Archives for January 2015
5 Easy To Live AND Thrive By Tips For Working At Home
Telecommuting and remote offices have provided abundant opportunities for solo entrepreneurs, executives, and management professionals. The flexibility to work from basically anywhere with your computer, internet, and keen attitude for getting stuff done. This rising trend of working remotely has its perks and well, its valleys. For those that thrive on productivity, work-life balance, and bringing home the bank from working in the comforts of their choosing, remote offices is where it is at. However, just as such, many can agree, there are disadvantages that can also get in the way of consistently remaining productive and not becoming too immersed in work.
This post hits home strategies, that the at work from home rock-star, can use to maintain balance and productivity.
- Get dressed to impressed. Working in your PJ's in one thing, but creating a behavior of not caring to take care of yourself, because youâre working in the comforts of your own home and
no one will see you, will get old. You may think youâre saving time by not getting ready to start the day by doing the traditional dress to impress office setting, and yes, you may be saving time, but you should really make the time to take care of you and feel refreshed. Feeling refreshed may vary person to person, but the key is to be at a comfort level, so that if your webcam accidentally went off while chatting with a client or executive, you wouldn't like a caveman with hair that hasn't been combed or God only knows what youâre wearing kind of outfit. Not only that, when one puts everything else in front of taking care of oneself, even with the simple step of getting ready, then it can set the stage for other not so healthy behaviors that at some point will boil over and impact both oneâs work and personal life. Furthermore, studies show that when one takes care of him/herself that he/she is more productive, energized, and alert. - Create your office space, and that is only your office space. Working from home shouldn't replace your home like atmosphere. Creating a home office that fits with what you need to get your job done. As such, make the time to draft out your office: identify the key equipment and tools that you need, make the space, organize your equipment and office that flows with what you need and is easily accessible. For example, if you have a whiteboard – make sure itâs in a spot that you can see and use it. Same thing with your calendars, project management charts, and other key information that continuously need.
- Create a schedule, stick to it, but also have flexibility to control changes. Every person is different, so every office will be different. The bottom line is having what you need, where you need it, and that your office energizes you. Studies show that clean, organized, and well laid out offices help to start, stay productive, and close out of your day. Furthermore, it also helps with life-balance. When youâre done with work, close your office door. Stay away from the office – it may be hard at first, but your dog, partner, and family will appreciate the balance and priority that provide by compartmentalizing work and the rest of your life.
- Take breaks, yes, real breaks that are away from your office. As a somewhat newbie to the whole work from home, solo entrepreneurial spirit, I can relate to this tip completely. It is so easy to start the day 6AM and not finish until 7 or 8PM. This is just dumb. Seriously, you need to schedule breaks for yourself, and not get too caught up with the trap of working from home. Otherwise, your home will turn into an overall home office. A place where one would look forward to relaxing in the evening is now a 24/7 coffee shop that only serves projects, emails, phone calls, and webinars. Build a schedule that works for your productivity. In todayâs wicked awesome marketplace, you don't have to have the standard 8AM-5PM. You can create your schedule. Think about times in which youâre the most productive. For some that may be a from 5AM – 2PM, 7-4PM, 2-10PM, 10-4AM or whatever. Whatever it is create a schedule that works for you, your clients, and maximizes your energy. If youâre not a morning person, why on Earth start your day at 8AM – it takes you three hours to reach you awaken state, but once you do, youâre on fire. Start on fire, and get jazzed up about your day – remember, youâre the boss of your schedule, when you start and finish is up to you. Take breaks to reward, reenergize, and refocus yourself throughout the day. Identify when you usually start to zone out, and build in breaks that fit your style. For example, I have breaks for frisbee with the dogs, yoga, and jiujitsu. After those breaks I feel refreshed, happier, and ready to get back to whatever it was that I paused before leaving.
- Clock out, check out, or whatever you want to call it, at the end of the day. You need to hear this, and perhaps, youâve heard it before, but still havenât let it sink in. There is
always going to be something that need to get done. Relax. That is what it is. In order to have a balance of working from home, you must be able to close the office door for the day and step away from work. It is so easy to stay plugged into work 24/7, especially for solo entrepreneurs. Your psyche will thank you. If not, one day, you will find yourself so burnt out that you want to say forget it to everything. Donât let that happen to you. You can design your work-life however you see fit, but the key is to design with a realistic understanding that you must be able to close the office door and compartmentalize your work life from your personal life. Perhaps, that wonât work for some because of their exhaustive passion for getting it all done all the time – that is totally fine, however, for many that is setting oneself up for a major professional burnout and/or putting personal relationships at an unnecessary jeopardy.
In essence, working from home is such an awesome opportunity and flexibility that many would love to have, and it is a rising trend across the board. However, just as working from home has its advantages, it also has some pitfalls. Pitfalls that are totally avoidable. The key is to be open, frank, and specific as to how those pitfalls could apply to you, and creating boundaries and actions that set you up for success. Taking care of you, creating your office space, making a schedule that works for your peak productivity mindset, taking breaks that energize you, and clocking out at the end of your day are all strategies to help you thrive in your home office.
Cheers to you work from home warriors – keep rocking productivity and profits by the beat of your own drum!
Copyright Viral Solutions llc Š 2015. All Rights Reserved
by Katie Doseck, Ph.D.
Chief Visionary and Strategic Ace Up Your Sleeve | Viral Solutions LLC
Katie Doseck, PhD MBA | Chief Visionary & Strategic Ace Up Your Sleeve. I catapulted my experience with extensive education, trainings, and personal coaching; earning a PhD in Organizational Management with a specialization in Human Resource Management, MBA in Organizational Leadership, and BA in Law & Liberal Arts. Subject Matter Expert (SME) areas: Human Resource Management, Employment Law, Organizational Change, Change Management, Resource Planning, Strategic Planning, Talent Management, Selling & Sales Management, Training & Development, Decision Making Models, Project Management, Customer Relationship Management, and Motivation. Dr. Doseck is based out of Logan, Utah.
13 Most Common Items to Complete When Setting up a New Business
Following is a checklist of most of the important things to consider when starting up a business and structuring it properly. Keep in mind that the primary intent and benefit of setting up a business is to make a profit. A secondary benefit is the tax savings incurred by being able to deduct expenses for the purpose of building the business. Note: This list may not be comprehensive because each state has its own requirements. Information provided is not legal or tax advice, they are statements of experience, seek legal and tax help from a licensed professional.
Checklist for Properly Structuring and Launching a Business
Certificate of Occupancy: If you are planning on occupying a building, you may have to apply to get this from your local city or county zoning department, especially if the building is new or you 
will conduct substantial improvements to the premises.
Business License: Many local authorities require licensing of a business. Sometimes the license must be obtained from the state, and other times it will be issued by the city or county. Many home-based businesses and network marketing ventures do not ordinarily need a license. Check with your state or city government.
Business Name: If you use a name for your business or sole proprietorship other than that of your own name, we recommend you register the company name with the controlling authority.
Trade Name and Trademark Protection: If you want to protect your trade name and any special trademarks that you want developed to brand your business, you will need to file a âRegistration of Trademark or Service Markâ with the U.S. Department of Commerce. For further information or to reach the Commissioner of Trademark and Patents, call (800) 786-9199.
Copyrights and Patents: If you have developed some special invention or have some written material that you donât want people to copy, you must file for a patent for invention or a copyright for written materials. This can be done by contacting the Commissioner of Trademarks, and the Patent and Copyright Applications office. Patent registration forms and questions: (800) 786-9199. To obtain copyright forms call (202) 707-9100. If you have a copyright question, call (202) 707-3000.
Business Insurance: All businesses should have some form of insurance to cover them for theft of equipment and for liability issues. Most homeowner policies exempt business equipment form their coverage. Check with your property and casualty agent to see how extensively you are covered and what insurance you may need to obtain.
Sales Tax Number: In many states, you may be required to collect and remit sales tax. Thus, you should get a sales tax number in the states in which you will be conducting business, especially 
your home state. Many network marketing companies take care of this for you with the state in which you will be working. If you are joining a multi-level marketing company, check with them about this number.
Unemployment Insurance: If you have any employees or if you incorporate (incorporation assumes you are the âemployeeâ), you will be required to pay both federal and state unemployment insurance. Contact your state unemployment insurance office for the forms and instructions. Also, you will need to get a federal ID number from the IRS by filing form SS-4 with the IRS. This will set up withholding and federal unemployment tax for any employees.
Immigration Act: If you have employees, you will need to verify employment eligibility by filing form I-9 for each new employee other than yourself or immediate family. Failure to do so could result in sizable penalties. For additional information, call (800) 755-0777.
Health and Safety: Be aware that there are many health and safety laws which apply to employees. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has some standard brochures of which you should be aware. Call them for information. If you plan to open a restaurant or a manufacturing facility and you will employ people, you will need to comply with OSHAâs standards. In many cases, complying means posting some rules somewhere in your facility.
Workersâ Compensation: If your business employs three or more people, Workersâ Compensation Insurance must be carried to cover injured employees. The owner may usually exempt himself or herself from this if they wish.
Minimum Wage Laws: Be aware that there are minimum wage requirements for employees that must be honored. If you have employees, find out what these requirements are and stay abreast of any changes.
Form W-4 for Each Employee: Each employee must fill out IRS Form W-4 for withholding and for claiming exemptions. If withholding or exemptions change within a year, a new form must be filed for each year a change takes place. See IRS publication 505. Generally, for every $2,800 in new deductions that you expect such as housing interest, expected losses from business, or for each dependent, you may claim an exemption.
Note: This list may not be comprehensive because each state has its own requirements. Information provided is not legal or tax advice, they are statements of experience, seek legal and tax help from a licensed professional.
Copyright 2015 Viral Solutions LLC [Information supplied by Time & Money LLC, in partnership]
Watch out elephants! This slayer of business challenges comes with 30 years of record breaking sales, marketing, operations, training and leadership experience . He has worked face-to-face with 100âs of small business owners as well as large firms. His love of creating, communicating, developing and executing results for clients shines with each project, publication and training event. His entrepreneurial spirit, passion, industry experience, education, problem-solving prowess, charismatic personality and been-there-done that attitude leads his client focused approach.
A Reflection of Dr. Martin Luther King’s Leadership Quotes & Legacy
Let us take a moment to think about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Think about his profound influence on U.S. history and civil rights. Think about his dogged determination, love, and vision of laying the foundation of so many influential civil rights. Think about his struggle. Think about how he overcame that struggle. Think about how, to this very day, if you watch his I have a Dream speech, that he still has the ability to send chills through your body and bring tears to your eyes. Think about his legacy.
This post serves to reflect upon five mind expanding, breathtaking, and heart pounding quotes about leadership. Leadership that paved the way for civil rights, and leadership perspective that perhaps, we all could strive to apply within our personal and professional journeys. Let us reflect upon:
- Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
- The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. The true neighbor will risk his position, his prestige and even his life for the welfare of others.
- I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. That is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.
- Never, never be afraid to do whatâs right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Societyâs punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.
- When you are right you cannot be too radical; when you are wrong, you cannot be too conservative.
Read, re-read, and ponder the sheer magnitude of the aforementioned quotes. Think of the time, emotions, thoughts, and people impacted, and quite frankly, impacted today by such statements and beliefs. Think about how our world would be a different place if such quotes were the actions, beliefs, and attitudes of the majority today. Think about how these defining quotes can be applied to you personally, professionally, and perhaps, spiritually. Just think. Think of the issues that youâve overcome in your life, and how those issues may have been hard to overcome, in the big scheme of the world, they were small, and how such larger, monumental obstacles within our society and ourselves have stood in the way and continues to stand in the way of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. As such, think of how such obstacles have been overcome to gain our life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.
It is interesting how one day throughout the year, may serve as a reminder of where weâve come, gone, overcame, and still struggle on key social issues. I wish people would stop, reflect, and pay tribute to those that have made such profound influences on society, life, and not remain silent on things that matter. Life matters. Love matters. Equal rights matters. You matter. I matter. I sit back and reflect today, on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., but in all reality, I should reflect on such key leadership lessons daily. Perhaps, we all should. As such, it may bring us closer together, teach us humble lessons of persistence, looking fear in the eyes and still move forward, and expand our empathy toward ourselves, family, friends, strangers, and society. Perhaps, as with the practice of gratitude, the practice of familiarity and reflection of great leaders can help us learn more, and well, be more.
All my love to you on this day of remembrance and all days.
– Katie
Copyright Viral Solutions llc Š 2015. All Rights Reserved
by Katie Doseck, Ph.D.
Chief Visionary and Strategic Ace Up Your Sleeve | Viral Solutions LLC
Katie Doseck, PhD MBA | Chief Visionary & Strategic Ace Up Your Sleeve. I catapulted my experience with extensive education, trainings, and personal coaching; earning a PhD in Organizational Management with a specialization in Human Resource Management, MBA in Organizational Leadership, and BA in Law & Liberal Arts. Subject Matter Expert (SME) areas: Human Resource Management, Employment Law, Organizational Change, Change Management, Resource Planning, Strategic Planning, Talent Management, Selling & Sales Management, Training & Development, Decision Making Models, Project Management, Customer Relationship Management, and Motivation. Dr. Doseck is based out of Logan, Utah.
Quality of Life Depends On You, Not Money
Taken from Secrets of the Money Masters
For over two decades we have observed thousands of people spending their money in very haphazard ways. One of our clients was a physician earning over $600,000 a year. By the time he came to Money Mastery for help he was filing bankruptcy for the third time. Contrast his story with a 28-year-old high school teacher that was earning only $21,000 annually but who was able to save $3,000 per year and only had a $50,000 mortgage on his home.
Over many years of analyzing different client incomes, we have found that someone earning, for example, between $200,000 and $400,000 per year doesnât have any better âquality of lifeâ than someone earning $35,000. These higher income people obviously have better cars, clothing and food, but they donât necessarily have a better and more secure future to look forward to or better marriages and happier families. Children of these wealthy people often do not even hold their parents in high regard because they have been given everything their whole lives and do not appreciate their parentsâ sacrifices.
Consider the man and his wife who stretched their income to purchase an expensive home. After  25 years of paying more for property taxes, more for higher homeownersâ insurance, and more for morgage payments, they determined that they could not save or invest any of their income. In order to retire, they sold their home and moved into a small condominium. Did the larger, more expensive house give them a better life? Did being stressed out over higher costs for the 25 years bring them more happiness?
Did paying $300,000 more in interest expense create better behavior in their children and a more loving atmosphere in the family?
The Secret Principle…
To build a happy family and a more secure financial future, remember this:
It matters not how much you make, only what you do with your money that counts.
The key to success is to:
- Forecast your spending before you get
- Keep track of expenditures
- Compare your actual expenses with your
- Hold weekly meetings with yourself, or your spouse if you are
- Practice forgiveness when you or spouse overspend
Whatâs It Worth?
By implementing these secrets, you will likely save over $100,000 in interest expense alone. Even more importantly, you can save your personal relationships.
Written by MoneyMastery.com
Try Money Mastery for Free!Â
by Christine Kelly
CEO and Queen Bee | Viral Solutions LLC
Prior to joining Viral Solutions, Christine held executive leadership roles at some of the largest small business consulting firms in the USA. Her experience includes leading direct reports of over 130 remote sales agents who generated $38mm in annual revenue. She obtained her Marketing degree from British Columbia Institute of Technology. Bring her C-Suite experience to your small business. Although our company is virtual, and we can work with you wherever you are located, she is located in Denver, Colorado and owns a second home in Vancouver, BC Canada.
Make More Effective Use of Hashtags
People without a keen grasp on social media are often confused about what exactly hashtags are used for and how they should be included in promotional posts for their business. Itâs important to note that people who use social media are extremely savvy when it comes to online marketing tactics, and companies that use hashtags poorly will more than likely be completely ignored.
Here are some tips to make better use of hashtags on social media:
⢠Test before posting. Do a search for your hashtag and see who else is using the hashtag, and how. You donât want your hashtag to be instantly associated with another business, for 
example. This is especially important if you are creating a hashtag relevant to your business or promotion. It is good, however, to use general hashtags that are being used by other people, as they will be more likely to be noticed, so long as (again) they arenât directly associated with another brand.
⢠Keep it simple. On Twitter especially, long and complicated hashtags arenât likely to get a whole lot of engagement. Your hashtags should be easy to read and remember and allow people to add enough additional text in their post.
⢠Timing is key. Take advantage of the âtrending topicsâ lists provided by Twitter and Facebook. Many times youâll see certain hashtags that are trending worldwide, across the nation or in your local area. Using these hashtags in a smart way that fits within your brand can be a good way to make sure more people see your message.
⢠Be relevant. Going along with the previous point, just because a hashtag is currently popular does not mean that you should spam tweets with that hashtag. It will reflect poorly on your business, because Twitter and Facebook users will instantly know that youâre looking for cheap attention. Be responsible with how often you use hashtags and which ones you choose to use. Donât simply tweet about every popular hashtag in hopes of getting attention.
⢠Track your success. Are your posts getting seen by other people because of the hashtag? Are other people actually joining in and using the hashtag as well? These are important questions that you should ask yourself as you evaluate your social media marketing campaign and your use of hashtags.
Need assistance with solving your hashtag woes? Work with us today at Viral Solutions!
Copyright 2015 Viral Solutions LLC
Watch out elephants! This slayer of business challenges comes with 30 years of record breaking sales, marketing, operations, training and leadership experience . He has worked face-to-face with 100âs of small business owners as well as large firms. His love of creating, communicating, developing and executing results for clients shines with each project, publication and training event. His entrepreneurial spirit, passion, industry experience, education, problem-solving prowess, charismatic personality and been-there-done that attitude leads his client focused approach.