Tax Deductions for the Self-Employed Resume Writer

As the end of the year approaches, it's time to start thinking about taxes. Yuck. I know.

When you own a resume writing business, there are a lot of things to consider. One of them is taxes. It will take you a little longer to get them done than someone who is a W2 employee, but there is one upside — tax deductions for the self-employed.

When it comes to taxes, there is a lot to know. As a self-employed professional, things can get a bit more complicated because you work for yourself. When you work for a company, your wages are subject to taxes. You fill out a W-2 form and the company does the rest. You can see on your check what has been deducted for state, federal, and social security tax. It's a no-brainer for the employee. I'm jealous for some of my jobseeking clients when I think about the ease of getting a W-2 form. I'd have my taxes done when there is still snow on the ground in Nebraska if I were an employee!

But alas, I've been self-employed since 1996.

Most self-employed people receive their full pay for their services. Taxes are not taken out. This gives you an advantage when it comes to utilizing as much of your money as you can. But, tax time comes and it's time to settle up with the IRS. This involves calculating all of the income you've earned from clients, and then figuring out your tax deductions. Deductions in the form of tax write-offs can reduce your taxable income. This can change your tax bill.

Tax Write-Offs 
Here are a few of the tax write-offs that you may be eligible to deduct as a self-employed individual. A full listing can be found on the IRS website. Turbotax also has a good list of possibilities for 2012. (Check with your tax professional for specific advice and guidance, of course.)

• Home office — This deduction has tripped people up for years. Basically, you will need a dedicated office space in your home for your business. Conducting business occasionally from your computer in the family room doesn't qualify that space for a tax write-off. But, when you have an office set up, you are also eligible to deduct a portion of the utilities too. (You calculate the total square footage of your home, and the square footage of your "office" and then can deduct expenses as the percentage of your office compared to the total home.)
• Travel expenses — Did you attend a resume writing conference this year? Time to pull together those records -- conference registration fees, airline tickets, meal receipts, gas receipts, and other incidentals. A percentage of these expenses are deductible because they were incurred in the transaction of your business.
• Medical expenses — Because you are not employed by anyone, your medical bills are your responsibility. However, you can regain some of the insurance premiums you paid on your tax return. The exception to this rule is when your spouse is eligible for family insurance at their job and this could cover your medical needs. Again, check with your tax professional. Also: Look into a Health Savings Account as a way to increase your deductions for expenses you're already paying.

You work hard. Make sure that you claim all tax write-offs that are due for your resume writing business.

Guest Post: Increase Sales By Flying Under Your Prospects' "Radar Defenses"

How do you persuade someone to do what you want them to do?

A whole world of marketing exists around us trying to do that every minute of the day. Do you even notice it anymore or, like your prospects, have you subconsciously set up a system of "radar defenses" against the daily bombardment of marketing messages?

Take a minute and count up the advertising methods which fight for your attention (and money) every day. Just the basic list includes:

• Yellow page ads 
• Newspaper and magazine ads 
• Postcards, catalogs, and direct mail circulars in your "snail mail" box 
• Radio pitches interrupting the flow of your favorite songs
• TV ads - about 20 minutes worth per hour now
• Hundreds of storefronts, "mega" malls, and strip malls 
• Highway billboards by the thousands 
• Circulars hung on your doorknob
• Illegal signs on stop signs and telephone poles 
• Legitimate email messages 
• Spam email or UCE (without permission commercial email) 

Just these 11 sources can overwhelm your brain with marketing messages. Like trapped rats, people develop defenses against this never-ending onslaught. They throw up a wall or a "radar defense" that goes into action the minute they smell a "pitch" or a sales job. Don't blame them. We all do it!

So how can you get around this psychological wall against the constant sales and marketing messages? Well, the answer does NOT lie in hitting people with more frequent and obnoxious advertising or sly, sneaky tactics. You might get them to trust you for a minute, but it will backfire in the long run.

You must do two things instead:

1. First, you must establish credibility for yourself and your business as an expert. 
2. Second, you must reduce their fears about doing business with you. 

Doing these two things will get you past their defenses and allow you the opportunity to persuade them to buy your product.

So how do you accomplish these two "simple" things? What will win someone's attention, raise your credibility, and lower their fear factor all at the same time? The one-word answer really applies to most everyone.

Trust!

If a seller can get behind your defenses with information which makes you trust them, then that credibility will carry over into a sale much of the time.

How can you get this credibility?

Well, take this next fact as online marketing "gospel," for many people have proven its effectiveness.

Fact: Publishing and promoting with free articles gives you one of the most powerful opportunities available to tip the buyer's credibility scale in your favor.

How can we prove this works? Quite easily actually. Take a break from reading this and go check out a newspaper or magazine for a minute.

Which do you trust more, the ads or the articles? Most people will choose the articles hands down. Why? Because the articles don't try to "sell" you anything. Instead, they hand out useful information for educational or other practical purposes.

Most of us grew up in a culture which says we can believe and "trust" what appears in the standard "news" or "information" format. In other words, if it appears in print, then we can believe and trust the author.

So go ahead! Use this lifetime of conditioning to your advantage in selling your products and services!

Very few things will create an atmosphere of trust and confidence in people as reading one of your articles on a subject that greatly interests them. It shows you know your business. It also demonstrates you will do more than just try to sell them something.

Publishing articles literally lets you fly under their advertising "radar defenses."

So remember these points when deciding whether or not to use articles to promote your business:

1. Few things create as much trust and confidence in the minds of potential customers as reading an article you wrote on a subject which specifically and intensely interests them. 
2. Articles establish credibility quickly because, right or wrong, we've all been trained to trust the "news." 
3. An article, or series of articles, will differentiate you from the competition, who bombard people with nothing but sales messages. 
4. Providing content-rich, non-sales-oriented articles will also help build and solidify your relationship with existing customers so they give you repeat business. 

(c) Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
http://www.thenetreporter.com

Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to use free articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website or affiliate links!

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Burned Out?

There comes a point in time where almost every resume writer experiences a burnout feeling. Sometimes the mere thought of one more client project is enough to want to send you back to bed — and, at times, you may find yourself putting your work on the back burner. This can have a terribly negative impact on your business, your income, and your client experience.

What can you do when you feel you can no longer deal with your clients, and you can't stand the thought of one more project?

Here are some survival techniques that should help you get through this temporary burnout phase. Determine the underlying cause of your burnout. Here are some common ones:

• Could it be that you are doing the wrong type of work? (If you hate the marketing and sales part of being a resume writer, have you considered being a subcontract writer? On the other hand, if you love selling the client but hate doing the actual writing, maybe it's time to bring on a subcontract writer.) 

• Should you be focusing on another niche instead of what you are doing? If you like the work, but don't like the kinds of clients you're writing for, maybe specializing in a specific niche would be a good idea.

• Too much work and not enough play — this certainly makes for a dull life. You need to be doing more than sitting at the computer 24/7. Give yourself frequent breaks and set hours for your business. Don't become a slave to your work. When you set a schedule for yourself, try to manage your time appropriately so you can take time off on weekends and/or holidays. You need this time to rejuvenate and regroup. Time off should be family time, fun time and be spent doing something you want to do. (Only you can decide how many clients is the right number of clients for you. For some resume writers, 1 client a day is enough. For others, 3-4 a day isn't too much.)

• Being buried in projects can only add to this burnout phase you are going through. If necessary, you may consider outsourcing some of your work to a trusted colleague. This will definitely help you catch up and maintain your ability to meet client deadlines. You don't have to bring on a subcontract writer permanently! Just post a request for help on one of the E-Lists (NRWA, CDI) and get caught up.

• Let your creative juices flow. If you are bored doing the same old thing day in and day out, then it's time to do something new. Put your creativity to use and find something fun to do that will help your business. This could be something as simple as learning a new skill, software program, or possibly making a video for your blog or website. Anything that will help break the monotony of a typical day can help you survive a burnout.

• Take a well-deserved and much-needed vacation. That's pretty much self-explanatory. A vacation needs to be free from responsibilities of the job. But make sure you're not just escaping from your "issues" (because those will still be there when you come back!). A vacation can be a good idea to think about some longer-term strategies for yourself and your resume writing business. Speaking of which....

• Take a good look at where you are and where you want to be. It might be that you need to make some changes to the type of work you are doing and what you are offering to clients. If every project is something you dread and dislike doing, it's certain you will be facing a burnout more often than necessary. Do you need to change your pricing, so you're making the same amount (or more) while working with fewer clients? 

Don't beat your head against a wall when you feel the burnout syndrome coming on. It is bound to happen to everyone at some point in their career. Once you find the source of your burnout, it's important to do something about it. Don't ignore it, or that feeling will certainly return. Find the source and take control. You'll be glad you did!

One way to feel more confidence and control in your business is to engage in business planning and goal setting. Check out this month's Special Report for Bronze members on BeAResumeWriter.com: "Ready, Set, Goal: Business Planning & Goal Setting For Resume Writers."

Guest Post: What's the Difference Between Salad and Garbage?

Today's guest post is by marketing expert Fabienne Frederickson.

A few years ago someone asked me, "Fabienne, what is the difference between salad and garbage?" I had never been asked that before. The only difference between salad and garbage is time. When you're looking at a fresh green salad and you don't eat it right away, in a few days it becomes garbage and unappetizing. You've also heard the idea of striking while the iron is hot--hot leads turn into cold leads if you don't take action on them right away.

In business, timing is everything. A client of mine always used to say to me, "Fabienne, it's really difficult for me as a real estate attorney to attract clients because I can never anticipate when they're going to need me. (This is also something that résumé writers face.) It's not something that they need very often, so how do I know when to market to them? I don't know how to market to them. I don't know when to market to them. It's just all so arbitrary."

Watch this week's video to find out my strategy on how to use stay in touch marketing vehicles to solve this problem. Being consistent in this way will ensure that you have always have clients.
Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Mentor, is founder of the Client Attraction System®, the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to attract more clients, in record time...guaranteed. To get your FREE Audio CD by mail and receive her weekly marketing & success mindset articles on attracting more high-paying clients and dramatically increasing your income, visit www.attractclients.com.