Still a few days left for year end tax tips

These are some great tips posted by MyCorporation.com last month. They are absolutely worth a once over these last few banking days of 2013!

Experts Weigh In: End of the Year Business Tips for 2013
Posted on November 20, 2013 by Deborah Sweeney   

End of the Year Business Tips for 2013
Here at MyCorporation, we’re busy prepping for the end of the year and looking forward to what 2014 will bring for small businesses and entrepreneurs. But while our prep involves helping to file delayed filings or incorporating or forming LLCs for small businesses, we’re curious to see how other companies are closing out 2013. Today, we have 24 small business professionals giving us a look at what they’re working on for their brands and their biggest business tips on how to close out the end of the year!

1. “Make a resolution to focus on one social media platform. Social media is not going away and it’s time for small business to step up.”

- Lisa McTigue, Social Media Expert, LisaMcTigue.com

2. “We are making sure all inventory is in stock and organized, all marketing materials ready to go and short lead press releases being sent to appropriate parties. We look forward to a successful holiday season!”

- Sally Goodgold, Founder, WarmTradition.com

3. “At year end, I always check in with everyone who was interested to hire us during the year but didn’t. Many times companies find “use it or lose it funds” on the books at the end of the year and if you hit the timing right, they may just reopen the conversation where you left off before and have you invoice them in December to get the found money off the books. Then you can start the new year strong with motivated clients who will return your calls fast since they have already paid you!”

- See more at: http://blog.mycorporation.com/2013/11/experts-weigh-end-year-business-tips-2013/#sthash.kS0J58ed.dpuf

Experts Weigh In: End of the Year Business Tips for 2013

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Deborah Sweeney

• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 19
  inShare
• 
  
• Share

Here at MyCorporation, we’re busy prepping for the end of the year and looking forward to what 2014 will bring for small businesses and entrepreneurs. But while our prep involves helping to file delayed filings or incorporating or forming LLCs for small businesses, we’re curious to see how other companies are closing out 2013. Today, we have 24 small business professionals giving us a look at what they’re working on for their brands and their biggest business tips on how to close out the end of the year!
1. “Make a resolution to focus on one social media platform. Social media is not going away and it’s time for small business to step up.”
- Lisa McTigue, Social Media Expert, LisaMcTigue.com
2. “We are making sure all inventory is in stock and organized, all marketing materials ready to go and short lead press releases being sent to appropriate parties. We look forward to a successful holiday season!”
- Sally Goodgold, Founder, WarmTradition.com

3. “At year end, I always check in with everyone who was interested to hire us during the year but didn’t. Many times companies find “use it or lose it funds” on the books at the end of the year and if you hit the timing right, they may just reopen the conversation where you left off before and have you invoice them in December to get the found money off the books. Then you can start the new year strong with motivated clients who will return your calls fast since they have already paid you!”
- Paige Arnof-Fenn, Founder and CEO, Mavens & Moguls

4. “Owners with lots of income in 2013 (in the higher tax bracket) should try to pull in expenses from 2014 by negotiating a discount from their vendors – get the discount AND the tax savings. Put it on a short term cheap line of credit or 0% teaser credit card. If you have a low income and tax bracket in 2013, business owners should try to pull in revenue by offering a deal to their customers to pay next year early and their customers get the tax savings. Don’t just ask though, educate them.”

- See more at: http://blog.mycorporation.com/2013/11/experts-weigh-end-year-business-tips-2013/#sthash.kS0J58ed.dpuf

Experts Weigh In: End of the Year Business Tips for 2013

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Deborah Sweeney

• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 19
  inShare
• 
  
• Share

Here at MyCorporation, we’re busy prepping for the end of the year and looking forward to what 2014 will bring for small businesses and entrepreneurs. But while our prep involves helping to file delayed filings or incorporating or forming LLCs for small businesses, we’re curious to see how other companies are closing out 2013. Today, we have 24 small business professionals giving us a look at what they’re working on for their brands and their biggest business tips on how to close out the end of the year!
1. “Make a resolution to focus on one social media platform. Social media is not going away and it’s time for small business to step up.”
- Lisa McTigue, Social Media Expert, LisaMcTigue.com
2. “We are making sure all inventory is in stock and organized, all marketing materials ready to go and short lead press releases being sent to appropriate parties. We look forward to a successful holiday season!”
- Sally Goodgold, Founder, WarmTradition.com

3. “At year end, I always check in with everyone who was interested to hire us during the year but didn’t. Many times companies find “use it or lose it funds” on the books at the end of the year and if you hit the timing right, they may just reopen the conversation where you left off before and have you invoice them in December to get the found money off the books. Then you can start the new year strong with motivated clients who will return your calls fast since they have already paid you!”
- Paige Arnof-Fenn, Founder and CEO, Mavens & Moguls

4. “Owners with lots of income in 2013 (in the higher tax bracket) should try to pull in expenses from 2014 by negotiating a discount from their vendors – get the discount AND the tax savings. Put it on a short term cheap line of credit or 0% teaser credit card. If you have a low income and tax bracket in 2013, business owners should try to pull in revenue by offering a deal to their customers to pay next year early and their customers get the tax savings. Don’t just ask though, educate them.”

- See more at: http://blog.mycorporation.com/2013/11/experts-weigh-end-year-business-tips-2013/#sthash.kS0J58ed.dpuf

Experts Weigh In: End of the Year Business Tips for 2013

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Deborah Sweeney

• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 19
  inShare
• 
  
• Share

Here at MyCorporation, we’re busy prepping for the end of the year and looking forward to what 2014 will bring for small businesses and entrepreneurs. But while our prep involves helping to file delayed filings or incorporating or forming LLCs for small businesses, we’re curious to see how other companies are closing out 2013. Today, we have 24 small business professionals giving us a look at what they’re working on for their brands and their biggest business tips on how to close out the end of the year!
1. “Make a resolution to focus on one social media platform. Social media is not going away and it’s time for small business to step up.”
- Lisa McTigue, Social Media Expert, LisaMcTigue.com
2. “We are making sure all inventory is in stock and organized, all marketing materials ready to go and short lead press releases being sent to appropriate parties. We look forward to a successful holiday season!”
- Sally Goodgold, Founder, WarmTradition.com

3. “At year end, I always check in with everyone who was interested to hire us during the year but didn’t. Many times companies find “use it or lose it funds” on the books at the end of the year and if you hit the timing right, they may just reopen the conversation where you left off before and have you invoice them in December to get the found money off the books. Then you can start the new year strong with motivated clients who will return your calls fast since they have already paid you!”
- Paige Arnof-Fenn, Founder and CEO, Mavens & Moguls

4. “Owners with lots of income in 2013 (in the higher tax bracket) should try to pull in expenses from 2014 by negotiating a discount from their vendors – get the discount AND the tax savings. Put it on a short term cheap line of credit or 0% teaser credit card. If you have a low income and tax bracket in 2013, business owners should try to pull in revenue by offering a deal to their customers to pay next year early and their customers get the tax savings. Don’t just ask though, educate them.”

- See more at: http://blog.mycorporation.com/2013/11/experts-weigh-end-year-business-tips-2013/#sthash.kS0J58ed.dpuf

Seven Ways to Kill a Perfect Pitch

The pitch is a crucial time for small businesses. It's stressful, sometimes adrenaline fueled, sometimes smooth. Make sure YOURS is with these great tips from Entrepreneur.com

Why do great startups fail to get funding? Often, it’s not because of a business shortcoming or how the entrepreneur presents the company. A wrinkled shirt or a poorly received joke make subliminal impressions. Sometimes, a minor flaw can derail the most well-rehearsed pitch.

To avoid killing your pitch and your growing enterprise, make sure you’re not committing these seven fatal errors:

Not Making Eye Contact. Most entrepreneurs spend a lot of time rehearsing what they’re going to say but don’t actually look at investors when they say it. Make direct eye contact to project confidence, openness, and credibility. When do you stop looking? When the investor acknowledges your gaze.

Read more: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/230185#ixzz2mzoO6Tck

How to Balance Your Personal and Professional Presence Online

The following article is from Entrepreneur.com.  So many small business owners struggle over this. We wanted to pass along some great insight!

As Twitter has grown in influence as both a social platform and a communication channel for companies, I have recalibrated the way I interact with people there--and, by extension, any social network where I represent my brand. It has been a subtle shift, but an important one.

This was on my mind when a question came up at a marketing event where I spoke recently: How do you balance the personal and professional on social networks?

I advocated for a blending of the two. At its heart, that's the real opportunity of social media, isn't it? People do business with people--not faceless, soulless edifices. Don't you want your prospects and customers online to have an opportunity to get to know you, just as your contacts in real life do?

However, since that event, I've given the subtleties of the matter more thought. It's a delicate issue that needs to be handled deftly. So, what is the best way to balance these two sides of your online identity?

Read more: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/229376#ixzz2mzl5uXPh

12 Successful Entrepreneurs Share the Best Advice They Ever Got

From Entrepreneur.com-- some great advice to some of the current greats of business!

Being a successful entrepreneur frequently involves a series of missteps and mistakes before finally nailing the right idea or business. The difference, for many, between giving up and persisting through the toughest times can be getting advice from people who have done it before — and being smart enough to listen.
From investor Mark Cuban's dad telling him that there are no shortcuts to Lululemon founder Chip Wilson's realization that people actually enjoy helping others, we asked 12 successful entrepreneurs to share the best advice they ever got, discovering the lessons that stick with them to this day.

Follow the link here> http://www.entrepreneur.com/slideshow/230239#ixzz2mzluf7lQ

Small business advice to avoid the January slump

We all face the possibility of a December slump- so getting a jump on January is key. Thanks to CWA Studio for the wonderful tips from the U.K.:

It happens year after year.  Christmas, that is. It still comes on the same date every year and yet still manages to catch everyone off guard and distract small business owners. January is a difficult month for SME ’s.  Planning ahead for a potential decline in sales after Christmas is a smart way to secure a better start to January.  If you are an SME and are worried about the potential January slump, generating new enquiries and growing your client base is something you need to start planning now.
We’ve put together some helpful suggestions:

Existing Clients:
Now is an excellent time to talk to your existing clients/customers. For example, ask your clients what new products or services they would like your business to provide?  By communicating with your clients and addressing their needs you can forge a greater business relationship and become more valuable to them as a service provider.


Read the full article for all tips at: CWAStudio.com

Top 5 Tips for Dealing With Holidays in a Small Business

Thanks to SME Blogs for these reminders. While they meant "holidays" in the vacation sense- this info is solid at this time of year too. Whether your team will be shuffling religious holiday absences or vacation days... It's coming!

Top 5 Tips posts from the SME Blog are always full of hints and tips for small, home & micro business owners.

1. Don’t let it come as a shock to you when an employee is off on holiday. If you are unaware of their coming absence until the day they go away, there is most likely something wrong with your system.

2. Remember that ... a lot of your customers will also be away. Try to take the possible payment slump into account when planning ahead.

3. Always make sure that there is someone who is available who knows how (and is authorised) to perform specific tasks, such as making payments to suppliers.

4. Ask staff if they mind handing over access to their emails to someone else for the time they are away – this will help avoid nasty surprises or annoying your clients by not responding.

5. Train staff to be flexible in their job roles so that when someone goes away they can easily cover some of the work of the person on holiday.

Thanks SME Blogs for the reminders!!!!

Networking: Giving, Taking, and the Fine Balance of Both

Networking requires giving and taking to be mutually beneficial. It's common to see people who are more comfortable with either one aspect or the other, but good skills in both arenas are imperative for success.
"Giving" comes first or at least should. In building relationships, it's easier to break down barriers to trust, respect, and reciprocity by being the first one to extend help to a potential networking partner. "Giving" includes, but is not limited to:

1. The sharing of industry information that is helpful to the potential partner.
2. The sharing of resources and suppliers helpful to the partner.
3. The sharing of new technology with these partners.
4. The sharing of information about the potential partner's competitors.
5. After a level of comfort has been established based on your own business ethics and standards, the sharing of business leads.

At some point in time, you can reasonably expect some of the same type of help in return. You are entitled to get help, or the relationship isn't mutually-beneficial Many people find it uncomfortable to take the following steps when there is no information coming back to them after they have given more than their fair share.

What do you do when you aren't getting anything in return?

1. Make sure that you have made your needs clearly known. Is your 60-second introduction presentation precise enough? Have you asked for specific information that the potential partner would be likely to have access to and gotten no response?

2. Ask the potential partner WHY there has been nothing coming back from their side. This can be tough but doesn't have to be. I teach people to ask the following:
If there were something about my firm or me that would prevent you from feeling comfortable sharing information with me, would you tell me about it, or would you keep it to yourself?

This approach works MAGIC!

3. After exhausting the above options, it's time to walk away. Don't be discouraged. Start the process again and again and again. There are far more people looking to share than just to "take".For the very few people who are ONLY "takers", you can do nothing more than you have. The reality of it is- you are entitled to give and get. And any relationships that don't encompass both aspects, will never be mutually beneficial.

Networking Effectively Part 4: Connect, respect, and refer

To start with, let's look at some connection types:

Casual:
Casual networking can happen anywhere, any time, and for any reason. It is the sort of thing that is spontaneous, usually based on recommendations from friends, and is normally just a matter of being in the right place at the right time.

These types of referrals are based on personal feelings more than anything else. They are better than trying to run down new sales, but they are not normally the highest quality referrals. That will depend on the person you're dealing with, but overall, people think they're doing you a favor by simply sending you work. They forget to think about the payment end of things. Or just what a nuisance their brother-in-law can really be. These tend to be haphazard things that many people consider an extra, rather than a regular part of doing business. That's a mistake. If you can get to the point where you are selective about which jobs you accept this can be a lucrative source of extra business for you.

Directed/Personal:
Still on the seemingly casual side, this is a more deliberateform of networking. It involves being aware of the opportunities involved in making sure people know what you do and have the kind of thinking that will encourage them to send you business.The person who uses this type of networking is usually known for their contacts, but not in an overt way. They'll often be the ones you hear people talk about when they say "I don't know. Ask Chris. Chris usually knows who to go to..."

This is the person who has made the decision to take the first step and make the referrals to good businesses. They have learned to listen well and identify those businesses. And they treat others with respect and genuine concern for their well being.

Planned/ Personal:
This is the most profitable aspect of personal networking. It is also surprisingly easy to do. The idea here is to make sure that you have a conscious and active plan to make new contacts each week.Do things that get you out and around new groups of people. Make yourself accessible to them. And remember the basics. Keep in mind that your circle of acquaintances is not necessarily limited to the people you know now.

That last is an obvious statement, but it's one that people forget. If you make a real effort to be helpful or pleasant to people you don't know, they will likely return the favor, and will certainly be more receptive to getting to know you better. You know that already, but do you use that idea to widen your circle of contacts deliberately ?

What kinds of activities are the best for this ? Anything that will put you in a setting where you get a chance to talk with new people.

Some suggestions :

•Attending trade shows
•Taking adult education classes
•Frequenting new businesses
•Attending parties
•Attending charity functions
•Joining a gym/health club
•Joining community organizations
•Rotary/Kiwanis/Lions Clubs
•Going to different restaurants
•Chamber of Commerce meetings

While at these places, keep in mind that you have a purpose of your own in addition to participation in the groups activities. Meeting people who can help you to get more business. The way to do that is to help them get more business.

As you can see, there are an enormous number of ways to connect on a personal basis. The next post, we'll delve into the professional side of things!