Are you self-employed, running your own small business either full-time or on the side, and just not sure how to give yourself a raise? 

I know, it sounds silly to many, but in truth the savvy business owner knows where money goes and how fine the margin of profit is after operating expenses, insurance, paying employees, etc, are all factored in. 

If you're in this situation, here are tips for giving yourself a raise. Although they might not all work for you, I would venture that at least two of these ideas could be a perfectly feasible way to give you the financial boost you need. 

1. Find more tax breaks

• Deductions for advertising, insurance, car expenses, home office utilities, expenses for equipment, for your cellphone, for travel, for your IRA, as well as development training, etc - all of these and more are common deductions, reducing your tax burden at the end of the year, or each quarter. Talk to a good, recommended tax expert that has experience with small businesses and has the heart of a teacher, so you learn as you save! 
• Here's just one list of potential tax deductions for the self-employed, to get the ideas flowing. If you can add even one of these to your tax strategy, it could mean thousands more a year in your pocket.

2. Increase your client base, or expanding it to a new niche, or more affluent market

• If you're a self employed consultant, or you're selling a product or service you always have the opportunity to employ marketing and positioning strategies that can increase or improve your client base. One of my online mentors, Dan Kennedy, was famous for sharing one of his best secrets for building a huge online empire - every day he followed at least one lead for a new client. I mean every, every day, before bed, he would pursue an opportunity to add a client he could serve, or a company he could consult for in the future. This simple daily habit almost guaranteed him more clients and customers than he could ever need in the future. 
• Here's a list of 33 Ways to Get More Clients - check it out and see what one idea you can employ today.

3. Increase your rates or prices

• Already have more clients or customers than you can handle? Then consider raising your rates or prices. Generally having too many clients or customers can mean you're pricing too low for the market or for the value of what you offer. So in many cases, raising your price can have two immediate benefits - more time for you, and more money in your pocket. Use the extra money to invest in the business or pay off debt, and the extra time to take time for you or your family, or to work on expanding your business in new and innovative ways. 
• Here's some guidance on When and How to Raise your Rates - there are many more reasons and strategies, but if you're unsure, test it on new customers only to get a sense of what works for you. 

More ideas! 

4. Identify a new niche or more affluent client base - a new or more affluent niche (having more money to spend) can be a quick way to hit the bottom line quickly.

5. Offer courses, training, or tutorials - online universities and programs are cropping up everywhere. You could develop and teach courses at your local university, or through online providers like Udemy.com or Coursera.com.  

6. Provide consulting advice to another organization or online - as a business owner you have skills, strengths, experience and expertise that are valuable. In our global market, fully connected by the internet, your value can help not only local organizations with similar challenges but customers on the internet and abroad.

• To help you get started, here is a great guide for launching your consulting business.
• Or if you're experience and offerings fit more in the Freelance sector, try Upwork.com - a freelance exchange service that you can start making money on almost immediately.

7. Cut expenses - the flip side of making more money is wasting less of the money you already get. This sounds simple enough, but few business owners really take the art of subtraction and streamlining far enough - leaving lots of room for improvement and savings. A great way to do this is to 1. Map out your business processes and 2. Apply the Lean tool known as Value Stream Mapping. If you haven't heard of lean, it started in Toyota's manufacturing plants, as a method of eliminating every wasteful step in their processes, to essentially reduce scrap and excessive steps to the bare minimum, making them highly efficient and more profitable. 

• Here is just one of many examples of videos that share tons of tips for reducing expenses and saving money. 
• Also, here is a link to a challenge I've done to really give me perspective on my spending habits and the power of accumulating money by not letting it go - The Spending Fast

I could share more, but try these for starters and let me know what works for you. 

Congrats, you got the Interview, that's awesome...you should be proud to know that out of the tens of thousands of people out there they chose to meet you. But how do you prepare for it in a way that edges you even more above the other candidates?
Here are some of the tips I share with my clients that could make all the difference for you, and get you the offer.

​1. RESEARCH THE COMPANY
Research the companies website and learn all you can about them, their mission, vision, goals for year, anything in the news about them, info about their competitors...anything to show that you do your homework, and are taking this very seriously.

Connect with someone within the company, or that has worked there in the recent past and learn all you can about their culture, their challenges, and their benefits. If the person is a positive force in the company or influencer, have them put in a good word, if at all possible.

Clearly align what you have to offer with their greatest needs - I usually have my clients do a matching exercise where we list the company needs and their (the client's) skills and experiences and connect what matches, to see their strengths and potential weaknesses as a candidate - then we fill the gaps on the weaknesses with some quick research and learning online. Try this, it's amazing how much it helps.

2. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE
Practice interview questions - practice all the standard questions common to interviews, keeping your answers short and succinct, about 2 minutes long, and always ending on a positive note.
Find a good friend, mentor or coach to practice questions with. This is the most powerful way to fully prepare for the interview, in front of someone that can give you objective feedback on your answers, tone, delivery, and body language.

Practice behavioral and scenario questions - behavioral questions help them determine your state of mind and your fit into their culture. 
 Scenario questions are made to see how you work with teams and solve problems common to the role. Plan and prepare for questions on working with difficult customers, coworkers, or managers and your ability to act fast to resolve process problems.

Practice your smile, your tone, your body language - This is very important. As mentioned before, having someone to practice with is key, but at the least practice in front of a mirror or record yourself answering common questions and your best answers. Then review for the quality of your eye contact, posture, smiling, etc.

3. LOOK GOOD, SMELL GOOD, FEEL GOOD
Dress for success, just one up of the company norm. Research the company online, through FB and LinkedIn, particularly to find out how they dress and handle themselves. Then one up from there, as far as dressing for the job.

Smell good, but not too good - shower fresh, deoderized, and lightly perfurmed is all you need. Don't overdo it as that will put them off for sure.

Get lots of sleep, eat well, drink water - this is very important. A few days before the interview, start sleeping just a bit earlier, to make sure you're rested when you wake up. Try to eat healthy as well, to make sure you feel well, and drink water every day to stay well hydrated. This will all contribute to you being your sharpest the day of the interview.

4. STAY CALM AND POSITIVE
Keep calm, composed and confident - realize that you have a lot to offer or they wouldn't have offered you the interview. Their goal is to confirm what your resume says with reality.

​Also keep in mind, they need you as much as you need them. They have a problem to solve and you are the solution. Be proud and confident that you can assist them in achieving their mission as an organization.

If you've done all the other steps, you should feel very good about your chances, which will help boost your confidence.

A last tip on this that I suggest to clients is to apply for other positions prior to the interview, if you haven't. This will remind you that although you should give your all to the interview, there are other opportunities out there and if you get this, great, but if not you will move on to the next...and maybe even better opportunity.

5. FOLLOW UP 
Bring a portfolio to jot down everyone's names and titles, to follow up with Thank You notes. This is critically important, as it shows consideration, follow through, professionalism, and persistence - all qualities any good company wants in their staff.

So, prepare for it then do it. Follow up soon after via email or snail mail thank you notes (even better, since few do this.) 

If you do this, you'll set yourself apart and add another positive impression to reinforce you as the candidate they want and need on their team.

I have many more tips, but this is a good start to get your ready for success and deliver like a pro at your next interview.

Good luck, and if you need me, I'm here!

Your coach, always.

To get Full Interview Guidance and Support, sign up for my interview coaching session! 

I wrote this post below about a year ago, but it's exactly what still works today.
Read through it and think about the steps you're taking to target that job you want.
What step can you try and apply that you're not taking right now?
Coach Baez
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SHE GOT THE JOB! But how??
Here's the quick and simple process I follow with my clients. It will work for you, if you follow it.

For starters, I got her to write up a list of companies we could target - but one, she said, she'd love to get but she didn't fit the qualifications. So I told her, let's go for that! Yup, she thought I was crazy, but here's what we did.

1. I found her a direct email to the hiring manager - I have over 5000 social network connections, so that helps!
2. We researched and learned about the company's goals and mission and used that to update her resume and fashion the perfect email to him.
3. We connected with his team online and followed up consistently for three weeks, using a direct connection we found.
4. He finally got back to us and said "Give me a call tomorrow afternoon!"
5. We prepped her for the call as if it were an interview, and boom, 2 weeks later she got an offer!! :)

She couldn't believe it worked! No degree, no direct experience in the role, but we were able to sell her related experience, her skills, and her willingness to do what it takes to take the position to the next level.
This is how finding and getting your dream job is done these days...a process, persistence, and a willingness to fearlessly do what it takes.

Coach Baez

Interesting in getting help through your career transition or job search.
Sign up here for my assistance and within two days we'll get started getting you on track! 

If you don't track your progress in your job search, you're dooming yourself to do twice the work for twice as long - which could be months or even years to find the right job!  Because tracking your target companies and jobs on paper allows you to do proper follow-up, and that's the core of a good job search strategy.
THE ELEMENTS OF A GOOD SEARCH STRATEGY are simple. 
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1. Assess what you have to offer the job market and get it down on paper and online (resume, linkedin, networking and interview scripts)
2. Decide on your best next job/market area to target and customize your materials to reflect what they need.
3. Research jobs and companies you want to target and make a list of them, on paper, in a word doc or spreadsheet - include:
   - Company name/
   - Job description/ 
   - Website/ 
   - Contact within or knowledgeable of the company/ 
   - Your contact dates for 1st contact / 1st follow up / second followup / phone interview / live interview...etc - time those no more than 3-5 business days apart.
4. Start networking, connecting, applying online, calling contacts, following up
5. Learn from your mistakes and successes, add notes about them to your tracking doc, and keep moving forward.
6. When you run into hurdles or challenges, get help, to make fast improvements and speed up your success.

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And remember, WHAT GETS MEASURED GETS IMPROVED, and this is all about learning and improving your strategy as you go forward. With each connection, networking coffee meeting, and interview you're learning what works and what doesn't, and where your strengths lie - so you can refocus and become a better candidate.

With my clients we track every step of the process, look at improvement ideas, and learn from mistakes and successes to build a strategic approach that means faster results and more money! 

Need help? That's what I'm here for. 
​
Coach Baez

I work with a lot of clients on developing their Interview Skills and overall networking skills. One of the key elements of this is making sure they communicate their level of intelligence in their market or area of interest.

To do that I always recommend they go on a morning diet of listening to Podcasts in their area of expertise, and a nightly ritual of watching a YouTube video on their topic, or reading a book on it. 
It's amazing what words, phrases, acronyms, and ideas you can absorb through osmosis by just exposing yourself to these resources.

Think about this...it's been estimated that if you read 1 book a month in your field, that in only 3-5 years you'll become one of THE top experts in it!
For those nonreaders where that sounds like a lot, what if you just listened to the books on Audible or even listened to summaries of the books through YouTube (yup, there are tons there).

The compound effect in the long term is massive, and in the short term, it will still give you a competitive advantage in your networking and interviewing.

I've leveraged the power of learning and reading to share models that will help my clients respond to interview questions like no one else - for example:

• When they're asked "What is your method for handling projects?" I teach them to share the PDCA (plan, do, check, act) or SOAR (situation, obstacle, action, results) models.
• When they're asked "How do you solve problems?" I teach my clients to talk about the DMAIC model - define the problem, measure the current state, analyze the results, create and launch an Improvement plan, and control and systematize the improvements so the problem doesn't occur again.

I've learned these through my reading and research. You should too.

Alright...need help with any of this? Want to learn answers to interview questions that will blow their minds? I'm here.

Coach Baez

I can't emphasize this enough, if you don't have a process for your job search you will go crazy, get depressed, feel confused, and feel lost most of the time.
But if you do have a process, a series of steps you follow for your overall job search and for each opportunity individually, you'll keep your sanity, stay objective and handle setbacks better, and feel much more in control.

Here is a simple process you can follow that works amazingly well, if you follow it.

1. TARGET your efforts - don't be random, be focused. Research jobs and companies you want to target, make a list, sort them by best opportunities to least likely, and learn about the projects, needs, goals, and how you can deliver on those. Use this knowledge to refine your Resume, your Script for interviews, and your LinkedIn and networking searches.
2. INCLUDE SMALL-MEDIUM BUSINESSES - make sure you don't discount more than 50% of the market place made up by small and medium sized businesses - there are millions of them. Do a Google Map search for keywords that can reveal them, including the market your researching (Healthcare, Sales, Marketing, Nonprofit, etc) and stuff like LLC, Org, Company, Partners, Inc. You'll find hundreds of potentials clinics, stores, manufacturing, office, banking and finances, real estate, legal, and other business you might not have heard of but could use your expertise.
3. SPEND 80% OF YOUR TIME OFFLINE - this means, if all you're doing is jumping on Job Search websites and applying you're following what could be a losing and slow strategy. Instead, spend most of your time making a list of Companies you can target, then find ways to get in front of them and connect (aka networking). This can be finding a connection on LinkedIn, going to their events, conferences, meetups, or simply knocking on their door and dropping off your resume.
4. CUSTOMIZE YOUR MATERIALS - use all the above intelligence you get to customize your materials to speak to their needs. Let me repeat that, because this is super important - FIND OUT their top needs and make sure you customize your materials to show that you deliver on those needs or could!
5. MASTER YOUR LINKEDIN - for those of you aiming for professional jobs, and I hope you all are, you need to be on LinkedIn. Look back at my posts for Tips on LinkedIn to get your profile updated, add your new resume elements, connect with companies you want to target, find people to meet with, and learn all you can about your hiring manager or team! Visit it daily, if even for 5-10 minutes, searching for jobs and people, and connecting to anyone and everyone that you can help and could someday help you. Find ways to help others and give - and let the law of reciprocity do it's magic.

Alright, this is a lot to take in, but if you do these 5 steps, without thinking to much or making excuses, but simply doing them as best you can with what you know now, you're going to do very very well and get lots of requests for interviews.

Need help with any step, I'm here!

​Coach Baez

One of the biggest challenges of the job search is staying focused. We struggle with focus every day in our lives, primarily because 
- many of us have others that depend on us
- all of us are under constant attack by marketing and social media vying for our attention
- and most of us haven’t ever really been taught how to focus, really.
So how do you focus?
                                                                      ---------------------------

Below is a simple but powerful strategy for getting focused and getting things done

1. MAKE A DECISION 
   Decide that your job search is important - it doesn't mean nothing else is more important, but that it's worth daily focused time.
2. HAVE A PLAN
   You're always part of a plan. The sad part is, if you don't have a plan you're very likely a pawn in someone else's. But if you create a plan of action - setting a clear goal, writing steps to that goal, deciding what your next best step is, and getting to work on it - you then have the ability to determine what's helping you towards it and what's distracting you from it.
3. WRITE DOWN YOUR NEXT STEP
   Once you've decided to focus, you have a plan, and you know what you're next best step is, get out a post-it or piece of paper and write down your Goal for that period of time. Put it up where you can see it during your work. If you're in job search mode, maybe something like "Create list of 20 companies/jobs I'd like to target and identify one contact from each (through LinkedIn, a friend, or their website)."
4. STARVE YOUR DISTRACTIONS and FOCUS
   Now that you've decided to focus, got your plan, and know what you're next step is - 

• Turn off all distractions - your phone, your email, your notifications, your social media. 
• Find a place where you feel productive, where you won't be distracted and have what you need to get your next action accomplished. 
• Set a timer for 1-3hrs and go to it!

This simple set of steps always, always works...if you do it. 

How do I know? Because I just used it to write this post! :)
Coach Baez