7 Smart Financial Steps to Take in 2016

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This story first appeared in the January 2016 issue of Entrepreneur. To receive the magazine,
click here to subscribe.

Is this the year you want your financial picture to shine? We’ve got some good news: There are
no tax increases looming, and the banking, housing and labor markets are solid. That means this
is the perfect time to shore up your personal finances and prepare for the long haul.

Here are some steps you can implement when opportunity, cash flow, existing debt and mental
fortitude allow. Barring a sudden global economic or personal meltdown, you could wake up
next January with a satisfied smile on your face.

1. Lower your income; secure your future.

If you’re over 50, consider setting up a defined-benefit plan to reduce your company’s taxable
income -- and ultimately yours. As earnings rise, you may be able to contribute more than with a
defined-contribution plan, such as a SEP (simplified employee pension). Defined-benefit plans
provide a fixed, preestablished benefit for employees at retirement. There is also an age-
weighted profit-sharing plan you can set up for you and your employees that follows a similar
structure. If that sounds too complex for you, then make sure to take these tax deductions (which
many people overlook): sales taxes, healthcare premiums and expenses for charitable work and
education.

2. Wake up -- retirement will cost more than you think.

Ego makes a bad rudder for retirement planning. Even if your business is thriving, you should
maximize what you can set aside in SEP IRA accounts -- regardless of your age. The old rule
that you’ll need 70 to 80 percent of your current income for retirement ignores unexpected
business costs and reversals that will eat into your assumed nest egg; long-term healthcare costs
not covered by Medicare; and the possibility that your children might not be as financially
independent as you’d like them to be.

3. Dump bad debt for good debt.

Your credit cards are killing you. “Bad debt is anything that is not being used to build your net
worth: clothes, furniture, vacations or dinners out,” explains Steph Wagner, Entrepreneur’s
personal finance columnist. “Beyond avoiding wasteful spending, it is important to be strategic
with interest rates. While today’s average APR [annual percentage rate] is 15 percent, you might
be surprised to learn that you have a card in your wallet that charges significantly less.
Personally, I have one at 5.1 percent.”

Wagner’s advice: consolidate. However, don’t be duped into other seemingly cheap sources of
credit. “I am not a fan of borrowing against retirement accounts [IRA or 401(k)]; it should be
your absolute last resort.”

Given current rates, a home equity line of credit may be your cheapest source of capital. If that
isn’t an option, consider borrowing against your permanent life insurance policy (assuming it is
whole or universal). This type of policy builds up cash over time, which can be borrowed against
tax-free. Another benefit is that you don’t have to pay back the loan (instead, your death benefit
is reduced by the borrowed amount) -- but if you do it pay it back, the interest rate is generally 7
to 8 percent, much less than the average credit card.

4. Go ahead, touch the principal.

Unless you’ve socked away millions in stocks and cash, it’s not realistic to live off interest and
dividends alone. So plan now, not later, to use stock-price growth as part of your total investment
picture. “I know it’s scary for most people to think about drawing down principal,” says Rob
Williams, director of income planning at the Schwab Center for Financial Research. “A better
way to think about it is that you’re tapping capital gains and reallocating them into something
more secure [like bonds].”

Williams is quick to remind that capital gains are “a source of returns as much as interest and
dividend payments. A portfolio balanced between equities, bonds and cash can deliver all three.”
Over time, they should beat the average 2 percent yield on bonds, as well as inflation.

So how do you begin putting this to work in the next 12 months? “Consider dividend-paying
stocks for up to 60 percent of your portfolio’s allocation. Blue-chip dividend payers are a good
place to start,” Williams advises. “Then 40 percent in cash investments and bonds or bond funds
for stability and income. Intermediate-term bonds or bond funds provide just such an anchor.”

5. Crowdsource your kids’ college education.

If you haven’t done so, set up a 529 (college savings) plan and ask friends and relatives to
contribute money. Surveys show that most grandparents would contribute to a 529 plan if asked.
Another tip: Don’t stop contributing once your kid is enrolled. Paying tuition through the 529
ensures the tax break.

6. Ease up on rebalancing.
You already know to periodically rebalance your holdings, cashing in star performers to buy
more of the laggards. But how often? The old wisdom—every quarter—has given way to the
new: once a year. “There is no one optimal rebalancing strategy,” says Colleen M. Jaconetti, a
senior investment analyst in Vanguard’s investment strategy group. “Having said that, we
believe that for most investors, implementing a rebalancing strategy based on reasonable
monitoring frequency, such as annual or semi- annual, and rebalancing only when the portfolio
has drifted beyond an allocation threshold of 5 percent (e.g., your holdings in, say, international
growth funds have dropped from 20 percent of your portfolio’s value to 15 percent) is likely to
produce a balance between risk control and cost minimization.”

Jaconetti acknowledges that rebalancing can be tedious but says, “What some investors don’t
realize is that they may not have to do many actual transactions in order to rebalance their
portfolio. In practice, portfolios can be rebalanced using the existing cash flows.” These cash
flows include using dividends, interest payments, realized capital gains and any contributions or
withdrawals in the portfolio. 

7. Hire an honest accountant.

The Internal Revenue Service is cracking down on unscrupulous tax preparers. Hiring the wrong
person can trigger audits, costs for revising statements and other headaches. “The tax code is
huge,” says Kay Bell, author of The Truth About Paying Fewer Taxes. “The key here is
credentials. You want someone who stays on top of tax-law changes.”

Seek recommendations from people who share your specific tax situation. “If you have a small
manufacturing business, you want a tax professional who works with small manufacturing
businesses and knows the intricacies of the tax code in this area. Plus, having a preparer who is
familiar with your business needs is particularly important now, with all the Affordable Care Act
tax ramifications,” Bell explains.

The 9 Advantages of Franchising

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Promoted Opportunities
In Franchise Your Business, author and franchise consultant Mark Siebert delivers the ultimate
how-to guide to employing one of the greatest growth strategies ever -- franchising. Siebert
shares decades of experience, insights, and practical advice to help grow your business
exponentially through franchising while avoiding the pitfalls. In this edited excerpt, Siebert digs
into the details behind just what makes franchising a growth strategy you might want to
consider.
The primary advantages for most companies entering the realm of franchising are capital, speed
of growth, motivated management, and risk reduction -- but there are many others as well.

1. Capital
The most common barrier to expansion faced by today’s small businesses is lack of access to
capital. Even before the credit-tightening of 2008-2009 and the “new normal” that ensued,
entrepreneurs often found that their growth goals outstripped their ability to fund them.

Franchising, as an alternative form of capital acquisition, offers some advantages. The primary
reason most entrepreneurs turn to franchising is that it allows them to expand without the risk of
debt or the cost of equity. First, since the franchisee provides all the capital required to open and
operate a unit, it allows companies to grow using the resources of others. By using other people’s
money, the franchisor can grow largely unfettered by debt.

Moreover, since the franchisee -- not the franchisor -- signs the lease and commits to various
contracts, franchising allows for expansion with virtually no contingent liability, thus greatly
reducing the risk to the franchisor. This means that as a franchisor, not only do you need far less
capital with which to expand, but your risk is largely limited to the capital you invest in
developing your franchise company -- an amount that is often less than the cost of opening one
additional company-owned location.

2. Motivated Management
Another stumbling block facing many entrepreneurs wanting to expand is finding and retaining
good unit managers. All too often, a business owner spends months looking for and training a
new manager, only to see them leave or, worse yet, get hired away by a competitor. And hired
managers are only employees who may or may not have a genuine commitment to their jobs,
which makes supervising their work from a distance a challenge.

But franchising allows the business owner to overcome these problems by substituting an owner
for the manager. No one is more motivated than someone who is materially invested in the
success of the operation. Your franchisee will be an owner -- often with his life’s savings
invested in the business. And his compensation will come largely in the form of profits.

The combination of these factors will have several positive effects on unit level performance.

Long-term commitment. Since the franchisee is invested, she will find it difficult to walk away
from her business.

Better-quality management. As a long-term “manager,” your franchisee will continue to learn

about the business and is more likely to gain institutional knowledge of your business that will
make him a better operator as he spends years, maybe decades, of his life in the business.
Improved operational quality. While there are no specific studies that measure this variable,
franchise operators typically take the pride of ownership very seriously. They will keep their
locations cleaner and train their employees better because they own, not just manage, the
business.

Innovation. Because they have a stake in the success of their business, franchisees are always
looking for opportunities to improve their business -- a trait most managers don't share.

Franchisees typically out-manage managers. Franchisees will also keep a sharper eye on the
expense side of the equation -- on labor costs, theft (by both employees and customers) and any
other line item expenses that can be reduced.

Franchisees typically outperform managers. Over the years, both studies and anecdotal
information have confirmed that franchisees will outperform managers when it comes to revenue
generation. Based on our experience, this performance improvement can be significant -- often in
the range of 10 to 30 percent.

3. Speed of Growth  
Every entrepreneur I've ever met who's developed something truly innovative has the same
recurring nightmare: that someone else will beat them to the market with their own concept. And
often these fears are based on reality.

The problem is that opening a single unit takes time. For some entrepreneurs, franchising may be
the only way to ensure that they capture a market leadership position before competitors
encroach on their space, because the franchisee performs most of these tasks. Franchising not
only allows the franchisor financial leverage, but also allows it to leverage human resources as
well. Franchising allows companies to compete with much larger businesses so they can saturate
markets before these companies can respond.

4. Staffing Leverage
Franchising allows franchisors to function effectively with a much leaner organization. Since
franchisees will assume many of the responsibilities otherwise shouldered by the corporate home
office, franchisors can leverage these efforts to reduce overall staffing.

5. Ease of Supervision
From a managerial point of view, franchising provides other advantages as well. For one, the
franchisor is not responsible for the day-to-day management of the individual franchise units. At
a micro level, this means that if a shift leader or crew member calls in sick in the middle of the
night, they're calling your franchisee -- not you -- to let them know. And it's the franchisee’s
responsibility to find a replacement or cover their shift. And if they choose to pay salaries that
aren't in line with the marketplace, employ their friends and relatives, or spend money on
unnecessary or frivolous purchases, it won't impact you or your financial returns. By eliminating
these responsibilities, franchising allows you to direct your efforts toward improving the big
picture.

6. Increased Profitability
The staffing leverage and ease of supervision mentioned above allows franchise organizations to
run in a highly profitable manner. Since franchisors can depend on their franchisees to undertake
site selection, lease negotiation, local marketing, hiring, training, accounting, payroll, and other
human resources functions (just to name a few), the franchisor’s organization is typically much
leaner (and often leverages off the organization that's already in place to support company
operations). So the net result is that a franchise organization can be more profitable.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to quantify or prove this contention. This much we do know:

Research done during the past 10 years shows top quartile franchisors put an average of 40 and
45.6 percent to the bottom line in 2001 and 2002 respectively. How many industries can you
think of where net incomes in this range are even possible?

7. Improved Valuations
The combination of faster growth, increased profitability, and increased organizational leverage
helps account for the fact that franchisors are often valued at a higher multiple than other
businesses. So when it comes time to sell your business, the fact that you're a successful
franchisor that has established a scalable growth model could certainly be an advantage.

When the iFranchise Group compared the valuation of the S&P 500 vs. the franchisors tracked in
Franchise Times magazine in 2012, the average price/earnings ratio of franchise companies was
26.5, while the average P/E ratio of the S&P 500 was 16.7. This represents a staggering 59
percent premium to the S&P. Moreover, more than two-thirds of the franchisors surveyed beat
the S&P ratio.

8. Penetration of Secondary and Tertiary Markets

The ability of franchisees to improve unit-level financial performance has some weighty
implications. A typical franchisee will not only be able to generate higher revenues than a
manager in a similar location but will also keep a closer eye on expenses. Moreover, since the
franchisee will likely have a different cost structure than you do as a franchisor (she may pay
lower salaries, may not provide the same benefits packages, etc.), she can often operate a unit
more profitably even after accounting for the royalties she must pay you.

As a franchisor, this can give you the flexibility to consider markets in which corporate returns
might be marginal. Of course, you never want to consider a market you don't feel provides the
franchisee with a strong likelihood of success. But if your strategy involves developing corporate
units in addition to franchising, you'll likely find your limited capital development budget won't
allow you to open as many locations as you'd like. Franchisees, on the other hand, could open
and operate successfully in markets that are not high on your priority list for development.
9. Reduced Risk
By its very nature, franchising also reduces risk for the franchisor. Unless you choose to
structure it differently (and few do), the franchisee has all the responsibility for the investment in
the franchise operation, paying for any build-out, purchasing any inventory, hiring any
employees, and taking responsibility for any working capital needed to establish the business.

The franchisee is also the one who executes leases for equipment, autos, and the physical
location, and has the liability for what happens within the unit itself, so you're largely out from
under any liability for employee litigation (e.g., sexual harassment, age discrimination, EEOC),
consumer litigation (the hot coffee spilled in your customer’s lap), or accidents that occur in your
franchise (slip-and-fall, employer’s comp, etc.).

Moreover, it's very likely that your attorney and other advisors will suggest you create a new
legal entity to act as the franchisor. This will further limit your exposure. And since the cost of
becoming a franchisor is often less than the cost of opening one more location (or entering one
more market), your startup risk is greatly reduced.

The combination of these factors provides you with substantially reduced risk. Franchisors can
grow to hundreds or even thousands of units with limited investment and without spending any
of their own capital on unit expansion.

Creating Wealth Is Different From

Maintaining Wealth
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As an entrepreneur, you may someday find yourself holding a really big check in your hands
after selling your business, or having a major liquidity event occur, and thinking: This is
awesome, but what do I do with this money?

Related: 8 Money Mistakes to Avoid on Your Way to Being Wealthy

Being the smart, successful entrepreneur you are, you will surely decide to be responsible and
invest the cash instead of buying that new jet. You'll have a few financial advisors, a lawyer and
a CPA you can turn to, because investing your windfall will have suddenly become your primary
business.
The bottom line here is to understand that creating wealth is far different from maintaining
wealth. Creating wealth means taking on idiosyncratic risk, and maintaining wealth involves a
diversifying strategy with a long-term view. When an entrepreneur becomes an investor, he or
she needs many skills to manage this capital. So, if this life-changing event happens to you, don’t
simply jump into it. Consider the facts, as you would any other new business endeavor.

1. Do you have the skills necessary to manage this capital?

You should consider how much you know about both the public and private capital markets. Are
you patient enough to ride through long periods of difficult returns? Do you know what really
drives those returns? This stage in particular is where the vast majority of newly wealthy
entrepreneurs stumble in their process.

2. Do you have an infrastructure to support you in this new

endeavor?
Going it alone can be very challenging. In addition, selecting the right people can be equally
challenging. There is more to the process than just investing. Monitoring and screening deal flow
for this capital is equally important.

3. What are the behavioral drivers that influence this new

business?
Running a business is something you can do every day. Managing a portfolio oftentimes requires
waiting -- and for long periods of time.Think of the tortoise and hare. We all know how this story
ends. The tendency is for people to want to over-manage their portfolios, which can
unknowingly add a tremendous amount risk. Too much risk can sadly lead to complete failure.

The above tips give you a glimpse of some of the issues you will face in making this transition.
Now, let’s focus on three more to guide you through this transition.

Related: 6 Simple Strategies for Better Money Management

4. Family is important. Create an investment policy

statement for them.
Such a statement is very much like a business plan, and all entrepreneurs should know how
important it is. An investment policy should include who, what, where and why. Consider the
types of assets possible and the minimum and maximum amount of each you will hold. Who is
responsible for managing these assets and monitoring them as time goes along? Your
policy might even consider the process for making changes to those allocations.This is the
document that will drive all of your decisions.
5. Goals, goals, goals. Identify what you want to achieve. 
You might consider your return goal -- within a well-defined plan for risk -- as being a level of
return that covers inflation, fees, taxes and some component for real growth (probably around 2.5
percent). Entrepreneurs have what we call a low-risk-aversion parameter as wealth
increases.This means that they are willing to accept lower returns for potentially much riskier
deals.This mainly comes into play when they are approached by a “friend” to invest in the next
Google.

6. Understand what the drivers are. Recognize your lack of

control. 
Understanding the drivers of both private and public capital markets is crucial. When are things
"expensive" vs. "cheap"? Having some guidelines and a process will help. It is not intuitive, but
the information needed is available. For example, the best recent time to buy stocks was spring
of 2009; the worst times were spring of 2000 and fall of 2007.

As a businessperson, you likely felt that you had considerable control over the direction of your
firm.You lack that same control day-to-day when working with outside investments.This may be
very uncomfortable and cause you to overreact as markets fluctuate.

Making the transition from a business owner to an investor offers many challenges. A few have
been mentioned here. The important points include taking stock of your skills, preparing a plan
for what you want this money to do and getting the right people to help you run and manage your
new business.

7 Mental Shifts That Allowed Me to Become

a Millionaire at 22
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As of this writing, I’m 22. In the last 12 months I’ve generated a million dollars in commissions
in one of the most competitive industries on the planet, where my average competitor is at least
double my age with 10 times the tenure in the business. I have a master’s degree from a
prestigious university, which I received when I was 20 after fast-tracking four years of school.
I’ve traveled to more than 50 countries, completed 13 triathlons and have an extremely happy,
stimulating life.
Things are very good -- but the future wasn’t always so bright.

When I finished graduate school, I moved to California's Orange County to launch a new office
for my family’s commercial real-estate business. The first couple of months were brutal, and I
quickly came to the conclusion that the success we’d have (if any) would be astronomically more
difficult than I could ever have imagined. Despite being an overachiever all my life, I found
myself wondering how to truly excel in the real world when it all finally mattered.

Related: 5 Ways Personal Growth Makes Your Business Stronger

After reinventing the wheel for myself time and time again I’ve come to realize that the secret to
millennial success in the business world is a combination of grit and creative thinking. Here are
the seven mental shifts I implemented to turbo-charge my growth.

1. Age is just a number.

Embrace your youth wholeheartedly. If you spin your age as an asset, which can be done in a
variety of ways, it can be an extremely powerful differentiator. The moment you begin to give
yourself an excuse for not being successful is the moment of almost certain failure.

If you believe you can really make it then you will make it. Besides, there is nothing people want
to see more than a hard-working, intelligent and dedicated young professional who succeeds.
Create a snowball of momentum that makes people want to be a part of your life.

2. Reinvest in yourself.
The safest investment I’ve ever made is in my future. Read at least 30 minutes a day, listen to
relevant podcasts while driving and seek out mentors vigorously. You don’t just need to be a
master in your field, you need to be a well-rounded genius capable of talking about any subject
whether it is financial, political or sports related. Consume knowledge like air and put your
pursuit of learning above all else.

I also believe that it is critically important to spoil yourself to a healthy extreme in order to
reward your hard work and avoid burnout. Consider splurging on memorable experiences and
luxuries that will enhance your lifestyle. I get a weekly massage like clockwork, and it is one of
the best productivity hacks I employ.

3. Avoid decision fatigue.

Attention is a finite daily resource and can be a bottleneck on productivity. No matter the mental
stamina developed over time, there is always going to be a threshold where you break down and
your remaining efforts for the day become suboptimal.
Conserve your mental power by making easily reversible decisions as quickly as possible and
aggressively planning recurring actions so you can execute simple tasks on autopilot. I know
what I am wearing to work and eating for breakfast each day next week. Do you?

Related: 7 Surprising Lessons About Success Learned From Interviewing More Than 65
Millionaires

4. Build a resilient mind.

The biggest differentiator between mediocrity and meteoric success is the ability to work
productively for hours at a time. These long stretches are when important work is almost
exclusively completed. Focus is paramount and, without intentionally developing mental
stamina, you won’t be able to effectively compete with those who have systematically built up
their endurance over decades in the business world.

Fast track your skills by being mindful of distractions and recognizing when you begin to wander
out of focus. Perform a thorough analysis of your daily activities each night and aggressively
seek opportunities for improvement.

5. Think big. Be big.

The science behind goal setting and its remarkable ability to accelerate success is infallible. If
you don’t already have your one-, five- and 10-year goals written out and visible to you on a
daily basis, do so right now. I read mine the second I wake up every single morning. Now ask
yourself, what would have to happen to accomplish your 10-year goals in just one year?

The inherent power in maintaining consistency with your acknowledged goals can work both
positively and negatively, and is cause for concern if you anchor yourself to a slower timeline of
achievement. Be mindful and diligent in charting an optimal path that pushes you to your limit.

6. Be methodical.
Plan your work and then work your plan. Perhaps my biggest breakthrough was large-scale
automation of my marketing systems. I created a process that allowed me to quintuple my
marketing output while increasing my conversion rate considerably.

The simplest way to put your own content plan in motion is to create a multi-step campaign that
touches a prospect through a variety of different mediums every week for at least a month.
Follow a logical order and craft your content in a persistent way, while never becoming
annoying.

Not in a sales role? You can take a similar approach to any analytical, creative or administrative
position by developing rigid organizational systems that help improve your efficiency when
faced with repetitive tasks.
7. Believe in yourself.
If not you, then who? Someone has to make it, and nothing is stopping you from being the
person who accomplishes your wildest dreams. Nearly every person who has ever failed has had
an excuse. Successful people have stories of the challenges that they overcame with creative
solutions. The moment you confidently feel that there is nothing you can’t learn or develop to
solve the most complex of problems is the moment of guaranteed greatness.

If you still aren’t sure how to begin, start with a promise to work towards the achievement of
consistent excellence each moment of every day. This is the basic building block and mentality
with which I am building my career.

Keep it simple and remember that success is not an entitlement. If you really want to excel, you
have to get out there and earn it every day for the rest of your life.

7 Ways to Build a Million-Dollar Brand

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In 2015, I reached over 10,000,000 people with my work. 

Almost everything I did to reach these people was FREE. However, it did require a lot of
patience, strategy, and creativity. If it is your goal to reach millions of people, you can do it with
consistent effort and determination.

It was less than a decade ago when you had to hire a public relations firm to reach millions of
people. Big companies would buy full-page spreads in magazines, purchase television time, and
even run advertisements on billboards all over the highways.

Small business owners had no chance unless they started with bigger companies. However, times
have changed. Nowadays, almost every social media opportunity is free. You can build a website
for less than $10. You can find speeches, interviews, magazines--all for FREE.

At my company, Dignify Designs, we show business owners how to maximize their brands by
employing the right strategies. To be noticed in this world, you're going to have to optimize your
brand to appeal to those you want to serve. In short, the secret to your brand will be to show  your
audience who you are, not just tell them.

Moreover, the power of branding must be used carefully. It's easy to get distracted with all of
the avenues of self-expression. With the many vehicles out there, you must choose the one that
works best for your brand and master it. To build a million-dollar brand, you need to caress your
tools constantly until you build your dream empire.

1. Show Legitimacy
Think about the people you admire the most in business. They are very legitimate. They have a
following. They have an actual business name. They write for big publications. They have
professional photos. They have positive reviews. They have interactive websites. Some of them
even have a Wikipedia page! If you show people you mean business, they'll trust you. 

Related: 10 Financial Mistakes Rich People Never Make

2. Google Yourself
What shows up when you Google yourself? If you have party photos, old resumes, and other
useless information, you're only hurting yourself. While it's great to share your personal life, you
don't want to go too far and show the world what you're doing when no one is looking. Keep
clear cut profiles that show the utmost professionalism.

3. Create Content
 Sumner Redstone is known for saying, "Content is king." Today, it's truer than ever. However,
your content must be CONSISTENT and DIFFERENT. There's a ton of inspirational people who
are trying to do the same things, but get little results. Your content must be original and thought-
provoking. You also want to produce content that is 'shareable' with the world.

4. Leverage Social Media

These days, you can use social media from your phone. You can also set posts to deliver while
you're sleeping. By utilizing my favorite social-media avenues (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter,
YouTube) and learning about new ones (Snapchat, Instagram, Periscope), I can reach hundreds
of thousands of people each day. Start by making at least 10 posts per day across all social-media
platforms and you'll be recognized by many. 

Related: 7 Networking Tips From a Real Millionaire

5. Build a Following
People who purchase my products and services have been loyal followers for a long time. I have
thousands of loving fans who "check-in" every month. Every day, I'm winning the hearts and
minds of those who are looking to obtain financial freedom. They tell me, "Daniel, you're the
best at what you do. That's why I follow you." I love those kinds of fans.
6. Promote Advocates
As you become more well known in the marketplace, people will want to help. One quick trick if
you're extra busy is to hire an intern at the local university. Interns will help your run your social
media and put together some of the graphics necessary to appeal to your audience. You may also
want to get your "competitors" to share, comment, and like your work. 

7. Never Compete
The surest way to fail in building a million-dollar brand is to emulate others. There are too many
carbon copies in every industry. You must not look at the work of others with envy or contempt,
nor should you compare your products and services with another person. However, you should
create an empire so large that your former "competitors" start asking you for help. 

We live in a world where we can reach someone who lives thousands of miles away. If you're
only doing business locally, you are hurting your chances substantially. Use these suggestions to
build an international empire and you will be able to reach millions of people in just a matter of
months, or years. If you're serious about building your brand, please feel free to reach out.