 Avoid the insurance company’s ‘preferred provider’ when possible

CALL THE INSURANCE COMPANY

 Decide if you want to involve the insurance (with recommendation from the disaster relief company)
 Explain damage and find out find out if you’re covered
 Ask about extras if you are displaced (do they cover lodging or food?)

BEGIN DISASTER CLEANUP

 Emergency work to mitigate damages (boarding up windows, drying up water damage)
 Remove infected or damaged items
 Cleaning

GATHER NECESSARY EVIDENCE

 Photos of the entire process (before, during and after)
 Official reports from police, fire, first responder, plumber, etc. (if needed)
 Scientific data (moisture readings, atmospheric readings, dehumidifier readings, etc – if needed)
 Inventory of damaged & destroyed items (if needed)

MEET WITH INSURANCE ADJUSTER

 Adjuster responds typically within 48 hours to two weeks
 Adjuster gathers evidence to assess the source of damage and how much insurance should pay
 Disaster relief company communicates with adjuster as needed

CLAIMS NEGOTIATION

 Insurance adjuster and disaster relief company estimates are submitted
 Claim is negotiated – additional evidence gathered as needed
 Both parties agree to a final claim amount

RECEIVE CLAIM MONEY

 Claim check sent, in the manner designated by the insurance company

REBUILD & RESTORE

 Assess what can be repaired or restored with claims money
 Assess how much additional out of pocket money is required for restoration
 Consider costs and benefits of upgrading

As you can see, the insurance claims process for disasters is quite lengthy. The best thing you can do is hire the right disaster relief company who will facilitate the process – and basically take care of most of the work for you.

For example, New Life Restoration can help you with disaster cleanup, gathering necessary evidence, communications with the insurance adjuster, and negotiating to get you the best possible claim amount. After you receive your claim money, New Life Restoration even offers services for repairing, rebuilding, restoring or upgrading your home.

If you’d like more information on these topics, please visit our Homeowner’s Guide to Disaster Claims.

If you’ve experienced a disaster, whether it is water damage, fire damage, mold, or need trauma or crime scene cleanup services, trust New Life Restoration to help you navigate the tricky insurance claims process. Give us a call today at (805) 332-4919.

Secrets to Twitter Success By Omar Saady

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Secrets to Twitter Success

I’ll bet a fail whale that I’m not the first person to talk to you about marketing on Twitter. The little social network that could has turned into a world-wide force with more than 80 million members and lofty expectations from its creators of hundreds of millions more in the next 2 years.

But, for marketers, Twitter has remained something of an enigma thus far. It’s not easy to excel with something that is completely new and that everyone seems to view in a different way. Finding the best method to turn your 140 character tweets into an affiliate marketing strategy isn’t a cake walk.

And whenever you think you’ve figured it out, things get a little choppy as Twitter changes its marketing rules. So, instead of showing you how to “sell” on Twitter, I want to show you exactly how to write for the medium that didn’t exist three years ago.

What Twitter Followers Want to Read

Step one, find out what your readers want. Then write it. There are two major search tools on Twitter – hashtags (anything that starts with #) and user searches. The latter is limited to your 160 character bio and your recent tweets, but the hash tags will help you keyword orient your tweets.

So, instead of just tweeting random things, start doing some searches and see what hashes are currently trending. Use the search engine that appears on the home page when you’re not logged in and look for your niche. Find users that are big in your niche and make lists of the advice and links they post.

If you have a good eye for what they’re writing, you’ll be able to start replicating it pretty quickly. In addition to researching through Twitter search, start optimizing your tweets for it. Take the following generic tweet for example:

“Get your dog to act better around the house http://tinyurl/kjkadjf23”

Now, compare it to this hash mark enabled post:

“The secrets to #dogtraining for indoor behaviour problems http://tinury/kjkadjf23”

What you just did was highlight dog training. Now, anyone that searches for dog training in the search engine or the trending pages will see your tweet.

Writing for the Viral Audience

Twitter is the quintessential viral medium. If you want anything to be popular, it needs to be spread, and on Twitter, one well written post can be reposted by a thousand different people in minutes. Trust me – other Twitter users want solid posts too. They’ll take whatever they can find.

But, actually writing fresh, exciting tweets that capture attention is not as easy as it sounds. You need to tap into a few different things. I like to think there are three ways to do this.

1. Offer Value – Make sure every tweet has a link, a thought, a quote; something others can find value in.

2. Support Tweets – Don’t just write a thought you have with no backup. Use links to your blog posts or other sites to support whatever you have to say.

3. Be Yourself – Let your personality bleed through. Tell jokes, be quirky, and display energy in every tweet to ensure other people are interested in everything you have to say.

Tweeting is not an exact science. I could try to tell you how to reach the top of Twitter, but I’d probably be wrong, because what works for one niche may not work for another.

But, if you write about what people are interested in, be yourself and always engage your readers in a way that will ensure universal interest, you’ll do much better than anyone else in your niche.

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9 Deductions for Your Home Business –

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, more than 52% of all small businesses — independent businesses that have less than 500 employees— are home-based. Ahome business is simply a business whose primary office is in the owner’s home. If you work out of your home and file Schedule C each year, you’ll want to be sure you are claiming every deduction you as the sole proprietor of a business is entitled to. Take a look at these nine legit deductions you can claim as a home business owner, and see if you can’t save yourself some money when it comes time again to do your taxes in South Carolina, South Dakota, Ohio, Kansas, Illinois or whichever state you reside in. (We also strongly recommend you consult with a certified accountant about deductions and current tax laws.)

1. Home office

   
   This one is actually a little tricky, because the IRS has strict requirements for what constitutes a home office. Your office may be just one room or a portion of a room but, in order for you to claim it as a deduction, the area must be used exclusively, regularly, and principally as a place of business. The amount you can deduct will depend upon the percentage of your home that is used for your business. If you use a separate, nearby structure exclusively to conduct business, for instance a garage or, if you’re an artist, a specially constructed studio, you can deduct expenses related to it.

2. Utilities

   
   Keep in mind that the IRS includes houses, apartments, condominiums, mobile homes, and even houseboats in their definition of a “home” and that you don’t need to own your home in order to claim deductions for your home business. Expenses for the portion of your home used for business, including rent, repairs, and utilities, are deductible. Over the course of the tax year, save copies of your utility bills, since as a home business owner, you can deduct a percentage of those bills.

3. Business phone and cell phone

   
   You can deduct the cost of maintaining a landline or cell phone that you use for business, even if you don’t have a home office space in your home. The size of a home office deduction does not need to match that of your phone use; they’re considered two separate deductions. Since you may use your cell phone for non-business related calls, the IRS allows you to deduct a percentage of your costs as they relate to your business. Ask your accountant for assistance in determining your percentage of deductible business-related phone use.

4. Professional and legal expenses

   
   And while you’re talking to your accountant, find out how much he or she is charging you, even if you’ve only hired them to work on and submit the year’s taxes. Accounting fees and the costs for tax advice, are deductible as professional and legal expenses. If you’ve just started your business, and you paid legal fees to form a corporation or partnership, those fees are deductible as well.

5. Internet and web hosting

   
   What small business in the 21st century doesn’t have a website? Home business owners can deduct the costs for web hosting, domain registration, and webmaster costs as they relate to their business’ website. Internet access fees, including fees as they are bundled in your phone or cable plans, can be deducted as well, as long as you’re deducting an accurate percentage of business-related Internet use.

6. Storage and inventory

   
   Unlike the office-in-the-home deduction, an area of your home used for your business’ storage and inventory need not be exclusive to your home business. So for instance, if storage space in your garage holds product samples and inventory you sell, along with the family lawnmower and backyard trampoline, the expenses for the storage space are still deductible. This is especially helpful if you store products that you sell regularly, or if you need to store tools used in your business. Check with your accountant to determine the amount you can deduct for such a storage area.

7. Equipment

   
   Equipment for your home business can include a computer, printer, server, copy machine, refrigerator, and even a vehicle. Such purchases with a useful life of less than one year, including electronics and hand tools like shovels and rakes, can be deducted as an expense. However, equipment your company anticipates will be useful for more than one year, such as a large refrigerator for a catering business, is considered a capital asset by the IRS. Home business owners can deduct the expense of a capital asset through depreciation, taking a portion of the cost of the capital asset annually over the course of its lifespan. Check out the the IRS website for more information about depreciation.

8. Business entertainment

   
   Suppose you host an open house event in your house in order to meet members of the business community and potential clients and promote your business? This is a little different than a business meal, which is a deductible expense so long as you and your eating partner are talking business before, during, or after the meal. The cost of a larger, catered event in your home is deductible as business entertainment. Definitely keep receipts and detailed records of such events, and consult your accountant with any questions about such deductions.

9. Netflix, DVDs, streaming services

   
   Do you view movies, through a service like Netflix just for fun? Or is viewing films and television a crucial part of your research and development as a creative business owner (a scriptwriter, costume designer, graphic artist)? You can definitely deduct the cost of the business use portion of streaming services like Netflix, as well as DVDs you rent or purchase for such viewing.