I hope your week is going well and that you had a chance to figure out your “Why” after looking at Simon Sinek’s video last week.
Now that you know the reason why you are in business it’s time to get after it and accomplish goals within your business.
If you need a little help getting started check out a previous post I wrote about this topic.
Keep It Sunny!
I hope everyone had a great 4th of July holiday weekend. I had a great time celebrating it the Las Vegas Local style way which included a trip to the infamous Fremont street. What a wonderful display of Americana to view:)
And now as we get back in the saddle and begin moving and shaking within our business sometimes we can find ourselves in a rut. It can be difficult to remember why we are doing what we are doing. When I get in these tight places I like to refer to Simon Sinek’s Ted Talk on “Start With Why”.
Why is it that we are doing what we have chosen to do as a professional business owner?
If you are in need of a quick boost of energy in this area then I invite you to take a couple of minutes to take a listen and rediscover your WHY.
Keep IT Sunny!
Today is all about sacrifice and courage.
I want to take a moment to personally thank all the men and women who bravely serve in all branches of our military to protect our freedom. I also want to extend a warm thank you to all the families who sacrifice their love ones and their own lives toward helping us live a little bit more comfortable in this country. In the spirit of sacrifice and courage in the month of July we will take a deeper look at how other entrepreneurs started off with nothing and made their dreams come true. We all need a little bit of inspiration from time to time so that we can remember our “Why” in our own pursuits of creating a business that we love.
Keep IT Sunny!
June is just about over and in the history books. I hope it was a successful month for you and that you hit all of your business goals. July 4th weekend is upon us and it is time to have fun in the sun! I hope you take time to reflect on your business and life goals over the weekend so that you can be ready to start fresh next month. If you have some quiet time over the weekend take a peek at some of the blogs I wrote for the community this month and see if it will be helpful to you as you move ahead toward your business goals.
June Blog Posts
Welcome To The Month of June
How To Create More Peace In Your Business In 3 Simple Ways!
Keep It Sunny!
Are you easily distracted? Do you have a fear of missing out or F.O.M.O?
Well if so you are not alone.
According to an article on Stopad.io, A typical office worker cannot focus on a task at hand for more than 11 continuous minutes. The average student can’t focus on a given task for more than two minutes without becoming distracted. If you are a typical Internet user, your online screen focus lasts a mere 40 seconds on average. The worst part? No matter what task you are distracted from or what form the interruption takes, once distracted, your brain needs an average of 25 minutes to get back to the original task.
25 minutes!
Stop and give that last point some real thought.
There are so many causes of distraction such as technology, online advertising, meetings and the list can take on new levels for entrepreneurs.
First it helps to define what is the meaning of peace? According to Merriam-Webster, it means “A state of tranquility or quiet.” There are more definitions but this was the first one listed and it captures the meaning wonderfully. So what is the secret to getting some of this wonderful peace? It starts with creating a system to handle communication, and using time blocks to complete work.
Create A System To Handle Email Communication - Do you check your email first thing in the morning before you even get out of bed or have had your first cup of Joe? Or even worse do you respond to a business email over the weekend or after hours. That’s no good:) Try using Boomerang for Gmail or Gmelius and using the GTD methods to decide what approach you will take with managing your email communication. According to Medium,com, “the GTD methodology, allows you to think of every email you get as either something you need to take action on, track, or refer to later. Having only 3 possible types of actions simplifies processing email in bulk. Less is more.
Create A System To Handle Phone Calls From Clients or Vendors - Are you a one person show without a team to help you with taking calls and booking appointments? Well there is a way to make sure you don’t lose out on potential clients by playing phone tag. Try using services like Reliable Receptionist, Answering Innovations, Specialty Answering Service or more options here.
Using Time Blocks - There are a ton of methods and tools available to use for creating more space to work more productive. According to Ladders.com and time management expert Kevin Kruse, “Top performers organize their day through time blocks instead of to-do lists.” This is mind blowing! Schedule time to complete specific work tasks throughout your day. So for example, if you’re writing a blogpost for your website you could schedule 2 thirty minute blocks of time to write interrupted. The key is to make sure you shut off your phone and are in a place that is free from interruption. You can also use apps like Focus Booster, Rescue Time or any one of these apps. If you are looking for a little music to help you to stay focus try Focus At Will.
We live in a world filled with noise and distractions. It’s hard to remember a time when technology was not a part of our lives. As an entrepreneur it is crucial that we take time to practice self-care by using tools to create more peace in our businesses so that we can give our clients the very best we have to offer. What are your best tips for creating more peace in your business?
Keep IT Sunny!
Summer is in the air!
I love June and all the fun times that I know will be had with friends and family. It’s hard to believe that we are six months into 2019.
Are you on target to reach your business goals?
If not do not fret. This month I will take a deep dive into some resources that can help you achieve your goals like accountability groups such as masterminds and group coaching. I will also take a look at how using a business coach can help you propel your business to new heights.
Welcome to the month of June and I hope you take time to smell the roses and have lots of laughs.
Keep IT Sunny!
I can’t believe May is over already. It feels like it just got here and there it goes. :)
This month was filled with spending time with family and friends for Mother’s Day & Memorial Day. I hope you had time to slow down and reflect on your life and what is truly important to you. As the month of May winds down I hope you were able to get some of your to-do list items completed on your business list. If you didn’t have a chance to check out some of the blog posts that I wrote for you then feel free to check them out below:
How To Increase Profits & Lower The Taxable Income For Your Business
How To Change Your Business Success By Changing Your Mindset
Do You Have a Contingency Plan In Place For Your Business?
May is over and June is upon us. I am wishing you the very best towards getting your goals completed in the new month.
Keep It Sunny!
I will start off by saying that I am NOT a tax professional. I am just having a friendly conversation with you business owner to business owner.
:)
We all have one thing in common. We want to make money in our business doing the things that we love to do. Statistics show that not everyone is making money in their business and worse yet many small businesses go out of business within their first year of operations. “According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 20 percent of small businesses fail within their first year. By the end of their fifth year, roughly 50 percent of small businesses fail. After 10 years, the survival rate drops to approximately 35 percent.”
What is happened?
What is one of the common denominators that lead to the death of a business?
The most common issue that leads to small business failure is money woes. “Owners of failing companies are less in tune with how much revenue is generated by sales of products or services. This disconnect leads to funding shortfalls that quickly put a small business out of operation.”
Keep your books up to date. It can be easier said than done I know that’s what you are thinking. You are also probably thinking that your already so busy running your business that as long as you know what is in your checking account then that’s all you need. This is not the best way to manage your business operations. Yes, you can take a peek at your checking account to see how much money is available to pay bills or withdraw cash but it won’t give you the information below:
How much revenue did you bring in for the services or products you sold within a given time period?
Were there any fraudulent charges by a vendor?
Do you know which customer invoices are outstanding?
Do you know which vendor payables are outstanding?
Cashflow management
Budgeting
How much equity do you have currently within your business?
Are you making a profit?
Are you spending too much on unnecessary items?
The list could go on but you are getting the picture about how important it is to keep your books up to date.
Another great reason to keep your books up to date is to make sure you are taking the right deductions which can lower your taxable income. According to Inc.com and tax and business attorney Barbara Weltman, “"The tax law specifically requires certain records in order to take deductions," Weltman says. "Without these records, legitimate expenditures may not be deductible." Here is a short list of what is needed:
A system for tracking your income and expenses
A system for capturing receipts for purchases
A policy for certain types of record keeping such as mileage and car expenses
In short, by having a good bookkeeping process in place you will be able to pull your financial reports which will give you the overall health of your business. You will be able to see if you are profitable or not. Additionally, you will be able to take advantage of any deductions that are available and lower your taxable income. In short, just looking at your checking account won’t give you all the information you need to run your business effectively.
So are you currently using a system for bookkeeping or are you just winging it? Share your feedback in the comments below.
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Do you feel like you have all the tools that you need to deliver the best service or product to your customers but you are not seeing the results you want?
It could mean you need a paradigm shift.
What is a paradigm shift you might be asking? According to Merriam-Webster, “it’s an important change that happens when the usual way of thinking about or doing something is replaced by a new and different way.”
Do you need to change how you are doing things in your business? If your great business ideas are not getting the results you want then yes you do. Tony Robbins, the #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author, Entrepreneur and Philanthropist says that “So many people have great ideas, but ideas are not what make the world go around. Execution is what make the people go around.” Check out the podcast interview from Entrepreneur On Fire with John Lee Dumas and experience a paradigm shift that can change how you do business and help you achieve success.
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I recently spoke to a client when the topic of having a contingency plan in place for our businesses came up in the conversation.
He asked me if I had one and I paused then said no not yet but I am working on it.
I asked him the same question and he said the same thing.
As entrepreneurs that provide a personal service to our clients it can be challenging to have another person step in if an emergency strikes you personally or professionally. But it is essential that a contingency plan is created for each area of our businesses. I wrote about this topic in a previous blog post and feel that the suggestions are worth taking a look at. I will be reading it over and using some of the tips to create my own contingency plan. It will provide great peace of mind. A contingency plan is like having insurance in place in case of an emergency. It isn’t a matter of if it will happen to you but when it happens to you and how you are going to best prepared.
What about you? Do you have a contingency plan in place for your business? Share in the comments below.
Keep It Sunny !
I love this month because it kicks off the summer season and it is full of fun celebrations like Mother’s Day and Memorial Day which are good times to reconnect with friends and family. I have been trying very hard to live my life more intentional so that I can accomplish more in my business and personal life. One of those things that I have been focused on is maintaining a healthy lifestyle by eating more veggies and inserting yoga into my exercise plan. A little bit goes a long way and I believe in taking baby steps. The first baby step is eating by the season and month. According to wisebread.com the following veggies are in season this month:
zucchini
okra
rhubarb
artichokes
asparagus
spring peas
broccoli
lettuce
Grab a friend or just go solo to your favorite local farmers market and pick your own veggies while getting some great cardio in:)
The beginning of the month brings a clean slate to set new goals and redefine how you want to run your business and your life.
What is your favorite thing to do in the month of May?
Keep IT Sunny!!
April is pretty much in the record books.
Did you accomplish the goals you set for yourself & your business?
If not there is still time to do so. I know your busy but the blogs that I wrote this month just might be the catalyst to help you reach your goals. Check them out below and have a wonderful day! Happy Reading:)
How To Choose The Right Tax Professional For Your Business Needs - click here
How To Plan For Tax Time For Next Year - click here
Are You Burning The Candle At Both Ends? - you know you are:) click here
KEEP IT SUNNY!
Now that tax time is over it is time to breathe in and out:)
It’s also time to take a pulse check to see if you are still on course for reaching your goals in your business?
If you need a little motivation check out a previous post I wrote about this very topic.
I also want to invite you to go have some fun. All work and no play well we all know how that story ends…lol
If you need a little motivation in this area check out what I wrote about this a few blog posts ago.
Keep It Sunny!
We are here my fellow entrepreneurs. It is tax time and if you owe this year I am sure you are wearing a sad face.
BUT it is never too late to plan for next year. Here is a short list to help you get started:
Get Your A team together - This includes a CPA, a bookkeeper and a financial advisor
Create a System to keep up with your receipts - I like Google Drive, Dropbox and Expensify
Keep your books up to date - This goes back to #1
Set Up a SEP IRA - This is a retirement account for self-employed entrepreneurs
Make sure you have the right business structure - This also goes back to #1:)
Plan Write Offs - If you want to make a major purchase you should work with your CPA beforehand to make sure you can write it off
Pay Your Estimated Tax Payments - This is on a quarterly basis to ensure you don’t get hit with a big tax bill.
A little planning goes a long way. Although you might owe this year if you take the time to plan ahead you can beat the tax man next year and truly create more Peace in your business.
Keep it Sunny!
You are working so hard in your business to provide services to your clients that make them feel better. One day you take a break to work on your business. You are looking at your finances and begin to cringe because you know that your books are not up to date and the tax deadline to file your taxes has come and gone. So you ignore it and go back to doing what you love which is providing the best health and wellness services to your clients. You know you need to connect with a tax professional but the thought of it makes you feel anxious and overwhelmed. You also hate accounting and anything to do with the word taxes.
Does this sound like you?
If it does then you are not alone. According to a survey done on small business owners, “60% of small business owners feel they aren’t knowledgeable about accounting or finance, and 52% of small businesses owners feel they pay too much in taxes.”
There are a myriad of ways you can gain access to a tax professional such as getting referrals from friends and fellow entrepreneurs. My favorite tool to use for finding tax professionals and other types of professionals that I might need is to use Dave Ramsey’s ELP program. According to his site, “Endorsed Local Providers (ELP) is a nationwide service that helps you find local experts you can trust. The certified professionals that are recommended are in excellent standing in their industry and provide top-notch customer service.”
So there you have it!
I hope you find the right professional for your business and your personality. They should make you feel enlightened and welcomed. Let me know how it goes and happy hunting!
Keep It Sunny!!
Can you believe that the end of the month is here?
It feels like March just got here and now it is pretty much over. I hope you had a productive month and got some of your goals crossed off your list. I have been working on professional development training and using Trello to help me stay on track with my goals. If you were busy going after those goals and missed some of the blog posts I wrote for you take a peek below. The theme for March was how we can share what we do more with others by providing value first. The posts included topics like providing amazing value to your clients, giving away your services for free and the arrival of spring.
When your day has slowed down and you’re in the middle of sipping on some delicious calming tea binge read some valuable tips to help you move towards your goals.
Keep It Sunny!
I love Spring!
It’s a great time to start fresh and to have new beginnings.
It’s also a great time to do some spring cleaning. Do you need to clear some clutter out of your business? Do you have a to-do list for your to-do list and feel like you can’t get things done within your business. Well now is a good time to take stock on areas you want to change in your business and get moving. Do you need a little push? Try working with a coach that can help you push the restart button in your business. Check out Dan Miller’s resources on finding a coach and happy Spring cleaning.
Are you going to do some spring cleaning in your business? Tell me one small step you are going to take towards getting things done in your business.
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The idea of “giving away” free services might sound crazy. You might be thinking why would I do that? Well what if it was framed more like “adding value?” Now that is a term that feels good to the soul and is often used in entrepreneurship circles. I was listening to one of my new favorite podcasts, Small Business Boss and the topic included how to add value. The discussion was about using strategies that don’t scale and how adding value to your niche clientele can help you sale your services to them at a later time.
A Later Time
I hope that last point didn’t bum you out:(
But it all goes back to what is the tried and true buyers mantra; people like to buy from businesses/people that they know like and trust. This all goes back to building rapport. It allows people to get to know you so that when it is time for them to need a service that you might offer then they will reach out to you.
Slow and Steady Wins The Race
Yes, it is true that Rome wasn’t built in a day and the only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.
Cliche’s perhaps but very valid and true.
So to go back to the initial question of can you make money by giving away free services?
Yes you can but not over night and only to your core group of niche clientele who you seek out to add value to their businesses/life by sharing your talents and offerings in an authentic helpful way.
Next week I will share some helpful tips on how to do this.
Do you have current service offerings that you previously gave away for free? What did you learn from that experience? Share with the community so we can all learn together.
Keep It Sunny!
We all know what it is like to receive great customer service and have a great customer experience.
It might look something like this:
You arrive at a new restaurant that you have heard a lot about and are feeling pretty lucky that you got a reservation because they fill up so quickly. The host seats you and your guest and lets you know the waiter will be with you momentarily. The waiter shows up quickly and with a smile on their face ready to offer you menus and take your drink, and appetizer requests. Once you receive your drinks and appetizers the waiter gives you time to enjoy the ambiance, the drinks and appetizers. He returns to take your main course order and like magic your food comes out quick, hot and delicious. Finally you finish your dining experience with dessert and enjoying more of the ambiance. The waiter asks if he can get you anything else and later brings you the check. You don’t even care about the amount and are happy to leave a big tip because you felt special and appreciated at each step along your dining experience.
That is an example of delivering value.
According to the Oxford dictionary, value is “the importance, worth, or usefulness of something.” And Merriam-Webster dictionary describes value as, “A fair return or equivalent in goods, services, or money for something exchanged.”
Is Value Subjective?
Yes, in my opinion it is. But I think we can all agree if you go to a nice 4 star rated restaurant vs. McDonald’s that the expectation is that you will get more for your money at the 4 star rated restaurant. The key word is expectation. If you just give people what they expect then that’s okay BUT if you go beyond what they expect then you can provide them with amazing value. In my opinion, this is something that you can’t buy it is intrinsic, genuine value that makes the other person feel special. In order for it to work it has to be authentic and not rehearsed or fake. It could be described as your competitive advantage.
What do you do different that makes your business different then others?
A great example of this is Zappos.com. They are known for delivering happiness through providing a WOW customer service experience. Here are some ideas on how you can provide amazing value to your clients:
Seek to become an expert on what your clients 3 main pain points are and integrate them into your services.
Surprise them with thank you gifts for choosing your company to do business with.
Create services and packages that are all-inclusive and a win/win solution.
Deliver a white-glove concierge experience every-time.
Use social media to stay connected and share useful tips or answer questions from followers.
Build a community for them through online or in person events so that they can have shared experiences with others.
The bottom-line is that the more you can make your clients feel special and valued in an authentic way the more clients will beat a path to your door.
What are some ideas that you have tried in the past to create more amazing value to your clients?
Keep It Sunny!
Hey There Awesome Entrepreneurs!
The month is over and I hope you crushed your goals for the month and learned something new to help grow your business. I have decided that each month that I would provide a round-up of the month’s blogpost for you because I know you are busy and might not have had a chance to check out what I wrote for you.:)
This month’s themes were about finding the love again for your business by remembering your purpose and networking.
As we walk into March and the lovely spring season we will talk about how we can share what we do more with others by providing value first.
Happy Binge Reading!
Keep It Sunny!!
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