Auctions are those events where properties or goods are sold to the highest bidder. Auctions are mostly public events, where bidders make a series of bids and purchase a particular item for a high price. During auctions, bidders decide the price of an item rather than the seller. It depends on bidders to decide the amount they would want to pay for a specific item. During an auction, a bid is a proof of a legal binding. Bidders agree to pay the amount that they have bid. In a high profile auction, bidders may have to pay a deposit in escrow accounts or give a proof that they can pay for those items.

Types of Auctions:

Different types of auctions take place around the world. Below mentioned are some types of auctions:

1. English auction:
This is a basic type of auction. In this type, people can see the item and then start bidding. Bidders slowly raise the value of their bid until everyone gives up. The highest bidder is the winner. An auctioneer manages an auction, keeps records of the on going bid and decides the winner. Sometimes, the seller will quote a minimum amount for an item to the auctioneer, below which the auctioneer cannot sell that item.

2. Dutch auction:
In this type, the auctioneer sets a particular price and then gradually lowers the price. People in public will start bidding and later decide which prices are suitable for the item. A seller may use this type of auction to sell large quantities of same products to the public. For instance, a seller may want to sell a large amount of hay and will thus, decide to sell this hay to people for the same amount, once a reasonable price is decided.

3. Silent auction:
In this type, the bidders in public will present their bids in a sealed format. These sealed bids open at the same time and bidder with the highest bid wins. There could be a modification in this type of auction. The bidders are allotted a specific period to bid. They can roam in a room displaying the items, and write their bids on an associated sheet of paper. The bidders are allowed to see bids of other bidders and can choose a higher price for an item. At the end of the allotted time, bidder with the highest bid is the winner.

Examples of Auctions:

Auctions can be of two types either public or private. Sellers may trade any kind of items in both types of auctions. Some areas where auctions take place are:

1. Antique auction: An antique auction consists of a trade opportunity as well as provides entertainment.

2. Collectable auction: In a collectable auction, the seller may put up collectables like coins, vintage cars, luxury, stamps, real estate, and luxury for sale.

3. Wine auction: In wine auction, bidders can bid for rare wine, which may not be available in retail wine shops.

4. Horse auction: Bidders can bid for young horses of the best breed.

5. Livestock auction: In livestock auction, bidders can buy pigs, sheep, cattle, and other livestock.

The other examples of auctions may not be public. These auctions are for bidders from corporate levels. Some examples of private auctions are:

1. Timber auction
2. Spectrum auction
3. Electricity auction
4. Debit auction
5. Environmental auction
6. Auto auction
7. Electronic market auction
8. Sales of business auction

Bidders in an auction need to examine the items displayed and decide an appropriate price for an item. Thus, auctions help buyers in getting the best deals and in gaining better profits for sellers.

The Small Business IT consulting community is a dynamic and exciting community to be active in at this time. Many different opportunities are gaining some serious momentum in this underserved marketplace in Canada. The Small Business marketplace will be the fastest-growing segment in the information technology market. Currently, approximately 97% of the businesses in Canada have five hundred employees or less, which equates to a fantastic market to specialize in.Microsoft launched their Small Business Specialist program in the summer of 2005 at their annual partner conference. Since that time, a number of information technology consulting firms have taken advantage of this program to commence their consulting practice. The Small Business Specialist program is designed to promote Microsoft’s offerings to small business. It establishes SBSC members as leaders in the small business IT consulting marketplace that has been thrust into the spotlight for growth potential.The Small Business Specialist program serves as a best resource for IT professionals to access information, promotions, partnership opportunities and assistance to service a small business oriented client base. Groups have emerged on international, national and regional levels that assist the small business specialist in obtaining not only technical but also important business assistance. In addition, each year SMB Nation brings together the small business consulting community to network, learn, share and play.The small business consulting community has grown out of the leadership of corporations like Microsoft, SonicWALL, and Symantec. It has also grown because of people like Harry Brelsford of SMB Nation and several other leaders in the community. Their leadership has provided Small Business Specialists with additional resources to sharpen their craft long before the official launch of programs from corporations like Microsoft.The SMB community is open to sharing experiences, ideas, concepts and best practices so that emerging IT companies can seek knowledge to develop and grow. “I like focusing on a market segment where I can really get to know my clients and have a direct, tangible impact on their businesses,” claims Jeff Anderson, General Manager of Red Deer’s Bulletproof Networks, the city’s leading Small Business Specialist. Business development, however, is often overlooked by those text book technicians who have decided to start their own businesses. Learning from others in the SBSC community allows the small business consultants like Jeff to learn two or three markets and become the expert specialist in that field in order to have the potential to gain new business clients.New service offerings are demanding small business consultants start planning now on how to bring them to their client base. Clients today are in search of options that are evolving and they must be presented in a manner and language that they understand. Managed services, remote monitoring, software and hardware as services are starting to gain some traction in the market and as a new offering they need to be available from their SMB consultant. Small businesses want a company that they can trust. “When you and your peers are representative of 97% of the Canadian marketplace, it makes sense to be working with the very businesses that share the same concerns and deal with the same issues you do. Who better to give them the right tools to succeed?” states Elisabeth Vandervelt of Conamex International, an award winning Microsoft Small Business Specialist in Montreal.Today’s small businesses need innovative solutions to keep them competitive in the fast paced, on-demand, we-needed-it-yesterday and downtime-is-not-an-option environment we call today’s business world. SBSC members have the luxury and the ability to have direct interaction with decision makers therefore sales cycles are generally shorter while the demand for services has never been higher.Another luxury in the small business community is the ability to share work with each other across regional, national and international boundaries. Many firms are partnering locally to provide a one stop shop for their clients who need a specialized service or coverage in other locations where their clients may have a remote user or branch office. Partnering in the SBSC community is critical to the success of the small business consultant’s business since it gives small firms the reach and abilities of a much larger IT company and can be the their advantage over their competition in today’s marketplace.The Small Business Specialist can rest assured that they have the pride and recognition of a job well done combined with a community to back them up. All of these positive aspects provide an overwhelming sense of accomplishment for participants in the SBSC program.I reflect back to when my youngest son was in Beavers and their leaders consistently reminded them of the Beaver motto, the same motto that is the cornerstone of the SBSC community and all other small business consulting groups: Sharing, Sharing, Sharing! Share your successes with others; help others who are struggling; and share of yourself to make our community strong.

What makes an opportunity P.E.R.F.E.C.T.? There are 7 key requirements for a home business to qualify as being “PERFECT”. Each letter in the word PERFECT stands for one of the 7 keys. In the first three articles in this series, we learned that the “P” in PERFECT stands for “Profitable”, that the first “E” in PERFECT means “Easy”, and that the “R” stands for “Real”.Key Number Four-The “F” in PERFECT stands for “Fits With Your Desired Lifestyle”. What lifestyle do you want to live? Many people who want to start a home business want “FREEDOM”. Freedom to do what they want, where they want, and when they want. Don’t start a business that fights head on with the lifestyle you desire. A PERFECT home based business will not only fit with your dream lifestyle, it will even help you achieve that lifestyle.”Fits With Your Desired Lifestyle” means:•Something that you love or are passionate about. Too many people do work they hate, just to make a living. You’ll have a much happier lifestyle if the core products and activities of your home business mesh with something you have a passion for and love. There’s that passion thing again:-).•Leverages your creativity. A PERFECT home based business allows you to do something once and get paid over and over again for the initial effort. Don’t exchange one hour of your time for one hour’s pay (don’t be a wage slave like just about everybody else).•Can be operated from anywhere in the world and from home. No more long commutes. Hey, my commute is 30 seconds…from my bedroom to my home office. Decide where you want to live and then work from there. All you need is electricity, a phone line or cell phone network, a computer and an internet connection.•No employees are required (but you could and should use independent contractors, or outsource some of the work). Avoid all the hassle of having employees. A PERFECT home based business can be run by just you, or you and your spouse if you would like.•Helps a lot of people. If this is not part of your desired lifestyle, it should be, because the more people you help, the more money you will make.•Time required to build the business to an acceptable profit potential is not long (less than 6 months desired).Who wants to work on their business for two or three years before it becomes profitable? Most people couldn’t afford to do that. Yes, it might take a year or more for your business to reach its full potential. But, there are tricks of the trade that can make it much more likely you will see an exciting level of profit within 6 months (you will not “get rich quick”; sorry, but that is reality…don’t quit your day job quite yet).•Low initial investment required (less than $1,000 preferred). Many people don’t have the $5,000, or $25,000, or more needed to start some home based businesses. There’s no need to sell your firstborn or mortgage your house to get your business started.•Product(s) that you have control of (you are the gate keeper, which means you created the product, or have the exclusive right to market it). If you control the product, you can build a sales force of hundreds or thousands of affiliates that will grow your business for you even while you’re on vacation. They will market your product for you for a share of the profits.Even if you don’t yet have your own product, you can get started quickly by selling other people’s products as an affiliate for them. But, it is still best to eventually create your own products.•Enables you to earn enough money to become financially free. Decide for yourself how much you need to be “financially free”. Whether that’s an extra $500 or $1,000 a month, or $100,000 per year or more, your business needs to have the potential to earn that.•Enables you to have free time because it requires less than 20 hours per week after the initial set up period. Spend your free time with your family, on your favorite activities, or use it to start and build another business.•The business is aligned with how I understand God would want it to be. This is a personal requirement for my business and lifestyle. It means that my business must provide real value, must benefit people, and must be legal, ethical and honest. If you make sure your home based business does this as well, whatever your views about God, you will be miles ahead of all the scams and quick buck artists that are all too common.It’s all starting to come together now. A PERFECT Home Based Business must FIT WITH YOUR DESIRED LIFESTYLE. And, it must be PROFITABLE, EASY, and REAL. Still with me? Good. More to come in the rest of this article series.Read the other articles in this series, or Click Here For Your Free Report: Discover The PERFECT Home Business.