What goes on in your head goes on in your business.

How your beliefs may be holding your business hostage.

Believe it or not Belief holds a huge roll in your business.

If we believe we will be successful we will. If we believe we will fail, we will.

The second part is the work still must be done.

Nothing gets done by its self.  All plans require action if there is any hope of having success. But the focus for this blog is on the belief.

Believe -   to have confidence in the truth, the existence, or the reliability of  

something, although without absolute proof that one is righting doing so: Only if one believes in something can one act purposefully.

So how does belief affect a business?

Belief may affect the way things are perceived. That perception can lead to negative thoughts or actions. Having a negative outlook towards your clients and competition because there is a belief that business is not going well will reflect back on the individual like a boomerang.

If a business owner believes their business will do well, than there is no need to have a negative outlook on the client/customer nor the competition.

Please understand If it sounds like I am making it way too simple, that’s because it is.

I believe that it is simple and I believe that running my business is simple.

The purpose of this blog is not to convince you that if you believe your business is hard that you are incorrect. The purpose is to inform you that the reason your business may seem difficult is because you believe it to be.

Whatever you believe, you are correct . No one could or should tell you differently. What are some of the keys to shifting a mindset from what we have to what we wants .

• Pay attention to what you think and dwell on it before you say it.
• Evaluate the company you keep inside and outside of you company
• Show gratitude every single day regardless of how things appear to be going.

What we think comes out in the form of words and then manifest in the physical,

 “business is slow” and “I keep forgetting my clients’ phone numbers and names”. “ I am in the wrong business”

 A good goal to remember is to think before one word is spoken.

Speak what you want and not what you have.

Evaluate the company you keep inside and outside of you company.

Are some of your employees, partners, investor’s and friends  negative.

 If so then remember what you surround yourself with will eventually manifest in the physical. Negative surroundings can result in a negative balance sheets.

Show Gratitude - This is the week of Thanksgiving. (happy Thanksgiving)

we all know the feeling when someone is truly thankful for the service we provided them, it makes us want to do a better job next time doesn't  it?

There are no such thing as isolated incidents.  The more gratitude that is shown and expressed for what we already possess, the more things there will exist to be thankful for.

The principles discussed are not new. They are just as common in the religious doctrines as they are in self help books. There proven and yes there are methods to practice and master. The bottom line is it all starts with what you believe.  Nothing else changes until that happens. If you believe what is written today is true and apply it or have applied it then the info in the blog is correct.

If you don’t believe the information presented is correct then, you are correct.

It is not a matter of right or wrong. It is a matter of are we satisfied with the results our belief has manifested.

Remember ,you attract who you are not who you want. 

You are what you think

Changing your thoughts will change your actions. 

Changing your actions will change your out come

Changing your out come will change your life

Changing your life will attract who you want.

If this seems like a lot keep reading until you change your mind.

Building your business through the Holiday Season

How building your business during the Holidays could pay off creating    momentum for your business in 2013.

It is that time of the year, Thanksgiving is around the corner and Christmas soon follows.

People are taking vacation and visiting family. Everyone seems to be getting into the Holiday spirit.

Majority of the people are in a giving spirit during this time of the year.

Even the normally "grumpy" people are generally in a better mood and more likely to hold a conversation.

The holidays seem to do something for and to people. That “something” is what the successful businesses are counting on. This holiday is not just for the retail business. It is for ALL businesses.

Below are some reasons the holiday season is good for all businesses.

• People /Clients & Customers are easier to reach
• People/Clients &Customers are nicer and more willing to listen
• Your competition is on vacation as well.

Momentum is what a business should have going into the New Year and a method to ensure momentum is created is getting to work during the months of  November and December.

 The momentum will carry forward into the next year and that momentum will be needed to get past the January hangover. If the momentum is built correctly,  it can be used to have a business explosion(in a good way).

Most of your competition will be on vacation because everyone they know are on vacation(sort of like lazy business per pressure).

Should you decide to work while your competition is on vacation you will have at least a 3 month head start (or will be able to gain ground on your competition).

One key to building your business during the months of November and December is to schedule a meeting from a meeting. What do I mean by this?

Use the months of November to schedule appointments with potential clients, build relationships and follow up in December then schedule follow up meetings for January. (Of course this depends on your business model). The individuals that you contact who are not interested in your business or the service you provide, may remember your service and call you or refer your business.  

What could be a better way to end your 2012 business year than with 2013 momentum?

Taxes and Holiday Gift Giving

Better to give (gift) and receive (a tax break)

 There are an increasing number of small business owners increasing their donations. And that is a good idea because we have all heard that it is better to give then to receive: You have you heard this, haven't you?
The tax law supports and emphasizes this point. However there are guidelines (limitations).
Below are the top 8 tips for deducting charitable contributions from the www.irs.gov website.
Charitable contributions made to qualified organizations may help lower your tax bill. The IRS has put together the following eight tips to help ensure your contributions pay off on your tax return.
   1. If your goal is a legitimate tax deduction, then you must be giving to a qualified organization. Also, you cannot deduct contributions made to specific individuals, political organizations and candidates. See IRS Publication 526, Charitable Contributions, for rules on what constitutes a qualified organization.

     2. To deduct a charitable contribution, you must file Form 1040 and itemize deductions on Schedule A.

     3. If you receive a benefit because of your contribution such as merchandise, tickets to a ball game or other goods and services, then you can deduct only the amount that exceeds the fair market value of the benefit received.

     4. Donations of stock or other non-cash property are usually valued at the fair market value of the property. Clothing and household items must generally be in good used condition or better to be deductible. Special rules apply to vehicle donations.

     5. Fair market value is generally the price at which property would change hands between a willing buyer and a willing seller, neither having to buy or sell, and both having reasonable knowledge of all the relevant facts.

     6. Regardless of the amount, to deduct a contribution of cash, check, or other monetary gift, you must maintain a bank record, payroll deduction records or a written communication from the organization containing the name of the organization, the date of the contribution and amount of the contribution. For text message donations, a telephone bill will meet the record-keeping requirement if it shows the name of the receiving organization, the date of the contribution, and the amount given.

     7. To claim a deduction for contributions of cash or property equaling $250 or more you must have a bank record, payroll deduction records or a written acknowledgment from the qualified organization showing the amount of the cash and a description of any property contributed, and whether the organization provided any goods or services in exchange for the gift. One document may satisfy both the written communication requirement for monetary gifts and the written acknowledgement requirement for all contributions of $250 or more. If your total deduction for all noncash contributions for the year is over $500, you must complete and attach IRS Form 8283, Noncash Charitable Contributions, to your return.

     8. Taxpayers donating an item or a group of similar items valued at more than $5,000 must also complete Section B of Form 8283, which generally requires an appraisal by a qualified appraiser.
As always documentation beats conversation any day. And below are some tips that come from Sandy Botkin’s Blog from taxbot.com
* Always donate either property or a check. No longer will cash deposited in a salvation army pot or in the church box be deductible.
* if the donation of any type is at least $250, you will need to get an acknowledgement by the charity of the donation. This can be one with a letter or with a receipt.
* If the donation is for $5,000 or more of property, you will need to get and attach to your tax return a copy of a qualified appraisal.
Doing this correctly and using taxbot (or other deduction tracking system) to keep track of these donations can make your gifts much sweeter by garnering you a nice, whopping tax deductions.
Big tip: Consider making gifts using your credit card such as to a church or synagogue or mosque. You would get the deduction this year even though you make the payment on the card next year.