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Contact: Cecelia Taylor (202) 401-3059
Internet Address: http://www.sba.gov/news
Follow SBA on Twitter, Facebook & Blogs
Release Date: August 08, 2014
Release Number: 14-44

Top 10 Small Business Investment Opportunities in Arizona

1. Invest in Art and Crafts-: If you have a flair for art, you could turn your artistic hobby into a business by selling at craft fairs and shows all year round. You can make $18,000 per year on this alone. Better yet, it gives you time for other things.

To be successful at this, I advice you get professional with your work and make it something people would want to buy. Your mother could have put your cute art work up on the refrigerator door but that does not necessarily make you the next Van Gogh.

It is also quite important to find the right place to showcase your work. Indoor shows may not be available to you as you start out but ask other vendors where you can get your work showcased and take it from there.

2. Do you love books? You can turn that hobby to a small successful business in the State of Arizona. There are at least 15 different things you can do with your love of modern ink and parchment:

• Book shop-: Own a bookshop. E-books are the new craze but nothing can really take the place of a cute, book shop filled with the wonders of the world. You could also branch into niches not available online in a way that can satisfy customers, you could go into selling religious books tapes or sell books that cater to women matters only.

• Story telling-: Children?s schools, libraries and even summer camp programs engage the services of story tellers.

• Used books retailing-: Sell used books.

• Book publishing-: Help unknown authors publish their books.

• Begin a book club-: You can?t go wrong with this one.

• Begin a blog and encourage guest writers to share their stories.

• Writing how-to books-: Several people earn a living with this.

• Printing press-: Earn a living printing flyers, books etc.

• Do writing jobs working from home

• Researcher-: Research work can be profitable. Several companies outsource their research work,

• Translation services-: If you know another language, you could become a translator.

• Information website-: Create an information website and earn with Google Ads.

• Online Magazine-: Start an online magazine and earn money as an affiliate marketer and through Google Ads as well.

3. Start a Private Tutoring Business Online. You can reach more people online than offline, that?s for sure. You could teach over Skype or have lessons prepared and email to clients. You should also be able to certify them. Think of what you can do really well, create a course that is easy to understand, find out if you need approval from any Body or Organization and you are good to go.

4. Start a marking and Grading Outsourcing Company. For fairness and transparency, some schools and even examination bodies prefer to engage the services of marking and grading companies. Get accredited if need be.

5. If you have got a flair for picking out great furniture and good color combo skills, you could start a business as an Interior Designer. You could charge a flat fee or per hour. Rates can be as high as $200 per hour if you know what you are doing.

6. A lot of companies and even small business owners would be interested in hiring a virtual assistant to save money. Virtual assistants usually pay for their own health and insurance because they are not full employees (obviously) and usually just help with select projects and programs. To start this, simply do the following:

• Decide on what type of business to offer

• Determine your niche; specialize

• Determine the amount of resource; time and energy this would require and what you can actually give.

• Do some research

• Create a list of potential clients, find out their needs and get good at them

• Know your constraints

7. Got a camera? Start the stock photo business. This is a fast growing area and can be done without much physical contact with clients. It is also a great business for introverts.

8. Start a courier service in your area if you have got a truck. Strike a deal with the big names and up your ante by collecting the parcel from clients or just get your name out there with effective marketing.

9. Organize seminars on whatever you are passionate about; entrepreneurship, investment etc. The list is endless. You have no idea how many people are actually in need of the knowledge you?ve got till you try it.

10. Have basic computer skills? Start a Computer Training for baby boomers. As they approach retirement, chances are they get to spend more time on the internet and would welcome the knowledge.

11. Start a property maintenance business. Mow lawns, tend gardens etc. You could make it as professional as possible and hire some hands for cheap to make it scalable. There you have it. Most can be started with very little money. Go ahead, as there is nothing stopping you now but you.


Source: MyTopBusinessideas.com

#1 Be able to describe what you do/what you are in one clear sentence

Donald Trump is correct, that elevator speech is really important. Ask a friend or colleague to give you an honest evaluation of your description. Does it give the listener a basic understanding of what you do? If not, make it a priority to work on it. Before someone can decide if they may need your product or service they must first understand what you?re saying.

#2 Be UNIQUE in ALL that you do

Don?t just give it lip service. If you?ve decided to adopt a unique approach to make your business memorable (tagline, business signature, giveaway, mascot, illustration, photo, color scheme, etc) be sure to use it consistently in your marketing efforts. It should become part of your brand.

#3 Use your mission statement as a filter for all that you do

Once you?ve clearly decided what your marketing goals, strategies, targets and tactics ARE, it should be easy to identify those things that DON?T fit. For example, if you have identified the best marketing vehicles to reach your customer then it?s very easy to say ?no? to those salespeople offering you marketing opportunities that don?t fit your plan.

#4 Don?t jump-process?.Discover your target market and your points of difference before you start marketing

Your printed collateral materials, Web site, and advertising will be much more effective and less expensive to produce if you have your marketing strategy established first. Then you?re simply following your plan in all that you do. Avoid the ?shotgun? approach or ?reactive? marketing.

#5 Give back to the community?strategically

There are so many great causes and organizations out there and you can?t do everything. So, pick the ones that will best position you with your target market.

#6 Network efficiently and effectively

If you don?t feel that you are a competent networker, now is the time to learn how to be or hire someone that is. Enough said.

A prospective customer must be exposed to the same message in the same way numerous times before they are ready to entertain a buying decision. Pick an advertising vehicle where you can afford to have an ongoing and consistent presence.

#8 If you do trade shows, have a plan and work the plan.

Companies participate in trade shows for a variety of reasons. Unless you have a success plan, you won?t know if it worked.

#9 Look for ways to establish yourself as an expert in your field

Speaking engagements, publication articles and volunteer leadership roles can all help label you as an expert in your field.

#10 Keep all marketing communications clear, brief and focused

Did I mention brief? Enough said.

After all, what better way to show customers you can get the job done than ringing endorsements from previous customers? But if you're thinking of using customer testimonials for your business, there are a few things you should keep in mind.

Here are five legal tips for using customer testimonials in your marketing materials:

Need legal advice on how your small business should operate? Consult with an experienced business attorney about your options.

1. Testimonials must be truthful. According to the Federal Trade Commission's Revised Endorsement Guidelines, the most important rule for testimonials is that they be truthful. This means that the customer testimonials can't be from people who weren't actually customers or didn't try any of the products they are raving about.

2. Any connection between you and the endorser must be disclosed. Any connection between you and the source of the testimonial that might affect how people evaluate the testimonial -- such as a family relationship or getting paid for the endorsement -- should be disclosed, according the U.S. Small Business Administration.

3. Testimonials can't make claims that require proof you don't have. Subjective claims in testimonials such as "I loved my experience" or "I'm happy with my results" are most likely fine as long as they are truthful. However, objective claims, such as the curing of a disease, must be backed up by actual proof.

4. Don't mislead consumers about expectations. Testimonials that claim specific results should match the results other customers can expect, advises the Connecticut Business and Industry Association. Simply saying "results may vary" may not be sufficient. If the testimonial describes results that are not typical, this fact must be disclosed conspicuously and the general expected results must be described in the ad.

5. Get written permission from customers to use their testimonials for commercial purposes. Obtain the written permission of a customer before using his or her testimonial, especially if the testimonial includes identifying information such as the customer's name, age, or photograph. That way you can prove the customer agreed to the commercial use of her image, name, etc., if that ever becomes an issue.

For more tips about marketing laws, check out FindLaw's Learn About the Law section on Marketing and Advertising Laws.


Originally published on FindLaw. Written by Daniel Taylor, Esq. Photo credit: striatic via photopin cc

1. Know your audience

Maybe we should call this ?know your customer? instead, because hopefully you are targeting future and current customers on social media. Get to know your audience by engaging with them and get to know their likes, dislikes, and why they connected with you in the first place. What?s in it for them? Are they getting free stuff? Discounts? What unique knowledge do you have that will make their lives easier? Yep, it really does come down to what you bring to the table my friend. Better get used to being a ?giver?.

2. Write for your audience

I could spend days talking about content, but here?s a quick way to look at it. Where you land on the list will have a huge impact on your results.

• Show Up: Posting regularly is a good start. For many small businesses, it?s all they can manage. If this is you, focus on value-added content and offers. You?ll get a steady stream of followers as long as you put out good stuff and remind people to follow you.

• Engage: Yeah, baby?here?s where we see some action! Engaging content gets a response from your followers and gets shared. A great picture, animated GIF images, and videos are definitely engaging and sharable. If you are posting written content, make it worth reading and sharing, and give it some awesome visuals.

• Stand Out: You?ll know this one by the tingling feeling of adrenaline rushing through your body when you see all the engagement you get. People that generate truly remarkable content are rare and very sought after in the marketing world because they get massive results. Content that stands out is either crazy useful or makes me want to ROFLMAO. It can take time to plan and execute, and can be as simple as a Vine video or large campaign, but one thing is true; when it viral, it?s a marketing home run. Here are some examples of viral marketing campaigns from over the last 5 years via Ignite Social Media.

3. Plan your time

I?m starting to think good planners rule the world. No hard facts mind you, but planning sure seems to get more done. When it comes to social media marketing, a content calendar is your friend! There is a saying: Thoughts become words, words become behavior, behaviors become habits, etc. Imagine how much better it becomes when you write it down! Evolving from planning your social media marketing to doing your social media marketing is big, and a content calendar will help you make it. Step 1: Open a Google or Outlook calendar. Step 2. Fill in the blanks. When will you blog? When will you post? When will you interact and share? To what sites? This is one of the most useful and simple steps, yet so many marketers still don?t have one. Shame on you.

4. Choose your playground(s)

Take some time to research your options for where to share your awesome content. Trying to be good at using all the the social media sites can be like hurling yourself down a social media rabbit hole. Start out with knowing your platforms well, and figure out which ones your audience spends time on. QuickSprout did this awesome infographic that I just pinned to our Pinterest page that covers platforms: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/453174781227912008/. You can also check out this article from Entrepreneur Magazine.

5. Pick the right tools

Picking the right social media marketing tools is a little like picking the right friends; Choose wisely and you?ll be together forever. There are three main areas you are looking for:

• Automation of your posting

• Tools to help you curate, interact, and build influence (find others to connect with)

• Reporting

I like HootSuite, or Moz for both tools and reporting, and even SproutSocial. These are only a few example of the many different tools with extra features. There are a TON of other specialty tools out there too, like Circloscope and Friends+Me.

What tools do you use and recommend? Let me know if the comments.

6. Automate, but don?t ?annoy-a-mate?

7. Engage with the right people

Engagement is the key to driving new business, so be choosy who you engage with. Your customers are the primary audience. Talk to them, ask them what they think, and by all means, seek them out online and post comments etc. on their pages. Look for expert engagers, too. These are the experts in your field, wherever they are, that your customers may already be interacting with. Comment on their pages, strike up conversations with them, and share their content if it?s on target with what your audience wants to hear. I?m still waiting on that prize of all prizes; a mention from George Takei. He?s a social media genius.

8. Stick with it.

Napoleon Hill, author of Think And Grow Rich (and many other books) called it sticktoitiveness. Get started if you haven?t, do something regularly to market yourself on social media, and don?t quit. Consistent effort builds on itself, and before you know it, you?ll rise to the top. Be sure to share some of what you learn along the way, ok? How are you awesome at social media marketing? Please share your experience with us all on this this post.


Originally published at Social Media Quickies. Written by Joey Ambrose. 

Covered in this week's update:

A new study shows that charter schools appear to be delivering on the promise of offering a high quality education.

A new report from the Urban Institute shows one in three Americans with credit histories, or nearly 77 million people, are so far behind on some debts that they are in collections.

Small business owners often are so busy working that they don't take time to plan for their retirements.That is clearly a mistake according to financial advisers.

With technology always evolving, keeping check on your business? while you're traveling or taking time off is not only possible, it's pretty simple, too. These five tech tools? are great for getting your business organized before you leave for vacation and for managing your company when you're away. 

Before you go:

Before you pack your suitcase and hop on that plane, set yourself and your business up with these apps.

Inky
Inky is a desktop and mobile? app that organizes your email for you. It automatically marks your incoming messages by categories such as social notifications, personal emails, subscriptions and packages (for orders and shipping notifications) so that every email has a place to go. It also organizes your emails based on priority and relevance, so there's no hassle when you come back from vacation. Just turn on your vacation responder as you normally would, and when you return, you can see and respond to the most important emails first instead of searching through them yourself.

Wagepoint
Wagepoint is a cloud-based payroll service that covers direct deposit, payroll calculations, deductions, taxes and more. It allows you to manage and pay several different types of employees (e.g., contractors?, hourly and salaried employees) at the same time. While it works like most other online payroll services, it has one feature that is very vacation-friendly: auto-approve. With auto-approve, as Wagepoint's website states, you can "set-it-and-forget-it" so your payroll will process smoothly even while you're enjoying your vacation.

While you're gone:

Expensify
Expensify is a mobile app that helps you keep track of your expenses on the go. You can scan receipts (especially handy if you're on a business trip), process business reports, keep track of the company credit? card, and send reimbursements to employees.  Bonus: it works offline, too, so you don't have to worry if you're traveling somewhere without WiFi.

Fuze
Fuze is a mobile and desktop HD voice and video conference? calling app. Fuze uses VoIP and features content sharing with group collaboration and allows you to present full resolution PowerPoints with animations, as well as schedule meetings through Outlook and Google Calendar. Fuze is available on iOS, Android, OSX, Windows and Linux, so even if you're on a business trip or vacation, you can still tune in to that important business meeting or conference call.

GoToMyPC
GoToMyPC is an app that you install on your computer, and, via your account, you can have secure remote access to your desktop from any Internet-connected or mobile device. If you're on vacation but need to access an important file from your work computer, you can use GoToMyPC to find it. You can also print remotely, transfer files? and create desktop shortcuts using the app.


Originally published on Business News Daily. Written by Brittney Helmrich, Business News Daily Staff Writer
Photo credit: Ed Yourdon via photopin cc

You may need copies of your filed tax returns for many reasons. For example, they can help you prepare future tax returns. You?ll need them if you have to amend a prior year tax return. You often need them when you apply for a loan to buy a home or to start a business. You may need them if you apply for student aid. If you can?t find your copies, the IRS can give you a transcript of the information you need, or a copy of your tax return. Here?s how to get your federal tax return information from the IRS:

• Transcripts are free and you can get them for the current year and the past three years. In most cases, a transcript includes the tax information you need.

• A tax return transcript shows most line items from the tax return that you filed. It also includes items from any accompanying forms and schedules that you filed. It doesn?t reflect any changes you or the IRS made after you filed your original return.

• A tax account transcript includes your marital status, the type of return you filed, your adjusted gross income and taxable income. It does include any changes that you or the IRS made to your tax return after you filed it.

• You can get your free transcripts immediately online. You can also get them by phone, by mail or by fax within five to 10 days from the time IRS receives your request.

  • To view and print your transcripts online, go to IRS.gov and use theGet Transcript tool.

  • To order by phone, call 800-908-9946 and follow the prompts. You can also request your transcript using your smartphone with theIRS2Go mobile phone app.

  • To request an individual tax return transcript by mail or fax, complete Form 4506T-EZ, Short Form Request for Individual Tax Return Transcript. Businesses and individuals who need a tax account transcript should use Form 4506-T, Request for Transcript of Tax Return.

• If you need a copy of your filed and processed tax return, it will cost $50 for each tax year. You should complete Form 4506, Request for Copy of Tax Return, to make the request. Mail it to the IRS address listed on the form for your area. Copies are generally available for the current year and past six years. You should allow 75 days for delivery.

• If you live in a federally declared disaster area, you can get a free copy of your tax return.

Visit IRS.gov for more disaster relief information.Tax forms are available 24/7 on IRS.gov. You can also call 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676) to get them by mail.

This series is brought to you by the Southwest Area Stakeholder Liaison Team covering Arizona, New Mexico & Texas. It is designed for you to share with anyone who will find the information useful. We are interested to hear if you think this information is helpful. Please provide your feedback or topic request to us at sl.southwest@irs.gov and include ?Workshop Wednesday? in the subject line.

To access previous editions, click here: Workshop Wednesday Archive links

 Small business owners, especially new sole proprietors, can find a wealth of information covering their federal tax responsibilities on www.IRS.gov. The SB/SE Tax Center (http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/Small-Business-and-Self-Employed-Tax-Center-1)  is the ?Go To? IRS.gov page for everything small business.

The deal creates allies out of historical rivals who once tussled over the personal computer market, a rivalry immortalized in Apple?s ?Big Brother? ad, which painted IBM in Orwellian tones. It vaults Cupertino-based Apple forward in the enterprise market and may give IBM a new sales angle when pitching clients about their mobile needs.

IBM and Apple will develop more than 100 industry-specific apps that will run on iPhones and iPads, including programs for security, analyzing data and managing devices, according to an IBM press release.

Apple shares bumped up about 1 percent in after-hours trading after closing down $1.13 at $95.32. IBM shares rose more than 2 percent in after-hours trading. They had closed down $1.37 at $188.49.

IBM CEO Ginni Rometty said the partnership will help her company address issues that had been inhibiting deployment of wireless technology among businesses. IBM will begin to sell iPhones and iPads to its corporate customers as part of the deal.

In addition to the 100 apps the companies will deploy IBM cloud services optimized for Apple's mobile operating system iOS. A new Apple customer support program will be developed to support corporate users, and IBM will package device activation, supply and management.

The deal may give IBM a new way to re-engage with existing (and past) customers. For Apple, it may over time bolster the company's enterprise business and lessen its reliance on consumer purchasing cycles.

The partnership is bad news for Blackberry Limited, which became the default business mobile phone a decade ago and has tried to hang on to that market despite its own decline and the rise of Apple's iPhone and Google Inc.'s Android devices.

Android and its hardware manufacturing partner Samsung have also looked to expand into the enterprise market, seeking business clients through their Android for Work initiative. Samsung introduced its Knox mobile security feature in 2013 and Google also this year bought Divide to bolster Android devices' security standards to fit corporate requirements.

Oracle is also bolstering its mobile offerings for corporate clients, having last year bought Bitzer Media last year to improve mobile security for workers who use their phones for business and pleasure.

Originally published at Silicon Valley Business Journal. Written by Greg Baumann.
Photo credit: afagen via photopin cc

Every business owner knows who to call when a dispute lands in their inbox or something goes wrong with the business.  Lawyers are great at cleaning up messes after the fact. 

 
But what most small business owners don't know, is that lawyers do more than take out the trash and clean the floor.  Obtaining legal advice on a regular basis helps keep business affairs in order. Without being distracted by disputes or problems that could have been mitigated or avoided altogether early on, a business owner can focus on the growth and success of his or her business. 

Small business owners are necessarily attentive to the bottom line.  Legal fees are often viewed as nothing more than an expense that negatively impacts the bottom line.  Because of this perception, a small business owner may avoid hiring a lawyer until there is an urgent and unavoidable need.  A company typically needs a lawyer when it has to defend against a claim asserted against it or to protect its intellectual property rights from being stolen or otherwise infringed upon.  When a company finds itself needing a lawyer, either as a plaintiff or defendant, the company must hire an attorney to manage the entire litigation process, starting with the demand letter, continuing with the pleadings and motions, dragging on through discovery and pre-trial hearings, and culminating with what may be either a trial or a settlement that no one is truly happy with.  And even after all of that, the company might need the lawyer to file or respond to appeals or enforcement of settlement agreements or judgments.  The entire litigation or settlement process from start to finish may cost a company tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.  These costs can be fatal to a small business. 

Obtaining good legal advice on a regular basis can minimize the chance that a company will need to engage a lawyer for costly litigation that could take months or years to resolve.  A good business lawyer can provide a variety of legal services depending on the type of business.  For example, a lawyer can serve in a role similar to the general counsel of a larger company by providing legal advice to mitigate risks that relate to:

• Employment matters

• Shareholder and Board issues

• Commercial contracts

• Dispute resolution

• Sale of the business

• Purchase of a similar business to help the company grow

• Investment and growth capital

• Succession planning

• Protection of intellectual property rights

• Regulatory and compliance issues

• Other ordinary or extraordinary issues that come up during the usual course of business.

Another consideration when opting for sooner, rather than later, is that when a business owner develops a good relationship and rapport with his or her company?s lawyer, the lawyer has the benefit of getting to know and understand the business.  This level of knowledge facilitates a lawyer?s ability to anticipate and advise the client of certain risks.   

The cost of hiring an experienced lawyer to provide these general advisory services to the company usually costs significantly less than the legal fees and expenses that a company would incur defending against, or asserting its own claim.    

Here are some common examples of the benefits (and the potential consequences) experienced by companies that seek legal advice in specific situations: 

• Maintaining corporate and tax records.  If a company is a corporation, and the company maintains its corporate and tax records in accordance with applicable state and federal laws, the company could avoid costly penalties or fees that a government agency could impose on the company for failing to maintain records as required by law.  For example, if ABC, Inc., an Arizona corporation, fails to file an annual report with the Arizona Corporation Commission, ABC, Inc. could be administratively suspended.  The cost to reinstate ABC, Inc. could easily be avoided by asking an attorney to regularly handle these administrative matters, leaving the business owner time to focus on day to day operations.  And the opportunity costs may be devastating if ABC, Inc. is trying to obtain financing but is not in good standing with the Arizona Corporation Commission.   

• Understanding commercial contracts.  By having an attorney draft, or at a minimum review, supplier agreements, professional services agreements, purchase order terms and conditions, referral agreements, manufacturing agreements, etc., a business owner can negotiate for more favorable provisions that protect the company against unlimited liabilities.  For example, a customer may ask ABC, Inc. to sign the customer?s standard form of services agreement before ABC, Inc. can provide services.  Such an agreement may be very one-sided and favorable to the customer.  The agreement may require ABC, Inc. to pay for all types of damages that may be incurred by the customer, or even a damaged third party, without any type of limitation.  If a lawyer reviews this contract before the small business owner signs it, the lawyer would advise him or her to ask the customer for reasonable limitations.  Companies are constantly negotiating contracts, but without sound legal advice, companies may not necessarily know what risks or complications they are inadvertently inviting.  The result and related expenses to a company could be devastating.    

• Defining relationships among partners and shareholders.  Involving an experienced attorney in drafting or reviewing limited liability company agreements or shareholder agreements will minimize disputes among business partners that could be costly, and in some cases fatal to the success of the company.  For example, some business owners do not realize how important a buy-sell agreement may be (let alone what a buy-sell agreement is).  But without an agreement in place that places restrictions on transfer, a business owner may find him or herself in a relationship with a partner that they would not have otherwise gone into business with.  More and more business owners are relying on forms that they find online or have used in other business ventures.  These are the business owners that most often find themselves in need of protecting their rights or the company?s rights.    

• Obtaining financing on reasonable terms.  Lawyers can help business owners understand and negotiate the restrictions in financing documents.  Whether obtaining funds from a financial institution or an investor, there are a number of possible pitfalls in an agreement that could place the company, and potentially its owners if they are guarantors, at risk.  For example, negative covenants that restrict ABC, Inc.?s ability to freely acquire or sell assets, incur additional debt, seek remedies, etc. are common in the standard documents that lenders or investors will propose.  In this situation, ABC, Inc. usually needs the money, and lacking leverage, the owner of ABC, Inc. may agree to overly restrictive terms in an effort to gain access to the capital ABC, Inc. needs.  Signing an agreement without understanding the risks and attempting to negotiate away the unreasonable restrictions can be devastating.  If a company is overly and unreasonably restricted, it may not be able to sustain itself and pay off the debt in the long run.    

Perhaps the greatest financial advantage in obtaining regular legal advice from an experienced attorney is the overall likelihood of an increase in the value of the company.  Following the examples above, if a company maintains good records, has limitations of liability in its contracts, has pre-negotiated a buy-sell agreement among shareholders or partners, has not entered into financial arrangements doomed for failure at the outset, then upon an owner's exit from the business (whether by succession or sale), the value of the company will likely yield a greater return on the owner?s investment. 

About the author:  Jamie Cole is a business attorney with the national law firm Polsinelli and a member of the Arizona Small Business Association.  She advises businesses at all stages of development.  Ms. Cole will be giving a presentation at ASBA on Thursday, September 25th, from 11am to 1pm, entitled ?Now or Later?  How Legal Advice Now Could Save Your Bottom Line Later?.  Lunch will be provided.  Please RSVP to ndimodica@polsinelli.com

They are seven main chakras, intersections of vital forces, swirling, expanding and contracting, as a column of 3D spheres of energy extending, in the middle of our body, from the base of our spine to the crown of our head. Chakras are the master programs running our emotional and physical lives, each one of them expressing different characteristics essentials to our growth and well being. Unsurprisingly the seven chakras interact with our body through the endocrine system (a seven gland system) which is one of the body?s main control mechanisms. The following description provides more detail about the chakras, their location, the related glands and the characteristics they govern:

• Crown chakra (Sahasrara, color violet): top of the head, pineal gland, spirituality and divine awareness.

• Third eye chakra (Ajna, color indigo): between eyebrows, pituitary gland, intuition.

• Throat chakra (Vishuddhi, color blue): throat area, thyroid, communication and self-expression.

• Heart chakra (Anahata, color green): heart area, thymus, compassion, love, and healing.

•  Solar plexus chakra (Manipura, color yellow): navel area, pancreas, self will, self esteem, courage, and personal power.

• Sacral chakra (Swadhisthana, color orange): genital area, ovaries, creativity, emotion and sensuality.

• Root chakra (Muladhara, color red): base of the spine, gonads, safety and survival, sense of belonging.

When the flow of the subtle energy in one or more of the chakras becomes blocked, it affects our endocrine system, which produces the hormones that stimulate or inhibit physiological processes. And we may develop physical and mental illnesses. So when we look at it this way, we realize that a change in our consciousness does affect our physical body.

Author: Carine Dieud?, C.Ht., Biostress Imagery LLC

Covered in this week's update:
According to a new report , the Phoenix area could soon see another shortage of homes for sale.

Looking for a job? More than a dozen Arizona companies and hospitals are hiring 100 or more employees this month.


It is easy for saving and retirement planning to fall off the radar when business owners have so many priorities to manage. If you're looking to shelter large amounts of profits with maximum flexibility, Section 79 plans are worth a look. 

The idea of working for someone else makes many of us cringe, and if you?ve had a 9-5 job, you?ve probably felt the suffocating hold it can take on your life. Mondays are dreadful. Mundane meetings and conference calls seem never-ending. Having a corporate job can literally suck the soul right out of your body.

But fear not, you can start your next business while working for someone else. 

Let?s assume you already have an idea for a business you want to start. The first thing you need to do is set intentions. A couple of those intentions could look something like this:

• I intend to continue working at my soul-sucking 9-5 job for only six more months

• I intend to start living a much more frugal lifestyle so I can create a savings account and have a financial buffer when I do quit my job and start running my own company

• I intend to come home from work, spend two hours with my family, then spend three to four hours working on my new business

• I intend to completely disconnect myself from my 9-5 job when I leave my 9-5 job

Those are just a couple examples of intentions I set for myself when I made the decision that I wanted to start my own company and leave my ?secure? 9-5 job back in 2007. By taking action and repeating those intentions to myself (almost daily), it created a sense of focus and desire to work that much harder at getting my own business up and running.

Juggling your entrepreneurial life after work

One of those intentions needs to be dug into a bit more and that?s your after hours work schedule. Because a normal job creates structure and a fairly rigid schedule, most people want nothing more than to come home, lounge around, kick their feet up and be lazy.

If you want to start your own business, you?re going to need structure in the beginning to make sure you?re actually getting work done and putting in valuable time and effort. Kicking your feet up isn?t going to help you escape the stranglehold your 9-5 job has on you.

Here are a couple tips on how to get into a routine after work:

Start small

Don?t try to dive in head first with a new schedule, you?ll never stick to it. For the first week, just try to get on a schedule with one thing (maybe it?s dinner time).

On the second week, give yourself an hour of relaxation time after dinner, but cut yourself off after that hour is over. We all have favorite TV shows, but just sitting on the couch watching them doesn?t help us start a new career. Each week add a new change to your evening schedule.

Family comes first

Come home and immediately devote time to your kids, your spouse, your pets, etc. If you get home at 6 p.m., spend an hour doing something with your family that doesn?t involve TV, a computer, or anything technology based. If you have kids, this is a great time to wear them out before bed.

If you don?t have kids but have a spouse, spend some quality time with them and avoid talking about work of any kind. Go for a walk, get some exercise, make a delicious meal together.

When it?s time to work, shut out the distractions

When you start spending time working on your next business (maybe 8pm ? 11pm), be focused only on that. Turn off notifications on your phone. Close all the tabs you have open on Google Chrome. Shut your email down and don?t look at it unless that?s part of your work. Spend these limited hours actually working.

You may not be a fan of having a schedule at home, but that?s only because you work at a job you don?t enjoy and it forces you to have a schedule you don?t enjoy. Make an effort to appreciate your time away from your 9-5 job, and I guarantee giving yourself some parameters won?t feel the like the worst thing ever.

Set realistic daily, weekly, and monthly goals

Now that you?ve created structure and a schedule for yourself, start working on goals for your new business. Through trial and error, I?ve found that creating three sets of goals works really well for me (and people I consult with). The sets of goals are daily, weekly, and monthly. 

Daily goals will most likely be your smaller goals or to-do list items. Each evening that you start working, you should make a list of goals you intend to complete by the end of that night. This small exercise should only take five to ten minutes of your time (at most) and I find it best to physically write these down so you can then cross them off. It always feels great to cross things off a list!

Weekly goals are somewhat larger goals and are things that won?t necessarily be able to be completed in one evening. Some weekly goals you might be setting early on are:

• Design and develop different stages of your product/service/website
• Reach out to friends and family for feedback about your idea
• Do PR or influencer outreach to try to get exposure for your new idea
• Put a product or service up for sale and work on perfecting your sales process
• Take one week off to recharge your batteries

You should still write these down and be diligent about crossing them off at the end of each week (it?s okay if some carry over to the next week).

Monthly goals are your bigger goals and you?ll probably want to set these for one month, three months, six months and a year. It may seem silly to write down goals for a year from now, but trust me, it helps keep you accountable for that intention you set to leave your job in six months.

Your monthly goals might look something like this:

• Month 1 ? Create prototype product, launch website, and get feedback from initial user group

• Month 3 ? Start selling product or service publicly

• Month 6 ? Build up enough savings through initial sales and 9-5 job money to leave 9-5 job!

• Month 12 ? Hire sales person, customer service company, and start doing paid marketing and advertising

Goal setting can feel uncomfortable and awkward at first, but like everything else, it gets better with practice. It wasn?t until I started writing my sets of goals on a whiteboard in my office that I really started to focus on completing them. 

Starting your next business while working a 9-5 job isn?t easy, but it?s absolutely doable. Put these steps in place and you?ll not only be working for yourself in no time, but you?ll also look forward to your work.

Source: The Next Web

According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of "entrepreneur" is a person who starts a business and is willing to risk loss in order to make money. The key piece of this definition is willing to risk loss. Going into business is a risk--but where there is no risk, there is no reward. It's the reward of entrepreneurship that should encourage you to start again after a failure.
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If you have had multiple failed business attempts in the past, here are some keys to help you start again.
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Before you begin, take some time for reflection:
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Evaluate why the business failed. Write down everything that went well, and everything that didn't. Think about what you can do differently next time if you are faced with a similar situation. How can you handle it better? How can you improve in your problem-solving? There is nothing wrong with making a mistake. The key is to learn from those past mistakes so you don't repeat them. Take the knowledge you've gained from your experience and use it to build your next venture.
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Separate your identity from your business. A true entrepreneur is resilient. They are able to bounce back and recover quickly after a failure or misstep in business. You didn't fail; the business did. Although you do have to reflect and assess why it happened, it's important to not lose confidence in yourself. A failed business does not define who you are as an entrepreneur.
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Assess your attitude. In order to succeed, you will need determination and a positive attitude. Many top entrepreneurs share a key trait: optimism. You have to be able to find the silver lining in every situation.
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After reflecting, the best thing to do is keep moving forward. Forge ahead with these tips:
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First, find a product or service you are passionate about that will fill a need in the marketplace. What can you offer and how can you make it stand out? Begin to develop your new business plan. To be a successful business, you have to solve someone's problem. Take time to do research on your business idea and the market that you believe will support it.
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Find your "why." Why does this business exist? Why is the company here? When you have a full understanding of why, you then have a motivator and driving force to help propel your business into success. Knowing the why in your business will be the catalyst that inspires action. When you have a unique and genuine why, you will set your business apart from the competition.
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Calculate the costs. Being able to accurately estimate business expenses and project income is key to success. Make sure to have a budget for the expenses, and set sales goals for the income. Although it is understandable that every business doesn't profit immediately, the closer you are to your estimations, the better chance for success you will have. Learn how to keep your expectations high while remaining realistic.
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Build a dream team. Having the right people in place on your team can make a world of difference in the success of your business. Find and hire people that are willing to make your vision their vision. Find people with strengths in areas that you know you need help with--it might be sales, marketing, social media, scheduling, or writing. Take time to carefully search for and select the right people to fill each position needed on your dream team. Communicate the company's mission, vision and values, and make sure each team member puts them at the forefront of what they do.
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Set clear goals. You and your team need clear goals to aim for. Having well-written goals will provide a road map for the direction of your business. You will also gain clarity regarding the action steps to take to reach them. Set goals for everything, and review them often.
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If all else fails, keep trying. Pick up and try again. Don't ever give up! There is another side to the blood, sweat and tears of entrepreneurship: among other things, it's the freedom, the fulfillment and the unlimited income potential. In the end, the payoff for your hard work as an entrepreneur is guaranteed, but only if you keep at it!

Source: Huffington Post

And almost all marketers ? 94 percent ? use lead nurturing.

While 34 percent of respondents to the 500-executive study say that 25-50 percent of their marketing budget goes to prospecting new leads, 36 percent say that much more of their budget is allocated to building relationships with existing customers.

There are a couple of caveats to the study, of course.

VB?s marketing automation index report highlights 20 different marketing automation solutions.

The survey respondents were executives at companies in Bizo?s marketer database, which naturally will over-represent companies currently using marketing technology, and specifically marketing automation. And those companies, of course, are self-selected, since the type of company that can benefit most from marketing automation is most likely to gravitate to those tools.

Still, the results indicate that marketing is taking a new, more prominent role in direct revenue generation ? once the province of the sales department. And that companies can expect marketing to be more than fluff and ?awareness-building,? even if it isn?t strictly speaking traditional performance marketing.

Unsurprisingly, 72 percent of the marketers in Bizo?s database use marketing automation for lead generation, and most of them use multiple channels, including email, social media, paid search, and retargeting, to nurture their prospects through the sales funnel.

Multi-channel strategies are important, because it?s increasingly difficult to get email addresses.

For most marketers, only 1-5 percent of site visitors provide email addresses in response to content marketing strategies like free white papers. And even when they do, email open rates are lower than 20 percent. Hence, anonymous lead nurturing via techniques like retargeting visitors to your website become critical.

?Relying solely on email for lead nurturing is preventing B2B marketers from getting to the next level of business impact,? David Karel, CMO of Bizo, said in a statement. ?With only five percent of website visitors willingly providing an email address, marketers? need to find other channels ? multi-channel nurturing represents a massive opportunity to reach prospects beyond the inbox and really boost the return on their marketing spend.?

In other words, Bizo is saying: Dump your email marketing program and enter the 21st century ? perhaps with a B2B marketing tool like ours.

Here?s the study?s data, in visual form:

• oracle
• Bizo

Oracle is the gold standard for database technology and applications in enterprises throughout the world?the company is the world's leading supplier of information management software and the world's second largest independent software... read more ?

Source: Venturebeat

We know we've made gains in expanding our programs, but there is still more to do to make sure SBA loans are available to every business owner who needs one to start or grow a business. Underserved communities in particular still have trouble accessing the capital they need to achieve their dreams.

When Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet started on the job in April, she made clear that improving access to capital for the underserved would be a top priority. That's why we're pleased to announce that under her leadership we are transforming our guarantee process to serve America's small businesses ? and the entrepreneurs behind them ? better.

In an effort to streamline and simplify our loan application process, we're streamlining our underwriting by making a total credit scoring model we've been testing and refining for over a decade available to all of our lending partners on loans of $350,000 or less. These changes are going into effect this month.

The SBA total credit score combines an entrepreneur's personal and business credit scores and makes it easier and less time-intensive for banks to do business with the SBA. This model is cost-reducing and credit-based. It ensures that risk characteristics ? not socio-economic factors ? determine who is deemed creditworthy.

Along with this simplification, we're eliminating requirements for time-consuming analyses of a company's cash flow on small loans under $350,000, a step that can delay loan decisions.

Additionally, at the beginning of this fiscal year in October, we set fees to zero on loans of $150,000 or less, another way to reduce the costs for lenders of making small-dollar loans.

Why does this matter? Because often times, the smaller or newer the business, the smaller the loan. And as these businesses grow, they will come back for additional loans, creating jobs along the way. So encouraging lenders to make more small-dollar loans is good for the economy, it's good for businesses, and it's good for our communities.

These changes make sense. They are another step in our efforts to modernize our lending process and bring it up to pace with the high-tech era we live in. They will make it easier and less time-intensive for banks to do business with the SBA.

We're making these changes knowing that it will simplify and streamline the lending process, which will incentivize banks to make more small-dollar loans in order to get more loans into the hands of traditionally underserved entrepreneurs.

We know that the key to a strong and lasting middle class is opportunity for all. President Barack Obama has made it clear that we must grow our economy from the middle out. Key to that is access to the American Dream of starting and owning your own business. By making SBA loans easier and more affordable, more lenders will join our program, more small businesses will have access to our lending products, and more entrepreneurs will succeed.

Entrepreneurs and small businesses are not only the economic backbone of the country, they are also the heart and soul of America and our communities. At the SBA, we will continue to work diligently for small businesses at every stage to provide more access to capital, contracting opportunities and counseling assistance they need to start, to grow and to innovate.

So encouraging lenders to make more small-dollar loans is good for the economy, it's good for businesses, and it's good for our communities.

Source: The Fresno Bee

The service means consumers will be able to make purchases without having to leave the social network, by entering their debit or credit card details. The social network has promised it has built the feature ?with privacy in mind? and says it will not share information with other advertisers.

Meanwhile Twitter announced plans to acquire San Francisco-based startup CardSpring, which helps retailers work with publishers to offer promotions. It aims to link online and offline retail, enabling customers to find offers on the internet, sync them with their credit or debit card and redeem them in store.

The move is the latest from Twitter to build out its commerce business. It is already working with brands such as Starbucks in the US to allow people to tweet a coffee to a friend and with Amazon to let shoppers add products they see on Twitter to their Amazon shopping basket.

It has also started testing a ?shop now? button on ads that let people buy directly from Twitter. Plus last year it hired Ticketmaster chief Nathan Hubbard as its first head of ecommerce to lead the charge.

Hubbard says: ?Twitter has always been a vibrant environment for users to discover product recommendations and promotions from artists, experts, brands and friends. As we work on the future of commerce on Twitter, we?re confident the CardSpring team and the technology they?ve built are a great fit with our philosophy regarding the best ways to bring in-the-moment commerce experiences to our users.?

Facebook has also been trying to push further into ecommerce. It previously trialled a ?Collections? feature in 2012 that included a buy button that sent people to the retailer?s website and it included a ?donate? button last year to allow users to send donations to charities.

For now, both Twitter and Facebook are saying they won?t take a cut from purchases made via their buy buttons. Instead they are using them as ways to convince more retailers to advertise on their sites by making it easier for shoppers to make purchases, thus hopefully boosting conversions.
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Source: Marketing Week

Special tax benefits apply to members of the U. S. Armed Forces. For example, some types of pay are not taxable. And special rules may apply to some tax deductions, credits and deadlines. Here are ten of those benefits:  

1. Deadline Extensions.  Some members of the military, such as those who serve in a combat zone, can postpone some tax deadlines. If this applies to you, you can get automatic extensions of time to file your tax return and to pay your taxes.  

2. Combat Pay Exclusion.  If you serve in a combat zone, certain combat pay you get is not taxable. You won?t need to show the pay on your tax return because combat pay isn?t included in the wages reported on your Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement. Service in support of a combat zone may qualify for this exclusion.  

3. Earned Income Tax Credit.  If you get nontaxable combat pay, you may choose to include it to figure your EITC. You would make this choice if it increases your credit. Even if you do, the combat pay stays nontaxable.  

4. Moving Expense Deduction.  You may be able to deduct some of your unreimbursed moving costs. This applies if the move is due to a permanent change of station,  

5. Uniform Deduction.  You can deduct the costs of certain uniforms that regulations prohibit you from wearing while off duty. This includes the costs of purchase and upkeep. You must reduce your deduction by any allowance you get for these costs.  

6. Signing Joint Returns.  Both spouses normally must sign a joint income tax return. If your spouse is absent due to certain military duty or conditions, you may be able to sign for your spouse. In other cases when your spouse is absent, you may need a power of attorney to file a joint return.  

7. Reservists? Travel Deduction.  If you?re a member of the U.S. Armed Forces Reserves, you may deduct certain costs of travel on your tax return. This applies to the unreimbursed costs of travel to perform your reserve duties that are more than 100 miles away from home.  

8. Nontaxable ROTC Allowances.  Active duty ROTC pay, such as pay for summer advanced camp, is taxable. But some amounts paid to ROTC students in advanced training are not taxable. This applies to educational and subsistence allowances.  

9. Civilian Life.  If you leave the military and look for work, you may be able to deduct some job hunting expenses. You may be able to include the costs of travel, preparing a resume and job placement agency fees. Moving expenses may also qualify for a tax deduction.  

10. Tax Help.  Most military bases offer free tax preparation and filing assistance during the tax filing season. Some also offer free tax help after April 15.

For more on this topic, refer to Publication 3, Armed Forces? Tax Guide. It?s available on IRS.gov, or call 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676) to get it by mail.

This series is brought to you by the Southwest Area Stakeholder Liaison Team covering Arizona, New Mexico & Texas. It is designed for you to share with anyone who will find the information useful. We are interested to hear if you think this information is helpful. Please provide your feedback or topic request to us at sl.southwest@irs.gov and include ?Workshop Wednesday? in the subject line.

To access previous editions, click here: Workshop Wednesday Archive links

 Small business owners, especially new sole proprietors, can find a wealth of information covering their federal tax responsibilities on www.IRS.gov. The SB/SE Tax Center (http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/Small-Business-and-Self-Employed-Tax-Center-1)  is the ?Go To? IRS.gov page for everything small business.

If you have insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace, you may be getting advance payments of the premium tax credit. These are paid directly to your insurance company to lower your monthly premium. Changes in your income or family size may affect your premium tax credit. If your circumstances have changed, the time is right for a mid-year checkup to see if you need to adjust the premium assistance you are receiving. You should report changes that have occurred since you signed up for your health insurance plan to your Marketplace as they occur.

Changes in circumstances that you should report to the Marketplace include, but are not limited to:

• an increase or decrease in your income

• marriage or divorce

• the birth or adoption of a child

• starting a job with health insurance

• gaining or losing your eligibility for other health care coverage

• changing your residence

Reporting the changes will help you avoid getting too much or too little advance payment of the premium tax credit. Getting too much means you may owe additional money or get a smaller refund when you file your taxes. Getting too little could mean missing out on premium assistance to reduce your monthly premiums.

Repayments of excess premium assistance may be limited to an amount between $400 and $2,500 depending on your income and filing status. However, if advance payment of the premium tax credit was made but your income for the year turns out to be too high to receive the premium tax credit, you will have to repay all of the payments that were made on your behalf, with no limitation. Therefore, it is important that you report changes in circumstances that may have occurred since you signed up for your plan.

Changes in circumstances also may qualify you for a special enrollment period to change or get insurance through the Marketplace. In most cases, if you qualify for the special enrollment period, you will have sixty days to enroll following the change in circumstances. You can find Information about special enrollment at HealthCare.gov.


This series is brought to you by the Southwest Area Stakeholder Liaison Team covering Arizona, New Mexico & Texas. It is designed for you to share with anyone who will find the information useful. We are interested to hear if you think this information is helpful. Please provide your feedback or topic request to us at sl.southwest@irs.gov and include ?Workshop Wednesday? in the subject line.

To access previous editions, click here: Workshop Wednesday Archive links

 Small business owners, especially new sole proprietors, can find a wealth of information covering their federal tax responsibilities on www.IRS.gov. The SB/SE Tax Center (http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/Small-Business-and-Self-Employed-Tax-Center-1)  is the ?Go To? IRS.gov page for everything small business.