So, you are asking yourself what is the best home based business franchise out there right now? It’s great that you are searching for solutions to better your life. Perhaps you are sick and tired of the corporate rat race and living paycheck to paycheck. Or perhaps you have tried other business endeavors and you are yearning for true entrepreneurial success. Either way, more power to you… you are developing the right mindset.Now, in regards to finding the best home based business franchise… there isn’t one! Surprised? Hear me out as I explain why you might want to think twice about buying a franchise and how there are better available options.Many aspiring entrepreneurs think that by buying into a recognized “name” that they are buying into success. The truth is that there are limitations or setbacks when getting involved with franchises.1. Start-up Costs: Franchises require a significant start-up fee, in the range of several thousand dollars to several tens of thousands of dollars.2. Low Profit Margins: After you take care of the start-up costs and you start generating a profit (if you are lucky), it is quite common for franchises to experience a profit margin of only 20%.3. Royalty Payments and Fees – As if the net profits were slim enough, most franchises have to pay a monthly royalty payment, usually a percentage of sales, to the franchisor… also it may be required to make regular contributions to the franchisor’s advertising fund, and there is no guarantee that money will be used to advertise your own franchise.4. Limited Independence – Not only are you buying the right to use the franchisor’s name, you are buying the right to use its business plan as well. And your method of operation will be limited.5. Lack of Mentorship / Marketing Education – Chances are that you will not have access to a proven leader / mentor in your field. Furthermore, most entrepreneurs fail because they do not have proper marketing knowledge. No marketing skills = no business!And yes, most of this if not all applies to a home based business franchise as well. However, don’t worry. Your dream is to operate an amazing business from home. There are currently entrepreneurs, even in a “recession”, that are utilizing the Internet to market and are creating the lifestyle of their dreams.My advice to any aspiring home based entrepreneur: forget searching for the best home based business franchise and start searching for a home based Top Tier Direct Sales business model. Even Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki recommend this business model.Imagine much higher profit margins, much, much lower start-up costs, no royalty payments, an amazing compensation structure, products that are IN DEMAND and that people REALLY need in a world that is in a financial crisis, and best of all…Imagine having access to proven leaders and access to the most amazing marketing education platform you will have ever encountered.Do you think all of this would increase you chances of entrepreneurial success?

Ten years ago, Greece property was largely overlooked. Buyers were either repeatedly drawn to old favourites such as Spain and France, or looking further afield to the emerging markets of Morocco or Bulgaria. But interest in property in Greece remains alight for a number of reasons: the healthy lifestyle, sunny climate, great beaches and food, and a superb quality of life for a fraction of the cost, to name but a few.An established democracy, Greece is a fully-fledged member of the EU, which means that for Europeans the purchasing process can be simple. It also gives Spain a run for its money on the British package-holidaymaker front, which is good news for anyone planning to rent out their property in Greece.Property investors generally regard Greece as a strong market due to its healthy tourist industry, which is backed by the government. Prices remain very affordable in many parts, and homebuyers can purchase far more for their money than in other popular European holiday destinations. Most rural and coastal areas provide an idyllic lifestyle that many British retirees choose to adopt.In terms of the global recession, Greece is holding out according to some experts. Mike Saunders, marketing director at Snobby Homes says: “Property prices on the whole remain unchanged. Personal borrowing in Greece is nowhere near so highly geared as it is in the UK. The Greek banks have not been caught up in sub-prime lending, so mortgages are still available for UK buyers to purchase property in Greece.”So if the overall prognosis for Greece is good, it may well prove a calm investment spot among a tempest of economic uncertainty. Greek sellers appear reluctant to drop prices, hoping to weather the storm, although there is the odd bargain to be had.Robert Key, senior partner at Cluttons Greece, concurs saying that despite what is happening in the rest of Europe, the market for Greek real estate is holding up well. “Property prices increased in the first half of 2008, and there was only a slight drop in values towards the end of the year. At time of writing the average price of residential properties in Greece has fallen by five to 10 per cent. It is true that the number of transactions taking place is around 40 per cent less than this time last year – but this is due mainly to the banks having tightened lending criteria.”Prices may still fall a little in 2009, but any drop is not expected to be significant. This is due mainly to Greeks having one of the highest rates of home ownership in Europe – hence mortgage repayments and forced sales are not a worry for most. For those willing to research the market, however, properties with higher price reductions do exist. These come mainly in the form of price reductions by developers who have over-borrowed and must now meet loan repayments.”He adds: “Overall Greek property represents excellent value for money when compared to other European destinations – and it’s a market which historically holds its value. Greece with its diverse mountain ranges, lakes, valleys, island paradises, ski-centres and the cleanest of seas offers everything one could desire – with heaps of culture. And that’s without mentioning the cuisine…”Be it an investment in land, a villas or an apartment, we remain confident that Greece will continue to be a safe and profitable place to invest in property – providing the advice of a reputable surveyor and lawyer is taken.”However, Babi Prokas of PK Developments paints a somewhat bleaker picture of the property market in Greece, claiming that the recession has hit it so hard there that not only is there a virtual standstill in construction, but that violence and theft is on the rise among frustrated and unemployed youths.”Greece has over 160,000 newly built houses that haven’t been sold and that number is expected to climb this year,” Prokas estimates. “I believe that it will take a good six months to see the beginning effects of the stimulus packages that the G20 nations have committed to. I believe we will see a price stagnation in the property market for the medium term, before prices rebound.”In terms of location, there are hundreds of inhabited Greek islands, so choice is by no means limited. Crete is one of the most appealing areas for Brits who are looking for a permanent base or a holiday home. Every year its sandy shores, green hills and olive groves attract almost a million British holidaymakers.”Over the last two years, there has been an increase of almost 40 per cent in the number of Brits purchasing property in Crete. Four out of five new property buyers are British and the final statistics show that more than 15,000 Britons are owners of a property in Crete,” says George Skouloudis Director of Artec Homes (which has projects in Tavronitis and Kissamos).Maria McLaren, an estate agent specializing in Crete property, says: “The cost of living here is around 35 per cent less than Britain, and the crime rates are minimal. People buy in Crete mainly because they already know and love it-they can switch off and relax here. It is the lifestyle that attracts them and the friendliness of the people.”Not forgetting the Greek capital, property in Athens remains popular with international investors, and the expansion of the metro system has increased interest in residences further away from the centre.Lucy Russell managing director of Quintessentially Estates says: “Athens is the gateway to all the islands in Greece and has easy access from the UK. Properties vary from the cheaper apartments around £200,000 to grandiose villas in the millions. Athens tends to attract people buying second and third homes rather than holiday home, and house prices have risen around 40 per cent in the last five years. The rental yields are fairly low, at around two to three per cent, and the average rent is around between £2,000 to £3000 per month.”Kefalonia, the setting for Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, is the largest of the seven Ionian Islands. Despite its film fame, Kefalonia largely unspoilt, with low-profile tourism. As a mountainous island of almost 45,000 inhabitants, most residents are gathered in the island’s capital and main port, Argostoli.Lucy Russell advises: “Kefalonia is one of the most popular of the Ionian Islands. There is still an emerging property market, and a number of areas are still undiscovered. Prices of property in Kefalonia are rising on average between 10 to 15 per cent per annum, depending on the location and type of property. The island has become popular with investors who are looking to purchase a property which they can use as both a holiday home, and receive a rental income by offering the villa for holiday rental either independently or through a tour operator specializing in villas.”Robin Barrasford, managing director of Barrasford & Bird Worldwide says: “Greece has a strong second home and holiday market, coupled with strict planning regulations that keep the housing supply low, this balancing act between supply and demand means the Greek property market is one of the most resilient in Europe today, despite the tough economic times.”Samos benefits from easy international access, with direct flights from the UK. This island has an instantly recognisable topography and is popular with the yachting fraternity. The majestic mountain sides and green cypress laden valleys, with their patchwork of vineyards makes Samos one of the most beautiful Greek islands and property in Samos a traditional favourite of international buyers.”Irini Tzortzoglou, deputy branch manager of Piraeus Bank UK, says: “Greece and her islands remain a largely unspoiled haven for those looking for a holiday home or investment property in a mature European country. Although often cheaper than comparables in Italy and France, Greece has retained an air of exclusivity, which means that it remains popular with the more discerning purchaser.”This in turn largely removes the short-term investor from the market, which makes for more stable long-term property values. Mortgages remain available for property purchases – it should be pointed out that no Greek banks participated in any of the toxic debt which has led to so many problems.”Jonathan Salsbury, Cybarco UK manager still holds faith in the Greek market. “Sales have held up well in Greece, because although the numbers of British buyers reduced during 2008 (due to the fall of the pound against the euro), other North-Europeans who are in the Eurozone have been continuing to buy, seeking out value for money,” he explains.He adds: “Both Crete and Rhodes are well established holiday destinations and continue to attract buyers who have been drawn to the idea of owning a home in the sun or dream of a happy, relaxed retirement. Athens will continue to gain interest from investors, particularly those who had avoided the emerging Eastern-European capitals, and now favour established European capitals that offer long-term rental demand.”Salsbury believes that the Greece property market is comprehensive with opportunities throughout the country, and there is plenty of evidence that Greece will succeed in its aim to become one of the world’s top five tourist destinations within the next ten years.

If you have been thinking about careers lately and have stumbled across the career of a property manager, you’ll be pleased to know that this is an excellent career for the right person. There are some downsides to the role, but the severity of these will depend greatly on your attitude and your personal preferences and skills.

What Exactly Does a Property Manager Do?

A property manager will generally manage a portfolio of properties usually within a specified area not far from one another. A community manager is responsible for pretty much everything that goes on related to the rental of the property. He or she will not just find and qualify new tenants for properties that have just been added to their portfolio, but they’ll also undertake a number of different tasks such as:

Monitor statistics and analytics for the properties that are under management.
Overseeing the maintenance of the properties.
Helping tenants move out.
Collecting any unpaid rent or other expenses when necessary.
The Benefits

As you can see, the role of a property manager really is quite a rewarding one and if this is something that you think you might enjoy doing then you should certainly give it a shot. Even though being a property manager can be stressful and demanding at times, there definitely is a wide range of benefits that you’ll be able to take advantage of.

First and foremost, property managers are paid very well. On average you can expect to earn anywhere from $45,000 to $60,000 per year; obviously this will vary quite a fair amount depending on your experience and the amount of properties that are currently in your portfolio.

You’ll also get the joy of dealing with people on a day-to-day basis, you’ll need to communicate effectively and efficiently with other members in your company, and you might even need to display leadership qualities at times. You’ll be required to find and qualify new tenants, so if you’re a social person and enjoy meeting new people this is going to be an ideal role for you.

Requirements

Property managers are required to be licensed by the state, but this varies from state to state so you might find that this isn’t the case for you. However, if you’re looking to be employed as a property manager then many employers will be looking for a college degree in Business Management or a similar field.

Radio Advertising Costs: How Much Should I Spend?

“How much should I spend on radio advertising?” “How do I know I am getting the best radio advertising rates?” “What radio stations should I advertise on?” “What are good and bad radio advertising prices?” “How many spots should I air on a radio station?”

Honestly, there is so much confusion about radio advertising floating around – I can’t blame you for asking these questions. Why is advertising on the radio so mysterious? The answer is – radio advertising is not mysterious. It just helps to know how it works.

Effective radio advertising relies on two major components – the message (the radio commercial itself), and the media (that the radio spot airs on).

The Message

Let’s look first at the radio commercial itself. Before even thinking about which radio stations to air on, or how much to spend on radio advertising rates, you must think about what you are going to say in your radio ad. For this article, I am assuming that all call centers, fulfillment, websites, etc. lead generation, and sales closing processes have been put in place by you, the advertiser. Creating a radio commercial that helps drive traffic is extremely important to the advertising process.

The advertising industry is full of voice talents, radio personalities, DJ’s and others, all claiming to create radio commercials. Be careful here. When entering the arena of radio commercial production, look for a radio advertising agency that has experience and a track record of successful ad campaigns. Anyone can create a radio ad, but not everyone can create a radio ad that pulls traffic. Some radio stations provide free radio commercials if you advertise on their station. Most of these free commercials are never based on strategy and are just one of several dozen commercials that have to be created by an overworked radio production person in a five to fifteen minute window of time. Remember, you usually get what you pay for.

The most effective radio commercials are built on a solid, proven strategy. The copy is written using time tested formulas that maximize potential response. The talent is handpicked to best connect with the end user and the production is based upon clear, quality, and easy to absorb audio.

So…what does the radio commercial production process cost? The majority of radio commercials that work best usually fall into the $500 to $1000 price range. There are always exceptions to the rule (lots of revisions to copy or audio, additional voice talents, celebrity endorsements, etc.) but this figure generally covers development of a solid strategy, copy from experienced copywriters, performance by high caliber voice talents, and the highest quality production services.

The Media

For many with questions about radio advertising rates, and radio station prices, here is where the mystery begins. I will try to simplify the mystery of radio media buying as much as we can in this small amount of space.

A good radio advertising buy focuses on a few different things:

* Finding the best radio stations in a market that match your customer’s demographics (age, gender, income level, etc.) and psychographics (interests, beliefs, hobbies, personality traits, etc.).

* Finding the dayparts that best reach your target customer. Mornings? Middays? Afternoons?

* Selecting the top radio stations that most efficiently reach the highest potential customers, the right number of times (defined as frequency), for the least amount of money

Usually, when researching radio advertising costs, many potential radio advertisers have a pretty good idea of the first two points. However, when it comes down to finding the best station (or stations) at the best price, the radio advertising process becomes a little more challenging.

Here is how to basically determine how much to spend on radio advertising costs. Within the market you want to advertise in, find the radio stations that have the best potential to reach your target customer. This is based on the formats of the radio stations. Urban Hip-hop stations will target different demographics than a News/Talk, or Soft Rock station. After selecting a group of radio stations, contact those stations to let them know you are thinking about advertising on their radio station. Ask for specific data from the radio stations called “rankers”. This is ratings data that most radio stations can provide based on specific requirements requested. From this point, you can get a good idea which stations perform the best in your target demographics.

Once you have narrowed down the radio stations to just a few that will effectively reach our target customer, request a proposal based on certain criteria – dayparts, frequency goals, etc. From these proposals, see who reaches the target audience most efficiently – using tools like Cost Per Point (ratio of spot rate to ratings percentage), Cost Per Thousand (ratio of spot rate to audience category totals), etc. If a radio station is not competitive, ask the station to resubmit a more competitive proposal. Ask about added value. Yes…it is quite time consuming…and yes it is tough to know if all of the station’s radio advertising rates are too high. You really have to know the market and the going rates. (This is where having an experienced agency is extremely beneficial!) An agency can compare proposals against historical figures to determine if radio station prices are in line with market averages…then negotiate, and help execute the purchase.

Great…but what does this cost? It depends on the size of the market you wish to advertise in as determined by Arbitron (the radio ratings services). Radio advertising rates can be as high as $800 per 60 spots in a top market like New York City, or as low as $3 per 60 spots in Kerrville, TX. How will you know what to spend?

Here’s a valuable system we have used from our history of working with radio advertising rates. The system is based on a solid branding schedule that may run one spot per day in the morning drive, one per day at midday, and one per day in the afternoon drive – Monday through to Friday, and two spots on Saturday and Sunday. That’s nineteen spots a week at sticker price. This type of schedule is good for achieving a desired frequency level (meaning the average listener to a station will hear the radio commercial a certain number of times). Under these broad assumptions, you can use the following chart as a rough guide to budgeting your radio advertising campaign.*

*Note, these are gross rates and do not include production costs or agency discounts. These are market averages for the standard radio schedule mentioned above, actual costs may vary. Does not factor in added value, ROS schedules, bonus spots, etc. Different combinations of dayparts on different stations may cost much less.