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When Renata Joy of New York, New York was a child growing up, she saw those in her immediate family suffering from preventable illnesses, and vowed that she would do everything in her power to take charge of her health. It was her early desire to live happily and healthily that led her to create her own small business in the wellness industry. In August of 2014, Pure Joy Wellness, LLC was formally established. Joy works on the administrative duties that come with small business ownership from home, but also works with clients at a separate brick-and-mortar location.
“Growing up in a family where I was surrounded by people who suffered from different illnesses, it frightened me so much as a child that I would do anything not to be sick. That got me on the path of researching and studying and doing everything I could to stay healthy. You need to take care of yourself because without your health, you won’t have anything,” she explains.
After working as a television producer for 20 years, Joy decided to branch out and form the lifestyle brand that emphasizes diet, exercise, and the right attitude to make it work.
“Pure Joy Wellness is a health and wellness business. What we do is teach people how to live a healthy lifestyle, and that is through diet, through exercise, and through helping people change their mindsets and find out what is blocking them from living a healthy life. It’s a mind, body, and life business. The main theme I teach people is how to stay young, strong, and sexy for life,” Joy says of the mission of her small business.
For Joy, success can’t be defined through monetary rewards. Instead, she wants to help as many people as she can, positively enhancing the lives of each client she brings on.
“For me, even changing one person’s life and getting them on a better path would be a success. Not only the people I physically work with in New York, but people around the world. I want my message to reach them,” she says.
According to Joy, most of Pure Joy Wellness’ clients are women between the ages of 30 and 55. Pure Joy Wellness has a website at&nbsp;<a class="link" href="http://www.purejoywellness.com/">www.purejoywellness.com</a>&nbsp;with a regularly updated blog and a free downloadable eBook titled The 7 Secrets to Staying Young, Strong &amp; Sexy for Life. The small business also has pages on&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://www.facebook.com/PureJoyWellness">Facebook</a>,&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://www.pinterest.com/purejoywellness/">Pinterest</a>, and&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://twitter.com/purejoywellness">Twitter</a>.
<h2>Competing in the Wellness Industry</h2>
Like other small business owners, Joy has experienced her fair share of competition in the wellness industry, particularly in a metropolis like New York City where everyone wants to put their best foot forward. But staying true to her business objective of having the right mindset, Joy chooses to focus less on what it is her competitors are offering and more on what she has to give to her clients.
“There is competition in terms of there being a lot of people in this business. But I’m a firm believer that there is no competition because there are going to be certain types of people who will gravitate toward you. What I have to offer is going to attract what someone out there wants,” Joy reasons.
<h2>Challenges of Small Business Ownership</h2>
Although Pure Joy Wellness is the manifestation of what has always been Joy’s calling, she still was not exempt from the same challenges that many other small business owners face in the startup stages of success — having enough money to fund the business before accumulating clients.
“The main challenge is that there is nobody else to fall back on. There’s no company you’re working for that’s going to provide you with a paycheck. You’re responsible for everything. It’s really hard, and you must be disciplined. There is no one to tell me what time I should go to work. I have to set my own hours, and I have to motivate myself,” she says.
<h2>Tips for Aspiring Entrepreneurs</h2>
First things first for aspiring entrepreneurs: Do research! Joy urges those looking to become small business owners to brief themselves on the basics before taking the plunge.
“Take a business course. I took an online business class. Learn the ins and outs of starting a business. Then find a good accountant to help you get formally established,” she instructs.
Joy ensures the extra work in the beginning will pay off if the passion and drive is there to back it up.
“Being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart. It takes a certain type of personality that can be an entrepreneur. I live and breathe what I do. It is who and what I am. What I’m teaching is how I live, and I enjoy that.”
<h2>Experience as a 1-800Accountant Client</h2>
Renata Joy of Pure Joy Wellness, LLC is a satisfied client of 1-800Accountant. She is receiving assistance in the form of tax consulting.
Photo credit: The photographs included in this blog post were provided by Pure Joy Wellness, LLC and are used with permission.

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Private: Startup Story: Empowering Women to Stay Fit for Life

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Thanks to his own personal experience, William Wall, a gaming analyst based in Wetumpka, Alabama fell into the supplement and wellness industry. While attempting to cure his asthma, Wall learned that he had some vitamin deficiencies. Once he sought out simple solutions to strengthen his health, he lost weight. In August of 2014, Wall formally established Trim Body, LLC, a small business he runs out of his home office. Trim Body is a web-based small business.
“I lived a very sedentary lifestyle as an analyst, and gained weight as a result of that. I started taking supplements and walking, and I lost weight without even trying. I learned that I have a skill to write, and I started writing about it and developed a business model.”
Before formally setting up his entity, Wall was already at work on an e-book,&nbsp;Trim Body Today, and developing his ideas.
“I wasn’t trying to sell supplements at first, but I thought I’d make an easy, economic way to provide supplements to those who want or need them. I just figured if I made it affordable, online, and easy, people would want to choose my brand. I’m going to be selling specific vitamins based on my research,” he explains.
Wall was inspired to achieve startup success once he realized the value of the information he had learned firsthand. He’s more interested in the personal success of his clients before the success of the small business.
In addition to his sincere interest in the personal success of his clients, Wall believes his lighthearted approach to handling his small business will be what sets him apart from others in the supplement and wellness industry. Instead of dizzying his audience with health and nutrition lingo, he tries to keep things as simple as possible so the information he provides will be as understandable and straightforward as possible.
“If I have a successful business, that’s fine,” he says, “but it would be very gratifying to change the lives of a few people.”
Wall believes his simplified approach to educating his audience will be what brings him success. It is easy for people to get bogged down with too much information, and become overwhelmed by all of the options that are available. Wall is providing his customers with an easy go-to in the form of an online store and e-book.
“I try to make things very clear to the average person. I don’t write in hard terms. You don’t have to spend a lot of money or time. I’m giving people simple tools so they can take control of their lives,” he explains.
What the entrepreneur enjoys most about his work is the health improvements he has seen in his own life once he put together a wellness plan for himself. Once he incorporated healthy habits into his own routine, he stopped having acid reflux and his memory improved, in addition to weight loss. He is content with his life regardless of the business, but thinks he has what it takes to help people. Because people tend to question the sincerity of complicated research that is spouted off at them, Wall hopes to simplify that research for his audience to make it more approachable.
Wall is not concerned about competitors in his industry.
“Most business plans are overly ambitious. I look at it as I’m going to reach one person who will reach one person. If I change the world I’ll be surprised, but that’s good too!”
Wall hopes to target young people who think they’re invincible, and seem to be addicted to sitting. He recommends doing little things like taking 10-minute walks 3 times a day and getting a little sunshine. Still, he thinks people who are closer to his age might be more interested because he’s more relatable to them.
“I’m a fair-profit organization, not necessarily a for-profit,” he says. “My target market is people who sit all the time and don’t go out in the sun.”
The entrepreneur has been educating himself on marketing techniques by taking classes online. He is working on building an online presence. He thinks social media will be the best way to connect with his clients, and might even advertise on television in the future.
“I’m going to try to create touch-points with customers any way I can,” Wall explains.
<h2>Overcoming Challenges and Tips for Entrepreneurs</h2>
Many small business owners would agree that the hardest part of achieving start up success is creating something out of nothing. Wall was not exempt from this, and initially questioned the probability of building something from an idea, as economically as he could.
“Is it worth pursuing?” he asked himself. “Is it worth investing time, energy, and resources into this project?”
For entrepreneurs planning to startup a small business, Wall offers the following advice.
“Don’t ever give up on your dreams of building a small business. You can have failures along the way and feel like you want to quit, but an entrepreneur is who you are, not what you do.”
<h2>Experience as a 1-800Accountant Client</h2>
Wall has been satisfied with the services 1-800Accountant has provided for him.
“Accounting is not my strong point. I even have an associate’s degree in accounting just to help me. It is a big business weakness. 1-800Accountant is helping me with my bookkeeping, keeping track of my expenses, my business taxes, and my personal return.”
Photo credit: The photographs included in this blog post were provided by Trim Body, LLC and are used with permission.

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Building a Trim Body through Sunlight and Supplements

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When Cristin Curl attended the University of Central Arkansas on a basketball scholarship, she was interested in losing a little weight. That’s when she turned to&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://www.herbalife.com/">Herbalife</a>, a global nutrition and weight management company. Additionally, she started playing soccer and had now lost 20 pounds. It was a decision that changed Cristin’s life in important and unpredictable ways.
Cristin took her degrees in both business management and physical education and moved to Australia, where she eventually worked in disability support. In addition to reconnecting with Herbalife as a product user, Cristin began selling Herbalife products to supplement her earnings. It was a part-time gig that turned into a three-and-a-half year commitment.
Soon, the structure of nutrition and weight management started to change. People began opening nutrition clubs. Cristin took this as her cue to move back to her hometown of Amarillo, Texas, where she explored opening a nutrition club of her own. She got training as an International Herbalife Wellness Coach, signed a lease for retail space, and created a limited liability company (LLC). On January 15, 2019, Cristin opened the doors of&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://www.facebook.com/ActiveNutritionAmarillo/">Active Nutrition Amarillo</a>.
Active Nutrition Amarillo offers a vibrant social space where Cristin can talk to people about wellness and nutrition. The storefront provides comfortable seating and displays the work of local artists on the walls. Cristin also sells shakes, teas, and energy drinks to customers wanting nutritious beverage options. “I have a passion for helping people get healthy,” says Cristin. “It’s so much fun! And it’s extremely rewarding when you have someone come up to you and say, ‘You changed my life, thank you.’”
While learning the ropes of running a business, Cristin realized she wasn’t a tax-centric person. She needed a company that could help her with every step of the business process. That’s when she went online and found 1-800Accountant. 1-800Accountant matched her needs at a reasonable price.
During her initial 1-800Accountant consultation, Cristin had a list of questions ready. Thomas, her&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://1800accountant.com/products/small-business-taxes">tax accounting expert</a>, was able to answer all of them. He provided time frames and offered a detailed tax plan for Cristin’s business. About 1-800Accountant, Cristin says, “You guys are on the ball when it comes to tax changes, staying in contact with what to expect.”
Where does Cristin see herself in the future? Looking at the big picture, Cristin would like to expand her business to other cities. She’d like to see Active Nutrition clubs not just in Amarillo but in Austin, Texas, Colorado, and maybe even in New Castle, Australia.

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Cristin Curl and Active Nutrition Amarillo – Healthier Lives, A Thriving Business

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One look at John Meadows of Columbus, Ohio, and it’s pretty obvious that he’s crazy about fitness. As the sole owner of Mountain Dog Diet, LLC, it’s just a business requirement. Meadows runs www.mountaindogdiet.com out of his home office, coaching his audience with nutritional and fitness information — as well as content by affiliated, relevant businesses — and a members-only section for subscribers. Despite having run a training business for many years without formal establishment, Mountain Dog Diet became an LLC in 2011.
“I’ve been coaching people since maybe 1994 or 1995. I worked in the corporate world for 9 years before fully committing to my business. During that time, I was working two jobs and I was building a clientele base. I would go to work during the day and have to work with my clients at night. I ended up having twin boys and was spread really thin. So after long consideration, I stopped working in the corporate world and decided to do this on my own. I maintained my good relationships in the banking industry in case I ever needed to go back, but I just didn’t want to work those 70-hour weeks anymore with newborn twins,” he explains.
Meadows developed a knack for fitness and bodybuilding early in life, getting into it at 12 years old. At 13, he competed in his first bodybuilding contest – which is, as he puts it, “insane.” By high school, he was involved in a lot of sports and enjoyed working alongside other athletes. When he approached 40 and found himself overwhelmed juggling work, parenthood, and his hobby, he knew he had to make some life-changing decisions.
“When you love something and put a lot of time into something, you eventually become very good at it. I already loved what I was doing every day. I just had to give up those steady corporate paychecks. I enjoyed my work in the corporate world, but I didn’t feel like it was what I was born to do,” Meadows says.
There is no shortage of personalities in the fitness industry who use their seemingly aspirational lifestyles as a means of selling their brands. Sometimes, crazy promises are just part of the sales pitch. So how does Meadows set himself apart from the competitors saturating his industry?
“I never got into that kind of marketing. I’ve just been true to myself. I’ve been honest with people. I walked the walk. I worked really hard for many years, and people saw the example I was setting. I provided free information for magazines and websites so I could educate readers on the industry. I wasn’t just some guy in a lab coat, and I think people identified with me because I’m a hardworking guy who didn’t have everything handed to him,” he says of his secrets to success.
Meadows’ favorite aspect of small business ownership is the fun that he has staying innovative and evolving his brand. He is currently working with an affiliated company on a fresh, unprocessed protein bar. His goal was to create a protein bar with a good taste and texture. It is this diversified approach – he also has a smart phone app and clothing line — that keeps him ahead of the curve.
“I have a pretty solid educational background in addition to having competed successfully in bodybuilding competitions. A lot of people are one-sided — they’re either too scientific or not educated enough. One thing I won’t do is put on a fake persona to sell average products,” he says.
The main demographic of John Meadows’ client base is 60% male and 40% female between the ages of 20 and 55. Meadows promotes himself, Mountain Dog Diet, and his other ventures online. He has an website –&nbsp;<a class="link" href="http://www.mountaindogdiet.com/">www.mountaindogdiet.com</a>&nbsp;– as well as pages on&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://www.facebook.com/mountaindogdiet/?fref=ts">Facebook</a>,&nbsp;<a class="link" href="http://websta.me/n/mountaindog1">Instagram</a>,&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://twitter.com/mountaindog1">Twitter</a>, and a&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://www.youtube.com/user/mountaindog1">YouTube</a>&nbsp;channel.
<h2>Challenges of Small Business Ownership</h2>
Being your own boss doesn’t mean all play and no work. Meadows emphasizes time management as one of the biggest challenges small business owners face in the startup stages of success. And as many learn in the preliminary stages, working hard doesn’t always mean working smart.
“Even though you’re having fun building your business, you’re still working. People say, ‘Oh, you probably don’t feel like you’re working!’ Well, guess what? I do feel like I’m working!” he laughs.
It is important to maintain a well-rounded and balanced lifestyle despite the demands of entrepreneurism. And that means carving out time for family.
“When you start a business, you really need to be passionate. But you can’t just stay that way all the time and never pay attention to your family or anything else. For people with families, you’ve got to be careful not to spend all of your time working. Don’t let it swallow up your whole life.”
One of the fears plaguing entrepreneurs the most is the risk associated with leaving the paycheck-to-paycheck life behind in favor of the unpredictability that comes with small business ownership. Still, don’t let that deter you from taking the plunge.
“When you’re an entrepreneur, you have the risk of making no money, but you also have the potential to double what you would make at a conventional job. There is an upside to every risk. You get what you put in.”
<h2>Tips for Entrepreneurs</h2>
For aspiring entrepreneurs looking to branch out into the world of small business ownership, Meadows offers some invaluable advice.
“Have a backup plan, but don’t be afraid of failure. Be extremely thorough in your planning. Create a brand identity. What do you really stand for? When people think about your company, what should come to mind? Identify your demographic. Then build your business plan around those findings,” he advises.
This narrowing of focus is essential for success.
“I think a lot of people don’t really know what they want to do. Put a lot of forward thinking into every aspect. Then go for it. If you learn lessons along the way, then that is just a part of business. You can’t just quit when something doesn’t go well. I made a lot of business mistakes even a year ago, but I learned from them and I’m not making them now.”
Meadows also suggests finding a mentor with a similar desired career trajectory.
<h2>Experience as a 1-800Accountant Client</h2>
John Meadows of Mountain Dog Diet, LLC has been a satisfied client of 1-800Accountant right out of the gate. Because he finds business taxes one of his biggest pain points, he has benefited tremendously from the service.
“My accountant has been excellent. We do check-ins every quarter to see how the business is doing financially. He keeps me posted with market changes or things I should do with my retirement plan and other investments. He keeps me in the know with things that the bank doesn’t even tell me,” he enthuses.
Photo credit: The photographs included in this blog post were provided by John Meadows of Mountain Dog Diet, LLC and are used with permission.

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A Story of Success for the Mountain Dog in You

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While working as a personal trainer for a commercial gym, Jason Harrison grew dissatisfied with the minimal progress he saw in his clients due to the rules that were enforced upon him. So in January of 2014, he formally established Present Tense Fitness, LLC so he could remove the limitations placed on him and give his clients the tools they need to reach their maximum potential. Harrison does business out of his home office in Dayton, Ohio, alongside his wife and business partner, Susan.
“I’m a fitness and lifestyle coach. My background is in personal training, and what I noticed in the last few years is that I started having more success with my clients when I started coaching them on things outside of the gym. With Present Tense Fitness, I take a 360 approach to people’s fitness, in which the strength component is only part of it, along with sleep, nutrition, and stress management. I have a roster of coaching clients and a roster of personal training clients, and sometimes they overlap,” he explains of his business model.
It was during his time working in a gym that Harrison discovered that both he and the gym’s personal training clients weren’t maxing out at their full potential.
“You’re not going to change someone’s body in the 2 or 3 hours you see them a week. Their lifestyles have to change when you’re not there the rest of the week. They need to learn how to use the tools they need to manage their own lives. My job is to teach them how to not need me,” he says.
According to Harrison, the keys to his success are authenticity and pragmatism. He strives to work within the confines of his clients’ boundaries and never advocate for anything unless he believes in its effectiveness. The unique set of challenges brought to him by each client means there’s never a dull day. This is what Harrison loves most about small business ownership.
“I am a naturally curious person. I find it endlessly fascinating to work with people from different professions, and I’ve formed some lasting friendships with my clients. I’m a natural introvert, so this gives me an excuse to get to know people. There’s no better feeling than when someone tells me they’ve been dealing with weight issues their entire lives and I’ve helped them overcome that. It’s a rush that I think is awesome,” he enthuses.
The husband-and-wife duo started the business in Maryland, but now that they’re located in Dayton, Ohio, competition is a bit more fierce. Harrison has what he calls a “garage band approach” to building his client base.
“Nationally, there is limitless competition. My hope is that I’ll have my local clients and eventually have a national presence as well,” he says.
Currently, the client base of Present Tense Fitness consists mostly of women in their late 20s to late 40s. Harrison hopes to bring more men on board to puncture that “know-it-all male mentality” when it comes to hitting the gym. The small business has a website –&nbsp;<a class=link href="http://www.presenttensefitness.com/">www.presenttensefitness.com</a>&nbsp;– as well as pages on&nbsp;<a class=link href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Present-Tense-Fitness/267102676771005?fref=ts">Facebook</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a class=link href="https://twitter.com/presenttensefit">Twitter</a>.
<h3>Challenges in the Startup Phase</h3>
The biggest challenge Harrison faced in the startup stages of small business ownership was deciphering what kind of niche he wanted to carve out for himself. He knew fitness and lifestyle was his objective, but had to find out through trial and error how he was going to communicate his message and materialize his vision.
“At first, I thought I would start a blog, but the Internet is oversaturated with blogs. I had to figure out what my public persona would be, and live that with confidence. Early on, my wife and I decided to just be ourselves publicly. You aren’t going to win everyone over, but you want to be who you are authentically and build around that. It’s a scary thing because no one knows who you are,” he admits.
<h3>Tips for Personal Trainers</h3>
For those looking to achieve success in the field of lifestyle coaching and personal training, Harrison offers the following advice.
“Look outside of just fitness for inspiration. Take your inspiration from a lot of different places. If you look at fitness blogs and profiles, you see a lot of uniformity. There are a million people out there calling themselves fitness experts. It seems like all it takes to be a fitness expert is to take a sexy Instagram shot. If you want to be different, you have to think differently. All that hocus pocus is just disingenuous,” he explains.
<h3>Experience as a 1-800Accountant Client</h3>
Jason and Susan Harrison of Present Tense Fitness, LLC are satisfied clients of 1-800Accountant. They’re receiving assistance in the form of tax preparation.
“We’ve been really happy. In fact, we should do a better job of taking advantage of the services,” he says.
Photo credit: The photograph included in this blog post was provided by Present Tense Fitness, LLC via&nbsp;<a class=link href="http://chelsearochelle.com/">chelsearochelle.com</a>&nbsp;and is used with permission. The logo was provided by Present Tense Fitness, LLC and is also used with permission.

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Startup Story: Redefining Your Lifestyle in the Present Tense

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Kym Peck loves working out. So, in her mind, she thought that there would be no better way to share this passion with others than to start a fitness business for a population that is in dire need of physical activity.Peck established Live 2 B Healthy, a formal franchise venture in Pleasanton, California that launched in October 2016.“I provide customized fitness classes for senior communities mainly through group sessions,” Peck explains. “The people I work with are generally between 70 and 99 years of age.”The fitness activities she helps her elders partake in include yoga, zumba, water workouts, and strength and balance exercises. Not only are these activities designed to help seniors increase their strength and fitness, but also a larger goal is to help them live more independently so that they can do more things for themselves.“I have been a personal trainer for 15 years working with seniors, but I wanted to do more,” she says. “I wanted to bring my physical fitness activities to communities and larger groups.”She says the impact on her clients has been extremely rewarding.“We test with a baseline and look at flexibility, balance, and upper and lower body strength,” she says. “I have seen some amazing results in so many of my clients.”<h2>The Joys of Self-Employment</h2>Helping others makes self-employment such an enjoyable endeavor for the 53-year-old entrepreneur.“It’s incredibly rewarding,” she enthuses. “I love working with seniors. These people just add so much to my life. Ultimately, it’s all about relationships, and they are so kind to me. I just know I’m making a difference each day.”She describes how her clients respond to her.“I walk into a room and they immediately perk up. They are so happy to see someone new because their lives can be quite repetitive.<h2>Spreading The Word About A Small Business</h2>Peck utilizes a variety of both online and offline strategies to make others aware of her small business. Her franchise’s website is <a class="link" href="http://www.live2bhealthy.com/">www.live2bhealthy.com</a>, and she has a <a class="link" href="https://www.facebook.com/L2BHSoAlameda/">Facebook business page</a> for her local franchise. Additionally, she sends out press releases, holds fun events, participates in speaking engagements, advertises in relevant publications, and attends health fairs.<h2>Entrepreneurial Challenges</h2>Admittedly, Peck is no stranger to the common hurdles entrepreneurs face early on in small business ownership – and throughout the process.“My biggest challenge has been the administrative side of the business. I am much more familiar with managerial accounting versus financial accounting. Business taxes and business accounting have been a whole new thing for me.”<h2>Advice for New Small Business Owners</h2>Based on her experience, Peck recommends that all newbies to business ownership should always outsource any tasks they aren’t comfortable doing to the pros. She adds that there are both benefits and drawbacks to self-employment.“As an employee of some gyms, I have very little control over my time, the format of the programs I offer, and various other aspects. With my company, I control all of those things. But at the same time, I can’t blame anyone else but myself for anything that goes wrong. On a positive note, it’s also a good retirement strategy, and I think it’s good for my kids to see how I operate as a business owner.”<h2>1-800Accountant Client Experience</h2>Kym Peck relies on 1-800Accountant for small business tax and accounting support so she can focus on running her business.“I have been very satisfied with 1-800Accountant,” Peck says. “They are handling all of my tax and accounting needs but are also teaching me how to do some of this myself. The sharing of information has been seamless.”

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Startup Story: How This Entrepreneur Keeps Her Clients Fit Over 50

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Logan Rhys loves staying fit, eating healthy, and building social bonds with others. So he took the initiative to combine these three activities into his own innovative small business – VFITT, LLC.
Formally established in July 2014, the startup company is based in San Francisco, California. Rhys says it’s a passion for the outdoors that ultimately led him to starting the company.
“I need to be outside and doing what I love,” Rhys says.
VFITT is not just a personal training service. Instead, it is multifaceted and offers one-on-one personal training, group classes on the beach, outdoor adventures, social events, and will soon offer vegan whole-food meal plans through a food delivery service.
“The whole thing is built around total wellness – not just physical fitness, but social, emotional, spiritual, and occupational fitness as well,” he says. In addition to private training sessions, Rhys holds 6 group classes on the beach throughout the week. They’re offered in the morning and at night to accommodate clients’ schedules. These 50-minute, high-Intensity interval training sessions utilize each client’s own body weight; along sand bags, medicine balls, battle ropes, kettle bells, and VIPRs to provide clients a complete body workout that’s fun and full of variety.
As for the outdoor adventures, Rhys takes clients windsurfing, scuba-diving, kayaking, skydiving, mountain biking, hiking, and more.
“Some of these activities are things people have always wanted to do, but they’ve just never had the time or never found anyone to do them with,” he explains.
In Rhys’ eyes, it’s all about how the small business is structured that he feels will make it a hit over time.
“The feedback I am getting from people already has been great,” he says. “People love the fact that it is well-rounded. Fitness is only one aspect of wellness. It’s hard to balance all of this on your own. That’s where VFITT comes in to provide the organization and opportunity for my clients to do it all.”
He explains what he finds most rewarding about running this type of startup company.
“I truly enjoy working with people and seeing them improve and manage their wellness. Helping people maintain a consistent quality of wellness in their lives is what’s really driving me to do this.”
<h2>Handling Small Business Competition</h2>
Small business owners across all fields encounter some type of competition. Fortunately for Rhys, he believes his business concept is unique enough to the point where he hasn’t felt a ton of competitive pressure yet.
“There are other companies that offer all of these services individually, but there aren’t any that I’m aware of in our immediate market that offer all of them together,” he says. “There are personal trainers and gyms, but none really offer the social, nutritional, and networking aspects that VFITT does. There are also meal services out there, but they don’t offer the social, networking, or fitness components, either. Our clients are able to rely on VFITT for a balanced offering of all of these components. Those who take advantage of our newest offering of meal delivery will truly enjoy the maximum benefits. Their meals will be delivered to their homes twice a week, leaving them with more time to focus on things that enrich their lives, while making it much easier to make healthy dietary decisions on a regular basis.”
<h2>Marketing Strategies for a Startup Company</h2>
Since VFITT is still in its early stages, Rhys has yet to make a big official marketing push for the startup company. However, as the business grows, he plans to focus mainly on social media, targeted outreach, and developing partnerships with other local businesses. He has a company website at&nbsp;<a class="link" href="http://www.vfitt.com/">www.vfitt.com</a>.
<h2>Challenges to Self-Employment</h2>
Just like fellow business owners, Rhys has endured multiple hurdles and challenges in getting his small business off the ground.
“Working full time while trying to get it up and running has been the biggest challenge,” he admits. “The laws and tax requirements of owning a business are sometimes very unclear, and even the actual forms to fill out can be hard to understand.”
To overcome some of these challenges, he offers some advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.
“Always be organized. If you just try to roll with it with no real direction, it’s tough. You can have a great concept, but it will never work if you aren’t organized. At first, I had all these thoughts in my mind. I needed to sit down, write it all out, put a timeline on it, and prioritize each step.”
Self-employment comes with both advantages and disadvantages, Rhys admits.
“You get to see your creation come to life, and you have the ability to make it what you want it to be. The disadvantage is the responsibility of making sure everything is taken care of and is running smoothly day to day.”
<h2>1-800Accountant Client Testimonial</h2>
Rhys is a satisfied client of 1-800Accountant. He offers lots of praise for the assistance he has received.
“Working with 1-800Accountant has been such an awesome experience,” he says. “You always want to make sure you’re in compliance with everything, but it’s hard to know what all the rules are, and some are very unclear. 1-800Accountant has been very helpful. They give me the peace of mind that this part is taken care of so I can focus on getting clients and growing my business.”
Rhys did not have to pay for his accounting services upfront thanks to&nbsp;<a class="link" href="http://behalf.com/">Behalf</a>, a company that offers unique financing options to 1-800Accountant clients.
“The program through Behalf was a really great option. I was either going to have to pay for the accounting services or the franchise tax to start a business in California. So having this financing option gave me the ability to pay the tax and get the accounting support I needed at the same time.”
Photo credit: The photograph and logo included in this blog post were provided by VFITT, LLC and are used with permission.

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Helping Clients Maintain Wellness through VFITT

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Jason Meijers and Derek Uyeda of San Diego, California share a mutual love of golf. While Uyeda was working as Meijers’ golf instructor, they came up with Statcaddy, LLC, a system of tracking their game statistics down to the last detail as a method of taking their game playing to the next level. Established in November of 2014, they operate their small business out of a home office. Statcaddy can be used by anyone looking to improve their game, but the target demographic for the small business is professionals, college players, and juniors.
Statcaddy will be a multi-platform system, having a presence both online and on mobile devices. According to Meijers, the objective of their small business is to turn good players into great players, helping the golfers who utilize Statcaddy advance their game to a more professional level. Meijers explains why they decided to start up a business such as this one.
“Every round that we play, we have to write down statistics and data points. It’s a very subjective game in regards to where your problems are. You don’t get that much time to practice, and when you do have time, you’d rather play than practice. You don’t see where your problems are until you look at them in critical data,” he explains.
Uyeda elaborates, “It’s easy once you see the data in front of you to see where you need to improve; otherwise your game isn’t going to improve until you pinpoint that. Jason is trying to play professionally, so he needs to be good in every single category. No one has done the stat tracking to the degree that we have.”
<h2>Small Business Competition</h2>
Meijers and Uyeda listed three reasons why their small business will succeed: the statistical tracking Statcaddy allows, the user-friendliness of the startup, and the connections they both have made during their time on the golf course. The fact that their product is essential for their development in the sport gives them added confidence.
“The problem with other stat trackers is that the ease of use isn’t really there. A lot of them are out of date. A lot of them aren’t as detailed as professional players would need,” says Meijers.
<h2>Plans of Startup Success</h2>
Although Meijers and Uyeda are in the beginning stages of development, they are aiming high. The business partners and golfers plan to make Statcaddy the official stat-tracking platform for professional players, and they plan on achieving this through an online and in-person presence by advertising at tournaments, on both a small and large scale. They are confident in their ability to achieve success with their startup, because any range of professional golfer will need to track their statistics at some point or another. Their website is&nbsp;<a class="link" href="http://www.statcaddy.com/">www.statcaddy.com</a>, and they have&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://www.facebook.com/statcaddy">a Facebook page</a>.
Collaborating with Meijers on Statcaddy has given golf instructor Uyeda the opportunity to develop his career even further, both instructing golf on the course and trying his hand in the business side of things with the LLC.
“I’ve been teaching golf for 20 years. I love it and there’s nothing else I’d rather do,” Uyeda admits, “but I think a lot of my focus will shift toward this business.”
<h2>Experience with 1-800Accountant</h2>
For other entrepreneurs in the startup phase of their small businesses, Meijers and Uyeda agree: “Use 1-800Accountant!”
“We both have absolutely no idea what we’re doing as far as the tax stuff goes. We haven’t gotten to the complexities yet, but we appreciate your mentorship,” Meijers confides. “We’d be lost without you guys.”
Image credit: The logo included in this blog post was provided by Statcaddy, LLC and is used with permission.

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Numbers Don’t Lie: Statcaddy Helps Golfers Beef Up their Game

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Patricia Florez of Miami, Florida is not new to small business ownership. Having tried her hand in real estate, designing, as well as soap and accessory businesses, Florez picked a winner with M3LT Fitness, LLC. Formally established in January of 2015, Florez works as the sole mastermind of M3LT Fitness out of her home office. Through M3LT Fitness, the entrepreneur provides for her clients the tools they need to achieve success with their health goals.
“I work with men and women — mostly women — to provide a healthy lifestyle through nutrition and fitness. Including an exercise program in their lives will encourage them to succeed and achieve their goals faster. They can take over the world if they want to! If they exercise and eat healthy, then they can think clearly, their ideas will be better, and life will be easier to manage,” Florez says.
After discovering the benefits of doing yoga regularly, Florez became a certified instructor. She decided to combine her background in art and design with her love for healthy living to come up with her own fitness apparel line, in addition to personal training services.
“I started noticing how empty people were and noticed people having conversations that weren’t very deep. I discovered that just exercising and eating right is a necessary and essential component of existing,” she explains.
She also took an interest in the senior citizens in her life who could benefit from what she was able to provide for them.
“I see the older people around me who are wonderful and talented but have never exercised and their bodies ache. We all love our elders, but when they get sick, they wonder why. Well, maybe if they held themselves in the plank position for 10 seconds a day, they’d feel so much better,” she says.
Florez believes her artistic background will have a lot to do with her success. She has combined comfort with style through the fitness gear she has designed, using her personal style as inspiration for her products. Florez ultimately wants to create fitness gear you could wear heels with if you’re in a hurry.
“I like to be well-dressed, but if I want to throw myself on the floor and stretch my leg out, I’d like to be able to do that,” she enthuses.
For aspiring entrepreneurs looking to achieve startup success themselves, Florez offers these words of advice.
“I would say to exercise and breathe! Take one step at a time, little by little. You’ll get there. Focus on your accomplishments and what you weren’t able to do before,” Florez encourages.
M3LT Fitness has a&nbsp;<a class=link href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/We-are-M3lt/1022232441135691?sk=timeline&ref=page_internal">Facebook</a>&nbsp;page.
<h3>Competition in the Wellness Industry</h3>
Miami is known for its beautiful beaches and equally good-looking residents, so competition runs rampant amongst small businesses offering personal training services and apparel. Still, Florez’s friendly approach, enthusiasm, and aesthetically-pleasing apparel will set her apart from the pack.
“There is a lot of competition in Miami. There are a lot of shops that sell clothes. I think it’s in my background to be able to achieve something like that, so it is quite possible for me to compete with bigger brands. The people online can also be competitive, but I have a cool brand,” she confides.
<h3>Advantages of Small Business Ownership</h3>
“I like to be independent. I think I can control these things – my business, my life. For me, just the freedom to do anything I want to do and the freedom to travel and go wherever I want is the advantage,” she admits. “I’ve always wanted a business, so I’ve always had a business. They change because there’s always something missing, but all of those businesses that don’t exist right now have led me to this point.”
<h3>Experience As a 1-800Accountant Client</h3>
Patricia Florez of M3LT Fitness, LLC is a satisfied client of 1-800Accountant. She is receiving assistance in the form of a business plan.
Photo credit: The photographs of Patricia Florez included in this blog post were provided by M3LT Fitness, LLC and are used with permission.

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Achieving Startup Success By Promoting Physical Health

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A great thing about working with so many small businesses is watching as they flourish and grow. The unique paths they’ve taken to succeed are insightful, and we’re proud to share some of those inspiring stories with you.

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“Excellent first call, very informative. This is my third business … this time  I will ease the burden and use 1-800Accountant [for accounting]”

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