by Janelle Holden

They say there are two things you can’t avoid in life: Death and Taxes.

After my call with my accountant this weekend I think I might prefer death. 

Yes, my accountant called me on Sunday to deliver the heart-stopping news that my taxes were much higher than I expected them to be. Which, she assured me, when you look at it, is a great thing because it means you made a lot of money last year!

Silver linings be damned.

In case you can’t tell, I’m actually laughing while I type this. I enjoy black humor.

Fortunately, it’s all going to be okay, but I wish I would have done a few things differently, which is why I’m writing this blog post, so that you do not do as I did, and instead you do as I wish I would have done and saved yourself some big time $$$. 

You see, what I did is put off talking to my accountant early last year about my business structure. Well, we had talked about it in January, but the paperwork didn’t get filed for the LLC that I was going to create with a business partner, which is a good thing because that relationship ended up not working out for that particular business.

And after our breakup I fell headlong into making money instead of protecting my money, and simply decided to go for it as a sole proprietor because, I reasoned, I didn’t want the hassle of setting up a corporation and doing the accounting separately, etc. Whoops! 

This meant that I paid self employment tax and was in a much higher tax bracket than if I had set up a business and started paying myself payroll and taking distributions. Sure, I enjoyed having the luxury of commingling funds (they had a good time together) but ultimately, it cost me a lot of money in the end for my funds to have an intimate affair and it’s really no way to do business. 

So, here’s what I would have done, and what I have done this year that I recommend you do too if you truly want to make your living as a coach, consultant, or online entrepreneur. Was that a confusing sentence? Oh well, I’ll try and outline the basics for you here. 

1. Hire an accountant or an attorney to officially set up your business structure (ASAP): Based on what you expect to earn and your individual tax situation they can advise the right business structure for you and your needs. My new business is an LLC taxed as an S-Corp so that we can do payroll and take distributions but avoid the headache of taking minutes at every meeting. This means that I will pay more in accounting fees (yes, my accountant is happy) but pay a lot less in taxes over time. Yay! 
2. Take your time and shop for the right business bank for you: You need a business bank account and ways to take funds and pay people easily online. At some point, PayPal won’t cut it anymore. Don’t commingle your business and personal funds. That’s a no-no for a lot of reasons. It opens you up to getting sued personally and it makes it a nightmare come tax time to figure everything out. Setting up a business bank account is also not something you should just do with the first bank on the corner. You can end up paying a lot of fees with the wrong bank so do your research. I still sometimes wave a middle finger at the bank that ripped me off for years (not that it was their fault – I set up the account there, but man there were a lot of hidden fees). I’m going a different route this time, more on that tomorrow.
3. Keep up with your bookkeeping: I recommend making an appointment with your accountant and bookkeeper at the beginning of each month to look over the past month’s P&L statements, Balance Sheet, and Estimated Cash Flow. You could do this yourself (I don’t recommend it) but setting a meeting with someone else who knows what they are doing will make you stop avoiding looking at your numbers. You gotta know your numbers, otherwise there could be some not-so-fun surprises around the corner, and you need to know what you’re shooting for. By the way, here’s a bonus tip, if this inspires anxiety in you (which it does for me), make sure and bribe yourself to do it by offering some special treat afterwards (spa day anyone?)

Want to get the inside scoop on what’s really happening with Janelle? Click here to sign up for her inside-scoop newsletter. 

The post Why this is a super-important, please-don’t-put-this-off-task for new business owners appeared first on Make Money Online with Janelle.

So you want to know how to fuel your business hustle?

In this blog post I am going to share exactly how I am able to naturally boost my energy everyday and thus, boost my sales.

Have you ever heard these two phrases:

1. Highest Energy Wins!
2. It’s Not What You Say, It’s How You Say It?

They are true!

Your energy has an immense influence on your sales.

That’s why having a high energy when you’re speaking to people about your products and services is SO Important.

What this video and I will explain in detail my morning ritual for energy boosting, my nutrition secrets for maintaining my energy, and the one thing every entrepreneur MUST do to keep their energy high all the time.

How To Fuel Your Business Hustle: 3 Ways To Boost Your Energy And Boost Your Sales!

Click Here If You Want To Be On My Invitation-Only List And Be The First To Get More Tips Like This One.

I hope you enjoyed this training on how to boost your energy naturally and boost your sales. Please ReTweet it now if you found it valuable!

Sincerely,

Janelle Holden

The post How To Fuel Your Business Hustle: 3 Ways To Boost Your Energy And Boost Your Sales! appeared first on Make Money Online with Janelle.

I’ve spent the weekend geeking out on a new course that I just bought. It’s all about the NEW THING in marketing: Facebook Messenger Marketing.

Last year it was Facebook Live.

This year it’s bots.

Now, I’m not particularly a new adopter. I am usually a LATE adopter.

But that has cost me in business. In fact, not keeping up with new technology and waiting until other people master it and then learning it has kept me in a state of feeling perpetually BEHIND.

Don’t you hate that feeling?

So, that’s why I bought this course.

Even though I’m not a huge fan of bots, and I’m usually skeptical of the “new thing” in marketing, I do recognize that email marketing open rates are going down, and there is a saturation point with email marketing.

People are more likely to text or use messenger now to communicate. Unless they are older, and then they favor email more heavily.

Hence, I see the value in learning how to engage with with people where they are at, automatically, without losing the human element. Which FB Messenger Marketing offers!

And, by the way, I’m totally loving this course. I’m only through Module 2 of 50 Modules and feel like I can’t put it down!

Here’s the video I just made about it, and you can click here to read a blog post about how the FB Messenger Marketing works.

I’m not sure when it will be open again for purchase, but if it is, I will share it here for you to check out as well.

***Side note – I am an affiliate of the makers of the product and will get a small commission for purchases, and you certainly can buy it elsewhere, but for those people who purchase from my link, I will provide a support package.***

The post The Next New Thing: FB Messenger Marketing appeared first on Make Money Online with Janelle.

Have you ever been asked a simple question about your product or service and given a 5-minute soliloquy that left you with the sinking feeling that you lost them in translation?

If this is you, then you need to learn the 2 phrases to respond with after every question that will instantly up your sales conversion rate. 

Learn them here …

Janelle Holden is a business strategist, sales consultant, and a fan of great conversations. She has an invitation-only newsletter. If you ask nicely via FB messenger, she’ll put you on it. Just click here to connect and ask. 

The post Why do you ask? appeared first on Make Money Online with Janelle.

I just finished a 2-day intermittent fast with nutritional support and feel ah-mazing!

If you don’t know much about it, check out the benefits of it here.

I had to share because I believe that health is wealth. It’s very difficult to create the wealth in your business and freedom you want if you don’t feel well.

May was a rough month for me because of two health scares.

One involved a lot of tests (that fortunately came out negative).

The other was Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (a disease spread by ticks).

I went hiking and came back with a “friend.”

I tried to keep working while I was getting better, but honestly, not a whole lot got done. Plus I was freaked out the whole time about what was happening inside me.

It was a good wake up call.

After all, I used to be a health coach. And I’ve gradually felt my health slipping this year.

To the point that I had to make a decision. Do I want to keep eating the way I’m eating or would I rather feel better?

So, I went back to what I know works for me. A healthy diet and nutritional cleansing.

And in 2 days I lost 6 pounds, cleared my head, brought my energy up, and feel ON FIRE for business and for life!

And there’s more to come!

So that’s what I’m celebrating today. Great health.

Go Rock It for YOU.

Janelle Holden is a business strategist, sales superstar, and marketing maven. Send her an email if you’d like to be invited to her invitation only newsletter.

The post Feelin’ All Right appeared first on Make Money Online with Janelle.

In March I invested in a sales training with Oren Klaff, the bestselling author of the sales book Pitch Anything.

I invested a lot to be there because I want to learn from the best!

And he’s definitely the best in his space.

He helps companies raise millions of dollars and sell their big ideas to investors.

And now he helps the rest of us share our own big ideas on a daily basis.

I picked up his book a couple of months ago based on an Amazon recommendation (no kidding) and immediately went, “Wow – this is awesome.”

It was fresh. Unusual.

For instance, most sales books usually teach, “Always Be Closing,” and he teaches, “Always Be Leaving.”

He follows 3 Axioms:

1. People want what they can’t have.
2. People chase that which moves away from them.
3. People only value what they pay for.

In other words, make yourself the prize.

Don’t make your customer the prize.

Otherwise you’ll end up chasing people!

So, I was one of 25 people who got to do the training in San Diego (they had 200 applicants) and he agreed to let me share my comprehensive notes with you.

Here is the link to my notes from the training.

Companies literally pay him $50k plus to develop powerpoint presentations (which he calls PitchDecks) for them to present their big ideas to potential investors.

It’s kinda crazy. $50k for a powerpoint?

But the reason why they do that is because he’s cracked-the-code on how to present your idea in 6 minutes or less and have people want to work with you.

Click here for my Google Doc notes.

You’ll find ideas there on what to say when people ask you how much your product or service costs, how to structure a 6-minute pitch, how to send cold emails, words never to say in a sales call, and the keys to storytelling in marketing.

I hope you get a lot out of it (and go read the book too).

Janelle Holden is a business strategist, sales consultant, and life-long learner who blogs about business, life, and storytelling. To get more good stuff from Janelle write her an email @ Janelle AT janelleholden.com and ask her to put you on her invitation-only newsletter list.

The post Pitch Anything Advanced Training With Oren Klaff appeared first on Make Money Online with Janelle.

I’m currently reading The Content Code by Mark W. Schaefer. Today, I read something from it that will help all of us differentiate ourselves from the masses. Thought I’d share:

The most important characteristic of content marketing today is not quality or quantity. It’s insight. And that is the differentiator lacking almost everywhere.”

What do I take from that? Provide your unique insight on your blog, in your YouTube feed, and wherever you are at. Let YOU shine.

The post Content for your next blog post appeared first on Make Money Online with Janelle.

What to write? What to write? This is the question that troubles most marketers. This is why we have so much noise on social media and email these days. This is why people click “unsubscribe.”

I’ve been learning from one of the best copywriters in the business, Diane Hochman, about the types of newsletters to send that will truly bond people to you. Thought I’d share what I’m learning in case it helps you figure out, “what to write” too. All of these are separate types of emails, so you don’t have to include all-in-one, just choose one and write based on that.

1. Curation: This is where you go out into the world and find something cool to share with people. Not something cool for them to buy (although it could be) – just something cool to listen to, watch, or read that you love and has helped you personally. Think, book review, or movie review, or podcast review.
2. Invitation: When you know you’re going somewhere (either online or offline) then invite people to attend! That’s it. That’s all you have to do in the newsletter.
3. Telling A Story: Tell a story about your life that is relevant to your audience and share a lesson learned from it. You’ll get an A+ if there is a cliffhanger and some drama involved that will keep people reading. The reader should feel closer to you because of the story.
4. Results: Share the results of someone in your life (preferably a customer or a team member) and what you watched them accomplish and why it was such a big deal. Recognize success.
5. Love Letter: Tell your list that you are thankful for them, love them, and why you want them in your life. Let you know why you appreciate them. Send them something cool as a gift (without any strings attached).

The post 5 Ways To Bond With Your List appeared first on Make Money Online with Janelle.

I’m old-fashioned. I believe a blog is actually supposed to be  what it used to be: A Web Log.

In other words, I like writing about what is happening NOW in my business. Real-time. So you can learn as I make mistakes. Ha ha.

So, here’s what I’m doing right now.

I’m learning about Twitter from Terry Gremeaux over @ The Hashtag Hunters. He’s teaching me a daily method of operation for Twitter, including how to automate great posts, and connect with like-minded people.

I’m learning about Email Marketing from Diane Hochman over @ DianeHochman.com. She’s teaching me how to build a HOT list without spending a dime on advertisement and what to write to them every day that will bond us like glue.

I’m learning about Coaching from Christian Mickelsen over @ ChristianMickelsen.com. I’m taking his Rapid Coaching Academy to brush up on my coaching skills and get a certification from someone I truly respect.

I spend an hour to an hour and a half a day on training and learning new skills, and then several hours applying what I’m learning. It’s a habit I plan to continue for the rest of my life. There is always good stuff to learn.

What are you learning right now? Leave what you’re learning in the comments below.

Janelle Holden is a social media strategist, sales maven, and outdoor enthusiast. She loves building an international business from a small town in Montana. 

The post What I’m learning right now … appeared first on Make Money Online with Janelle.

Are you looking for more people to talk to about your business opportunity, product, or service? Does it feel like there are only crickets responding to you?

Well, I know how you feel and in this video I’m going to share how to create HOT leads for your business, which simply means, how to have people on the edge of their seat wanting to hear more about what you do and what you have to offer. People who are prepared to BUY, not just window shop.

Take a listen.

Janelle Holden is a social media strategist, business coach, kick ass sales closer, and serial entrepreneur who helps business owners make more money online. To get her “I tell you the real truth about the industry” newsletter with more lead generation tips for your business, click here. 

The post How to talk to more people who WANT to hear about your business appeared first on Make Money Online with Janelle.