Sep 24

Tips for Small Business Owners to Improve their Self Confidence

Succeeding in business can be tough at times. We all need a little help in finding the confidence to keep rising to the many challenges that heading a small enterprise can throw at us. If you don’t already, begin exercising regularly. Even a 20-minute walk can do wonders for your confidence and overall well-being. If you already have an exercise routine, try adding a new element, such as yoga.

Another tip is to use “power postures.” Research shows that spending just a few minutes standing with your arms akimbo or raised above your head in a victory gesture can lower stress hormones and enhance confidence levels. Finally, being supportive to others demonstrates that you’re secure in your leadership role, giving you an aura of confidence.

And remember that no person is an island. Don’t try to do everything on your own. Get help. And find other business owners you can talk to about what is going on in your business. You can learn a lot simply by talking to other business owners and asking questions.

There is nothing more powerful in improving you’re your self-confidence than success. The more successes you experience, the more confident you will be. Set goals and acknowledge yourself when you achieve your goals. Make it easy to succeed. You will benefit in so many ways!

Send an email to me, tom@trholthus.com, with your phone number and I will call you to see what information I can send you to help you with your business. Your information will never be shared.

Jul 11

How to Use Your Creativity to Grow your Business

Your business depends on your creativity and advertising skills. The more innovative you are with your marketing strategies, the less problem solving you’ll have later on since profits won’t be a problem area.

You can use creativity in all aspects of your business.

Here are a few of the areas where you can be creative:

  • Business cards
  • Traditional ads
  • Online Pay Per Click (PPC) ads
  • Flyers
  • Email messages
  • Social media
  • Sales letters
  • Sales scripts
  • Marketing images
  • Blog posts
  • Articles

Here are 3 tips to tap into your creativity:

* Use social networking to boost your sales. Build your brand using Facebook and Twitter. Entice future customers to try your product by sharing news and relevant facts.

* Give products away. Don’t be afraid to develop a promotional campaign where you give away for free. If a sample is successful, you are likely to gain a customer.

* Team up with another company. Include your product with someone else’s product or service. When the other company gains a customer, their new customer might become yours as well if they enjoyed your sample product.

I encourage you to practice creativity in your business. Try to do something creative every day. Your business will benefit, and so will you.

Send an email to me, tom@trholthus.com, with your phone number and I will call you to see what information I can send you to help you grow your business. Your information will never be shared.

Thomas Holthus
Business Mentor

Jun 17

How to Find People Interested in a Business Opportunity

Are you ready to take your business to the next level? You need to create a strong team that will make things happen for you. Use the following strategies and get ready to make some money.

If you are looking for people to help build your business, you can start by contacting the people you know. Just be careful, because some of your friends may be resistant to learning about a business opportunity.

Here are 3 great tips to help you find people online:

1. Use Twitter tools to find the right people for your team. Create a hashtag like #BusinessOpportunities or the one you prefer, and tell others what your business is about.

2. Create a blog to post content about your business. Most of the folks out there prefer to get as much information as they can before making a decision. Convince them that you’re a real business person and they’ll start contacting you. Don’t overwhelm people and give them too much information up front. Use curiosity to encourage people to contact you.

3. Record a video and share it via YouTube. Use a captivating title and be creative enough to tell them why they should become your partners. It’s all about being passionate and persistent. You’ll succeed!

What actions are you willing to take to build your business?

Take action now to find and recruit people to your business!

Send an email to me, tom@trholthus.com, with your phone number and I will call you to see what information I can send you to help you with finding business prospects. Your information will never be shared.

Thomas Holthus
Business Mentor

Jun 13

4 Keys to Create a Passive Residual Income


4 Keys to Create a Passive Residual Income

By Thomas R Holthus

As a full time worker, or even a full time entrepreneur, there’s a limit to how much income you can generate from individual efforts. Since time immemorial astute business men and women have engaged in wealth building by leveraging the efforts of their employees. Nevertheless, building wealth through employees is not always an effective method, since as a general rule employees never strive to work as hard as the employer because they are not entitled to the same level of rewards. An alternative option to creating wealth is through network marketing because every member’s returns are pegged on the performance of the business.

Without divulging too much, some of the ways of creating passive income include:

1. Network Marketing

Network marketing is an innovative approach of generating a constant stream of income by just working smart without engaging in direct sales. Despite initial skepticism from the public, the concept has gained ground, and acceptance, in the businesses world with even multinationals in the beverage, telecommunications and auto industry adopting it. The concept is based on the philosophy that for me to grow I have to empower others to grow. This in the long run leads to a sustainable business model because everyone benefits.

2. Property Investment

As general rule passive returns should involve little or no direct involvement, however you should have some control over the enterprise. Owning rental property fits into this description. Rent from real-estate provides one with constant income without much hustle. In addition, it requires minimal overhead costs apart from the routine maintenance costs and property taxes dependent on jurisdiction located.

3. Royalties

As the world becomes increasingly interconnected there is a dire need for technology transfer and knowledge sharing. From this market need, great opportunities are available for those innovative and creative enough to package their skills and make them sellable. One avenue is through royalties from book sales, and licensing or intellectual property patent. This avenue may seem too demanding requiring a stroke of genius to pull through, but on the contrary all one needs to do is identify a need, develop a product, and market the product.

4. Information Products

A simple way to earn income online is to create an Information Product. You can write an eBook, record or audio program or create a video. It’s quick and easy. And since there is no cost to sell a product that can be downloaded online, you earn 100% profit!

To sum it up, there are numerous avenues of creating wealth with the major difference being the cost benefit ratio. Passive streams of income enable one to build wealth without much effort since most of the work has been delegated or was done at some earlier point. For newbies in the wealth creating journey, network marketing offers numerous benefits because it is less capital intensive and the rewards are huge, although it is dependent on personal effort.

Thomas Holthus is a Business Mentor who teaches people on strategies to start and run a successful business. He has a background as a Senior Program/Project Manager and System Engineer with extensive experience proposing, winning and managing high technology programs. For a Free Video with tips on how to start your own business, visit http://yoursuccessandwealth.com/wealth/.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_R_Holthus
http://EzineArticles.com/?4-Keys-to-Create-a-Passive-Residual-Income&id=7745361

 

 

Jun 04

Sales Tips to Warm Up a Cold Call

Do you own a home-based business? One of the quickest ways you can start getting results is to pick up the phone and make calls. The challenge is that many of the conversations you will have are cold calls.

Cold calling is calling prospective customers on the phone and delivering a sales pitch. This method has a high failure rate and can be exhausting for a business owner. But cold calling has massive potential for gaining new customers which is why skilled cold callers are always in demand.

To warm up a cold call keep in mind the following tips:

1) You need to maintain a positive and cheerful attitude. It takes discipline to keep make calls when you are facing rejection. Stay focused on why you are making calls and what you hope to accomplish.

2) Approach cold calling as somebody who wants to help, instead of a salesperson pushing a product, nobody wants to be bossed into buying something they do not need.

3) Understand your product and find out what the customer needs, aim to generate leads instead of sales. It may take several contacts before people respond to you. Don’t try to force a sale. Simply focus on developing a relationship and adding value.

Remember to always open and close on a positive note, whether the cold call was successful or not. This way, people will always think well of the experience and your company.

Send an email to me, tom@trholthus.com, with your phone number and I will call you to see what information I can send you to help you with Cold Calling. Your information will never be shared.

Thomas Holthus
Business Mentor

May 28

Time Management Skills for Business Owners

Time Management Skills for Business Owners
By Thomas R Holthus

As an entrepreneur, you know all too well that in order to be productive you need to manage your time effectively, allowing a balance between work and your personal life. Every area of your life requires time and attention, so chances are you often wonder how to reconcile the time you spend cultivating your business with the time you spend living your life. While your personal life is essential to your well-being, in order for your business to succeed you need to ensure that it is allotted the time and energy it deserves.

Follow these 5 Time Management Tips to become a more productive business owner.

1) Leverage technology to your advantage

Running a business in the digital era can be difficult yet advantageous. It depends on how you use the technology at your disposal. With social networking being both a popular business tool and a social asset, it is often impossible to use it as a productive medium without wasting precious time. You have to practice self-discipline. Use your smartphone and other gadgets wisely, without getting caught up in the time-wasting realm of Twitter and Facebook.

2) Multitasking is overrated

With the portability of modern conveniences such as laptops and smartphones, you are no doubt tempted to fit in as much work into a given day as possible. If you are the parent who sits on the bleachers armed with a laptop and a briefcase, one eye on your daughter’s soccer game and the other on your work, do everyone a favor and leave the laptop at home. Remember that revenue producing activities will not take place on the little-league soccer field. Both your family and your business deserve your undivided attention, so create time slots for both and do your best not to let them overlap.

3) Make time for emergencies

Life never complies strictly with plans, so it is important to plan for surprises. Set aside a chunk of time in your day with nothing to do, just in case something immediate comes up. If everything ends up going smoothly, who knows, maybe you can use that free time to actually relax for a while. Wouldn’t that be nice?

4) “Do Not Disturb” signs were created for a reason

As a business owner, you strive to make yourself available to your employees and customers at any time. You’ve been taught that this practice constitutes good business. Yet, how can anything get done on your end when you constantly overextend yourself to everyone else’s needs? When there is work to be done indefinitely, don’t hesitate to put up that “Do Not Disturb” sign and catch up on productivity. This can also work for home-based business owners, but don’t overuse this strategy. Working at home often opens the door to a lot of interruptions and requests.

5) Appointments are made to be kept

How often do you set up an appointment and allow the meeting to extend past the time slot it was allotted? No appointments are so epic that you should make this a habit. When you set a time and date for an appointment, make sure to stick to that time slot as strictly as possible. Your time is not cheap, so don’t waste it on unproductive meetings, conversations and activities.

All in all, time is limited and your ability to manage your activities, day by day, hour by hour will affect your level of success. If you want to be more successful, you need to manage your time effectively.

Thomas Holthus is a Business Mentor who teaches people strategies to start and run a successful business. He has a background as a Senior Program/Project Manager and System Engineer with extensive experience proposing, winning and managing high technology programs. Read Tom’s Wealth Opportunities blog for more great strategies at: http://trholthus.com/blog/.

Send an email to me, tom@trholthus.com, with your phone number and I will call you to see what information I can send you to help you with Time Management. Your information will never be shared.

May 26

3 Reasons to Start a Home-Based Business Now

By Thomas R Holthus

Many people live their whole lives working as an employee for a company. And while the benefits can be nice, they are living at risk.

It seems like we hear about people being laid off from companies all the time. Not only that, people who reach a certain age may find it more difficult to complete in today’s fast-paced environment. Age discrimination is becoming more common. It can be difficult to complete against kids straight out of college who are tech savvy and willing to work for less money.

There are more reasons than ever to start a home-based business.

Here are 3 reasons to start a home-based business now:

1) You have an unlimited income potential

Most people who work for a company get paid a salary. They depend on getting an annual increase to earn more money. When you start a home-based business, you control your income.

You can choose how much you want to work. That can create a lot of flexibility. Some business models allow you to leverage other people’s efforts to build your business. That can be a real time-saver!

2) Flexibility

Do you enjoy your freedom? Would you like the flexibility to do what you want when you want? As a home-based business owner, you control your schedule. You determine when you want to work and for how long.

It’s nice to be your own boss. Join the ranks of home-based business owners worldwide and experience the revolution in the working world. It’s time to take control of your time and build something you can be proud of!

Not only that, when you tap into passion, you will release your creativity and that can lead to greater fulfillment in your life. It’s the best option!

3) Tax Advantages

I don’t know about you but I like to be able to earn a dollar and then be able to use the funds. Unfortunately, the government takes a share of whatever you make. And in times of economic challenge, it feels like the government is taking more than its fair share, doesn’t it?

Wouldn’t it be nice to keep more of what you make? When you start a business, you have the opportunity for tax deductions. Check with your accountant to learn exactly what you can deduct. The rules change from time to time.

Believe me, it’s nice to know that you can spend money on your business and that you will be able to take a tax deduction. It’s a very compelling reason to start a business. You might not have even thought about it, but your business expenses might actually improve the quality of your life.

Some business owners take business trips. And while they’re traveling on business, they take time to sight-see. What a great way to stretch your dollars. Other business owners deduct the expense of a mobile phone. It’s nice when you can deduct an expense that you would normally have anyway.

Always check with your accountant to determine exactly what you can deduct. And be sure to keep receipts.

If you do not have a business now, it’s time to think about starting one. Do your due diligence and research potential business opportunities.

Set a goal for your start date and start to narrow the options. Find a mentor who will guide you through the process. You don’t have to do it alone!

Thomas Holthus is a Business Mentor who teaches people on strategies to start and run a successful business. He has a background as a Senior Program/Project Manager and System Engineer with extensive experience proposing, winning and managing high technology programs. For a Free Video with tips on how to start your own business, visit http://yoursuccessandwealth.com/wealth/.

Mar 16

Bookkeeping Tips to Make Tax Time Easier

Tax season can be a stressful time for home-based business owners that do not keep up with their monthly bookkeeping. Want to make tax time easier? With these simple bookkeeping ideas, tax time can become a much faster process.

One of the most common problems home-based business owners face is keeping track of their revenue and expenses on a regular basis. The tendency is to throw everything in a pile or file folder until “later.” Unfortunately for many, later only arrives when it is tax season which adds stress and can take a considerable amount of time.

The ultimate solution to Bookkeeping for your business is to outsource it. Doing bookkeeping does not grow your business. You should spend your time only on revenue producing activities. If you don’t want to outsource your bookkeeping, following are some steps that might help.

The first step to staying on top of your bookkeeping is to create a file system for billing and receipts. Itemize folders and file items immediately so they are readily available when you do your bookkeeping work.

The second step is to set aside an hour a week strictly for bookkeeping purposes. If you invest in a bookkeeping system such as Quickbooks, you can enter your neatly organized revenue and expenses and create statements which allow you to see at a glance how your business is performing. Not only will you know what your expenses are and when your payments are due, you will know if your business is turning a profit or not, and what areas if any need your attention.

By following these simple tips, not only will you have a clear picture of the overall performance of your business, you will have detailed income statements for your business. When it comes time to prepare your tax return, you simply print a year-end statement and everything is itemized and ready for you to enter on your return. Tax preparation becomes a minor process rather than a stressful and exhaustive production which takes many hours out of your busy schedule to complete.

Following these simple tips will not only save you time, they will save you considerable expense, especially if you have your taxes done professionally. The added benefit is the ability to see how your business is performing, and having the opportunity to make adjustments as necessary to increase revenues or decrease expenses in order to increase your bottom line.

Send an email to me, tom@trholthus.com, with your phone number and I will call you to see what information I can send you to help you with Bookkeepig. Your information will never be shared.

Thomas Holthus
Business Mentor

Mar 16

5 Reasons to Work in Direct Sales


5 Reasons to Work in Direct Sales

5 Reasons to Work in Direct Sales
By Thomas R Holthus

In today’s economy, you need to develop multiple streams of income. You can’t rely on money coming in from a job without establishing a backup plan. What happens if you are laid off? You lose your income and now you are at risk.

Is it possible to start a business while you still have a job? Can you run a business part time and still have time off for yourself? The answer is yes and I’m going to explain how.

A direct sales or network marketing organization is a type of business that distributes products to customers in a non-traditional manner. Instead of having a permanent business location, a network marketing company hires independent consultants who develop relationships with consumers and sell their goods directly to them. There are many reasons why you should consider pursuing a career in direct sales as an alternative to traditional employment, five of which are mentioned below.

1. Become your own boss

The main reason why you should look for a direct sales business opportunity is that it will allow you to become your own boss. You get to create your own business plan as well as set your goals according to your personal desires. Unlike when you begin a whole new business, many companies have a recognized name. The pre-established goodwill can help you to successfully penetrate the market and make money. You will not have to spend time and money building your product’s brand since you will be selling well-known goods.

2. Control Your Schedule

A network marketing business offers great flexibility. The job’s nature will afford you the time to pursue the career the way you want. You get to set and control your work schedule in that you choose whether to work the traditional full time daily and weekly hours or work only on weekends.

And if you have a full time job, you can invest time during off hours building your business. As your business grows and you start to earn an income, you will keep moving forward toward the day when you can leave your job and work in your business full time. Or, you might even reduce your hours at your job to free up more time to focus on the business.

3. No Prerequisites

Entering into a direct selling business does not require you to have any professional or educational prerequisites, making it a wonderful career for recent graduates, students, stay home parents and people without any work history. The only requirements for success are passion and drive to achieve the business goals.

This makes it easy to start a business. It also means that many people will start and not doing anything to build the business. So, if you want to get started, you really need to make a commitment of time and energy before you can expect to generate sales and earn an income.

4. Social Interaction

As the name suggests, network marketing will require you to interact with people and build business relationships with them. You will build a network and you will recruit members to your team. Pursuing such a career will allow you to socialize with many new individuals. You will make connections with people from all walks of life. In addition, you will have the freedom to travel as you meet up with your friends and make money out of it. And many people start a business simply for the benefit that they will be able to travel on business and receive a tax deduction.

5. Money

You are paid commissions for the effort you put into direct selling. Since you get to choose your own work schedule, there is no limit to how much money you can potentially make. You can further increase your income by building a team. You will get paid based on your efforts as well as the efforts of your time. That will create leverage so that you don’t have to work as hard in the future.

Thomas Holthus is a Business Mentor who teaches people on strategies to start and run a successful business. He has a background as a Senior Program/Project Manager and System Engineer with extensive experience proposing, winning and managing high technology programs. For a Free Video with tips on how to start your own business, visit http://yoursuccessandwealth.com/wealth/.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_R_Holthus

http://EzineArticles.com/?5-Reasons-to-Work-in-Direct-Sales&id=7487273


Jan 31

6 Strategies to Create Leverage Through a Business


6 Strategies to Create Leverage Through a Business

6 Strategies to Create Leverage Through a Business
By Thomas R Holthus

What are you doing to create results in your life by leveraging people, technology and tools?

Leverage is an interesting concept. It means getting a result using less of your own time and energy.

Would you like to work less and make more? Of course, right?

Let me share a few tips with you that will allow you to create more leverage.

1) Business Travel

Would you like to travel more? You can travel throughout the United States and around the world on business. And what’s nice is that some of your business expenses will be tax deductible.

Need a new vehicle? If you can justify it as a business expense, you may have a good reason to get a new or used car or truck.

Haven’t taken a vacation in awhile? Why not travel on business and then spend some time enjoying yourself in your off hours.

2) Purchase a vehicle or other property

A business can help you to achieve some of your personal goals. It can even allow you to acquire some of the assets you want. There are many stories of people who purchased real estate through their business and then used it to benefit them personally.

But, this strategy is not limited to real estate. You can purchase a vehicle through your business. If you have a business use for your vehicle, then it can become an asset of your business.

Always check with your tax professional before making any decisions.

Once you have purchased the vehicle, remember that any vehicle maintenance may also be treated as a business expense.

3) Buying Technology Tools

While we’re on the topic of purchasing items for your business, think about the different technology tools which can help create leverage.

A simple example is a computer. You can purchase a computer for your business. That will give you the capability to increase your business and personal productivity.

Some other tech tools you can buy are a laptop and a cellphone.

4) Improve your Standing in the Community

When you become a business owner, many people will look at you differently. People admire and respect entrepreneurs.

You will feel an increased level of confidence. When you have conversations with people, you will always have something interesting to share.

You will have business cards for your company. It’s nice to start getting calls from people interested in doing business with you.

5) Barter your Products and Services

When you have a product to offer, you can trade or barter your products for other products or services.

In a tough economy, barter is an interesting alternative to generating a sale. It creates value and will often lead to a next step in working together.

You can often barter to receive products, services, programs and even training.

It starts with developing your ability to negotiate. And that’s a good skill to develop in business.

6) Influence

According to John Maxwell, “Leadership is influence.” To become a successful business owner, you need to develop your leadership skills.

As a leader, you can influence to accomplish your goals. You need help and there are people who are willing to help you. You just have to ask.

As a business owner, you can have a positive impact on the world. What’s the best way you can add value?

Start a business today and make a difference in the world!

Thomas Holthus is a Business Mentor who teaches people on strategies to start and run a successful business. He has a background as a Senior Program/Project Manager and System Engineer with extensive experience proposing, winning and managing high technology programs. For a Free Video with tips on how to start your own business, visit http://yoursuccessandwealth.com/wealth/.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_R_Holthus

http://EzineArticles.com/?6-Strategies-to-Create-Leverage-Through-a-Business&id=7361362