Direct Sales Success: Year-end Tax Saving Strategies

For most direct sales professionals, the biggest selling season of the year is now at a close.

With all that year end income, you probably haven’t given much thought to your tax situation until just now.

A colleague of mine, Scott Lovingood, is a tax pro and reminds me often that the only difference between tax planning and tax paying is December 31. That deadline is fast approaching, and there are still a few things you can do to make sure you’re paying as little on your taxes as possible:

Directory Listings: Are they really worth it?

“I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member. ”
-Groucho Marx

*begin diatribe*

This week, I tripped over a new website that’s offering directory-style listings to a specific niche in the Direct Selling industry. I found it through a link being promoted on a friend’s website. When I clicked it, I was transferred to a directory-style website that features the so-called “best of the best” in this particular niche.

In short, my friend had a link on her site that was promoting her competition.

I was intrigued. What about this site was so amazing that she felt compelled to promote it on her blog? She does very well for herself in her business and I thought this must be some kind of new, high-profile award site or something, bestowing some kind of honor for folks like her.

Nope. It was a directory site. And she paid about $600 for the “honor” of being listed on this site.

*gag*

Direct Sales Success: Invest Wisely in Your Direct Sales Business

Time and again young leaders and new consultants approach me with questions regarding re-investing in their business. Simply put, a savvy consultant does need to set aside a certain amount of profit to reinvest for business growth. The challenge comes, however, when consultants are earning so little in the first place, that they just don’t think it’s possible. The profit margin is either too slim, or they’ve already spent it on living expenses.

It’s a dirty little secret that most consultants don’t want to talk about or admit…

Direct Sales Training: Financial Strategies for Success

Summer can be a dangerous time for direct sales consultants. With school letting out and families travelling, many consultants hang up their consultant hat for the summer and look to “start over” in the Fall. The excuses are plenty, and the reality is that when consultants do this, they’ve paralyzed their business growth and their cash flow.

In a family full of teachers, I learned first hand the importance of balancing cash flow. Most teachers earn an income nine months of the year, and then have zero income during the summer – the time when they’re most likely to be able to enjoy it! It becomes important to balance cash flow throughout the year, in order to maintain your sanity during the seasonal income slumps.

Here are a few tips to help you even out your cash flow this summer: