Blog | But Are You Making Any Money?

5 Ways to Fatten Your Bottom Line!

Posted on 10 25, 2011

Okay, so… Many of us wake up in the middle of our business feeling hopeless and maybe even a little bit foolish. We realize that we are far from accomplishing our goals laid out in our business plan and dreams. We began with a passion and got lost along the way. Believe me, I know where you are coming from. I have been there, I have done that, and I almost keeled over because of it. After much trial and error, I came up with ways to fatten up your bottom line and get money in the door when needed.

#1 Start collecting email addresses, make a list, and get in contact with them!

It sounds simple, but many people neglect to do this and pay dearly for it. Make some time this week to sign up for something like Constant Contact or MyEmma and send out an ezine to all of your email addresses. You won’t believe the difference that it will make in your business.

#2 Make a list of all of your past clients, vendors who could refer you business and potential clients.

Pick up that phone and start dialing for dollars. Call all of your past clients and update your database. There is no time better than now!

#3 Come up with a treat. Partner up with another vendor and send out gifts.

You would be very surprised at how many vendors are actually elated to partner up with you on gifts. It gets their name out there and lessens the load when it comes to advertising. They also become introduced to a whole new set of peeps!

#4 Get Online! Start Blogging and using Social Media.

There’s no denying that social media is here to stay. If you haven’t already started a blog and incorporated social media into your set of tools, it’s time to get started. You need to take advantage of every single form of communication you can find to get your message out there.

#5 Have fun with it!

Getting back in touch with old contacts should be enjoyable. Using your right brain to create things like blogs and social media posts can also be a great break from the norm. It truly should be fun!

10 Rules to Increase Your Productivity

Posted on 01 27, 2012

As we near the second month of the new year, some of us are slipping away from those resolutions that seemed so exciting just four weeks ago. Here are 10 tips on increasing your productivity from stevepavlina.com. Don’t lose steam yet people!

Continuum. At the end of your workday, identify the first task you’ll work on the next day, and set out the materials in advance. The next day begin working on that task immediately.
Slice and dice. Break complex projects into smaller, well-defined tasks. Focus on completing just one of those tasks.
Single-handling. Once you begin a task, stick with it until it’s 100% complete. Don’t switch tasks in the middle. When distractions come up, jot them down to be dealt with later.
Randomize. Pick a totally random piece of a larger project, and complete it. Pay one random bill. Make one phone call. Write page 42 of your book.
Insanely bad. Defeat perfectionism by completing your task in an intentionally terrible fashion, knowing you need never share the results with anyone. Write a blog post about the taste of salt, design a hideously dysfunctional web site, or create a business plan that guarantees a first-year bankruptcy. With a truly horrendous first draft, there’s nowhere to go but up.
30 days. Identify a new habit you’d like to form, and commit to sticking with it for just 30 days. A temporary commitment is much easier to keep than a permanent one. See 30 Days to Success for details.
Delegate. Convince someone else to do it for you.
Cross-pollination. Sign up for martial arts, start a blog, or join an improv group. You’ll often encounter ideas in one field that can boost your performance in another.
Intuition. Go with your gut instinct. It’s probably right.
Optimization. Identify the processes you use most often, and write them down step-by-step. Refactor them on paper for greater efficiency. Then implement and test your improved processes. Sometimes we just can’t see what’s right in front of us until we examine it under a microscope.

14 FREE Time Management Tools and Apps…We All Need Them!

Posted on 01 27, 2012

Here is a list of cool tools from dumblittleman.com that can help you manage your time effectively and become more productive in your work. Who doesn’t need something like that?

Since I am a big fan of tools which are operating system independent, you will find that most of these tools are browser-based and can work on any computer whether it is Windows, Mac or Linux.

By the way, since I am also a fan of saving money, you will also notice that all of these tools are free!

Photo by fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net

Launchy
Launchy is a tool for Windows users and as the name indicates, it helps launch files, folders, and programs in a single keystroke instead of searching through the start menu or file manager. A huge timesaver.

Quicksilver
Quicksilver is an awesome Mac-based tool which is like an advanced version of Launchy. Apart from helping Mac users in launching apps, it also helps in tasks like running scripts, sending email , etc.

Hyperwords
Hyperwords is a Firefox add-on and based on my personal experience, I can say that it is immensely useful. Take a peak at the image to the right. Essentially, you highlight a word and right click to a world of new options. I highly recommend it.

Autohotkey / Memokeys
Autohotkey is the Windows counterpart of Quicksilver. It helps you in automating repetitive tasks and assigning shortcut keys to them. Memokeys is similar, probably easier to use.

Google Calendar
Like all Google tools, Google Calendar is a very simple but very effective calendar app which has a huge number of features to help you remember important dates, create schedules and synchronize them across multiple devices.

RescueTime
RescueTime is a comprehensive web-based time management app. After an install, it gives you an amazing analysis of the time you spend on your computer everyday. It works in the background so it’s not reliant on you entering any data. You just need to install their app and it does the rest. See the image on the right for a sample of the output.

WakeupOnStandby
WakeupOnStandby can wake up your system from stand-by or hibernation mode and automatically perform scheduled tasks like running a program or a process. It is Windows only.

NowDoThis
Remember I talked about making your to-do list doable and keeping certain important tasks first in the list ? NowDoThis, which is a super-simple to-do list app will help you do just the same. And yes, it’s the quickest too.

Checkvist
Checkvist is a task list manager which I have recently started using. It is extremely simple and there are two great things about it : It supports hierarchical lists and it has some cool keyboard shortcuts which let you edit tasks in a snap.

Evernote
Evernote is probably the best note-taking app. So how does it help in time management ? Well, first it works online, on Windows & Mac and on your cellphone too. It lets you quickly capture things like web clips, images, audio and share them. Also your notes are always synchronized across multiple devices. Hence it saves you more time then any other such app.

Lastpass
Lastpass is certainly my favorite password manager in the list of password managers I talked about sometime back. It is browser based, easy-to-use, feature rich and helps in generating passwords and filling forms quickly and easily.

Toggl
Toggl is a simple and very useful time tracking tool which lets you track and analyze the time you spend while working on different projects.

Mind42
Mind42 is a the best free mindmap tool and helps you to organize tasks and get a better view of what and how things need to be done. Most of the other good mindmap tools have limited free versions except for this one.

Workrave
Remember I talked about taking time out and it’s importance in the overall time management ? Workrave is a tool which helps you do just the same. It alerts you to take time outs and relax….and enjoy life.

Cheers,

Abhijeet

Written by Abhijeet Mukherjee. Abhijeet is an internet entrepreneur who loves writing about tech, productivity, blogging & making money online. Catch him at Jeet Blog

Where Federal Taxes Stand for Small Business Owners in 2012

Posted on 01 26, 2012

As 2011 came to a close, there was considerable uncertainty about specific payroll and federal income tax rules affecting small businesses and their owners. Here are the rules effective at the start of 2012.

Payroll tax cut extension

On December 23, 2011, the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011 was signed into law. This provides a two-month extension of the two-percentage-point reduction in the Social Security portion of FICA taxes paid by employees. It also provides the same reduction in the employee equivalent portion of self-employment taxes.

Employers are directed to implement the tax cut as soon as possible in 2012, but no later than January 31, 2012. If any Social Security tax has been overwithheld, an offsetting adjustment should be made in employees’ pay no later than March 31, 2012.

Special recapture rule for high earners. The cut applies only to the first $18,350 in wages received in January and February. If an employee earns more than this amount, there is an additional income tax on the excess wages. This additional income tax will be recaptured, which means it will be reported on the 2012 return filed in 2013.

New for 2012. Remember that the wage base for the Social Security tax has increased to $110,100, up from $106,800 in 2011.

Expiring federal income tax rules

Congress failed to extend dozens of income tax breaks that expired on December 31, 2011. It is likely that many will be extended in 2012, probably retroactively to January 1. However, you may want to delay action based on a tax break until it has been extended. These breaks include:

Retention of the higher Sec. 179 deduction amount.
Retention of 100% bonus depreciation.
Research credit.
15-year amortization for certain leasehold expenses.
Expensing of “brownfields” remediation costs.
Certain enhanced charitable contributions.
Work opportunity credit (with the exception of the new categories for unemployed veterans).
Employer credit for wage differential payments to activated military personnel.

Final thought

Be sure to check for tax changes on the state level that can impact your payroll and income taxes. Work with a knowledgeable tax advisor to implement the changes that affect you. Also, consider using a payroll service to handle payroll withholding and ensure that you are complying with the new law as well as law changes when they come along.

Intensive in Cabo San Lucas

Posted on 01 26, 2012

Many of you know that I just did an intensive in Cabo San Lucas in partnership with my girl Nicole Matthews (TheHenleyCompany.com) and Ali and Sheri of Lifestyle Villas (www.Lifestylevillas.net).

I don’t even know how to start this blog but to say for those of you who missed this one, you NEED to put it on your calendar for next January because it’s a keeper. Lifestyle Los Cabos provides ridiculous houses, professional concierges, butlers, destination specialists, housekeepers, cooks and private drivers that are all trained to make your experience impeccable. And they’ve pulled it off. Check out the freakin’ house where we got to stay and conduct the intensive. RIDICULOUS!

It’s two doors down (and in the same complex) that 50 Cent, P. Diddy, The Kardashians, Little Kim, Carmen Electra & Lil John stay and just down the PRIVATE beach from where my wannabe bff, George Clooney has his vacays with chica du jour. Basically what Lifestyle does is pretty much handle everything for you. You pick the kind of accommodations you want – house, villa, whatever and book your flight. The villas literally have everything – gorgeous bed linens, artwork, lighting, sound system, palapa for breakfast, the works. Then they pick you up from the airport, have the chef stock the house with your favorite vittles (for me Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Peanut M&M’s, natch.) Then they make sure you have dinner reservations, massages beach side or just in your living room, provided by the ridiculous Suzanne Morel (more on that later) and you’re off the the races. It’s just absolute paradise.

What an amazing way to learn or just relax and let someone else handle it. Yesterday we were truly gifted with the amazing site of a gray whale playing just outside our patio. It was just the most unbelievable experience. So for your next sojourn, just let Sheri and Ali of Lifestyle handle it and call it a day. You’ll be SOOOOO glad you did.

Details of Our Stay:
Cheque (Lifestylevillas.net) – LIFESTYLE Driver extraordinaire. Picks you up at the airport so you don’t need to deal with any nasty taxis, gives you an ice cold bottle of water and a super refreshing towel to tidy up for your drive. So sweet, helpful and informative, you’ll think you need a driver at home too.Daniel (Lifestylevillas.net) – LIFESTYLE Concierge – LOVE him. He’s the go to guy for everything for your stay. He makes sure you’ve got dinner reservations (super swanky or just down and local like I like it), delivers snorkel gear so you can just walk out the back door and putz around (he just showed up as I’m typing this). He also makes sure you’ve got the exact breakfast cooked waiting for when you get up, including coffee, slightly tan and perfectly sweetened, just how I like it.El iTaKate Catering (www.casianos.com) – Love their mantra – “No Menu, No Rules, Spontaneous Cuisine.” Yea! They provided this super decadent lunch of lobster rolls, flank steak sandwiches, little coconut chicken salad leaves and white chocolate dipped strawberries and ridonculous Mexican cookies and pastries. Their service was so attentive, professional and sweet, I need them to move in with me.A Matter of Taste Breakfast (www.CateringInCabo.com) - The morning of the seminar we started with a fabulous spread from A Matter of Taste. You think you have tasted fruit until you taste fruit in Mexico and then you realize that everything else you’ve been eating has been a fraud! We were treated to delicious muffins, cinnamon rolls that made you want to cry they were so good and of course the aforementioned fruit! We met A Matter of Taste last year when they attended our workshop and treated us to a crazy delicious dinner. They continue to blow us away with their quality.

Suzanne Morel (SuzanneMorel.com) – Not even sure what to say. LOVE HER and her staff. The morning of my flight I realized I hadn’t had time at home for a mani/pedi so I emailed Susana from Lifestyle to see if I could get a little bit of love. She hooked me up with Suzanne’s team who showed up with all of the gear, towels, soaker baths, scrubs and relaxing music I needed (as well as my favorite neon pink nail polish and an acidy green one for my toes – nirvana) and just whipped me back into shape. Truly what an in house massage experience should be like, all while I gazed out at the Sea of Cortez.Annie Murphy and Pez Gato Marine Adventures / Tropicat Cabo (PezGato.com / Tropicatcabo.com) – If you are looking for the best experience to enjoy the water in Cabo look no further than Annie Murphy and her team at Pez Gato Marine Adventures & Tropicat Cabo. The sunset cruise aboard her catamaran was stunningly beautiful. What’s better than taking in the marine life frolicking in the Sea of Cortez / Pacific Ocean, while enjoying margaritas and the most breathtaking sunset? The catamaran is a perfect for special events, group tours and families. We even had the pleasure of watching a wedding proposal take place on the bow of the ship. The Tropicat team is super professional, attentive and want to make sure you are having a wonderful experience. They didn’t disappoint!

Website Clones? Business Insights…

Posted on 01 24, 2012

Anyone who reads my blogs is aware of the fact that I LOVE pinterest.com! Recently I’ve been noticing random tags in Pinterest that refer to a new site called pinspire.com. After my curiosity moved me to look it up, I was shocked. The site looks EXACTLY like pinterest! My first inclination was to assume that the two companies were owned by the same person. Not the case.

Apparently, there is a pair of brothers from Germany who have made MILLIONS on creating copycat versions of popular sites and selling them to the owners of the original site. Genius, but I’m not sure if it works into most people’s moral codes? After researching the details, I fell upon this article (below) on readwriteweb.com

“It’s no mistake that Pinspire.com is built on the same concept, has the same look, the same color scheme and even the same feel to its cursive logo as the hugely popular social bookmarking site Pinterest.

Pinspire is, after all, the latest venture of Germany’s Samwer brothers, who have been developing copycats of popular sites and selling them off since 1999, when they sold Alando to eBay for $50 million. More recently, they started and sold GroupOn clone CityDeal to GroupOn and Zynga clone Plinga to Zynga.

We’ve reached out to Alexander, Marc and Oliver for comment, but they are publicity shy (last fall Oliver agreed to an interview with TechCrunch, then walked out). We’re also trying to see if Pinterest has a comment on the startup or any interest in buying it. We’ll update if we hear back from them.

One of the keys to the success of Rocket Internet, the Berlin-based incubator the brothers founded, has been identifying Web sites that have taken off in the U.S. but have yet to globalize and find a strong, international following. The brothers launched the clone as a beta in November, and if history is an indicator, will hold it just long enough to develop a loyal, overseas following.

Already valued at more than $200 million, Pinterest remains in invite only mode, which is one of the ways Pinspire is trying to one-up its look-alike competition. And Pinspire, for its part, has a relatively loyal following in its own right, with more than 11,500 fans of its Facebook page.”