In this video you’ll learn about…
How do you decide to “follow” or “unfollow” someone on Twitter? Share your comments below.
Guest post by Laura Messerschmitt
You’ve been busy wrapping the presents, preparing the holiday meal, and getting the house looking great for the guests. There is a lot to think about during the holiday season, but don’t forget to think about your business too! Here are five quick things you can still do in 2011 to close the year out right for your business. Why? Because what you do now will affect how you do come April, when taxes are due. Do yourself a favor and act now to save money later.
Many small business owners choose to take advantage of the home office deduction that allows you to write off a percentage of your mortgage or rent, as well as your utilities. You don’t need to decide right now if you should take the deduction or not. But, if you are thinking about it, then you should take a photo of your home office before the end of the year. If you do take the deduction, the photo can serve as a record showing your home office as it looked at the end of 2011. (The photo can also help your accountant get a feel for whether the deduction might be right for you or not!)
You need to know where you stand tax-wise before you take action to improve your situation. Spend 5 minutes seeing how your expenses and income are shaping up for the year. You can do this in a spreadsheet or through a simple online accounting tool, like Outright. You can then decide: Do you need to act now to get some additional deductions? If so, see tips 3 and 4 for some ideas.
Do you want to do some good this holiday season while also helping your business? Consider donating to charity before year-end. You may be able to get some deductions on taxes by donating. Just remember – if you donate over $500 worth of goods, there are stricter reporting requirements that you need to adhere to.
There is a special deduction for 2011 (which also applied for 2010) that allows small businesses to expense up to $500,000 in equipment purchases. We aren’t advocating that you buy things you don’t need – but, if you have any major expenses that you were already planning on for the new year, such as new equipment or a computer, consider making the purchase now so that it’ll count for your 2011 taxes. Of course, if you can take advantage of holiday sales on these items, that means even more savings for you.
For those of you who sell products and have inventory on hand, you will need to know how much inventory you had left on December 31st in order to complete your taxes accurately. It can be quite difficult to remember what you had on hand on Dec 31, so it’s worth keeping track of what you had in stock at the end of the year. You can do this with photos, a spreadsheet, a notebook or just about any other way. Remember that you’ll need to be able to estimate the value of that inventory for your taxes.
Laura Messerschmitt works at Outright, the popular online bookkeeping software for small businesses. She loves helping businesses get a handle on how they are doing so that they can be more successful. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her family, reading, and racing dragon boats.
As you are getting ready and doing all of that planning for the New Year, remember one very important step…be consistent.
Check out the video below to learn:
What systems and consistent marketing do you do to keep your customers engaged? Share in the comments below.
You’ve seen our favorite small business tools and our favorite small business books, this week we’re sharing cool office supplies that make work fun. We fully embrace that we are geeks for planners. Something about these make it more fun and actually inspire us to plan ahead!
Desk-It Weekly CalendarAnne our project manager is a teensy weensy addicted to this little desk-it calendar – it’s great for writing out your to-dos for the week and then keeping them right in front of you on your computer or wall as a reminder. When the week’s over, tear it off and celebrate everything you completed! |
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Weekly PlannerNot sure what to do about all those shower ideas and appointments that you remember when you’re on the go? Start every day and week with this simple planner! We love how it feels more like a journal than another planner! |
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AT-A-GLANCE Horizontal Erasable Wall Planner
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We hope you’ve enjoyed our fun gift guides! If you missed any, check out the LKR Biz Book guide and LKR hot tools for 2012!
Happy Holidays from the entire LKR team!
Guest post by Martina Iring
More and more small business owners are blogging these days. Which makes sense because it’s such a great tool for your business.
Blogging allows you to do so much more than just sharing news and promoting events. You can use blogging to boost your credibility, create a personal connection with your audience, and answer customer questions and queries more efficiently.
As a small business owner, I love blogging and recommend it for so many reasons.
But, the number one reason I would suggest jumping on the blogging bandwagon is . . . ‘drum roll please’
Search Engine Marketing.
Many small business owners are aware that blogging is good for search engines (and if you didn’t, well, at least you learned something new today). But just publish posts, and go on their merry way, without understanding all the bits and bobs you can use to making your content search friendly.
If you’re not a techie or Internet whiz, no problem. Optimizing your blog isn’t that hard. Keep reading and I’ll teach you all the areas in your blog that you can use to serve juicy bits of content to Google and other search engines.
Categories
Blog categories allow you to organize your posts by topic and let your readers easily find the areas that are the most interesting to them. But category names should not be chosen randomly. Whenever possible use relevant keywords to name your categories.
Keyword Tags
Each blog post can be associated with keywords. Choose keywords that are related to the topic at hand. And, remember to use the same keywords in the content itself.
If you’re using WordPress and your theme does not automatically include an area for keywords and other optimization areas (we’ll be getting in a bit), Laura and I both recommend the free plugin All in One SEO Pack.
Meta Description
This area allows you to include a description of your post. Create the description, using your keywords of course. Are we sensing a theme here, yet?
Title Tag
The title tag area gives you some flexibility to be creative. I often like to create post titles that are fun and interesting. It makes people want to read on, right?
For example, I titled one of my posts – The greedy email collector. What would be the practical, search friendly title for that post? Common email marketing mistakes or something along those lines would do. I can keep my more interesting title on my blog and use the more practical one in the title tag.
For more tips on naming your blog posts and how to blend creativity with practicality, check out this post on writing titles for your blog posts.
Photos
Did you know that search engines can read the file names of your photos? If you’re using a photo or two in a post, use a relevant keyword for the file name when you save it to your computer.
Text Links
Within your each blog post, you have the opportunity to include links to other content in your blog. Whether you’re referencing your product, service, or a topic that you discussed in another blog post, use keyword rich anchor text to create the link. This gives search engines even more information about the content of that page.
Instead of saying: Read more about my services here try a keyword focused text link, such as Read more about my small business accounting services.
Can you see the difference?
Having a blog is an important way to get your business moving up on search rankings. And now you know how to make the most out of search engine optimization.
Martina Iring is an online marketing consultant who works with small business owners and entrepreneurs overwhelmed with all that web stuff. She’s on a mission to help the little guys make sense of Internet marketing, teaching small biz owners how being online is not only profitable, but enjoyable! Her blog, Small Business Bliss, offers up gobs of free marketing info and doses of inspiration just for little biz owners. Get your free website improvement guide here.
Guest post by Sue Ann Gleason
Phone rings, dog barks, child screams from the kitchen. Oh, is it my turn to drive the car pool? Oops!
If you’re an entrepreneur working from your home, you’ve probably thought about putting a padlock on the door to your office or, at the very least, purchasing one of those little noise diffusers so that you can block out all the noises and nuisances that drive you to distraction as your creative juices spin and swirl and dance in your head.
But even if you work outside the home, there are energy leaks everywhere. Energy leaks rob you of your creativity.
They keep you up at night.
They send you screaming into the day with troublesome to do lists, sleep deprivation, guilt. Instead of feeling like a little hanky panky once the kids are in bed, you’re feeling downright cranky.
I have a unique perspective on this phenomenon. You see I’m right in the trenches with you. I’m a multi-passionate entrepreneur who specializes in helping fellow entrepreneurs nourish themselves, at every level. And the biggest problem I see in my practice is Energy Leak Syndrome.
If you want to feel good about your life and stay awake long enough to ENJOY doing what you love, you’ve got to attend to the leaks. Here are a few of my suggestions:
1. Establish clear and consistent boundaries with friends, family, and colleagues. It isn’t your job to speak for others, read their minds, or to worry about them. A little positive energy goes a long way. Keep your side of the street clean and bright and let others sweep their own curb.
2. No is a complete sentence. How many times do we say yes to a friend, colleague, or loved one when we really want to say, no? If you’re a “yes person,” begin with, “I’ll think about that and get back to you.” It takes anywhere from sixty to ninety days to change a habit. This is a great start.
3. Change your mind. Be willing to withdraw your commitment to committees, volunteer work, social obligations, car pools—whatever it is that contributes to the stress load in your life. You’re allowed to change your mind. Look for the story you’re telling yourself about your commitments and then be willing to write a new script.
4. How important is it? The next time you find yourself waking up in the middle of the night with restless mind syndrome, ask yourself, “How important is it?” Give yourself the gift of perspective.
5. Don’t be reluctant to ask for help. If you have a lot of responsibility at work or at home, consider hiring a personal assistant. That may sound like an extravagance but I guarantee the cost of the assistant will be far less than the cost to your health. And if you don’t yet have a virtual assistant—what are you waiting for?
6. Stay away from people who drain your energy.It is not your job to be a receptacle for someone else’s sorrow, anger, or wrath. If this one has you stymied, go back to numbers one and two. This is a boundary issue.
7. Create a nourishment menu. What feeds you? A walk in the woods? An intimate conversation with a wise and wonderful friend? How about music, art, dance, or just curling up with a good book? Do you give yourself permission to have fun? Every time you feel your energy leaking, replenish it with something from your nourishment menu.
8. Slow down. If you’re someone who lives a massively over-scheduled life, you may want to play with the question, “What am I running from?”
9. Detach from drama. When we make a concentrated effort to look at the positive side of a situation, our energy lifts. Closing one door in our life gives us the spaciousness to open another.
10. Did I say have fun? Good, it bears repeating.
Here’s to unbridled energy and a flourishing business.
Sue Ann Gleason is a culinary nutritionist, radiant life expert, and writer living in the Washington, DC area with her husband John. When not working with clients, she can be found sampling exotic chocolates or building broccoli forests in her mashed potatoes.
Click here for Sue Ann’s No Longer Asleep at the Meal ebook or check out her chocolate playground on facebook.
Last week we shared some handy dandy small business tools to help you get your work on. Our gift guide continues this week with one of our favorite things, BOOKS!
You can never go wrong with gifting books and the books below will go far beyond the winter break. These are books that have taught Laura things that have changed her business.
Double Double By Cameron Herold |
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| Cameron Herold has personally taught Laura the principles that allowed her to double her business from 2009 to 2010, and then again in 2011. His book, Double Double is Laura’s business bible, in fact our entire team is currently going through it chapter-by-chapter to put Cameron’s guidance in place. This past year Laura was able to chat with Cameron about his book and biz. Click here to listen. |  |
The Art of Non Conformity by Chris Guillebeau |
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Watch the video below to hear…
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Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port |
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Screw Business as Usual by Sir Richard Branson |
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Watch below to find out…
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Stay tuned, we’ve got another fun gift guide coming next week with LKR’s fave office supplies to help you rock your 2012.
Guest post by Kirsten Simmons
There’s so much social media advice out there. Search for like-minded people. Join in on conversations…but only the ones you can add something to. Automate your tweets. Don’t automate your tweets. Be interesting. Provide value… it’s enough to make your head spin!
For the past nine months, I’ve been working on a theory about the relationship between personality type and productivity strategies. I’ve been using it myself and I’ve taught it to clients and friends. They’re surprised when they realize how much easier their lives are when their productivity strategies are in tune with their natural personalities. And they’re realizing that it can be applied to almost every area of their businesses – including social media.
There are four personality types in the theory – the fantastical, environmental, analytical and the structural. Most online entrepreneurs are either fantastical or analytical. The fantastical is a creative problem solver and the analytical is goal oriented and motivated by success. The environmental type is fueled by the people around him, and the structural type is a natural organizer.
What type do you think you are? Take a guess at your type and check out the social media recommendations below!
Fantastical – Tell your people what you’re up to! Chances are it’s something fascinating and others will be interested in following along. Don’t worry so much if you’re not on social networks all the time – just engage when you’re around and let people know when you’re not.
Environmental – You take to social networking like a fish to water! Your challenge isn’t being more effective, but making sure that you don’t spend all your time chatting with your new friends online. Use social networking time as a reward to get yourself through tasks that aren’t so fun, and set some timers so that you don’t lose track of the clock.
Analytical – Lists are your friends! Take advantage of your ability to sort your friends and followers into groups so that you can maximize your time on the most influential people in your network. As tempting as it is, don’t try to outsource your social media time – people will eventually figure out if you’re not the one behind the tweets, and your reputation will be shot.
Structural – Keep your circles tight! Chances are that you know exactly how many people are in your networks and you have a pretty good idea of who they might be connected to. But all that information will get overwhelming if you don’t keep it organized and stay on top of who’s coming into your networks and why.
Handling social media according to your personality type helps you come across as authentic, instead of having a fake veneer of interest or simply programming your tweets in advance. People can tell when you’re truly engaged, and staying true to your personality will up your engagement and help you attract friends and followers.
If you’re interested in knowing more about the personality productivity theory and your type, come over to Personalized Productivity and take our free quiz! You’ll get a definite answer and tips on time management, organization and productivity that are customized to your personality type.
Kirsten Simmons is an author, a coach, and the creator of the Personalized Productivity program that uses your personality to create your ideal productivity system. She’s a Fantastical (in case you were wondering) and she’s also a full time grad student focusing on mathematical models of epidemics. Connect with Kristen on twitter @kirstenasimmons.
Have an entrepreneur friend in your life and haven’t a clue on what to get them for the holidays? Or maybe YOU still don’t know what you’d like to put on your own wish list. Team LKR has gathered our favorite small business tools that we use and love and created a three-week series, the first annual LKR Gift Guide.
This week we’re sharing a few of our favorite small business tools to help any entrepreneur do business smarter, faster and safer!
Jing is a great software for both PC and Mac user to create quick screencasts. The basic version is free and is a fantastic tool for sharing quick how-tos with your team or readers.
This one stop shop allows you to capture whatever is on your screen, create an image or video, annotate it, and share it. Fast, functional and easy. Jing is definitely a favorite thing!
Put your customer service skills into over drive with canned replies. Since we’re a mac-loving company we use Text Expander. But whether on Text Expander or Texter, the concept is the same: when you find yourself typing the same thing more than three times, make a canned response, pop it into your text expanding software and cut through the email crunch in no time!
Both of these tools can be used across whatever platform you are writing on, whether it’s online, in email or in a word doc. (We also love Google apps canned responses in gmail!)
Living in a virtual world, the importance of making sure your passwords are safe and secure should be at the top of your operations list. 1password is a super cool software that allows you to create and store your passwords all in one spot.
No more having to remember your password or keeping the same one for all of your online tools (that’s dangerous). Instead, 1password automatically creates secure passwords for you that you can access any time you need to get into your online office.
Make this one a priority and start the new year off safe!
Stay tuned, there’s more of LKR’s favorite things coming your way! Next week we share our favorite business books.
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