Entrepreneur Resources: Small Business Blog

This month, Entrepreneur Resources turns its small business spotlight on Ms. Cleo Anderson of Analiece Taylor. Read her profile to see how she got involved in the exciting business of skincare. Don’t forget to visit her web site to learn more about the company and to order products.

Name: Ms. Cleo Anderson

Age: 40

Business: Analiece Taylor

Type of Business: Natural Skin Care Direct Sales Company

Years in Business: 2 years

Contact Information: www.analiecetaylor.com / call me at 888-755-9626 to order my products

What does your company do?
Manufacture Natural Skincare Products and Fragrances

What made you want to be an entrepreneur?
February 2004…. A company is born

The company was created by Cleo Anderson, out of the need to find and use natural unscented skin care on her new born baby. Searching all over the internet and the local commercial stores, she couldn’t find what she needed to stop her baby girl from screaming during and for a short time after every bath. Her husband at the time, suggested that she create the skin care herself. So, she did. Starting this business as a necessity for her new baby, Cleo now finds herself pursuing higher goals as she begins to support her family alone. The mother of three girls, Cleo is now a single mother and determined to stay home with her baby and be home when her school aged children get home. Cleo is planning to take her company to the top of the success chain. Creating her own success story, Cleo desires to be a good role model for each of her three daughters and women all over the world.

What prepared you for entrepreneurship?
My desires, Courses in School

What has been your greatest achievement so far?
Personally, my children; in business the Analiece Taylor Skincare Collection.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of being an entrepreneur?
Meeting new customers

What challenges have you faced as an entrepreneur?
Finding online advertising that works for me.

Is there anything you wish you’d done differently?
Not really

How can others get started in this business?
Log on to http://www.bpva.info/cleo/index.htm.

Do you have any advice for future entrepreneurs?
Be sure to do a lot of research. Make sure you know which market your product fits. Be prepared to do a lot of reading. Make sure you are doing something you love and something that other’s will find valuable enough to spend money on.

These rules for success were provided by Ms. Cleo Anderson. For more information on Ms. Anderson, please read below:

1. When networking with potential customers, we put our best foot forward.
2. We dress for success; in-person, first impressions ARE LASTING.
3. We speak clearly and talk respectfully.
4. We wait to answer calls during a quiet time; for example, during the little one’s nap or bed time.
5. We plan our day so that each day doesn’t become a waste of our time.
6. We take every opportunity possible that we believe will lead to our success, because we know that they don’t come around twice. We realize when opportunities do appear/arrive and we are not prepared, these opportunities will find someone else.
7. We understand that we must build trust in networking relationships, realizing that it is both a give-and-take situation.
8. We take small challenges and turn them into goals for greater success.
9. We get involved in only the groups or networks that we feel support our needs for communication and successful networking.
10. We commit ourselves. In committing ourselves, we again must realized that it, too, is a give-and-take situation.

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About Ms. Cleo in her own words:
Owner of Analiece Taylor… designer of natural skincare and the host of IHB Talk Radio hosted by NBBTA. She has created a network for Black Working Moms who run a business from home. Finding herself limited in the type of successful networking that she can do, she decided that since what she was looking for was not out there, she must create it herself. Thus creating The Black Work @ Home Moms Network. You can find her online at www.bwahm.com and also on Ryze at: http://bwahm-network.ryze.com/. The network also has a blog that can be viewed online at http://blackwahm.wordpress.com. Ms. Cleo and BWAHM Network are redefining the meaning and the way we network for success. She believes that everyone should take note.

Tip: If you own an affiliate program, please be prompt in paying those who represent your company.

Today’s tip was prompted by a recently received e-mail. This e-mail was a PayPal payment notification for an affiliate program payout. As phishing e-mails are common, I was skeptical. Rather than click on the link in the body of the e-mail, I pointed my browser to PayPal.com. Sure enough, the recent activity showed a small commission payment from a web hosting company. I was thoroughly confused as Inspired Graphics Media has been offering hosting to its customers since October 2005. I didn’t want to be giving away business.

To get to the bottom of this, I looked up my user name and password for the affiliate program and logged in. I searched my affiliate history as far back as January 2005 and saw no evidence of a referral. Ready to chalk it up to good luck, I decided to search a little further back. To my amazement, there was one referral listed…for February 2004! I was getting paid for a referral I made 25 months ago! That’s a little over 2 years!

This both amuses and saddens me. It’s amusing because the company received an unexpected windfall. It’s less than $20, but every bit helps when you’re a small business. It’s sad because if I got paid 25 months later, other people who diligently promoted this company’s services also got paid up to 2 years later. Their hard work probably felt in vain.

Please heed today’s tip, and treat your affiliates with respect. They are doing you a great service by promoting your company to others. Please show your appreciation by issuing them timely payments.

Tax season is upon us. For most of us it’s the time we gladly pull out our old receipts and calculate how well we did with our businesses last year. For others, it’s a season of dread. Below, we have compiled three key resources to help make your tax preparation as stress-free as possible.

Small Business Tax Resources

IRS Small Business Tax Workshop: The IRS offers an interactive online workshop that teaches small business owners the various tax aspects of running a business. This an online version of a live workshop that tours around the country. Topics include: Recordkeeping, employment-related taxes, e-filing and more.

Entrepreneur.com Small Business Tax Center: This resource has a wealth of information on tax software, business planning as it relates to taxes, and tips on deductions.

Small Business Tax Center: This web site, sponsored by the Idea Cafe’, demystifies the tax preparation process. In addition to tips on how to save, there are also numerous articles on recordkeeping, tax savings and information for newly formed start-ups.

Taxes should not be as much of a hassle with these resources at your disposal. Remember, this is not an exhaustive list. If more help is needed, a trusted certified public accountant is also a very good resource. In addition, while we do not endorse a particular tax preparation product, there are several low-cost or free options especially suited for small business owners. Filing online can not only save you time but also help get your refund to you quicker. Good luck!