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Hello
one and all,
Well,
March is here, and for many of you, that means your company's
big annual promotion is over. So, what does that mean for
the coming month? What are you going to do to make sure
your March doesn't slump? You'll find the answer to that
question on the right.
It's
also tax time. Are you ready to file your taxes?
Have you been able to account for all of your expenses.
This month's newsletter includes some tips and recommendations
to help you get the best return on this year's taxes.
Remember,
if I can ever be of service, please don't hesitate to call or
e-mail, and always feel free to forward this to friends and
colleagues and encourage them to join my mailing list.
Have
a productive month!
John
John
Sanpietro
Personal
& Professional Development Coach
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Last
Minute Tax Tips
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Even
though 2004 came to an end a couple of months ago, there
are still a few things you can do to save money on your
taxes:
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Construct a mileage log - For every business-related
mile you drove in
2004, you can deduct 37 1/2 cents. That may not
sound like much, but if you put 1,000 miles on your car
driving to and from workshops, that's a $375
deduction! To construct the log, list each trip
individually. Write down where you were going, the
purpose, the date and how many miles your drove
roundtrip.
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Fund Your IRA - As a business owner, there are
actually two types of IRAs you can set up in 2005 and
back-fund for 2004 - the SIMPLE IRA and the
SEP-IRA. There are different rules and
contribution limits for both (consult your financial
advisor), but as long as you set these up before you
file your taxes, they'll count for 2004, and the more
income you defer, the less taxes you'll pay.
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Deduct Your Home Office - Many home-based business
owners fail to take all of the deductions they're
allowed for the use of their home office. For a
complete list, consult your accountant, or download IRS
Form 587 - Business Use of Your Home
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Restructure Your Business - Right now, most of you
operate as Sole Proprietors. You have until the
end of March to change that for tax purposes. You
can elect to form an LLC (Limited Liability Company), a
'C' Corporation or an 'S' Corporation. If you do
this before the end of March, you can elect to file your
2004 taxes under the new structure.
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2005-2006
Live Presentations
Book
Now!
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 I'm
happy to say that my speaking schedule is packed right
through the Spring!
We're
now taking bookings for live presentations for the
second half of 2005 and 2006!
My
presentations are designed to inform, motivate and
inspire your downline or group to define their goals and
build their business.
Unlike
many other speakers, however, my presentations are designed
exclusively for stamping professionals - not the
entire direct sales industry. I understand the
unique challenges stamping business owners face,
and I'm able to address them specifically.
I
also understand the financial difficulties stamping
business owners face and have priced my presentations
accordingly.
I
will share concrete steps everyone can take to make
their business a success - whether they just want a
self-supporting hobby, or a full-fledged stamping
business!
If
you're in charge of planning events for your downline or
group, we'd love to speak with you about our live
presentations.
For
more information about booking John for an
appearance in front of your group, send
us an e-mail, or click
here for more information.
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Book of the Month
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 J.K.
Lasser's Taxes Made Easy
For
Your Home-Based Business
by
Gary
W. Carter
This book, now in its 5th edition,
really is the gold standard when it comes to running a
tax-efficient home-based business.
The book goes into great detail about
the various business deductions the home-based business
owner is allowed, including what you can and cannot
deduct in your home office.
You also learn how many years your
business can run in the red, and what can potentially
trigger an IRS audit.
If you're going to do your own taxes, I
would absolutely recommend this book.
Select
here for more information from Amazon.com.
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Stamping
Business Q&A
What
Do
I
Do If...
I
Don't Want My Sales To Drop This Month?
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March can
be a difficult month for many stamping business
owners. January and February tend to be the months
that most stamping companies run their big, annual
promotions. As a result, you find yourself
extremely busy with workshops and events during those
two months, but you struggle in March because you've
pretty much worked through all of your hostesses and
customers.
So what
can you do to improve your March numbers?
Get on
the phone!
Make sure
you follow up by phone with every one of the people you
saw at the workshops you held over the last two
months. Check to see if they've received their
orders. And, hey, while I have you on the phone,
is there anything else you need? Or...would you
like to book your own workshop?
I promise
you this... the more phone calls you make, the more
business you'll find.
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Testimonials... |
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For January and February, I finished at
over $7000 in sales...I just wanted to say, 'thanks.' I couldn't
have done it without you!
- MD, Chicago, IL
I
LOVE your new Recruiting
101 CD! I listen to it right before I have to speak to a
prospect. It gives me a great boost of confidence! It's like
having you right by the phone!
- PD,
Dallas, TX
I
bought your book because I was thinking of signing up with (a stamping
company), but wasn't sure if I could actually make money. Now that
I've read your book, I'm convinced! I sent in my paperwork
yesterday!
-
AD, Yorkville, NY
Thank you so much for such wonderful
training!
- Bel Air, MD
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Quick
Links...
Order
the Electronic Version of "Stamping Is My Business!"
Order
the Printed Version of "Stamping Is My
Business!"
Order
one of the SIMB Training CDs
Join the Stamping Business
Coaching Group
Find out how to book John to speak live to YOUR group
Sign
up for an @StampingIsMyBusiness.com e-mail address
Order
the "Stamping Is My Business!" Tote Bag Stamping
Is My Business! Homepage
E-mail
Me
Past Newsletters
February,
2005
January,
2005
December,
2004
November,
2004
October,
2004
September,
2004
August,
2004
July
2004
June,
2004
May,
2004
April,
2004
March,
2004
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help insure delivery, please remember to add john@stampingismybusiness.com
to your address book or whitelist.
If
you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact
me. As always, please pass this newsletter on to anyone
you feel might benefit from it, especially if they have an AOL
address (since they're probably not receiving theirs!).
email: john@stampingismybusiness.com
voice: 201-653-6482
web: http://www.stampingismybusiness.com
Address:
69 Carlton Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jersey City, NJ 07306
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