Relationship Marketing | Build Your Online Business

This is a guest post by Lisa Robbin Young.  Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com/

5 Tips to Save on Your Taxes

By Lisa Robbin Young

As a business owner, at least here in the United States, Ben Franklin reminds us that there is at least one certainty in life: taxes. As a direct seller, you may have opted to build a small “side gig” to earn a little extra operating funds for trips, to give your family a little “more” or just to fund your shoe shopping habit.

Ultimately, though, if you're producing revenue, you've got a business, and Uncle Sam wants his due. Even if you're not profiting from your direct sales business, there may be some taxable situations that will effect you.

Mind you, I'm not a tax professional, but my friend, Scott Lovingood is, and he shared some great tips on his call  for the Small Biz Super Summit this Spring. While the deadline for filing your taxes for 2010 may have passed, now is a great time to consider ways to get your finances in tip top shape this year. (more…)

In the past, persons in Direct Sales relied heavily on person-to-person/one-on-one contact and word of mouth referrals.  These methods are still effective; however, you now have the ability to extend your reach far beyond your local community.  Of course, depending on the type of service or products you are marketing, there may be some challenges or limitations, but these can usually be addressed on a case by case basis.

Starting your online business is a step by step process, and the basic principles are the same as for starting any other type of business online.  It starts with the correct mindset.  Believing in yourself if the first requirement.  Being all the you can be is not just for a particular segment of society, you can be all you want to be as long as you are willing to do the work – take the time to learn the steps required to build a successful business on the internet and then take action.  One of the first actions steps you may need to take is to change your thinking.

If you have been in Direct Sales for any length of time you are aware that it is possible to supplement your income or even replace your income in a very short time.  Note, ‘it is possible!'  You will usually get out of it what you put into it, and this has been the case for many, including myself.  However, it's important to recognize that while it is possible to make a lot of money on the internet, it does take time, patience and work.  At the same time you may be asking as I did a year and a half ago: “Where do I start?”

My goal for anyone, including Direct Sales Consultants,  starting a business online is that you do not waste money as I did purchasing e-book after e-book and courses online that proved to be all fluff and no substance.  Other courses told me what I needed to do but gave me no idea how to do it.  Working with great Mentors is the key and I'll be providing more information on some of those who have contributed to my progress and the success I've experienced to date.

During a recent conversation with a group of women who are in various Direct Sales companies, different opinions were given on the value of establishing an online presence.  The majority felt that they did not need to do this as –

1) Each company they represented had a company website, which their prospects and customers could be referred to.
2) Most Direct Sales companies place limitations and restrictions on their consultants/distributors as to what they can and cannot do with their company names, logos, etc. so that it would be a breach of company policy to establish personal websites to promote the products and services they offer.  Some persons also noted that most companies already allow consultants and distributors to have a company website with their own name.  Note that this is usually a duplicate of the company website that's basically a static site that's updated by the company and which each consultant/distributor cannot personalize.

Are you in Direct Sales?  Can you relate to the foregoing?  I definitely can and had similar views to those expressed above until just over one year ago when I was introduced to another concept:  Establishing an online presence is designed to promote ME, not the Direct Sales company I represent. It is essential to establish an online presence to promote YOU.  This will allow people to get to know you, who you are, what sets you apart from all the other consultants or distributors who represent XYZ company.  In this was you will also be helping people to develop the Know, Like and Trust factor, which is so critical to success in business in general, but especially in doing business on the Internet.