alive magazine august 2014

A lifestyle magazine where entrepreneur women connect, learn, identify and achieve their true purpose.

August, 2014

Cass Butler CEO of The Butler Enterprises

A lifestyle magazine where entrepreneur women connect, learn, identify and achieve their true purpose.

Cover StoryCreative Entrepreneur of the Year19

August, 2014

Letter From the Editor67 Business

Chargebacks

8 EducationWhat you should know about business credit card debt consolidation.

4 ALIVE magazine August, 2014

Contents

9 Health and Wellnessby Korsha D. Palmer

11 secrets to better time management for entrepreneurs13

4 tips to ensure a rewarding experience when hiring others15

Business GroupsMake the most of your member-ship

16

Networking While Traveling17

ALIVE Magazine may not be reproduced, in whole or part, without the express permission of the publisher. The use of photos, ads or articles must be requested in writing to [email protected] Magazine is a published monthly.ALIVE Staff:Brandy Adamson, Publisher and Editor-in-ChiefSam Aucello – Graphic DesignerALIVE Magazine appreciates the work done by our Contributing Writers as well. For advertising and sales email [email protected].

24 Leaning in Enews from The Savane Group

29


21 Who is the Cake Diva?

Designing Ads? Remember the Reader17Designing Ads? Remember the Reader18

Contents

26 Comparing Small Business Credit Cards & Unsecured Business Line of Credit

27 Protecting Your Funds While Using Business Credit Cards

28 Avoid ScamsAnd Focus on Real Money Making Business

Tax Benefits of Operating a Home Based Business

Low Cost Home Based Business Ideas30

How to Have a Lasting Rela-tionship with Clients31

Promoting Relationships with the Public32

Letter From the Editor


We are excited to celebrate our 9th anniversary this month. From the creation of the first is-sue until now, 2014, there have been many changes, many things learned, a few challenges. There have been days I wanted to throw in the towel, but quickly reminded myself, that wasn’t an option. So, I kept moving, stayed connected to my network, put one foot in front of the other. I have come to deeply appreciate the importance of remaining unwavering in purpose and project vision.

seed. plant. grow.

My challenge to you:

find your purpose

execute your purpose

feed your purpose

I encourage you to stay out of your own way and live your life OUT LOUD and ON PURPOSE!

Brandy AdamsonEditor-in-Chief

www.facebook.com/alivemagazine

www.twitter.com/alivemag

www.alive-mag.com

Chargebacks

If there is one word most Internet marketers quiver at the sound of, it is chargebacks. A chargeback is a dispute over a charge -usually an unauthorized or fraudulent charge- between the customer and the company. The merchant must pay back the entire amount along with any credit card fees. This amount is automatically deducted from your merchant account. There are three main problems about chargebacks that concern the mer-chant:

1. they lose the payment -and also the inventory if it was sent

2. the fees associated with every chargeback are between $15 to $25, and worse of all

3. chargebacks don’t look good, and you may lose your merchant account. Merchant services are pretty finicky; they do not just hand out accounts to anyone.

The customer could either be dissatisfied with the product, or there could be a duplicate order, or it could be fraud. Whatever the reason may be, it is crucial to your online business to keep chargebacks to a minimum. One way to stop chargebacks is to stop fraudulent orders by checking to make sure the order seems legit. This may mean you may have to call each customer to confirm the order. You do not want to accept an order if it appears fraudulent. Be suspicious, because in the end, receiving too many chargebacks will damage your profit line.

If, on the other hand, your customer is simply dissatisfied with the product, give them a call and send them an email. Ask them what it is they didn’t like about the product. Ask them if there is anything you can do for them to satisfy them. If they still seem reluctant to drop the chargeback, your last resort would be to ask them if they wouldn’t mind dropping the chargeback and you can offer them a full refund. Most people wouldn’t mind this option. You will find that a simple phone call to the upset customer may actually turn things around in your favor.

Business


In a lot of small enterprises, owning business credit cards can be very practical. They do not only become a handy source for financ-es, they can also provide the company with a more organized flow of finances as well as many additional advantages. But as helpful as these credits can be, they can also very easily become mismanaged and could lead the company to face serious financial debts.

Often, people who find themselves buried with too much debt are those who have two or more business credit cards and have remaining balances on all of them. In situations such as these and even before you find yourself with such credit problems; it is best to seek debt consolidation help for your business credit.

What Is Debt Consolidation and What Meth-ods Can I Take?

Firms that specialize on assisting you and your busi-ness to get out of mounting debts do debt consolida-tion. What usually happens is that they take two or three credit cards that have outstanding balances on them and “consolidates” or combines them into one. This way, your monthly payments are lowered and they become easier for you to pay. At the same time, most debt consolidation programs would temporar-ily close (but not inactivate) your credit accounts to prevent the company from further accumulating debt.

But hiring a company to assist you in a debt consol-idation program is only one option. You may also choose to consolidate the company’s debts yourself by getting credit cards offering 0% of interest rates for balance transfers.

This allows you to transfer balances from your previ-ous credit card to pay off for your debt, while enjoy-ing much lower rates by foregoing interests. However, with this, you must be careful to choose a credit card that does not charge you interest for a short period of time and that you are able to pay off all your debts before interests start being charged again.

EducationWhat You Should Know About Business Credit Card Debt Consolidation

Business debt consolidation loans are also another way to help your company get out of debt. You can save your company a lot of money by taking on a loan to pay off all your existing credit card balances, and paying off the loan after.

What Are Other Things I Should Consider?

Debt consolidation provides you with so much op-portunity to fix your company’s financial problems, but before you decide on any method or sign up with firms for this process, take not of some things that you must consider.

Remember that a lot of existing debt consolidation firms as well as lenders for consolidation loans would still charge you a certain interest. And the longer it will take you to pay them, the higher your interest goes which means that this is no cause for you to be sluggish in transacting your payments. Also be very wary of the types of agreements that you sign up with, and make sure that you are really paying for your own debt and not just for the profit of the consolidation company.

Consolidating debts that your business credit cards have managed to accumulate is one very good way to get you and your company from getting stuck in the hole of financial troubles. This may temporarily decrease your credit score, but once you have paid off all your debts then it will just gradually improve.

Just remember to be wary with what methods to choose in doing so, and remember to make timely payments so as to prevent balances and interests from escalating.


Health and Wellness

Who is Korsha D. Palmer?

Korsha D. Palmer is a fire starter, life lover and found-er of Innergetic Living, a community of love and flame-fanning seekers. I’m a wellness advocate with LOVE for life, juicing, raw food, organic living, and warm bodies.

5 words to describe you.

Creative. Passionate. Liberated. Teacher. Love.

Tell us more about your company, Innergetic Living? What’s its mission?

Innergetic Living is created space for deep and pro-found love, sacred peace, magical transformation and lessons embraced. Strangulated dreams are so 2012. No longer will we be butterflies in a field of dead flowers. The time to revitalize our youthful booyah moments, restore our health and replenish our love is now.

The definition of Replenish: Fill up again.To make full or complete again. To supply with fresh fuel.To supply what is lacking.Restore to the former level or condition.

Korsha D. PalmerHealth and Wellness Editor

This is the place where we fill up and set out on a precise and intentional journey to the main road--the place where we ask the questions but provide the platform for our soul to release the answers as raw and naked as she can, uncovered by our need to know or control the outcome.

Together we will develop life-altering recipes for abundance and identify desires that ooze authenticity. Leave your limitations at the edge of the water and jump into the river of your dreams, arriving, dripping organic bravery, confidence and restoration.

This is an extension of my flaming love to witness you at your best. To wash and oil your feet is my desire untamed. I will serve you ignited affirmations of encouragement in the realm of fertile unity, rela-tionships, prosperity, physical health, and spiritual wellness.

Be aware that along with daily affirmations there will be soulish altercations as your former self will attempt to fight against your worthiness, but no matter what, run through the darkness and return home to your glow, your naturally beauteous core and essence.

Innergetic Living was born from an essential space of love, a gentle, yet urgent call to create the life we were born to live. I don’t know about you but I’m ready to rock this greatness!

Korsha D. PalmerCEO

MissionImproving health and wellness from the inside out.

Why did you agree to join the team at ALIVE?

ALIVE is where it’s at! The connections, the stories, the journey’s, the authenticity--readers find it all at ALIVE.


What can readers expect from you as a member of the ALIVE team?

Vulnerability, support and the certainty that no matter what moment they are living in, they are not alone.

Do you believe that the IMPOSSIBLE is POSSIBLE?

Absolutely. The word possible humbly rests within the word impossible, yearning to be seen.

What are you reading?

A Course in Miracles. It’s a profound and enlightening course to expand one’s spiritual thoughts. “Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God.” ~ ACIM

Websitewww.innergeticliving.com

Email: [email protected]

Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/InnergeticLiving

Twitterhttps://twitter.com/korshapalmer

Pinteresthttp://www.pinterest.com/korsha/boards/

Instagramhttp://instagram.com/innergeticliving

Health and Wellness


http://www.innergeticliving.com/

mailto:korsha%40innergeticliving.com?subject=

https://www.facebook.com/InnergeticLiving%0D

Full O’ FlairWhere Body Meets Soul

What does Full O’ Flair do? Assist those that want to experience the silky, smooth, soft skin and pampering that only Full O’ Flair can offer. Full O’ Flair started as gifts for family members for special events, holidays etc. and were soon requested from family friends. Starting as a basic gift basket service, Full O’ Flair ventured into a different realm a few years later. At that time, lo-tions, bath salts and other body products created as its own brand was launched. It was suggested that others be allowed to benefit from the products. So, after being used for years by my family & friends to assist with their extreme eczema and skin sensitivities, we decided to share the products with you. Now you too can benefit.

*All Natural products *No detergents*no parabens - allergies & skin sensitivities welcome*

I have recently completed training for massage therapy and am working with local chiropractors to improve the health of others. I am using massage to decrease the use of medication to cover problems. Massage can not only relax and release tension but it can also allow your body to heal itself as it was designed to do. The products of Full O’ Flair will merge with the body healing work of Where Body Meets Soul to provide a totally soulful experience in health. The new store that will soon be adding a massage therapy clinic is located in Irving, TX. and will be hosting a grand opening next month, August 16th, 2014. Be sure to stop by 1711 Irving Blvd. Suite 211. Irving, TX and bring the coupon below to enjoy a discount on your purchase.

SAVE 25% OFF YOUR FULL O’ FLAIR BATH AND BODY PURCHASE OF

AT LEAST $40exp. 12/31/14


Why is it that the Bill Gate’s of this world are rich and famous? What secret do they know that the rest of us don’t? If you study their lives closely, you’ll discover the rich and famous have certain habits that attribute to their success. Successful people are very careful about how they spend their time. No matter how you slice it, we all have 24 hours in a day, so the key lies in learning to use our time wisely. Below are some ways you can dramatically increase your pro-ductivity through more effective use of your time.

1. MONITOR HOW YOU CURRENTLY USE YOUR TIME: If it seems like your day slips by all too quick-ly, try creating a log of your daily activities. Once you see where you are spending your time, you can identify and focus on the activities that provide the greatest returns for you personally and financially. Start your log by writing down what time you wake up, get ready, and begin work. Calculate how much time you spend on individual activities such as email, phone calls, and client work.

=> FREE TIME TRACKING TOOL: Here’s a person-al time survey to help you discover how much time you spend on various work activities: Personal Time Survey Tracker

2. CALCULATE HOW MUCH YOUR TIME IS WORTH: Time is money. Knowing how much your time is actually worth can help you make better decisions as to whether you should perform a task or outsource it. For instance, if your time is worth $200 an hour, you are far better off paying someone $30 an hour to edit your newsletter. You can “bank” the other $170 per hour by spending your time on profit making activities. Also take the time to determine how much time a day you need to spend on billable activities to make your desired profit. I try to spend 1.5 hours a day on money making projects.

=> FREE TIME COSTING TOOL: Here’s a time costing worksheet to help you determine how much

11 To Better Time Management For Entrepreneursyou are actually when you subtract the expenses. Time Costing Sheet

3. CREATE A DAILY SCHEDULE: Don’t start your day without a to do list. Make a list of tasks and cat-egorize them into business building activities, client activities, and personal items. Then break bigger un-manageable projects into smaller “doable” chunks so they less intimidating and are easier to accomplish.

=> FREE DAILY TO DO LIST: Try this free all in-clusive WebMomz To Do List

4. PRIORITIZE: Have more to do than hours in the day? By prioritizing your tasks, you’ll make sure that you are tackling the items that matter most. Create a system that works for you. One standard way of prioritizing is to mark items with A, B, and C.

Ask yourself these key questions:

What items MUST be done today?Which items can be rescheduled?What can be delegated?Which tasks most closely match my priorities and goals?Which items can be eliminated?

5. LEARN TO SAY NO: Are you adding one more item to your never-ending TO DO list? You are in control of your time. Be strong and uphold your per-sonal boundaries. When you are well rested and treat yourself and your family to the time off you deserve, you’ll feel happier and more productive when it’s time to go back to work. **

Before you say yes, ask yourself these questions:

Do you really have the time or energy to do that extra task?Do I like this customer? Are they good for me?Will it be profitable?

Secrets


Does it invade on your personal time?Does it involve doing something you enjoy?Does it fit in with your list of priorities and goals?

6. REMOVE DISTRACTIONS AND TIME SUCKS: Time sucks are lurking everywhere like viruses. Think about which activities are eating up your time. For me personally, these items include email, social calls, and telemarketers. I “conquer” the email demon by shutting down my Outlook when I am working. When a family member calls during work time, I politely ask if I can call them back during the after-noon and remind them of my work hours. Caller ID valiantly saves me from the “would be” telemarketer time thieves. With one glance, I can quickly differen-tiate telemarketers from important client calls.

7. STICK TO THE PLAN: Try not to get sidetracked from your plan. One of my friends has a motto, “A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency for me”. It’s a smart one to live by. Unless it’s a true emergency, or you are being paid “rush” time, you probably don’t need to squeeze a last minute request in today. Also, by assigning yourself project deadlines, you can keep on top of projects and avoid those dreaded last minute emergencies.

8. CHOOSE AN INSPIRING PLACE AND TIME: We are all “built” differently. Do the tasks which take your most “brain power” when you are at your prime. Are you a morning person or do you work best burning the midnight oils? Create an ultimate work haven that is clean, distraction free, and inspiring. My office overlooks my flower garden and is right in the heart of family activity. As I glance to the right, our Angel fish “Spike” proudly parades across the fish tank. In front of me, Monet has a glorious display of peach poppies in a field. Above me, Monet is paint-ing a vivid portrait of his flower garden. In the living room, my son is softly singing the Spiderman theme to himself - music to my ears!

9. BUNDLE LIKE TASKS TOGETHER: As you work through your daily list, try to chunk your tasks into like activities. By creating a separate “chunk” of time for answering email, invoicing, making return phone calls, you’ll save time and mental energy.

10. AVOID INTERRUPTIONS: Trying to do the same thing over and over again with interruptions can be maddening. Once you start a task, try to finish it to the end. If something comes up that you need to remember or do, unless it’s urgent, simply add it to your list and continue on with your current project.

11. BE ORGANIZED: When things are tidy, it saves you time and frees you to focus on the task at hand. Digging through a pile of papers and find-ing a squished Twinkie isn’t very conducive to the work experience. Follow your own organizational style. PHONE LISTS: For instance, I arrange my phone lists into groups according to how I use them: friends, family, doctors, my children’s playmates, etc. I also list people in my phone book that I talk to on a first name basis by their first name alphabetically. For instance, I list my mom under “M” and my brother under “T” for Troy. “D” has a list of all my doctors. This works for me, because it’s how I think.

EMAILS: Another time saving idea is to color code your emails. In my personal color scheme I use one color for clients, one for newsletters, and another for my coworkers. You can also group your emails using categories and folders.

ONE CALENDAR MEETS ALL: Keeping track of work appointments, Brownie meetings, and com-mittee meetings can be very difficult. My secret to keeping on top of family and work appointments is to schedule them all on one calendar.

DAYTIMER SPECIAL SECTION: Create a special section of your Daytimer just for special interests, hobbies, or kids. My husband keeps one with all his stock info. I have a special kid section with phone numbers for Brownie leaders, playmates, doctors, school contacts, bus number and other items.

SUMMARY: Why wait for success when you can literally schedule it! By mastering your time, you can accomplish much more with less effort. Be choosey about how you spend your time. Focus on activities which most closely match your goals. By taking time to monitor, measure, and manage your time, you will enjoy an abundance of success and happiness.

11 Secrets To Better Time Management For Entrepreneurs


Hiring an employee can be a big step for many small business owners. It means the end of doing EVERY-THING yourself and passing off some of the work!

In order to make the experience rewarding for both you and your employees there are a few things that every boss and leader should do…

1) Reward people for a job well done. Its frustrating working for someone who enjoys all the financial rewards of the efforts put forth by the entire team, especially if they don’t recognize what everyone has accomplished and contributed.

It doesn’t take much to acknowledge the effort of your staff. It makes a HUGE difference in the working atmo-sphere when you take a few moments to acknowledge your team. People like to know that they’ve done a good job.

2) Always provide a balance between positive and negative comments. Your job as a leader is to recognize the talents of those around you and feed them with the motivation and positive energy to take YOUR ideas to entirely new levels. Help them serve you better by building up their confidence... not tearing it down.

3) Step up and accept responsibility for your projects. At the end of the day if things don’t go according to plan, in my opinion, the responsibility falls onto the leader’s shoulders. Stand up and accept the responsibility should anything ever go wrong.

If your staff always bear the burden of projects gone bad, it will drag people down and destroy your working environment. Start contributing to the emotional bank account of those around you.

If you acknowledge the behavior you want to see more of, you’ll start seeing more of it. Be positive and accept some responsibility when things don’t go according to plan.

4) When you have good people it’s your responsibility as a leader to hold on to them. People with talent will take your company to entirely new levels but if they keep leaving, the growth of your company will be stinted.

People with skills know that they have options. Hanging the carrot of a potential big pay day will only work for a certain period of time. After a while it wears off and they start looking elsewhere. The last thing you want is for them to end up with your competition.

So the moral of the story is find good people, train them, treat them well, and your business will take off.

To Ensure A Rewarding Experience When Hiring Others4 Tips


Business groups provide excellent marketing and networking opportunities. There are many different ones to join. What you need to do is make sure you join the right business group for you and your needs, and then you need to be an active member of the business group.

There is usually more than one business group in your area. You don’t want to spend all your time going to different business group meetings so you need to choose carefully. When you are looking for a group to join one rule is almost always uni-versal:

The bigger they are the better they are. Big busi-ness groups will pull more active members out to networking events. Generally the more people that are in the room, the better the odds are that you are going to connect with the right kind of person who could be a future sweet spot client.

Regardless of the exact business group you join you have to actually attend the meetings. You won’t make contacts through osmosis. When I hear someone say that they tried a business group and it didn’t work for them 9 times out of 10 they went to one meeting; for whatever reason they didn’t like the meeting and never went back.

Business group marketing is no different than any other type. If you are going to do a cold call cam-paign and the first person is rude and hangs up on you, do you retreat to the woods never to be heard from again? No. Here are some tips to help you find, persist with, and make the most of your business group membership.

Business Groups*Make the Most of Your Membership

Don’t go into a meeting with a negative, intimidated or apprehensive attitude. This will show through to the business group members.

Check out all the business groups within a one-hour radius. Don’t settle on the first one you come across.

Go to at least two business group meetings before you decide it is right for you.

Be patient. Don’t go in expecting to meet your magic client within an hour.

Force yourself to move out of your comfort zone and mingle and schmooze with the best of them. Seek out other people who look awkward and start by talking to them.

Find the accountants, engineers, controllers, operations managers; all those analytical types who aren’t tremen-dously gregarious or who aren’t born talkers. All these people make fantastic contacts for future referrals and business because a lot of them are the IT decision mak-ers in small companies.

The Bottom Line on Business Groups

Business group membership gives you access to the de-cision makers in the companies your business is target-ing. The most important thing to remember is that you will get out of your business group experience what you put in. Don’t give up at the first sign of disillusionment. Find the right business group to join and make the most of every meeting.


Networking is more than just putting your business name out there for people to find you, but it is also a part of getting to know people, who are going to spread the word about what you do, what you sell, and that are going to support you in all that you do. Networking is going to involve get-ting to know as many people in life as you can, and putting your business in front of those people, so they will represent your name, your business, and will tell others about what you have to offer.

If your business requires that you travel often, or perhaps you travel often to find supplies, visit relatives or just because you like it. You should make it a point to get to know those who you are sitting beside, those who are surrounding you on the plane, even those who are sitting on the bench while waiting in the airport. Make it a point to meet and greet at least one new person a day.

How are you going to get started on this?

Start the conversation by saying hello, how are you today?Ask questions. The best way to get to know someone is to ask questions. Without asking ques-tions, it can be difficult to carry on a conversation. Asking questions is a good icebreaker, in turn, the person is going to want to talk about their self, and where they are traveling too. You can then lead into something like, is this business trip or a personal trip? As you go on with the conversa-tion, the person is going to ask you questions, which is where you will be able to talk about your business and what you do. As you make it a point to get to know at least one new person a day- you are going to increase your network, which means you will increase the people that you know in life. Increasing your business network is going to be dependent on your abilities to carry on a conversation and to talk with others. Force yourself to do this. Force yourself to stick to your habit of meeting at least one new person a day. As you make this a point, you will make this a habit and in the long run, your business will thrive for it.

NetworkingWhile Traveling


When you are creating advertising design for the newspaper, magazine or direct mail, what do you think might be one of the most important considerations?

If you answered readability, congratulate yourself! Fancy graphics may get the ad noticed, but readers must be able physically to read the words. This elementary concept sounds simple enough, yet is often ignored. If they can’t read it, they can’t understand enough about your offer to respond.

With todays’ sophisticated and virtually unlimited graphic computer options, it is easy for the graphic design advertising person to get sidetracked into believing what is on the screen looks like a true work of art!

Here are some advertising design questions to ask:

1. Want your ad to look different? Examine a few past issues of the publication where your ad will be appearing. Often publications create ads themselves (“pub-set”) and they can tend to look similar. See if you can spot them. Then try to develop a graphic look different than the other ads. Set your ad apart by using a different type face family that is easily read.

2. Is the advertisement legible? In their desire to be different and stylish, some of todays’ magazines make read-ing difficult.

Here are some common problems. White type on a light pastel background. Or light pastel type on a slightly darker background of the same color. Or colors that don’t contrast well when viewed in black and white, such as dark forest green type printed on a background of fire engine red.

It is better to go for the headline in big, lighter type against a much darker background.

3. Trying to cram too much information into a small space? One of the big problems is trying to fit too many words and concepts into a small space.

Here is where small space is actually your friend. It forces you (or the writer) to break down your ideas into sim-ple words and simple concepts. Bear in mind that the goal of many advertisements is to solicit an inquiry, not to tell the entire story.

Often readers look to the details to figure out if they want to act. The type showing those details should be large enough to see and comprehend, even for those who have trouble with their vision. Type in color really needs to be 10 point, if not 11 to be read by the entire population.

With black and white newspaper ads, it is possible to use typefaces as small as 8 point because their comprehen-sion is made easier by black type on newsprint. In magazines, black type as small as 4 points (on a white back-ground) has been used. The clarity is astounding, but many people need a magnifying glass!

In conclusion, ignoring these three considerations can spell disaster for the reader who is trying to understand the advertising message. Good advertising design creates graphic effects that enhance the writers’ words and contribute to the overall success of the ad.

Remember The ReaderDesigning Ads?


Cass Butler; Owner and Chief Executive Officer of The Butler Enterprises is a Serial Entrepreneur. The Butler Enterprises is a multi-dimensional company with numerous business aspects. Those divisions of The Butler Enterprises are: Event Planning, Construction, HVAC, Plumbing, Property Management, Frozen Drink Machine Rental and a Reseller.

Cass Butler has personally oversaw and developed numerous events from networking events to private functions.The Butler Enterprises has financially managed event budgets ranging from $1500.00-$150,000.00. Received Approved Governmental Contracts in excess of $90,000.00, and an approved subcontractor on numerous devel-opments throughout the Dallas Fort Worth Metro-plex.

The Butler Enterprises is truly a leader in today's declining job market and continues to stretch the bar for their business endeavors.

Cass Butler has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business an also an Associates in Marketing. She has resided in Texas for over 35 years, is a dedicated wife, loving mother to a beautiful family of 4 young adults, and has the support and love of a large extended family throughout the nation. Cass Butler is also a cast member of The Dallas:Moguls, a Reality Tv Docu-Series focusing on African American Business Owners.

Cass Butler,CEOThe Butler Enterprises

Web: www.TheButlerEnterprises.com

Email: [email protected]

Skype: Cass.Butler

Instagram: www.instagram.com/thebutlerent

Creative Entrepreneur of the Year


Twitter: www.twitter.com/theButlerEnt

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/theButlerEnt

YouTube: www.youtube.com/theButlerEnterprises

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/cass-butler/51/694/785/

mailto:info%40TheButlerEnterprises.com?subject=

International Women in Business is a membership organisation that invests in the personal and professional development of all women in business ensuring they reach their full potential as women and business persons. We work with women who recognise the im-portance of investing in themselves and others to bring about positive change and through the process of GETTING CONNECTED understand the value in teaming up, creating syn-ergy, bringing opportunity to all involved.We bring tangible results to thousands of women worldwide in business in the form of referrals, recommendations, career opportunities, mentorship, ratings and new business.

At IWIB we believe in the team, where “Together Everyone Achieves More, making It an exciting World for Women in Business”.


Hard question, because I don't even know who she is. It is hard for me to separate myself to a business name because I'm the same person. I don't know how people perceive me and due to that I am still searching for an explanation on who "Cake Diva" is.

How did you discover your purpose? My purpose discovered me! I was a drug addict looking for another fix you could say and I needed to find some-thing else to fill a void in my life. My motto has always been, "Cake saved my life". Cake decorating has been something I had always thought of as a little girl. Once I started I didn't want to stop. But it was never about mak-ing money, it was about just having something new to do besides drugs. Through social media you have shared your experiences and the opportunities that have been provided to you and your company. How do you remain grounded? I'm around cake stuff all the time. There isn't or hasn't been a reason not to be grounded. I don't see myself as any different than anyone else so I don't feel like I'm on another level of such. I'm just me.

What challenges do you face in business? Are these different for your male counterparts? How do you stand out from the crowd? My challenges are that I am not recognized in certain cake arenas because I'm a so called, "New School" cake decorator or haven't been on any particular TV shows. I'm not in the politics of the cake world and why the same people are chosen to do the same events when there are some great decorators out there. I think Males in this industry aren't taken as serious of cake decorators because they are men. How ironic is that? I believe I stand out because of my different type of designs and the fact that I do not repeat a wedding design. All my work is custom to the client or couple.

Several bakers have expressed appreciation for your support as they have launched their own cake business. How does that make you feel? Does that take away from your business or from you as a businessowner? I am very very appreciative towards anyone that asks or reaches out for advice. I'm completely honored that they asked me. That does not take away from me, because there is enough to go around for everybody.

As an African American woman owned company, what challenges have you faced in business? Would you say that they are unique to your organization or is are they commonly discussed among your executivecounterparts? As an African American business owners, I'm faced with the typical issues any business owner would face. Pric-ing, customer service and marketing. No matter what level you are on in your business, we are all experiencing the same issues!

Who is the

Cake Diva? **


What words of wisdom would you share with other executives? Any business will work if you work it! No one else can make YOUR business work if you don’t.

What is your most proud moment as Cake Diva?My most proud moment was being considered on TLC’s, “The Next Great Baker” three years ago. It was a great experience and I never thought I would be considered as one of the top 25 contestants that applied in the United States.

What was your most challenging cake to date? Your most fun?My most challenging cake was the Stark wedding cake. It was my first largest and tallest cake I had ever created at that time. It took a week for me to figure out how I wanted to have it look and structured. My funniest cake would be the Muppet cake I made in a cake class from Lauren Kitchens called Muppet 101.

Cake Divawww.yourcakediva.com214-606-2363

As we have welcomed the summer, it is a busy time for our team! This time of year we have a spike in requests for grant writing as well as government contract and minority certifications.

Grants & Proposal Development

Have you identified a grant and you aren’t sure about next steps? Our team is ready to assist in the process – from non-profit registration to preparing your grant submission. Don’t wait until a week before the deadline to start!

Do you have a topic that aligns with your organization, but don’t have the program developed? Our team is ready to develop programs, along with metrics to utilize when seeking financial support or strategic partner-ships.

Government Contracts

The 2014 4th Quarter Fiscal Year starts July 1st and ends September 31st. During this time procurement offi-cers must spend their entire budget and meet their 23% small business contract spending goals. This goal is for products and services – some of which include training, catering, transportation, construction, landscaping, uniforms, t-shirts, etc.

We are ready to work with you to successfully navigate the government contracting waters.

Need assistance with identifying contract opportunities, preparing bids/proposals, contract negotiations or de-veloping your team?

Let’s grow your business!

Minority Certifications

Ever wonder what the benefit to obtaining your certifications? In one word – access. Certifications make your business attractive to PRIME contractors as well as Procurement Officers. You also grow your network exponen-tially by building relationships

Need funding for Job Readiness programs?

We are working with non-profits that offer or desire to offer job readiness training. Through this unique pro-gram, there is no upfront costs for grant preparation. If you are interested in learning more about this program, please do not hesitate to reply to this email message.

Leaning In eNews from The Savane Group


Are you interested in doing business abroad?

Each country has specific requirements and licensing to receive permission to do business. We are offering a summer special – save 5% on our international business start-up package. Email us for more information!

Need a Training Facilitator and Keynote?

Our CEO, Brandy Adamson is scheduling speaking engagements for the remainder of the year as well as 2015. If you need a speaker on entrepreneurship, empowerment, education or a specific business related topic, please reply to this email and we will send her bio for your review.

Maximize LinkedIn for your Business

We are rolling out a new system to grow your business exposure on LinkedIn. Sign up and take advantage of special pricing to participate in the program. Reply to this email for more information.

For more information about establishing or growing your business or non-profit, email us at [email protected] for more information.


The market for distributing credit lines for businesses nowadays has grown. After all, most entrepreneurs know that owning a sufficient credit line can give a business a lot of advantages. The bigger the company gets, the more useful a credit line becomes.

For anyone trying to put up a business, choosing which financing option is best can get a little intimi-dating especially since credit lines available for busi-nesses come in different varieties. Two of the most commonly compared forms available for business credit are the small business credit cards and unse-cured business line of credit. Knowing the difference between the two and which is best for the nature of your business can greatly help you in your decision.

Small Business Credit Cards

A small business credit card is basically a credit line catered especially for companies who are just start-ing out. This type of resource offers a lot of flexible options for businesses, which may include discounts and other penny-pinching benefits that could greatly assist companies especially new ones.

These are also quite easy to get, and a lot of suppliers in the market today readily accept payments done through these business credits. And so, if you are try-ing to start a new business and you still do not have much of resources or the long credit history, then this type of credit line would be ideal for your company’s use.

On the contrary, as ideal as this type of financial resource may be, it does have its setbacks. And if you are not careful enough with your credit usage, you might end up damaging your business as well as your personal credit score. The thing about most credit card companies offering small business credits is that they would require a personal-liability agreement for the business owner to certify.

And so, your company’s credit report may appear in your personal score even if no expenses were done for your private use.

Comparing Small Business Credit Cards &

Unsecured Business Line of CreditOn the other hand, there are lenders who do not necessarily comply with this contract, so if you are afraid to risk your personal credit score, then look-ing for credit cards that do not require personal-lia-bility is highly suggested.

Unsecured Line of Credit

As your company grows, having a bigger credit line would certainly prove to be more practical. For companies that have large expenses or need to purchase goods at bigger bulks, then having an un-secured line of credit can offer your business much more flexibility. This particular financing resource can give the same services as small business credit cards, but with much lower rates of interests and a higher credit limit. And unlike secure credit cards, no collateral is needed to secure your debts.

But, then, your company is required to have an excellent business credit history in order to be given an unsecured credit line. And if you are still starting out, most lenders will probably not recog-nize your personal credit score. If your company is interested in acquiring this credit line, then you must first build up your business credit. This type of credit resource is usually best for companies that have already established themselves, and may not be the best option for those just starting out.

Choosing a credit line for your company is just the initial step. Pick out which financial resource can best suit your company’s needs at the moment and make sure to build a very good credit score to enjoy all the financial aids and benefits that your business may need from lenders.

As long as you are smart with credit usage and pay dues on time, then it is best for you to take advan-tage of what these credit cards have to offer you. Business credit lines will surely play a major role in the success and growth of your business.

For more information about business credit, please contact our team at [email protected].


Business credit cards have gained cer-tain popularity nowadays, especially amongst small business entrepreneurs. They allow people numer-ous opportunities and benefits that assist in helping many companies survive the difficult tides of the business world, especially when it comes to being an additional source and organizational system for funds that these small enterprises need.

However, not all of those who have ventured into such businesses have gained success with their use of business credits. Many people, because of poor man-agement of such credit cards and business finances have ended up losing more money than gaining the benefits promised by lending firms. But with these credit cards’ usefulness for a starting business owner, how does one give security to his funds while using business credit?

Using Business Credit With Discretion

The smartest thing that anyone can do in making use of credit cards is to utilize it with much discre-tion. One of the common mistakes of business own-ers is relying too much of their companies expenses on debt. Remember that abuse of this privilege can lead you to obtain bad credit.

Companies should pay notice to their spending with the use of credit cards, and set limits to amount of purchases that they know they can afford to pay. Otherwise, they might find themselves in a pitfall of high interest rates and payment deadlines. As much as possible, when a company is still not earning much, the use of credit cards should only be limited to emergency cases and not as the main source of capital.

Make Timely Payments

Another step to take to avoid drowning the compa-ny in credit debts is to pay the bills on time every month. By not missing or delaying a single payment,

Protecting Your FundsWhile Using Business Credit Cards

one does not have to worry about building up liabil-ities, accumulating interests, and paying for penalty charges. It would certainly be very clever for one to prevent having to deal with additional business expenses. A business owner must consider that the money that could go to penalties and interest rates can instead enter the company as profit instead.

Take Extra Precautions

Necessary precautions must also be taken to protect the funds of the company. For example, if the type of business entails its employees to make use of busi-ness credit cards, then placing a credit limit on each employee will be necessary to prevent the abuse on the use of credits for personal purchases, particularly those that are outside of the company’s budget.

Aside from this, companies can also maximize provi-sions offered by credit cards such as obtaining peri-odical reports of statement of accounts. Through this, the company can examine how its budget is spent and could make crucial adjustments to help the business save money.

Using credit cards in business can really play a vi-tal role in boosting success. Offering the necessary finances, establishing credibility and organizing cash flow are only a few of the many benefits that this tool has introduced to many small business owners.

But, like any tool, business credit cards can be mis-handled and could end up in contributing to the failure of a company instead of the promised prog-ress, especially with the mismanagement of funds. But if one makes use of these credit cards wisely by practicing discretion, making all the necessary timely payments and taking extra precautions, then one can surely prevent the pitfalls of loosing funds and make the business credit cards work to his or her advantage.


We have all seen it – whether an email, a post on social media or a call from a friend – opportuni-ties ‘to work from home’ or ‘gain financial freedom’ are abundant! Because of my company and vast network, I have received calls and emails from many in my network, even family members about joining their team.

I have checked out many sites and broadcast calls trying to compare potential with time and money required to make them work. Everyone wants to know, how long is it until a deposit is made in their account as well as they want to be involved in a company that asserts, the more you put in, the more you get out.

I will tell you, there is definitely money to be on the internet if you know how, the problem is finding a proven way that anyone can follow. Most sites claim to teach you how, but charge large amounts and deliver only vague information that do not help.

Our team decided to establish a system that delivers results for those in network marketing and direct sales. This proven system teaches participants how to, not only select a company that is right for you but also how to navi-gate the waters and be successful.

We are launching the system on July 15th. If you are interested in taking part in the program, email us for more information at [email protected].

Avoid Scams

Concentrate on Real Money Making Businesses!&

“Stand out from your competition by engaging your customers with internet video com-mercials and online marketing campaigns. Visit www.cinema-story.com and get in touch

with our creative team.”


big advantage of working from home is the tax benefits of operating a home based business. Working from home allows you to deduct portions of bills that you are already paying to live there.

You can deduct home expenses if you actually work in your home. It is easiest to do this if you have a room set aside for your business. Figure out how big that room is in proportion to the house, and you can deduct expenses using that percentage.

For example, if your place of doing business takes up 5% of your house, you can deduct 5% of your heating ex-penses for the days you work. You can deduct items such as mortgage interest (though not your mortgage itself), electricity, telephone, insurance, and expenses for maintenance and repair. In general, you can deduct the por-tion of expenses that directly relates to your business.

You can deduct costs for your internet service provider in proportion to the amount you use it on business, too. If it's used completely for business you can deduct it all, but be certain before you do this that you are not using it for other reasons.

The tax benefits of operating a home based business enable you to deduct things you would otherwise be paying in full. If you are considering a business from home, it's a good way to lower your costs. This is just one more advantage of working from home.

Tax Benefits of Operating A Home Based Business

A

Home businesses can be expensive, but there are businesses that don't cost much to start as well. Here are a few ideas.

One inexpensive way to start a home business is to set up a website. The site can be used to sell a product or to give information. With an information site, you can make money by joining an affiliate program. Setting up a website can cost well under $100, and can even be free, but you will spend a lot of time marketing your site. If you know nothing about internet marketing, there are websites and books that can help.

Another home business idea on a budget is selling at online auctions. If you start small, the cost in both time and dollars is minimal. Begin with items you don't want around your house anymore, or buy a few items at garage sales. Sell a product you make if that appeals to you. Eventually you can connect with a wholesaler, possibly one who will drop ship items. This takes away all the work of wrapping and shipping your products.

If you have typing skills, offer them to local businesses. Often there is a need, and businesses can get it cheaper paying you by the job rather than hiring an employee and paying benefits.

Consider tutoring on a subject you know well. This can be an academic subject or a creative subject, such as mu-sic. If you do this in your home you will have very little, if any, startup costs.

Think of what you know and like to do best. Then find a way to offer these services or information to the public. Find a home business idea on your budget and start doing what you want to do.

Low Cost Home Based Business Ideas


Clients are the most precious assets for a business. Without clients, there can be no business. With poor quality of clients, the business will be poor and if you manage to get very good clients and retain their loyalty, your business will only go up and up. This all sounds very exciting. But it is not easy to get very good clients and all the more difficult to retain them. After all, whatever you do, your competition is trying the same and may use better techniques to get business. Are there any innovative approaches to client relationships?

We are talking about direct sales in this discussion and not about selling merchandise to large consumer base. For example if you are a contractor maintaining air conditioners in clients work places. Or a direct seller of com-puter hardware to business buyers, and all such businesses where your sales to individual clients are large, and you are in direct contact with clients.

The first need is of course client satisfaction. If the client is satisfied with your response time, after sales service and can depend on you, pricing may become secondary. All clients do not buy from a supplier whose sales at the lowest price. If your product cost is a small percentage of clients total expense or if your product is essential for your clients, you are onto something good. How to retain such clients despite all the competition? What are the other factors than client satisfaction?

Relationship is one such other major factor. Do you relate with your clients only professionally, or are very good friends? Both these extremes can hurt. For a long-term business relationship, good friendship is not good for health of your business. Any problem in the personal friendship will directly affect your business. What if you relate to your clients mechanically in a professional style totally devoid of personal touch? You know the answer yourself.

What is needed is a relationship that does not border on personal friendships, but crosses mechanical approach. A fine balance between personal and professional.

How to Have a Lasting Relationship with Clients


Public Relations or "PR" is one of the most important factors in how you are perceived by the public at large. It is the relationship between your business and your customers, past customers, community and potential customers.

There are two ways of obtaining PR. One way is through press releases, in which you share news about events or accomplishments within your company or organization. This form of PR gives you full control over how your company looks to the public. Your public is anyone who has an interest of one type or another in your business such as your employees, customers, suppliers, competition and the press. How you are perceived by the public has a huge impact on the future of your business.

When issuing a press release, make sure that the information provided is of interest to the readers or viewers of that particular publication. The heading of the press release should grab the readers’ attention and prompt them to continue reading. Make sure you are targeting publications which would be interested in your information. You won’t have much success submitting a press release about Christmas ornaments to a publication which tar-gets outdoor life.

Testimonials and case histories are useful when overcoming objections, building credibility, and demonstrating customer satisfaction with your company and products. Generally, testimonials do not make up the bulk of a press release. Although it helps to add in a positive quote from a satisfied customer, make sure the comment is in direct relation to the focus of your press release.

Good PR from satisfied customers can bring you a whopping customer base, yet at the same time one shred of negative PR from an unhappy customer can cause your business considerable damage. When in a one-on-one meeting your customer should do most of the talking. Your customers are worth listening to and their feedback is valuable information! Take the time to listen to their questions and comments as it will help you to understand their needs and make sure they are satisfied with your service. If you are doing most of the talking, chances are, your customers are going to feel pressured or turned off and you run the risk of losing a sale as well as a custom-er.

Building a relationship with the public is an important aspect of promoting your business and building a solid customer base. Staying in touch with your customers will not only improve your customer relations, but will keep your name foremost in the minds of your customers and prospects and keep them coming back.

Are you ready to strengthen your relationships with your customers? Let’s work together to build and execute a solid PR plan for your company!

Promoting Relationshipswith the Public


alive magazine august 2014

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traveling17alive magazine

editor6 alive magazine

savane group295 alive

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true purpose

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