Come and hear a Certified Training Consultant, Mentor and Coach, Speak on tourism and investment opportunities in sub-Saharan African Countries   Detroit, MI - Mark Maupin of the National Real Estate Network and Mark Lang, of Wayne County Community College are the hosts of the Small Biz Roundtable, a free membership club of young and experienced entrepreneurs, who meet the first Thursday of each month.  A very distinguished, special guest has been invited to speak.  "This is a great opportunity," says Mark Maupin.  "If you have never attended our Small Biz Roundtable, this is one event you don't want to miss; this is the one to attend!"   This month's workshop event is designed to provide hands-on tips on trade, tourism and investment opportunities in Sub-Saharan African Countries like ... 10/25/2008

"The future depends on what we do in the present." ~ Mahatma Gandhi Never has a quote meant so much than today in our State and especially in Detroit, Michigan. How are you currently shaping your future? Are you sitting back and watching what happens in the real estate and financial markets or are you forging ahead and creating your future with sound decisions today? I know many people are scared and are just sitting back and letting someone else shape their future, which leaves them helpless. We are literally sitting on a gold mine in Detroit real estate but many of us are just too close to see it or are unwilling to see it. When the rest of the country saw huge appreciation gains, Detroit real estate prices were declining. Many people saw this as a reason to run but taking an objecti... 10/24/2008

  Investor Helpers invites you to a Free Real Estate Seminar! When: Tues. October 28th From: 6:30pm - 8:30pm Where: Investor Helpers Office 40600 Ann Arbor Rd., Suite 100 Plymouth, MI 48170 Phone: 2.800.290.8372 x7901 Topics covered: - How to get started - Building your "Team of Resources": Contractors, Title Co., Real Estate Agent - Locating funding resources: Hard Money, Mortgage Brokers, Business lines of credit, loans - Becoming an effective Real Estate Investor - Ways to get started when you have challenged credit Please bring a list of questions you might have on how to get started. We'll also be giving a presentation of our Platinum Investors Club, a one-year mentoring program designed to help you learn the Real Estate Investing Business in a fun and exciting environment. With a ... 10/22/2008

Note: This blog was created by my business partner Jeremy Burgess and is reposted here with his knowledge and consent. See things as they really are… Do the news and the media have you pulling cash out of your bank account and stuffing it in your mattress? Do you see the world ending and life as you know it coming to a stop? Are you staying awake at night worry and feeling uncertain about you and your family's future? Now is the time for a frank discussion about why current events HAVE to happen, HOW it is going to happen, and what the future REALLY looks like. What caused the boom? The boom was generated primarily by three events: 1. Ready availability of cash for banks to lend 2. Low cost for consumers to borrow that money 3. Lower taxes. All of the three had the effect of consumers ... 10/17/2008

Detroit Real Estate - Financial Market - Detroit Cash Flow Investment Properties I read an interview with Warren Buffett the other day and it helped reconfirm the optimistic feelings that I've had. I know it's a challenging financial market out there and everyone wants to spell doom and gloom but this is one of the best times to take a step back, evaluate the situation, avoid the hype, and see what the experts are doing. One of my favorite quotes from Warren Buffett is: "Be Fearful when others are Greedy and be Greedy when others are Fearful" ~Warren Buffett Tell me that isn't relevant in this market and very relateable to the real estate market. Guess what Warren Buffett is doing? Following his own advice by investing $5 billion in Goldman Sachs on September 23 and $3 billion into GE ... 10/10/2008

Do you know what is in your credit report right now? As a businessperson you should always know, as your credit is a vital part of your company's viability and profitability vision.   It's as simple as this.  When you need to borrow money as a line of credit or for a loan, or even when you want to set up an application with a new vendor service, they are going to take a look at your credit record. If things aren't in place, and they feel you may not be as good as you should be in keeping up with your debts, they may decide they also can't trust you with their money or their equipment.   The simple way to make sure this doesn't happen to you is to make sure you are regularly checking your credit report and that everything is in good standing.   Here is what you should be looking for:   A... 10/07/2008

You've probably had the experience where you wish you knew mistakes you made before you made them. Well, I'm going to give you a way to do just that.  There are some things you can do to send your business down the path to doom. But, by knowing what those things are, you can avoid them and keep on the right road instead.   Not being in a Business Structure - Many individual business owners think they don't need to have their company become a business entity, since it's just them working.  But, one of the things they are not thinking about is the fact that in addition to sharing their personal passion with a business, if they do not structure the business as an entity, they are putting themselves in the tough spot of taking on personal liability for the business.  Remember when banks len... 10/07/2008

What do all these occupations have in common with October and a crack house? Yesterday about 30 of us met to tear down a house in Detroit. This is the third weekend for this house and the only one that I participated in. The first weekend (all volunteers) the took off the roof and top structure. Last week they collapsed the house This weekend we tore our the remaining sectons and disposed of everything that we could. They day started about 8:30 with strong men smashing and tearing out the house. Wish I had their strength and energy. My job was to get as much into organized piles for disposing. I know many of the workers from Motor City Connect    Read more blogs and find out about this organization For information on the Blight Busters click on the photo below.   View all my photos View... 10/05/2008

  How to Market on EBay plus Q & A on Press Releases, Blogs and Websites Free meeting open to public: Part one: How to Market on eBay   6:00 pm to 7:30 pm in The Campus Library Shante Moesly will talk on how to market on eBay   We are working on getting Ted Turner to Come to answer EBay questions also Shante is successful eBay marketer and will show you how to make money on EBay How sell all the great stuff you have in home that you don’t want How to figure the price on what you want to sell How to find products to sell on EBay How to set the price of product you want to sell on EBay Bring your questions and get them answered Part two: 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm  In the Campus Library Fred Cruz and Mark Maupin will answer questions on how to put your products and names at top Google, set up a b... 10/05/2008

A nice wood deck is a great improvement to your home.  Add some outdoor furniture and you have a nice place for company to gather for the outdoor barbeque or the family to sit and enjoy a nice evening.  When properly maintained it will withstand winters and last for many years.  Here are some tips to keep your deck in good condition for years to come.   Sweep away leaves and debris from between the deck boards.  Dirt and leaves build up and cause standing water to remain on top of the deck rather than draining through.  Proper ventilation is important to avoid moisture build up and damage to the wood.  Mildew can be very damaging and should be removed as soon as it appears.  Clean the deck thoroughly with a product specially designed for wood decks.  Weathered wood, rust spots, mold and... 10/05/2008

Lending Hard Money for Detroit Investment Properties What are your investment goals? A simple question but very important for what you do to accomplish your goals. While I believe that you should be working on long-term cash flow and holdings as well as short term cash, there are many people that only need one or the other. Investing in Detroit real estate gives you the opportunity to create excellent long-term wealth, cash flow, and tax benefits. The Detroit Investment Properties can, however, also be a great place to make short term chunks of cash. Flipping houses or turning them over quickly for resale is a challenging market to be in so we recommend another method. Providing hard money on Detroit Cash Flow Properties that you would like to own anyway is a great way to make a quick ... 10/02/2008

Renting a dumpster from a service that provides delivery and pick-up offers consumers multiple benefits such as a cleaner appearance on the job site, safety, simplicity, and cost efficiency. Consider a dumpster rental service for special one time projects, for long-term waste removal needs, and for ongoing construction issues.   Clean Appearance   Dumpster rentals provide a container for you to deposit garbage, removing it from sight. This keeps the property and worksite free from dangerous debris and adds to visual appeal by keeping ugly, unsightly waste from view. With a good service, you choose where you want your dumpster placed, so you control the visual aspect of your site. This method also keeps animals from spreading paper and food waste across the property and eliminates standa... 09/29/2008

While dumpsters are definitely useful and intended to aid in safety and cleanliness, they are also dangerous if used improperly. Injuries occur from contact with debris, improper lifting, entering the dumpster, and falling lids. When using an industrial garbage dumpster, it is necessary to use proper precautions. Here are some dumpster safety issues and tips:   Safety Concerns   Consumers must not take the following safety concerns lightly. Failure to consider such risks may result in serious injury and in some cases, death. Contact with debris and waste may cause bruises, cuts, scrapes, or broken bones and illness. Improper lifting might result in pulled or strained muscles and back or neck injuries. Falling lids may cause concussions, bruises, broken bones, and other severe injuries. ... 09/29/2008

I'M SITTING HERE WATCHING THE DEBATES.  AND HERE ARE MY THOUGHTS.   I'm from Detroit area.  For many years it has been racially divided.  Only in the last few years have many neighborhoods become racially mixed.  It is a good thing brought about many things including the sub-prime mess. Just like the sub-prime mess good things sometimes come out of bad things.  Just like this political mess we are in, something good is coming out of it.  We are going to have somebody other than a white man in the white house or as a vice president.  It is good for us as a nation. Whether it is Obama, McCain, Palin or Biden it is a great thing.  We are changing in the United States.  We aren't going to have a non- good- ole-boy person in Washington.  Whether we have a woman or a minority in Washington is... 09/26/2008

  No sales pitch! All meat! You leave knowing: how to set your own email, your own blog, how to write an article, how to do a press release, how get business out on the internet. Come have fun and learn at Wayne County Community College. Workshop starts at 10 am and ends 3 pm. For more information go to http://www.MegaEveningEvent.com   his workshop will show you how do all of  the following:     Set up a Free blog Set up Free web site How to put your self or your product to the top of Google, Yahoo and MSN using the following:     Article writing with Free article sites –top sites given to you How to find your key words for you business free How to repurpose your content free Writing press releases with Free press release sites- top sites given to you Posting to free blogs- top blog si... 09/26/2008

ActiveRain and Social Networking for Detroit Real Estate This blog was created for people outside of ActiveRain and for my outside blog but I'm sure I'll get a lot of good comments and tips from people within ActiveRain. Let me know what you think or what your tips are. I'll post some more tips on what I do as I receive more tips and comments. I know there are people with a lot of knowledge on how to maximize ActiveRain here! What is your presence on the Internet? Do you know that the majority of users looking for any service or product start with a search on the Internet? Out of those users most of them use Google and the rest are mostly compiled of searches on Yahoo and MSN Live. In fact, statistics for May 2008 show that Google had 68% of U.S. searches. Definitely something you want... 09/25/2008

Positive Thinking and the Olympics - Detroit Real Estate *** Read me first *** Alright, so you might think from reading below that the Olympics were still going and Phelps had not quite won his historic 8 gold medals. Well, that's because I actually wrote this after he had only won 3 or 4 medals and was going to post it on my blog until my computer crashed!!! I thought the blog had been lost and I was so upset that I blogged on something else. Just recently I came across a temporary file that had this saved blog... Who knew? I was going to change it to make it sound like I had written it today but I think it's much better when you read it and think from that point and time. Positive thinking. He had only won 3 or 4 gold medals at that time and he was not letting anyone tell him he coul... 09/24/2008

This blog topic is specifically written to entrepreneurs and business professionals. Graduating from high school the most common practice is to go to college...that is what we are suppose to do right? So what do your peers think and what do your parents say if you don't go to college and decide to go without? Many of the business greats don't go to college at all or simply drop out. Do you need to go to college in order to become a millionaire?Here is a simple rule of thumb...only seeking learning from those who make more money than you do. For example how much do college professors make a year? And how many years do they have out on the street doing business? Most professors are full time academia people and no real life experience and are really good at research - thats it.In my case ... 09/24/2008

Dumpster diving, while gaining popularity in US cities, poses a serious safety risk for participants and creates liability for property owners. Whether diving for food, electronics, furniture, or other miscellaneous items, entering a dumpster always creates a possibility for physical, personal, and health risks, not to mention the liability to the dumpster rental company.     Physical Safety  Garbage, by its very nature, is dangerous to those handling the discarded items. Entering a dumpster or sifting through rubbish is dangerous to physical safety. Leaning over the edge of open-top industrial dumpsters can cause cracked ribs and injuries to the head due to falling over the side. Dumpster contents may cause cuts, bruises, and other abrasions. Dumpsters are also loaded with germs and ba... 09/23/2008

Are you planning to move to a new home?  Maybe you've sold your home, but the home you're moving into isn't ready yet.  What do you do now?  First, you arrange for a self-storage garage, for which you generally pay a monthly fee in advance.  Now you need to visit a truck rental service to arrange for a truck, which also involves a large fee plus a deposit.  Some truck rental companies also charge by the mile, which really adds up, not to mention the price of gas.    So, you arrive at the truck rental place early in the morning to pick up your truck, just to find out that they do not have one available yet.  Or, you wait at the counter for the clerk to get off the phone and get started on the paperwork.  Yes, there is a procedure to go through before you get to drive away in the truck.  ... 09/22/2008