For many years, companies have bought and sold instrumentation and machinery using generalist auction houses and equipment dealers. Today, as more and more businesses look to proactively manage surplus or idle equipment, specialists like EquipNet - with added-value services that help clients get the maximum return on investment - have focused their expertise on the auction process.

The Better Auctions Resource Centre, hosted at www.equipnet.com/better-auctions, offers sellers information and resources to help choose the right auction for them. Through their proven global network, EquipNet's highly experienced team provide clients with a variety of auction formats, each tailored to suit the seller's circumstances.

 EquipNet offers the following auction formats:

• SmartAuctions Online Auctions
  EquipNet's SmartAuctions offer the convenience, efficiency, and reach of online auctions but with the ability to adjust reserve prices during the event (as and when the seller gains more information). SmartAuctions provide sellers with unprecedented control and demonstrably higher returns.
• Live/Webcast Auctions
  EquipNet's Webcast Auctions broadcast a live auctioneer to a global audience via the Internet. Some circumstances demand the skill and adaptability that only a live auctioneer can provide. Webcast Auctions offer the best of both worlds, combining the control and flexibility of a live auction with the efficiency and global reach of an online event.
• FirstBid Auction
  EquipNet's FirstBid gradually reduces prices from the top down, instead of the bottom-up, with the first bidder winning the lot. This format produces higher prices in circumstances where different buyers place widely different values on the equipment.
• Sealed Bid Sale
  EquipNet's Sealed Bid Sales enables buyers to submit a single, hidden bid before an advertised deadline. The seller reviews the bids in private and has complete control and discretion over which bid, if any, to accept. Sealed bids are useful in circumstances where the seller needs to maintain greater control over price, terms or buyer selection. They are also helpful for the sale of high-value items that show fluctuating market demand.
• Private Treaty Sale
  EquipNet's Private Treaty Sales market a set of assets for negotiated sale, usually with a fixed target sale date. Some assets are better sold through a negotiated sale process in which the seller maintains complete control over the terms and price of sale. EquipNet's Private Treaty sales provide the efficiency and global marketing reach of an auction, while still allowing sellers full control over the sale.
• Auction Plus
  EquipNet's Auction Plus combines the efficiency of EquipNet Auctions with the power of EquipNet's MarketPlace. Auction Plus sales achieve significantly higher returns than do pure auction scenarios, while still ensuring all assets are cleared according to the auction timeline. Each Auction Plus plan is tailored to a client's specific situation; please contact EquipNet for additional details.

For further details, download a free eBook: '7 Secrets of a Successful Auction' www.equipnet.com/better-auctions