When Things Don’t Go as Planned, the Plan Has to Change

 

“The only limits in life are the ones you make”

You know, when life changes we think we have it all figured out until we realize that the plan did not go as planned; but that is ok; even super woman/man has a weakness. Today I came to the realization that my super plan to get up at 4 a.m. every morning after a long day at work and school and studying was not exactly as easy as I thought it would be. Especially for someone who cannot seem to get a decent amount of sleep at night.

I have to make some very serious adjustments and discipline myself to do what it is I am supposed to do if I am going to stay on this path of greatness. I have come entirely too far to just turn back now. Over the past few weeks my business has been in full swing, school has been in full swing, but fitness…not so much. I have been slacking compared to my previous fitness schedule.

I decided that I would need to adjust my fitness schedule to match my current situation; meaning no more Saturday off days. My new gym schedule will be Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. So Tuesdays and Thursdays will be my off days and I will only work out once a day instead of twice and my run days will be determined by my mood, but I am thinking Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

I intend on posting an update to let you know how next week goes so stay tuned.

And…It Is What It Is!

On The Top Hat Shop

I designed business cards for a client. The client currently owns a t-shirt store and now has a partner that will be selling hats in his store.

Here is a draft of the business card I created, the edges will actually be cut off but here is what it looks like before print.

Sweet 16/March Madness Flyer

I haven’t been posting much about my work on here but I am going to change that. I do so much that I can blog for days. I’ve posted one time before about a flyer I did for a client but that was quite some time ago.

So I got a rush order Thursday the 8th to do a flyer same day, even though this messed up my evening plans I like how it turned out.

The woman is in the AA program and she is “turning 16” which means she has been clean and sober for 16 years; so she is celebrating with a Sweet 16 party. They are also celebrating March Madness Birthdays and that is for everyone who is celebrating a clean and sober birth in the month of March.

I hope you like it!

Pull Out Your Plunger!

Today my toilet stopped up and I grabbed my plunger and with one push everything flowed smoothly.

It got me to thinking, “this is how business works”. In business if we don’t push ourselves we will never succeed. Sometime business can feel like it is at a stand still, when this happens; give it a push!
Try something new, revamp your website, come up with new items, strategies; anything that will get you out of “stand still mode”.

If you haven’t gotten your business off the ground and you feel as though things aren’t working how you would like them to then push yourself to get up and do something about it.

If you just give it a big PUSH everything will flow just fine.

Which design is best?

I have a client that is having a Aquarius/10th Anniversay/40th Birthday Party. On side 1 of the flyer they wanted to focus on the bithday party for the CEO.

There are 2 design choices for side 1:

Design 1:


Design 2:


I think I am liking 2 a little more now. Its growing on me.

For side 2 the client wanted their logo all over the background so I created a line of logos with each logo being 10 pixels smaller than the one above it; then I used the flood tool to make it a repeating pattern with a fade of 200. I then copied the layer and flipped it

Side 2:

Business Structures

When you decide to become a business owner you have to decide what type of business you will have. There are a few choices to choose from; each business type requires a different tax filing schedule:
•Sole Proprietor (1040 Schedule C)
•Corporation (1120)
•Partnership (1065)
•S-Corporation (1120S)
•Trust (1041)
•Non-profit organization (990)
•Limited Liability or LLC

Sole proprietors are unincorporated businesses. A sole proprietor is someone who owns a business by themselves.

Partnerships are unincorporated businesses. Partnerships are owned by 2 or more individuals.

In forming a corporation, prospective shareholders exchange money, property, or both, for the corporation's capital stock. A corporation generally takes the same deductions as a sole proprietorship to figure its taxable income. A corporation can also take special deductions.

S-Corporations have features similar to a partnership. An S-corporation must have at least one shareholder, and cannot have more than 100 shareholders. If any shareholder provides services to the business, the S-Corp must pay that shareholder a reasonable salary. This salary is a separate payment from distributions of profits or losses.

Trusts are usually formed upon the death of an individual and are designed to provide continuity of the investments and business activities of the deceased individual. We will not discuss trusts further.

Nonprofits are corporations formed for a charitable, civic, or artistic purpose. Nonprofits are generally exempt from federal and state taxation on their income, and so they are often called "exempt organizations."

A Limited Liability Company (LLC) is a business structure allowed by state statute. LLCs are popular because, similar to a corporation, owners have limited personal liability for the debts and actions of the LLC. Other features of LLCs are more like a partnership, providing management flexibility and the benefit of pass-through taxation.

Your Business Plan

A business plan precisely defines your business, identifies your goals, and serves as your business’ resume. Its basic components include a current and defined balance sheet, an income statement, and a cash flow analysis. It helps you allocate resources properly, handle unforeseen complications, and make the right decisions. It provides specific and organized information about your company and how you will repay borrowed money, a good business plan is a crucial part of any loan package.
You may wonder why you need a business plan if you do not plan on obtaining a loan. It can tell your sales personnel, suppliers, and others about your operations and goals. It can also give you a clear view of where your business is going and where it can be. Everything in life needs a plan and business is definitely no exception.
A business plan requires time and can be done over a period of time but should be done. There are a number of websites that provide outlines for the information needed on your plan. Check your local library to find out census data on your competitors to obtain a market analysis.
If you are in the Tacoma area; the Sound Business Assistance Program through the Metropolitan Development Council is holding a class on Simplified Business Plans Thursday January 14th from 9am to 11am. This class is free of charge. For more info click here