Ray Carman – Auctioneer

So here we are. The Holiday Season. It is no longer a distant thought in the future. It is here! So now we have to answer the question, “What do I do with my house during the Holidays?”

As with any question, there are a few answers, and only you can choose the one that fits you. Here are a few of the options:

1. Leave it on the market. There are some buyers who are still going to be looking right on through the holidays. What is important for you to know, is you need to stay ready for showings. Even with decorations up and parties to attend/host, you have to keep the house “showable” to be attractive to the potential buyer.

2. Leave it on the market with stipulations. This is where you can keep it on the market for people to see but shut off showings during the holiday weekends themselves. This will allow you to enjoy the holidays without interuption, but still keep you visible to potential buyers. ‘

3. Take it off the market and wait for Spring to return. This is an option many people take this time of year in order not to have to “fuss with it” while trying to relax and enjoy family and friends.

Any option is fine, you just have to choose the one that works for you!

Ray Carman

Well, if I had some choosing to do this weekend, I would probably make my way over to Pumping Station Road in Gallatin Tn. A liquidation auction of a Kitchen shop means wonderful opportunities to pick up some great power tools and materials at amazing discount prices. A perfect spot for some deals, and with the holidays around the corner, a great way to pick up some expensive gifts for dirt cheap. So visit Gene Carman Jr and the crew at 10 am Saturday.

For some other options in the Sumner Co area, see IsurfSumner.com’s latest article for this weeks auction sales.

Ray Carman

Here is the gut check time for Social Media and business in our world today, and the question, Are you game? As with anything else, Social Media has a dirty little secret, or so I think. It is true that it is very cost effective. For example, this website cost me around $1 a month to own. IT has not cost me much of anything to keep up or have it put out there. I have paid a few friends to do some things for me, and honestly, most of them have worked for free, or close to it. I have not sent any money to anyone to drive my Google ratings or anything of that sort. so, money wise, it has been VERY cost effective.

However, here is the dirty little secret part. IT TAKES TIME! And frankly, plenty of it. If you want to keep a site fresh and up to date, you have to have time involved. You have to put forth a personal effort to keep things changed and up to date. And, if you are like me, you have to do most of it in your off hours or while you are at home, eating into your family time. I know many times, I start a post, video, or updating a page ( like Upcoming Auctions), and I have a call come in, or appointment show up, and have to stop and take a break, and finish when I get home. Which means it cuts into family time.

But not only this site. We also have Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedN, Activerain, and others IF you want to get on top in this world of Social Media. The key SEEMS to be that you have a presence EVERYWHERE possible. And the truth is, yes, it doesn’t cost a-lot of money, but it does cost time. And for those of us who remember the first lesson in business class, “Time is Money.” So though it may not cost much monetarily out of your bank account, you really need to stop and think about how much it is costing you in time. Then, if you find yourself trapped into losing family time so you can keep up a social media presence, then you should, in my opinion, multiply your cost by a million times over. Cause money cannot replace family at ANY price.

So, how do we manage this beast of a Social Media presence without it “costing” so much? Here are a few things I have learned.

1. Be okay with just saying no. If you miss a few days posting or have to give Facebook up for a few days, you will be okay, and you might find yourself actually saying something worthwhile, aka, something the reader actually wants to hear instead of how great your last meal was.

2. Use your time wisely. Write a few blog post at one sitting and set them to publish at different dates. This can easily be done on just about any blog site and will free you up from always having to write a post when you really don’t ave the time.

3. Count the real cost before you begin. Facebook, blogs, and other social media sites have a “newnees” factor that is attractive for awhile, however, they can become addictive if you are not careful. Sit down and figure out how much you want to “spend” on Social Media, then only allow yourself to spend that much time using, updating, and harnessing Social Media.

4. Take the weekends off. I have started only updating on weekends if I am at an auction and I want people to know where we are. Otherwise, I have made the choice to “Just say No!” to anything other than Twitter via my blackberry on the weekends. And then, it is only if the girls or family is doing something or have said something, that I think the rest of my family will find amusing or helpful.

Social Media can be a huge benefit to your business. I have the real proof in several transactions over two years that have brought in several thousands of $$$$’s. But, I have also paid the HIGH cost at times in loss of family time and high stress levels in trying to keep the “beast” fed. So, if you find it has become overwhelming, take a break and reconsider your motives and goals, then proceed forward from there.

Ray Carman