Entrepreneur Start-Up Guide

ABOUT THIS GUIDE This free guide will give you basic tips and tools to help get you started on your business. Rewarding tips that will give you insight on starting a business and things you must do now to be official. Simple marketing tips you can do right now to promote your business! Most importantly budget friendly social media apps that I used when I first started my business and I still use today! This guide is a bit different than most start up guides. It will include examples of trials, failures and lessons I have gone through starting my business back in 2017.

It will shed light on how these trials and lessons helped me to be where I am today. Not a lot of business owners will keep it honest with you when it comes to the truth in building a Start-Up, but I will because it helped me on my journey and I vow to myself to help others who may be lost as I once was. As my business continues to grow and the more knowledge I obtain about doing business, I will continue to provide free tips and tools for small businesses and startups!

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“This guide wouldn't be beneficial if you weren't along on my journey” ~Bianca Renee This Guide is for General Information & Use Only Disclosure:​ This guide is not intended to provide permanent solutions to your existing business or upcoming businesses.

This guide does not constitute legal or tax advice. In addition, this guide is not intended to determine the present or future outcome of your new start up or existing business or businesses from any category or is intended to be a requirement.

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You are a Entrepreneur... Claim it!

Starting a business isn't the easiest decision you can make, but it is worth everything! The more you try the better the chance there is for you to succeed as an entrepreneur...or not at all. The decision is yours. Quitting only increases the time it takes to reach your goals of being a small business owner. I hope that you are ready for this beautiful journey of BUSINESS! You did it! You made the decision to start, to create, build, generate profits and do what you never thought you could! No one said it would be easy!

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Why I started My Business

First, let me say I am a realest, free spirit and I am not rich or wealthy..YET! Far too often we hear the amazing stories after everyone has succeeded and making millions, but what about during the process? I’d rather tell my testimony, lessons and experiences as I continue to grow my business.

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What this means whenever I am growing in business so will you! My family didn't have riches or investors growing up to invest financially in our dreams and aspirations. What we did have was priceless! My mother worked hard to make sure we had a roof over our heads, my Grandfather taught me life and financial lessons, my Grandmother taught me how to maneuver in the streets and be independent, my Godfather was my Sensai in a nutshell, my Uncle taught me unconditional love and how to be a rock for the family you build, my Aunts taught me how to be a woman and go after what you want in life, with no regrets. These values I will cherish and take with me everywhere. I've always been someone who love to create things, build, design, see

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other people happy, always there for others or giving people advice and loved, loved, loved technology and business! You cannot have one without the other. I love to see projects come to fruition, especially when it's a rough road. I remember reading public relations & business law books at 8 years old with my Godfather. Not to mention a yoga book from the 1970s I still have from his library. This is something my Godfather always wanted me to do..read! He always said no one can take education from you but they can alter your path if you do not have any. My Godfather had a bookshelf for me to explore when he watched me while my mother was at work. We lived in the “hood” so the outside view was different, but that never stopped him from showing me what the world had to offer and what I could one day offer the world.. ​Exploring my talents and gifts, ​all I wanted to do

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was be someone great, do what I love and give back to people. After the military, college degrees, working odd jobs and the corporate life, ​15 years later​ I decided to start my own business “Beautiful Beginnings”.

The same business I named when my Godfather passed away 4 years prior to me leaving the corporate world it just wasn't official. I watched my Godfather take his last breath, I have never been through anything like that in my life. All I wanted to do was make sure he was proud of me. He always said “Me and you against the world”, now he wasn't here.

This made me stronger although it took time. It is amazing how things happen in time.​ I​ took my health into consideration more than ever before and decided to do what I love to do in a business. Prior to me starting my own Copyright Beautiful Beginnings, Llc DBA BrConsultingSVCS 2019 7

business I was stressed and overworked. Money didn't fuel me no matter how much I made in the corporate life. I chose me! I appreciate everything the military and corporate world taught me but I wasn’t fulfilled! I was missing my purpose!

Starting my business and going through the ups and downs, almost quitting but never did, trying to figure out the right business model to earn a profit… I am still here. ​Do you know how hard it is to put all of your gifts and talents in a business with no help!?!​ Not to mention marketing, business proposals, consultations, building your own everything, ( doing the work for the clients ) meeting deadlines…I didn't know what to do, everything seemed to be happening so fast! One thing I made sure I didn't do was QUIT.​ It's all worth it and I am glad I didn’t.

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As I progressed through my sweat and tears, I found what fit me and my business. I went from making everything difficult, to making things simple and most of all, holding myself accountable! (This took a year!). I learned we tend to waste time trying to run our business like everyone else. Run your business how you want and what works for you and your clients, not what you see every other business owner doing. This distraction will cause you to fall, fail, and never get to your goals.

Are you an Entrepreneur or Business Owner?

An Entrepreneur and a Business Owner are not the same, but the two words are used interchangeably. An Copyright Beautiful Beginnings, Llc DBA BrConsultingSVCS 2019 9

Entrepreneur​ is someone who is aspiring on an idea, creates it, self - employed and takes the risks in building and financing their business. A Business Owner is someone who actually owns a legal entity on paper whether it is a single owned business or a corporation, this depends on how your business is formalized.

Ownership of a business is the legal right to a business by percentage or documentation. We will talk about this later in the guide. How you formalize your business depends on your business goals, what category your business is in, taxes and more. This can change over time, but there are important things you need to get done if you want to be official. ​Do you know that your potential clients or customers trust you when you are official?​ ​Do you Copyright Beautiful Beginnings, Llc DBA BrConsultingSVCS 2019 10

have your business license? Are you paying your business taxes? Do you have employees? Does the IRS have their I -9? These are all important things to think about first before you start your business! I completely understand every situation does not work out by having everything official first, however, it should be a priority.

Hiring a business consultant such as myself will get you on the right path. I offer free consultations. I have clients who are just getting their license at 10 years or more. I want to stress while you may have reasons to not get your business license.

You are not holding yourself accountable. You also are doing a disservice to your potential business growth. In addition you are missing out on benefits as a business owner.

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Formalizing your Business - The Basics When you are ready to legalize your business, it is important to know the steps to take. This guide may not reach each step in starting a business in every state or type of business, however it will give you an idea on how to get started. I would recommend looking at your city or state requirements for the business you are opening. For the majority, a business license is needed to start any business along with your operating agreement and the articles of organization. We will get into these two later.

Before you get your business license � Think about what type of business you want to own. � Research first on what is needed from you to start your specific business. For example to do lashes or facials you need an esthetician’s license by the state. ( This may vary from state to state) Copyright Beautiful Beginnings, Llc DBA BrConsultingSVCS 2019 12

Why is a business license important? Let’s say if you styled a customers hair and the customer had some allergic reaction to the product you used. They file a lawsuit and the first thing that comes up is “Are you a licensed cosmetologist?”... if your answer is no, the outcome can change your life and reputation as a business owner. ● Talk to people who are currently doing the business you want to one day own for yourself ( if you are able to ) and ask questions. ● If you have a skill such as creative art, hair stylist, make-up artists, graphic design○ Volunteer to conduct services in your local community.

■ This allows you to get your portfolio of your talent together. People will get to know you in your community by your work and who you are.

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( Gain their trust ). I volunteered at a local church for about a year. I was the reporter, videographer, video editor and I created custom videos around the church updates. This is something I will cherish for life!

I know you may not know the important questions to ask other business owners so I created a free business questionnaire for you! ​Download Here This is something that I didn’t do a lot of in the beginning, but it is very important as you are starting out

Business Structures There are several types of business structures for your business.

Let’s explore them​! ●

​Llc ( Limited Liability Company )

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S-Corp

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C- Corp

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â—?

Sole Proprietorship

â—?

General Partnership

99% of businesses in the United States have one of these types of business as of 2014 (Brookings.edu) What does all this mean? Small Business Owners have a greater impact on the economy and community than most people want to believe. It is also important to understand how each business structure is different and your choice will depend on your business needs, operations and governance. One of the many reasons to form these types of business structures are to be an official business owner, report revenue, earnings profits, flexibility and taxes and of course benefits! This business information may be new to some of you and some of you it may not be. The good thing is I am Copyright Beautiful Beginnings, Llc DBA BrConsultingSVCS 2019 15

here to help you guide you or shed light on what you already know. Everyone doesn't operate a business the same, everyone has different needs and goals in business. This is one reason why it is important to focus on your startup not what everyone else is doing on social media.

LLC- Limited Liability Company -​ This type of business structure can be single owned or owned by multiple business partners. This is the most common entrepreneurs choose when starting a business because of its flexibility. Another important factor is that it does not have a lot of requirements as corporations.

One of the major flexible options that works for my business is​ “pass through taxation”​ and because I am a single owner. Pass through taxation means the Llc does not pay Copyright Beautiful Beginnings, Llc DBA BrConsultingSVCS 2019 16

taxes, but the income made is distributed to the owner individually and the owner pays taxes on the profits made.

Every Sole - Proprietorship or Single member Llc is required to fill out a ​Schedule C ( Profit & Loss Statement ) or 1099MISC​ every year. The rewarding part of any ( Pass through entity ) such as an Llc or Sole Proprietorship is the new tax deduction approved by Congress in 2018. Your taxable income can be deducted at 20% Qualified Business Income Deduction. If your taxable income is less than $157,500 for individuals or $315,000 for married taxpayers filing jointly, then your deduction is 20%. This means if your taxable income is $120,000 for individuals then after the 20% deduction you only pay taxes on $96,000.Determine the same for married filing jointly income.

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Read more information from the IRS on pass through entities here​. Another great rewarding factor in an Llc is you are not personally liable for issues related to liabilities from your business. Basically if someone happens to sue your business your personal assets are not affected. The only exception is if you ​Personally Guarantee ​anything you financed, used credit with, or bought under your business name. Personally Guaranteeing means you used your personal social security number to guarantee the credit, business loans, etc. Let's say you purchased a television and put it in your business name. When applying for credit to finance the television, it asks you to “personally Guarantee” the loan. On the application you would put your business information along with your individual credit information to get approved. Your individual credit will determine if you are approved or not.

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There are two types of Corporations:​ ​S Corp & C Corp

Let’s discuss!

C- Corporations or C- Corp - ​If you think about the majority of major companies today who have shareholders such as Facebook who went public ( Initial Public Offering ) in 2012. Having an IPO allows the ability to have shareholders. Corporations sell stocks to shareholders and Public Traded Corporations sell stock to the public. All Companies file with the ​SEC ( Security and Exchange Commission ) ​.

Corporations have more requirements financially and legally than pass through entities that are not corporations. C corporations are double taxed, not only at the business income level but the dividends from the shareholders as well.

What this means is your ​business income is taxed​ at the corporate level and at the shareholder level. C corporations Copyright Beautiful Beginnings, Llc DBA BrConsultingSVCS 2019 19

require shareholders. Shareholders are individuals or companies who have stock in a company at various percentages. They are legally part owners. To keep things simple, what this means is that shareholders have a “say” in decisions made about the company. ​Shareholders receive dividends and capital from the company they are a member of. ​So who governs all of this for corporations?

Board of Directors! Depending on how the corporation is set up, will determine how Board of Directors are chosen. Be sure to research the requirements for forming a corporation by your secretary of state division for your state. Check out the IRS article on forming a Corporation ​here​.

Another rewarding factor in owning a corporation is for the future growth and expansion of your business. If you are looking for investors in your business to help grow your

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business, then this is a good idea if you choose to go from private to public in the future.

S Corporation - ( Small Business Corporation) ​ An S corporation is a pass through entity just as an Llc. This is again beneficial because it eliminates the double tax of a corporation. So why create an S corporation over an Llc? There are many reasons, but the main is financial benefits. If there is stock in a corporation and shareholders, this looks good to potential investors. There are restrictions in forming an S Corp mainly due to the requirements of the IRS and how the IRS determines a business structure. One major important factor is Llc’s with multiple members cannot be S Corps owners. See more information on requirements of an S Corp at the IRS link ​here

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Sole Proprietorship - ​This type of structure is owned by an individual and it is similar to an Llc. Some people use both Llc and Sole Proprietorship as the same when speaking, however the difference is you do not need a legal entity with a Sole Proprietorship, but you are required to have all local licensing to operate your business, such as a hair salon or restaurant. A Sole Proprietorship is good for people who are ​part - time or doing odd jobs on the side.​ Even when you are selling items on Facebook Marketplace, Letgo or Offer - Up, you are operating a business as a sole proprietorship. Be sure to get the necessary local license to cover yourselves if warranted. In a Sole Proprietorship you are running a business as an individual no partners. This type of business structure also qualifies for the Copyright Beautiful Beginnings, Llc DBA BrConsultingSVCS 2019 22

20% Business Income Deduction since this is also a pass through entity as we discussed earlier.

General Partnership - ​This structure is good if you choose to have multiple business partners. A lot of entrepreneurs who go into business together start as a general partnership even if they don't know it. What I mean by that is there are a lot of entrepreneurs who are so eager to start a business together that they do so without proper paperwork. Then the idea you thought of is now in the hands of an ex business partner because you did not have the necessary paperwork.

As I have learned from experience, it is important to get your paperwork done first to protect yourself and your role in any partnership. In partnerships, it is important to have written agreements. This will indicate everyone's role in the business, percentages of ownership or contributions, etc.

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Depending on your state there may be different categories of Llc’s you may apply depending on the business you have.

This is due to requirements at both the state and local level.

If you want a​ free consultation​ to discuss your options in creating a business - schedule an appointment today! https://beautifulbeginningsscheduler.as.me/schedule.php

Tax Consultants! Why they are Important If you haven't realized by now, Federal and State taxes are important at both the individual and business level. Let’s say you are selling products online through your ecommerce site ( Squarespace, Shopify, Wix, WordPress,etc).

At the state or local level

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Depending on the state you are in there may be requirements to pay ​Gross Receipt Tax & Sales Tax. ​ Gross Receipt Tax are required by the state and is paid by the business. Sales Tax are paid by the consumer at each sale. Take a look at a receipt you have from purchasing something locally or eating at a restaurant. You will see Sales Tax there. In addition you may be required to register for a retail sales tax ID in your state. For example, if you​ sell hair bundles online,​ this may be identified as retail sales, or Internet sales. When you apply for your business license, most cities will ask you if you are selling tangibles online. Based on the state, they will require tax percentages per an amount on all gross receipts. For example: ● Your business license may require you to pay $0.36 per $100. Percentages vary by state.

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� First - you need to know your ​Gross Profit Percentage for a specific time period.

I recommend monthly, quarterly and EOY ( end of year). This is very important for business owners, as it keeps you from guessing finances and trying to figure out local and state taxes on your business. For startups this allows you to do research before you look for investors and money to help fund your business. It will help you save on materials, production, employees by knowing your gross profits percentage. Remember preparation and knowledge is key to success.

To determine the business's Gross Profit Percentage: 1. How much did you make? Let's say you made $10,000 in a month. Your cost for employees, insurance, rent, and other costs were $5,000.

2. Determine Gross Profit for the month - Total profits made for the month $10,000 - Monthly Costs $5,000 = $5,000 3. This is your Gross Profit Percentage - $5,000 / $10,000 X 100 = 50%

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How does this factor in with your required retail or internet state Gross receipt tax & Sales Tax on your business? It will help you determine the price of your products and services.

Another important part of this retail sales tax is ​dropshipping and having warehouses in different states​.

It is imperative that you obtain a tax consultant or lawyer if this is your situation. The cost of sales tax will help you determine what you should charge for your products and or services, so you can make a profit and not be in the negative.

This way you can keep your profits high and your costs low.

Now you can understand why some businesses have certain prices more than others. It all depends on the local or state sales / gross receipt tax and other fees. Check your state requirements for more information.

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Stay up to date with taxes and their due dates https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/accounting-taxes/small-busine ss-tax-calendar/

Business License ​Your business license is what governs you in operating a business in the city you live in.

Believe it or not, there are a lot of individuals operating without a business license. This is why I am here to guide you on the importance of having one.

Here are a few reasons why having your business license is important: ● Local Events as a vendor ○ Permits may require a license ● Filing yearly taxes ● Renting Office Space ● Applying for Business Credit ● Apply for a business loan ● Regulation of food and public safety - Chefs, food trucks or cooks

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Most business license are $50.00 more or less every year.

This depends on your city and state you live in. All license costs are different. Not renewing your license ​can cause you to get shut down and pay fines and penalties​. It is a federal crime. I know because I had to pay extra when I went to renew my business license. I never got fined or shut down, just had to pay extra for not filing my renewal on time. I had no clue about all the legalities when I first started so this happened. This is one of the lessons I learned to never do again!

Registering your business with the State Corporation Commission (SCC) ​( ​Requirements varies by state) In some states, you need to obtain your Articles of Organization and Operating Agreements for LLCs or Articles of Incorporations for Corporations. Some states require this registration before you obtain your business license. Be sure Copyright Beautiful Beginnings, Llc DBA BrConsultingSVCS 2019 29

to check with your state and or city’s business department for more information. When applying for a license or registering with the scc, your address is very important when registering.

In some business categories and in some states you can use your home address. However, I have clients who are not able to use their home address at all because of the type of business they have. Check with your state for specific details.

In addition, it is very important to not use P.O. Boxes as a place for business operations ( again this depends on the category of your business). If you have a home business and you don't want people to know your home address, you can use a P.O. Box with the USPS or UPS but there are both advantages and disadvantages. Some entrepreneurs use ​Regus​ (rent workspace and virtual address) for virtual addresses, however I have to say be very

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careful as this may cause concern with some companies such as banks, or other companies where you need to obtain loans or business credit from. Some business institutions require a physical location, this can be your home address, office space or rental space. Again this also depends on the type of business. For example, in some states to sell food you need to have an actual building / restaurant. A good factor with ​Regus​ is they do actually have physical office space and concierge service. Some packages includes phone service! If you can afford it with a start - up then I say be sure to include this in your expense report, if not then you may want to use your home address, or what the state requires you to have in the meantime. Also check with your local communities and non-profits who may be looking to rent out office space. One of my go - to for commercial real estate is always your local realtors, brokers or ​Loopnet​.

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EIN ( Employer Identification Number ) An EIN is how your business is seen and legally structured to the IRS. This is where your business name including its structure is formalized for federal and state taxes. For example “Beautiful Beginnings, Llc “ is listed this way according to the IRS. My EIN is attached to my business name and it is strictly mine. This is free to obtain ​online​.

Please keep this in a safe place and always have multiple copies. This identifies your business and the people in your business as well. If there are multiple business partners you are only required at this time to have one EIN to your business name where there are multiple partners in an Llc. Check the ​IRS​ for any updated changes in regards to this.

A few reasons why you need a EIN:

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● Applying for Business Credit ○ Sprint, Lowes, Apple, Home Depot, just to name a few. ● Opening a Business Bank Account ● Formalizing your business structure ● Paying Taxes

“What you do not do, will keep you in regret…” - Bianca Renee

Get your DUNS Number What is a DUNS number? ​( Data Universal Numbering System )​ (Similar to an individual's SSN) however it is how your business credit is rated. The rating and scales are very different than a personal ssn. They are alphabetical and numerical. They range from 0 to 100.

You will need this to apply for credit in the future. Once you have your

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DUNS number sign up with NAV ( Business Credit Reporting ) ​https://app.nav.com​ to stay up to date with your business credit and business credit score. ** ​Duns number is free.

When you apply for your DUNS number you will be sent a marketing letter, you do not have to pay for the subscription service unless you choose to. https://www.dnb.com/duns-number/get-a-duns.html​ You will need a DUNS number if you plan on applying for grants, selling products or services to the state or federal government, applying for small business loans, SBA loans, building business credit & more! Schedule a ​free consultation with me today if you have more questions!

KEEPING TRACK OF YOUR PROFITS There are several ways to keep track of your income.

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Here are some of my favorites: ● Squareup​ - Now has a debit card for your business! ○ Create and track invoices ○ Create an online store ○ Payroll ○ Health Benefits & more ● Azlo​ - new bank you can create invoices from here as well ( I was skeptical but I gave it a chance and I still use this) ○ No maintenance fees or transaction fees ○ Connect Quickbooks, PayPal & More ○ Send Invoices and request payments ○ Easy sign up Copyright Beautiful Beginnings, Llc DBA BrConsultingSVCS 2019 35

● QuickBooks ○ Try Free for 30 Days ○ Awesome Dashboard of bank accounts, income, expenses and profits and losses ○ Manage 1099 contractors ○ Pay Employees ○ Get Capital ○ Track Miles

Get a Business Bank Account It is very important for tax purposes and other requirements in running a business that you keep your personal and business income separate. Once you decide on what type of business you want to operate in ( Llc, Sole Proprietorship, C- Corp) etc you will understand the importance of this even better. See some of my go-to banks / credit unions below. ○ Navy Federal​ is a great bank for business accounts.

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■ The only downside is you have to apply in person ○ Wells Fargo​, for loans and more! It is always recommended to build relationships with whoever you bank with. ○ Chase​ ( Put in your zip code to see the benefits ) ■ Great options for small businesses ■ Various options based on location ○ Capital One ( Put in your zip code to see availability) ■ Merchant & Credit Card Services ■ Overdraft protection ■ Business checking ■ Service Fees

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○ Azlo ( BBVA Compass)​ new bank you can create invoices from here as well ( I was skeptical but I gave it a chance and I still use this) ■ No maintenance fees or transaction fees ■ Connect Quickbooks, PayPal & More ■ Send Invoices and request payments ■ Easy sign up ○ TD Bank ■ Bank Cards ■ Loans & Investments ■ Mobile Banking ■ Real Estate

Virtual Invoices / Client Management Virtual invoices are important for business owners! You are on the go a lot and the easiest way to send an invoice to a

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client to save time is virtually! Check out some of my favorites invoice links below. Some banks have invoices built in to the banking as well. ○ Squareup.com​ - ​https://squareup.com/us/en ○ Azlo​ ​https://www.azlo.com/ ○ Zelle​ ​https://www.zellepay.com​/ ○ Apple Pay ○ Intuit QuickBook Payments ○ PayPal ○ Freshbooks ○ Zoho Invoice ○ Honey Book

COMMUNICATION Communication in business is very important. How and what you say matters in business. You are a professional and it is important to present it that way. Yes we know no one is

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perfect, it takes time, trials and lessons but work hard to try each day. One thing to keep in mind is sometimes you may have to really simplify your content in order to get your potential clients or customers to understand your business, what your business is about and what you can offer them. ● Optional: 1-800 Numbers ○ 1-800 numbers are optional, they present that you are professional, good for obtaining business credit with vendors. During start - up I will say limit this until you can afford it. Remember if you have it to invest into it first. however, if you do not, do not go spending money that you do not have, because you may not be able to make up for it later! Trust me I’ve been there before! If you do decide to have a 1-800 number, check out my go -to below to recommend to my clients with multiple employees!

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https://www.freedomvoice.com/​ ( Budget Friendly ) ● Social Media ○ Communication on social media is very important. It is up to you to determine how your clients or potential clients communicate with you and vice versa. How will they reach you if they have a question? You can use your cell phone, 1-800 number or message through one of the social media platforms below. There are pros and cons with each ○ platform. We will discuss this later in the advanced start up guide coming soon.

MARKETING & BRANDING What is the difference between Marketing & Branding?

Marketing - is how you tell people about your goals and business. Branding is your Copyright Beautiful Beginnings, Llc DBA BrConsultingSVCS 2019 41

thumbprint to the world.​ Both are important but marketing drives sales! ​Consistency is important. Remember with both you want to build awareness to the world. Show them who you are, tell them who you are, show and tell them what you offer and what you can do. Stop chasing likes and followers and chase your Target Market! As a start up I recommend keeping it simple before you can afford to advance marketing and branding. A lot of businesses fail, because they did not live within their means! Do not let social media fool you!

Taking a strategic approach to your startup will save you a lot. ​“D ​ o what you can with what you have” - BR CONSULTING-

Various forms of Marketing ● Videos ○ YouTube Channel, IG, Facebook ● Business Flyers ● Promotions & Sales ● Ebooks ●

Email Mailing list Copyright Beautiful Beginnings, Llc DBA BrConsultingSVCS 2019 42

○ Mail Chimp ○ Constant Contact ● Virtual Courses ● Business Cards ● Polls ● Websites or Landing pages ● Posting on Social Media

Do not overwork yourself with any form of marketing. Whether digital, door to door or traditional. Let this happen organically.

Do not have sleepless nights because you forgot to post on social media! ○ If you can afford it use the apps to schedule your content ■ Hootsuite ■ ZoHo ■ Buffer

● The cool thing about buffer is you can post up to 10 instagram posts for free! “Check site for updates and changes”

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● Networking going to local events don't be shy! Get yourself out there. Even if you haven't gotten everything together still go out! Explore! Network! Learn! ○ Meetup​ or ​EventBrite ● Hosting a virtual event or just going live on social media

Various forms of Branding ( Personal or Business ) ● Logos ● Brand Statement / Slogan ● Product Branding Every business needs a website, or some sort of connection to the internet world! This can include social media ( Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or YouTube). You don't have to get all social media sites, but at least have one and a website or landing page so people can find you. People love

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to click and scroll, trust me. There are also potential clients who only look for social media businesses and some that do not. Some like the traditional way of connecting to small businesses. Face to face or networking events, dropping your business card at a gas station.

Grass Roots & Door To Door Sales and marketing are still important.​ Just think, if social media was not available what would you use to market your business? How would you Market your business?

Obtaining your email domain is also another important goal you should want to ensure you obtain quickly. Your domain is where your website, landing page is hosted on. For example my main business website is ​beautifulbeginnings101.com​ & One of my businesses landing page is my business consulting company ​http://brconsulting.ucraft.net/

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My emails are attached to my domain as well (​srenee@beautifulbeginnings101.com​) If you do not have a website or landing page just yet its ok. You can use social media, but have a professional email. I use ​G SUITE​! It is amazing. I have been using this for two years and will forever use ​GSUITE​ for Business. There are so many apps and resources with ​GSUITE​ such as ●

Professional Emails

●

Access documents with over 30 GB of storage!

●

Work Faster from any device

●

Smart Scheduling with Google Calendar

●

Access to files from anywhere

●

Video Collaborations and meetings with your teams

●

Create documents and spreadsheets ( Less than Microsoft Office and its compatible )!

You save cost and have access to so many business tools!

Sign up today for a 14 day trial. ​Basic ​GSUITE​ is $6.00 a month!​ Very Affordable and worth the price! I created this ebook with Google Docs! Only with ​GSUITE

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Knowledge One important piece in marketing is what you know about the business you are running. If you don't have knowledge of the business you are running, you may not want to be in business until you have some sort of education or experience around it.

Note​: If you are providing a service, I always recommend having some certification or proven experience and or education in the business you are starting. This is important so people can trust you and believe in you and your business.

The other important factor is so you can be able to strategize your business operations efficiently. The time it takes someone else to learn what you already know for a business would be more than half the time to apply to their business operations than it would take someone who already has the education, experience and knowledge.

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Most Important:​ Keep your personal and business accounts separate.

Basic Tips on Marketing & Branding Develop a theme every month or week ● Write down what you want potential clients or customers to know about your business or what you are offering ○ Be creative and set a theme around this on a schedule that fits you and your ability to execute. ● Set a time and day where you can schedule your communication to your audience on social media

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● Consistency shows strength and it helps customers trust your business and you. ● Engage your audience through polls, questions, surveys & rewards. ● Create a VIP group on social media ● Be Personable with your audience

I want you to win!

“In order to be successful, you must believe in your idea and visualize it” _BrConsulting

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You Will Win! Starting and owning a business is the most rewarding experience you will ever have. It is different than going to college or landing your first job. As an Entrepreneur you are starting, creating, building, taking risks, failing, winning, maybe failing again. It is you, your idea and a dream to work for yourself. I am overjoyed with my business and how it has helped clients grow their businesses. The most important is my humility, doing things at my pace and what works for me, and most of all staying healthy. Don't let social media bully you and your mindset. Be strong, live within your means, educate yourselves. It is ok to look at the competition but don't stare. Focus on building your empire.

Think of this:​ How many companies sell bread? I’ll wait……. It is just bread and there are 1000s of companies making and selling bread! Just think about that for a second. What do you have to worry about? It's not what you are selling its how you are selling it, how passionate you are about it and how knowledgeable you are. Ensure you have your clients trust.

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All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “at the address below.

Copyright notice

Copyright © ​[2019]​ ​[ Beautiful Beginnings, llc DBA as BR Consulting Services]​.

We control the copyright and other intellectual property rights in this ebook. Subject to the licence below, all these intellectual property rights are reserved.

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download a copy of the ebook;

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(c) use the ebook or any part of the ebook in any way that is unlawful or in breach of any person's & business legal rights under any applicable law[, or in any way that is offensive, indecent, discriminatory or otherwise objectionable]; (d) [use the ebook or any part of the ebook to compete with us, whether directly or indirectly]; or (e)

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You must retain, and must not delete, obscure or remove, all copyright notices and other proprietary notices in the ebook.

The rights granted to you by this disclaimer are personal to you, and you must not permit any third party to exercise these rights.

If you breach this disclaimer, then the licence set out above will be automatically terminated upon such breach (whether or not we notify you of termination).

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Any rejection of the information above will result in legal action.

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Pirate copies If you have bought or received a copy of this ebook from any source other than [us or [other sources]​], then that copy is a pirate copy. If this has happened to you, please let us know by email to ​[srenee@beautifulbeginnings101.com].​ No advice The ebook contains information about ​[Starting a Business]​. The information is not advice and should not be treated as advice.

You must not rely on the information in the ebook as an alternative to [legal] OR [medical] OR [financial] OR [​[subject matter]]​ advice from an appropriately qualified professional. If

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you have any specific questions about any such matter you should consult an appropriately qualified professional.

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We do not warrant or represent that the use of the ebook will lead to any particular outcome or result[ In particular, we do not warrant or represent that by using the ebook you will [start a business, own a business, increase income or anything related to business, marketing or financial advice].​ ] To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, we exclude all representations, warranties and conditions relating to this ebook and the use of this ebook.

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(b) govern all liabilities arising under this disclaimer or relating to the subject matter of this disclaimer, including liabilities arising in contract, tort (including negligence) and for breach of statutory duty, except to the extent expressly provided otherwise in this disclaimer.

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The third party registered and unregistered trademarks or logos and service marks that feature in our ebook are the property of their respective owners and, unless stated otherwise in this disclaimer, we do not endorse and are not affiliated with any of the holders of any such rights and as such we cannot grant any licence to exercise such rights.

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Any disputes relating to this disclaimer shall be subject to the [exclusive] OR [non-exclusive] jurisdiction of the courts of [United States].

Questions? PLEASE SEND TO:​Attention Administrator / Manager / Owner of Beautiful Beginnings, LLC, BR Consulting and BEAUTIFUL BEGINNINGS DESIGNS Hampton VA Email: srenee@beautifulbeginnings101.com https://www.beautifulbeginnings101.com/​ ​https://brconsulting.ucraft.net/

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From the Owner..

I want to personally thank you for downloading this free guide. I am passionate about your success in business. Whether you are a start up or existing business. I am driven to help you create and sustain success with purpose, passion and vision. Beautiful Beginnings, llc is not a traditional business nor does it operate in traditional ways of doing business. I take time and have patience with my clients. Working hard and diligently not only to personally create the best solutions for your business needs but ensure that each client is ready to get started with business and is serious about it! It is more than my degrees, and experience that will show you, teach you and help you get to where you need to get in your business. It is where I have been, the failures I have endured and the wins along the way. The most important are the lessons that no one else taught me me but the failures that are triumphed over by never giving up! - Bianca Renee

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