 Can it really be possible to make a million dollars, one hundred dollars at a time? Well that is what the Million Mail Program is designed to do. This direct mail concept has been around for many years, is here to stay and is growing rapidly as a way for people to get themselves on the fast track to financial security. If you or someone you know has been in search of a business, a home based business, that will easily and consistently produce results online and offline, then the Million Mail Program may be for you. In my search, I have found that there are many groups, or teams, using this program each with a bit of a different twist when it came to capture pages and sales pages. After doing research on the different teams producing results, I found one that claimed to be the top earning team and couldn't resist being a part of a group that put forth such effort and concern for all they bring into the program. This program was built with the intention to help every day average people make an above average income from the comfort of their home using a simple and proven system. And that is the important factor here to any business, especially an online or direct sales business and that is a system is in place. In fact, with this top producing team, the training system and marketing system websites are provided to you for free! For most people, it is hard enough to decide on and operate a home business and then to have to figure out how to market it and even make a website if needed, can have people quitting even before they get started. With this program and system, everything is in place and put into motion the minute you decide to join the team. One of the best things about this business is that there is no competition as everyone is really just trying to help each other because our success is based on the success of those we bring into our business. It is a give-give, win-win business where everyone will gain. Another great thing about this business is that you don't even have to know how to use a computer or the internet, as this business can be built completely with direct sales and simple, cheap postcards or letters sent in the mail, which makes this business great for anyone, of any age, from any background and at any level. This program is so simple to follow and it doesn't matter where in the world you are located. We have team members from all over the world. So even if you can't receive money in a residential mailbox due to rules and regulations of particular countries, you can still join this top earning team and receive money online via PayPal or AlertPay. The top earning team that I am part of has made sure and checked thoroughly with PayPal that it is completely compliant with this program. This means that you will never have to worry if PayPal will suspend or terminate your account when you join this team using this system. So, whether you're from right in the USA or from Australia, Japan, Italy, or anywhere in the world it doesn't really matter as getting started is either only a stamp away or a click away! Once you join, everything you need is at your fingertips and ready for you to start making money. In fact, the comprehensive marketing system and training websites has proven to help the team members produce tremendous results in a very short period of time. And it doesn't matter if you are working it offline or online or both. In fact, everything can be completely on autopilot if that is what you would like to do. When joining this team, you will get everything laid out for you with no guesswork. The postcards, the letters, the websites, the training, everything is provided so you don't need to have marketing skills whatsoever. All of the research, hard work and set up have been done for you. The ultimate, low start up, home based business available today! Does a few thousand dollars a week float your boat? Well that is not unheard of and the more you work it the more you will make. But the best part is that you will be making most of your money on the efforts of the people that you bring in. That is called passive income. This program is simple and affordable and has a one-time cost of just $200! $100 goes to your sponsor (the person that brought you into the business) for the Marketing Start Up Kit and the other $100 goes to their sponsor for the business building training CD. Being that it is a leveraged business, means you are making most of your money on the efforts of others. You will make $100 from everyone you bring into the business and $100 off everyone they bring into their business. Can you imagine bringing five people into your business each week and they each bring in five people? That would be $2500 that first week just from the people those five people brought in! I am sure you can do the numbers, and remember, your whole business is based on just that, one-time $200 for the marketing and training systems. Whether you prefer to market your business online or offline, with having all of the tools and systems in place you can achieve success and benefit from joining this team and the Million Mail Program. To begin making money online and offline with the Million Mail Program, join Andrea Pekarik Welch and the Top Earning Team in the business, get started here http://www.PostcardHighway.com This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar. PUT YOUR BUSINESS ON STEAM---WATCH! 01/17/2010
What are you doing to add that one little temperature change to bring your business to run like a locomotive? To cross that finish line, by a fraction of a second? To double your income? FIVE THINGS NETWORK MARKETING OR MLM IS NOT! 01/11/2010
There are thousands upon thousands of different Network Marketing and MLM programs available to you across the internet, so getting started with an Network Marketing program can sometimes seem a bit daunting. However, when you know what you‘re looking for, you‘ll feel much more prepared to tackle this first major step. There simply isn‘t any easier way to earn money online – that is, as long as you know what you‘re doing. So you have either been checking into a Plan B already or maybe you have been approached by a friend or acquaintance (or even a complete stranger) about a “business opportunity” that you just need to hear about. You have been checking out the internet to see what is available and what are your options, but cannot seem to make sense of it all. You heard that Donald Trump, Robert Kiyosaki and Warren Buffet are claiming that Network Marketing or MLM is the industry to be a part of. But, you have also heard (probably from your family and friends) that Network Marketing or MLM is just a big scam or Pyramid Scheme. I am here to tell you that it is an industry that continues to grow at a rapid rate and is quite lucrative. Let me at least tell you what Network Marketing or MLM is not. 1. It is NOT an INVESTMENT PROGRAM! Just because you bought a business opportunity, it will forever be a business opportunity and not a business if you sit and do nothing. Just because you join doesn’t mean you will necessarily earn. The money doesn’t automatically grow because you become a distributor, but because of your due diligence and work ethics it has great potential. 2. It is NOT a GET RICH QUICK SCHEME! Those who make it big in Network Marketing or MLM within a short period of time are the exception and not the rule. Do you have what they have? (The experience, contacts, paid the price, determination and persistence.) Everyone who has made it had all paid the price. Remember, everyone starts somewhere and they just started way ahead of you. Consistency is the key to being a Network Marketer. 3. It is NOT totally a SALES RECRUITMENT PROGRAM. Some like to sell. Some are salespersons, being good in sales will not make you succeed in Network Marketing or MLM. 4. It is NOT MUSICAL CHAIRS. It is never about whom gets there first, sponsor a few people then sit down and watch the group build itself while the latecomers miss out on the opportunity forever. Remember that if the downline works harder, they will eventually earn more than their uplines. So as the upline, you will need to stay in the game and build and help others build as well. 5. It is not a 9-5 JOB. In a 9-5 job, sometimes people get away without doing any work and they still receive their salary. But it is very obvious in Network Marketing that what you give is what you get. In fact, Network Marketing has been touted as the “fairest” of riches, since those that work the program reap the most benefits. So if your downline is working harder and building faster, then their financial success may be growing quicker than yours. Unlike in Corporate America, where you will never see the downline (say the janitor) making more than the upline (the President). Yes, it is true that having a home based Network Marketing business is a wonderful way to make a living…No boss, no inventory, and no employees may take a lot of the stress off of you, but that you must treat your home business as a business and not a hobby. Consistent persistence is the key to your success. To learn more you can check out the most thorough explanation of Network Marketing and MLM I have seen at Go Lazy Networker. This comprehensive book will give you the straight facts on what to look for when choosing a company, what to expect and what you will need to do to create your own home business success.  No matter what you have heard in the past about Network Marketing or MLM or Gifting or Pyramid Schemes...get the answers you have been searching. Do your homework and you too will find out what so many of us know about creating the ultimate road to financial security. Go Lazy Networker provides you a comprehensive explanation and will give you the answers. If you are considering a Network Marketing business opportunity then getting this MANUAL will get you off to a great start! Successful Consistency 01/01/2010
 Happy New Year. I was going to write a bit of a lengthy New Year Resolution type of post, but then I had a vision of those all to lengthy and graphic holiday "catch everyone up medical Christmas" letters we get. So I thought I would focus on one particular thing that I want to do better at and that is being consistent. Here is my thought... No matter what kind of business you are in or even in your every day life, the name of the game is.....consistency. You must know what you stand for, stand for it and act in the right manner from now until the day that you reach your objective. Do you have a brick and mortar business or do own a home based business? Either one, at any given moment, will undoubtedly bring you some trying and stressful times. Clients are not happy, prospects are not returning your calls and your day is just not going as planned. The truth is that, when times are tough and you receive a phone call from an angry prospect or client, it is pretty easy to want to give up and call it quits. In any business, these are the tough and strenuous moments we face of doubt. We say to ourselves, "what the heck was I thinking doing the business, I must be crazy!!!!!" Come on now... If you know what you are doing is right and you continue to work until you reach your goal, well... Then you are on the true path to success. You must always be consistent in your actions, but also make sure the things you stand for are things you will be standing for many more years to come. With that winning formula....you really can't fail. OH and never, never quit! What will you focus on? And remember, what we focus on is what we will attract. Wishing you a very healthy, happy and prosperous year. Celebrating Your Success! San Francisco Sea Lion Syndrome 12/31/2009
Where has all of your down line gone? Are you doing what it takes to keep and build your business? Do not let what happened to Pier 39 in San Francisco happen to you. One day in 1990 Sea Lions headed into the Bay because of the herring population, giving them vast quantities of food. Then the day after Thanksgiving 2009 over 900 Sea Lions just disappeared! Where did they go? Why did they go? So after 20 years and building a tourist attraction around the Sea Lions, they just up and left. Did the city of San Francisco, the locals and the tourists just always believe they would have the luxury of seeing these incredible creatures day after day, year after year? I suppose so because why would they even consider leaving. This happened in much the same way when you are building your business and your client base is getting bigger and bigger or your down line is growing by leaps and bounds and you just glide along thinking that they will always be there. Unless you are constantly in front of your client base or keeping in touch with your down line through duplication, then this could very well happen to your business. What do you do to keep your business growing? How are you nurturing your clients and/or downline to come back again and again or continue to grow their downlines? Don't let your business become a Pier 39! IS YOUR EMPLOYER SPYING ON YOU? 12/22/2009
Here is an article I found in Career Builder by Ed Orumthat I am sure will get you thinking and even may get you scrambling a bit. I hope it at least makes you aware of your rights as an employee and the rights of your employer. For those of us home based business owners...well, we don’t even have to worry or think twice about any of this (unless of course we have employees!) So to those of you still in the corporate trenches, trying to make a living while making someone else rich, take note!!!  It's a high tech world out there, and employers have more tools to keep their eyes on you than ever before. You might wonder why your company cares to listen into your phone conversations or check your email accounts - it's not necessarily meant to make your life miserable. Most often, a company is just protecting it's assets. It wants to keep productivity high, corporate secrets from getting out and keep track of anything that can save money or help in a dispute. So how exactly are they keeping tabs on you? 1. PHONE CALLS In most cases your employer can listen in to your phone calls to keep you on your toes while you're talking to customers or clients. If you're allowed to make personal calls from your office phone, your company is supposed to stop listening in if they realize it's not work-related, unless you're specifically prohibited from making personal calls. In that case management can listen in to whatever happen on the line. Many companies also keep records of every phone number dialed and how long the call stayed connected. To protect yourself: It's best to step outside and use your own personal cell phone or a pay phone. (Pay phone....did he say pay phone? Do they still make those things?!!!) 2. COMPUTER Where do we start? Just about anything you do on your work computer can be logged, monitored, sliced, diced and analyzed. There are programs that watch where you're going on the web (and block access to certain sites), programs to monitor how much data you're consuming, how long you're spending on websites and what you're typing into the keyboard. Don't think for a second that using a private browsing mode or clearing your history will wipe your tracks - since data is traveling through your corporate network, there's always a record. To protect yourself: Limit the amount of personal sites you visit and assume everything you do on your computer is being monitored - whether your company tells you it is or not. 3. EMAIL Your employee email address is being watched. Whether anyone is looking at its contents is a moot point. Emails are sent and received through the company network, and that means a record of their contents is kept long after you hit the delete button. Companies can easily install programs that scan email messages for keywords they might be interested in monitoring. Sending email through your personal account might not protect you either - there are ways companies can watch what you say here too, by taking screenshots when you load up a webmail program. To protect yourself: Don't send or receive personal messages with your corporate email account. If you must read that LOL forward while on the job, get a smartphone with an email plan - one that isn't company owned. 4. VOICEMAIL Remember those dirty voicemail messages leaked out over the Internet that Pat O'Brien left for a girlfriend a few years back? They just go to show how easy it is for recordings to make their way out of the receiver and into the real world. Voicemail has gone high tech these days - rarely are messages recorded on tape. Voicemail systems are digital and companies can easily store messages for an indefinite time. There are also programs that can transcribe messages and flag keywords the company is interested in keeping track of. To protect yourself: Ask friends and family members not to leave you voicemails at work, and don't leave anything on a voicemail message you wouldn't want distributed far and wide on the net, or in court, or anywhere else it might bite you back. 5. VIDEO CAMERAS Federal law does not prohibit employers from using video cameras in the workplace. Most of the time, video monitoring is used for security reasons, but cameras are so small and inexpensive these days companies say "why not?" Companies can generally install cameras in most public places, with the exceptions being places like locker rooms or bathrooms. Cameras can be used to monitor security, productivity and more, and employees don't necessarily have to be told or agree to being monitored. Whether audio is being recorded depends on state laws, which vary. To protect yourself: Don't do anything at work you wouldn't want replayed over and over on YouTube. 6. RFID It was so nice of your company to issue you an ID badge that magically opens doors around the office, right? Yes and no. The same little card that makes it simple to enter the office with a swipe is also tracking your comings and goings. RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification Technology, and companies big and small use some form of it. While you might not be required to punch a timecard, if you're swiping your ID badge near or through a reader, your company knows when you arrive to work, enter the building or any room that requires a swipe. Too many raids on the supply closet could raise a red flag. So can a late night adventure to the office. To protect yourself: Don't let co-workers use your badge, and be sure to report it lost or stolen so you aren't held liable for unauthorized use. 7. TEXT MESSAGES We hardly think twice when we exchange these little blips of information between friends, coworkers and more on our cell phones. While companies have historically been able to read messages sent through company devices, work-issued cell phones are still a bit of a contention, at least when it comes to actual text messages (not emails). There is a case that has gone to the Supreme Court that could change this blurry line. A police officer contends that he was fired after his supervisor read texts he sent without his permission. The employer says it's their right to read anything sent with company owned devices. The officer said he had an expectation of privacy, and was told he could use the work device for personal reasons. To protect yourself: While this issue is hammered out, you're better off sending personal messages using your own device. 8. FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTANT MESSAGE, ETC. You might want to think twice before updating your status at work. Your company can easily track what you're saying on these services, and might have a problem with you mouthing off on company time. Companies have software so sophisticated they can instantly generate a list of the "top offenders," a list of employees who spend the most amount of time on these sites. You probably don't want your name on these lists. Also, just because instant messages are seemingly fleeting, that doesn't mean your company can't keep track of what you're saying. In fact, four employees were recently let go from their jobs when a scan of their IM history revealed they were talking about fantasy football in a workplace with strict rules against in-office gambling. To protect yourself:Ask your company what their policy is with regards to social networks and if you must tell your friends "what are you doing" then do it fast and without lingering on the page all day long. 9. GPS Ever take a company car somewhere, or does your company give you a car to use? It could be outfitted with a GPS tracking system that reports back location info and more. Since it's company property, your employer has an interest in knowing what's going on with that vehicle, even if they're not there in person to see it. What kind of information can be reported back to home base? Just about anything you can think of, including how fast you drove, a map of where you went, the distance traveled, where you parked and for how long, and more. There are also programs that can give your boss a live look at exactly where your GPS outfitted vehicle is. To protect yourself: Assume your vehicle has a tracking chip and drive accordingly. 10. PRINTER Ah, the company printer. Such a great way to save money by sparing your ink at home. Such a seemingly innocent way to get a little extra benefit out of your office. Problem is, your printer use might not be so private. Companies use printer activity monitoring software to keep track of the documents printed, which employees print the most, the number of pages printed, the computer that sent the job to the printer and more. While this information is generally used to monitor and reduce printer costs, it can also be used to generate a list of the worst offenders in the printer pool. With more and more companies going green, you don't want to be seen as a resource, hog, do you? To protect yourself, only print when necessary and leave the personal print jobs for home. Thank you Mr. Orum for making us aware of what our employers are doing...and may be doing behind our backs. Now WE MUST all remember that we are (well I am not!) the employees and we really need to be focused on our job while we are there and not using company time for personal activities. However, if I am going to be focused on any job all day, it might as well be my own business where I have control of everything and all of my surroundings. Don’t you think?  SOOOOOOO ARE YOU READY TO “FIRE YOUR BOSS” AND START BEING YOUR OWN? ON THE ROAD AGAIN....yeee haaaaa! 12/16/2009
 Well my bags are packed and I am ready to go...well it is hard to leave 80 degree weather in Clearwater to go to 19 degrees in Chicago...BUT I would do it any day and ten times over because that is where my family is. When I wake up each day, I feel really blessed to know that I have the control over what happens. I am the CEO of my own company. I am the boss. Sometimes, it’s hard to earn that CEO title and more than a bit scary to know that I have no one to push me but me. BUT having my own business gives me the time freedom and financial means to do what I want, when I want and with whom I want...ESPECIALLY my family. Consider having your own business?...I can help. IF I CAN DO IT, SO CAN YOU.  Bird's eye view at Chicago.....BEAUTIFUL! SOOOO how are you building your business? 12/04/2009
 If you are a network marketing veteran or are new to the industry, there is no away around always having to talk to people, recruit and sponsor. It is the nature of the business and of the beast! When I first was introduced to network marketing, I was a bit reluctant, but thought “oh what a concept…work and build and sustain and reap the benefits of residual income.” Since I was putting anywhere between 60 - 80 hours a week into my brick and mortar businesses, the idea of working even a normal 40 hours a week and building a network for residual income became quite appealing. However, the hard facts hit me when I was told that at around the age of 25 I should know between 2000 – 3000 people! Well since I am 51, I was thinking that I should probably know about as many people as The Yellow pages, and the kicker is that my upline wanted me to remember them all, label them and call them. WHAT?!!! Well, I did see the bigger plan and knew that the industry was an ethical and warranted one, so I thought I would give “their way” a try. I made my list, contacted the ones I could and tried to talk to the ones that would listen. I did the 3 way calls, the cold calls, the searching out prospects (you know, hang around the local coffee house, or deli, join the local chambers, and even casually work my way into a conversation with the “not so happy” looking food server or retails sales person. Ok not so bad, right? Thankfully I am a friendly person and I can easily chat with anyone, but trying to push my business on someone who really doesn’t want a business, was just not cutting it. Heck, I think my family and friends are considering joining the witness protection program. Funny thing is, is that I had only mentioned my business to them once! Hey, I was told that that was the nature of the business too. Ya know, I don’t think that we should be even taught to contact people we know and love at first. I think we should be trained and guided to build our business through marketing through other avenues to prospects that really want to take a look at a business. Then, once we are making a little money and have the confidence and know everything (at least feel comfortable enough) about the business, only then can we be allowed to let our family and friends know about our business. After all, it would be much easier when I am taking those vacations all of the time, driving that new car or supporting my favorite charity more often to bring my family and friends into the business. Let’s just say I have had enough of that way of promoting my business. After all, I want to talk to people who want to talk to me, who want to listen about having their own business, who are open minded and are seeking me to know more about what I am doing to have the time freedom and financial security that network marketing can provide. I have found a way that will help increase your income in a primary program you may be working or are you are possibly will looking for something to promote that could earn you substantial money fast. Whichever it may be, the system that I have found and I am using, has the perfect marketing tool to skyrocket your income and do it in record time. I have found this to be the tool that six figure earners are using to make their fortune. Phone broadcasting is the hottest marketing method on the net today. In a few minutes this system is ready to go. You then press the magic button and the system takes over from there. You are then free to enjoy yourself; go to the beach, go to the movies with your family or just plain relax. Then like magic when you get back you will have more leads than you can handle. You see, with phone broadcasting, it's so easy and inexpensive to send out a voice broadcast to a few thousand phone contacts and then have an avalanche of highly motivated and interested people calling you back wanting to find out about your business. How would you like to never have to cold call again? How would you like to never have to chase a prospect, but having them call you asking to join your business? How about doing this as easy as clicking a button? How about it costing only pennies compared to any other marketing technique at any price! Broadcasting has been a secret of the world's top earners for years, but not any longer. You can send your message to thousands of people for less than two cents a call, but wait it gets even better. This system even has professionally recorded calls that are free for members to use that take all of the guesswork out of doing a broadcast. My system also includes free access to millions of genealogies, biz ops and b-2-b leads as well as many other included bonuses to just plug in and you're off and running and with our print video and webinar training nothing could be easier. You can rise to the top in your primary program’s pay plan in record time and simultaneously earn an extra few thousand dollars a week by sharing this tool with the other 14 million home-based business people who desperately need this product. The best part of the system is that it funnels the people for me, allowing me to spend my time with people who want to know more about my business and how it can suit their needs. OK, really the best part is that I don’t have to cold call or chase anyone…EVER, and you won’t have to either. Check out the systems I use and you will be well on your way to building your downline faster than you thought possible. The "Little Guy" Syndrome 11/21/2009
 Network Marketing or Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) has been a part of the economic fabric for more than half a century. It has long since proven to be the single most effective means of individual wealth accumulation and company product distribution ever devised. So, why is it that this industry has demonstrated the worst percentage of positive results (as measured by the success or failure of the majority of participants)? Indeed, the drop-out rate has been so high that not only has the entire MLM industry been adversely affected, but the concept itself has been severely scrutinized. Many companies have failed to provide an equal chance for every participant to reach their full potential. The big organization builders in the industry recruit the “little guy” endlessly to grow, or just to sustain the size of their organizations. The “little guy” can’t compete with the big advertising budgets, the organizational skills or the numerous contacts of the big builder, so he drops out. The people who were brought in by the first “little guy” rolled up to their up-line. The net effect is that the upline’s checks and advertising budget get bigger, and the “little guy” loses his dream. The “little guy” always suffers the most and usually ends up with a net loss. As a direct consequence, many people who once embraced the MLM concept have come to regard the industry with a measure of skepticism and disdain. Why is this so? Isn't MLM reputed to have created more millionaires than any other industry in the last half century? This may be true, but the "Great Successes" are limited to a mere 3-5% of all participants. Another 5-10% has enjoyed a measured degree of success, but the great majority has endured a net loss in income, not to mention all of their valuable time, dashed hopes and unfulfilled dreams. One must always remember though that in any network marketing company our success is truly based on the effort we are willing to give it and the time we are willing to endure AND that if we don't give up, we will not fail as the numbers do not lie. It is just that it takes time to get to the level where the residual income will provide for a substantial living and most people are not willing to give it the time and effort needed and therefore they now think that network marketing doesn't work. When in fact, it does work! Although we all started out as the "little guy," there is nowhere that it states we can not and will not become one of the "BIG GUYS" in the industry. Yes, some of us lose money trying to build a business in network marketing, but then again many of us have lost money building a brick and mortar business with all of its overhead, inventory, and everthing it entails. If you decide that network marketing is something you want to pursue, then by all means jump on in...where else can you get started for such a little investment with the potential for such great returns...year after year! During the last half century, many great companies have emerged as the “stars” of the industry. Millions of people have received very tangible benefits from the wonderful products that these companies have introduced into the market place. If the missing piece of the puzzle, financial independence, has always been just beyond your grasp, then maybe you need to take a better look at the company you are in or the training you are receiving. But by all means do not quit if you want to make a go of it in network marketing. If your company is not up to par, find a new one. If your upline is less than helpful, find their upline, go cross line and even down line to find someone you can work with. Don't be a "little guy" who understands network marketing and appreciates the lifestyle it offers and not make it to being a "big guy." Wishing you great success. We all need to have a home based business! 11/17/2009
Facinating article written in 2001 and still holds true today.  If You Don't Have a Home-Based Business, Start One Today! The last decade may have been a decade of tremendous corporate profits and economic growth, but for the vast majority of North Americans, the 90's were a dismal, uphill climb. And many economists believe that this new millennium won't be getting better any time soon. Why? Changing business and government attitudes are the reason. There has seemingly been more anti-business legislation in the last decade than in any other this century. Stronger employment and labor laws, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Comprehensive Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA, which includes mandating health insurance for workers for a period of time after they leave employment), safety laws, much tougher laws for discharging workers, more liabilities for lawsuits, Family Leave Act, Americans with Disabilities Act (which is creating immense numbers of lawsuits), along with higher minimum wages and fringe benefits. Just reading this list is exhausting. While these acts have beneficial and protective aspects, they have also encouraged businesses to move their facilities. That "sucking sound" popularized by Ross Perot is not just down to Mexico, but elsewhere as well. The result has been a dramatic loss of heavy industry in the U.S. The young and the middle-aged alike are realizing that their dream of "having a job with a company forever" is an illusion. Companies have been downsizing, rightsizing, and capsizing for some time now, and they continue to do so-more now than ever before. Even the federal and state governments are getting into the act with layoffs and attrition of jobs. In addition to all this uncertainty and mutual lack of loyalty between companies and employees, even the workers who do keep their jobs have no guarantee of promotions due to the shrinking number of management positions. These circumstances aggravate the already tryingly long commutes in rush hour traffic and increasingly typical frustrated boss-spelled backwards, that double S-O-B. Finally, if all this isn't bad enough, under recent tax laws employees are shafted more than ever with limits and thresholds for their employee deductions and higher social security tax limits. This results in more couples working than ever before and, on many occasions, working more than one job. It is now almost impossible to have only one job in the family and make ends meet! Today, many households need three incomes just to survive. Sadly, even having more than one job does not produce any major positive effect on most people's bank accounts. Why? Because of tax laws. This was well illustrated in 1994 by Jane Bryant Quinn in her Woman's Day article on "How to Live on One Salary." Where The Money Goes Ms. Quinn's example assumed that a man was earning $40,000 per year. His wife (we will call her Lori) wasn't working. They had more month than money. (Sound familiar?) Lori subsequently got an administrative job for $15,000 per year. You would think this would improve the family's financial situation, but when Ms. Quinn examined the economics of getting this extra income, the results were startling! Lori had to pay federal and state taxes on her new income. Since they filed jointly, the family's combined income was what established their tax bracket. She paid $4,500 in new taxes, most of which was non-deductible, for federal and state income tax. Lori had social security withheld from her paycheck at the rate of 7.65 percent, which amounted to an additional nondeductible amount of $1,148 being extracted from her salary. She also had to commute to work 10 miles a day round trip, which is probably conservative for most people. This resulted (in 1995) in nondeductible commuting costs of $696. Lori also had some child care expenses, which give a partial tax credit. Ms. Quinn figured that the amount spent over and beyond the tax credit was $4,250 per year. Lori also ate out each day with colleagues, spending an average of $5 per day, five days a week. This results in a nondeductible expense of $1,250 per year. ( I would love to know where she ate for only $5!) Now that Lori has a job, she has to have professional clothing, this means a hefty dry cleaning bill. Ms. Quinn assumed that Lori's increased expenses here amounted to an extra $1,000 per year, nondeductible, of course. Finally, with both spouses working, Lori wasn't in the mood to cook dinner every night. They bought more convenience foods and ate out more frequently. This resulted in increased food costs of a nondeductible $1,000 per year in minimum. Add it all up and Lori's take home pay was a paltry $1,156 a year, for which she had to put up with a daily commute, an unpleasant boss, and corporate hassles. No wonder more and more people are starting home-based businesses. In fact, there are currently an estimated 30 million people working from their homes. This number is expected to more than triple, to 97 million, by the year 2010, and to keep on growing. This has become and will continue to be one of the greatest mass movements in the U.S. Why a Home-Based Business Makes So Much "Cents" There are many reasons why so many people are favoring home-based over traditional business. There is no commute (unless you have a really big home), no boss, little if any chance of lawsuits, much lower overhead, no employees, (or few), and far fewer government restrictions. In fact, many of the laws previously cited don't apply to small firms with few or no employees. It is for these reasons, according to Entrepreneur magazine, that 95 percent of home-based businesses succeed in their first year and achieve an average income of $50,250 per year with many earning much more. There are really two sets of tax laws in this country. One is for employees, and it allows deductions for individual retirement accounts, 401(k)s (if you have one set up by your company), interest and property taxes on your home (which some in Congress want to do away with ), and charity. Then there are the laws for home-based business people who conduct their business either full-time or part-time. They can deduct, with proper documentation ,their house, their spouse, and even children (by hiring them), their business vacations, their cars, and their food with colleagues. They can also set up a pension plan that makes any government plan seem paltry by comparison. For Lori-and for you - the meaning of all this is simple: Lori earned $15,000 in salary as an employee, but took home only $1,156. She could have netted the entire $15,000 had she earned it in a home-based business! This is an increase of almost 13 times her take-home pay as an employee. Notice that Lori is not spending dramatically more money than she is currently spending. She would eat out anyway, go on trips and drive her car the same as before. By having a home-based business, however, many of their expenses become deductible. This concept is known as "redirecting expenses." With a legitimate home-based business, she can now deduct some of the expenses that she is incurring anyway. Renegade Strategy: If you don't have a home-based business, start one! In addition to all the benefits mentioned above, Congress will subsidize you while you are growing your home-based business. If your home-based business produces a tax loss in the first year or so, you can use that tax loss against any other income you have. It can be used against wages earned as an employee, dividends, pensions, or interest income-or you can use the loss against your spouse's earnings if you file a joint return. If the tax loss exceeds all your income for this year, no problem. You can carry back the loss two years and get a refund from the IRS for up to the last two years of income taxes paid, or you can carry over the loss twenty years. You read it right: You can offset up to 20 years of income! Here's an example: Mike earns $50,000 in a job with the government. If he starts a home-based business that generates a tax loss of 10,000, he only pays tax on $40,000. Renegade Tip: You can never lose a properly documented business deduction as long as you run your legitimate business like a business with a bona fide business purpose and have an honest expectation of profit. Make also sure that all your expenses are ordinary and necessary and reasonable as noted in our Tax Advantage and Tax Strategy Program Renegade Strategy: Get LUCK-Labor Under Correct Knowledge. Can You Succeed In a Home-Based Business? Research has constantly shown that it is rarely the business that determines success or failure. It is usually the business owner. Why does one person succeed and another fail at the same business? Two words-Knowledge and Action. Some people want the benefits of having their own business, but they don't take action. The result is business failure. Then there are the people who are always working. They take action but still fail. The reason is that they are not taking the correct actions, the knowledgeable actions, that will bring the desired results. Again, business failure. It's like drilling for oil. If you set up a drilling rig in your back yard, it is going to fail at producing oil unless your back yard is in Texas or Alaska. The same rig in a good field will produce a gusher, because it was placed where oil was known to exist. The point is that most people who get excited about starting their own home-based business do so without all the necessary knowledge. Consequently, many people quit before they acquire, through experience, the knowledge they need, without realizing that they are getting substantial tax breaks. This leads to another strategy.... Renegade Strategy: Learn to duplicate the success of others. Duplicating the strategy of others is much quicker and more effective than going to the school of hard knocks. It is also known as modeling, which is well-illustrated by the way The McDonalds Corporation blazed a trail to success that many have since followed. In the early 1950's McDonald's and other start-up companies discovered that they could grow many times faster than the conventional firms through franchising. Instead of the company investing millions of dollars to build new stores, they let independent franchises do it for them. It seemed like a great idea, but at first no one figured out how to make it succeed on a consistent basis; therefore, the media attacked relentlessly and continually. News articles featured destitute families who had lost their life savings through franchising schemes. Virtually every state attorney general in the U.S. condemned the new marketing method. Some congressmen even tried to outlaw franchising entirely. Over the years, however, Ray Kroc and his management team at McDonald's developed a turnkey franchise business team at McDonald's franchise. The newfound success-from the system-turned public perception of franchising around. Today, virtually every franchise business models-to some extent-the franchise business system created by McDonald's, making franchising one of the most respected ways of doing business in the world. Modeling is simply learning what other successful people have done to achieve success in a specific area, and then doing the same thing. Someone said that "education is the shortcut to experience." With modeling, you literally leverage your own learning with the collective years of learning through experience of many others. Modeling the success of others saves both time and money and reduces frustration and stress. The light at the end of the tunnel, for you and millions of others today, is the financial opportunity that starting your own business offers. If you have one going already, then make sure you are enjoying the many financial advantages to which your smart choice entitles you. The tax advantage alone can make a home-based business the single best financial move you could ever make. Sandy Botkin CPA. Esq. Copyright 2001, all rights reserved |  Hi, my name is Andrea Pekarik Welch. Welcome to my blog and website.
I LOVE small business entrepreneurs! They keep our country alive and well and my respect for their time, attention and devotion is only second to the people who guard and protect our country, our military. Without the small business person, our economy would be even more devastated. I, myself, learned the ins and outs of the typical "brick and mortar" business and know without a doubt that I never want that kind J.O.B. (the one you "buy") rule my life ever again. I found a better way to help people, create a fabulous income and stimulate the economy. You can be in complete control of your financial future with very little overhead, no paperwork, no inventory and no employees. Be well and God Bless. Andrea  ArchivesFebruary 2010 GOD BLESS AMERICA IS THIS YOUR OFFICE? EIGHT REASONS
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