Some people are able to live and function well in the middle of chaos. But, not many! If you are having trouble with starting or maintaining a home based business, it may be discipline’s twin sister, organization, which you are needing. These two subjects are closely related and even overlap at times. Here are some everyday pointers to help you.

dodge tracy Countless hours of intense research will often lead you to buried treasures that have been lost for centuries. It’s a profession that is truly hit or miss. The majority of the time you will come up empty handed, but when you do find the lost treasures of long departed pirates you will be more than pleased with yourself.

1) Create a schedule, not just mentally, but on paper. Write out a weekly schedule of what you are going to do; then create a written schedule for each day’s activities. This will help discipline you to do what needs to be done, and it will help clarify the items in your mind.

A great alternative is the junkyard. Often when a car is totaled and sent to the junkyard, the spare tire is intact. Many have never even been used. So how do you find a great match there?

When rehabbing, of course, keep all your receipts for tax and file purposes. For the big stuff, take back what you don’t need and get a store credit or get your cash back when you’re done. But keep the little stuff. You’re bound to have tons of miscellaneous leftovers like nails, screws, bags of sand, concrete mix, tubes of spackling, a pallet or two of roofing shingles, tile pieces, felt, sheetrock, mud, tape, etc. Just find a nifty corner in your garage or basement for this stuff. If you’re in this business for the long haul, you’ll use it again.

One more thing … try to be original. Yes, I’m sure you really do like the outdoors and want to meet someone who looks good in a tux and in jeans, but so does everyone else! Tell us some things about yourself that wouldn’t necessarily come out in an elevator conversation with your tax accountant. For example, what are you passionate about? What would you do if no longer had to work for a living? What’s your favorite flavor of gelato? Do you secretly wish everyday was sampling day at the grocery store? … now it’ getting interesting!

By putting in a little extra effort you can make a little more cash. What used car dealers and car salvage companies do is to farm used and salvaged cars for parts. It is normally repaired and sold for a profit, or your car will be dismantled and the good parts be used to spruce up other cars that have damaged or defective parts. So why not do the deed yourself and make a little more cash with a little effort. Get a mechanic to check the car for parts and get an estimate of the value of the parts based on the condition.

Some people get confused between a salvage yard and a recycling yard. There is a similarity here, but most people find there are more advantages with going to a salvage yard. It depends on the part that you want for your car because that will often determine where you go. Cars are totally destroyed at a salvage yard and people can then retrieve what is left. This is of course at your own risk. The parts here are also less expensive. Cars at a salvage yard are not categorized or stripped. A recycled yard stocks cars and parts which are more in a reconditioned state.

Know what you need to get the part off and take those tools. Take some extra tools, too, so you can take off anything that has to come off to get to your part. You just never know. You can carry your tool box or bag around with you. They don’t care.