What do Donald Trump, Oprah, Richard Branson and I have in common? Well I may not quite be at the billionaire level yet but what we do all have in common is we are all entrepreneurs who get things done in record time.

Consider this: Over 80% of the entrepreneurs I mentor have great ideas with less than stellar results. Many struggle to get to the six figure mark simply due to a perceived lack of time, resources or energy to get the right strategies in place to grow their results.

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Jeanette was a typical go-getter who wanted it all. Mother to three children, owner of a thriving consulting firm to Fortune 500 companies, chairman of her industry association and wife to a successful doctor. Jeanette had goals, dreams and visions of a billion dollar company but there was just one problem.

Jeanette was chronically exhausted and couldn’t grow her business to the next level.

Her days started around 5:30 am and ended around midnight. Between client meetings, homework and school activities for the kids, and fitting in time to balance her check book, Jeanette barely had time to shower and brush her teeth, let alone eat a balanced meal or exercise. She was desperately trying to balance all of her priorities but always ended up feeling torn, depressed and like a failure. Inevitably, some area of her life was crashing and burning.

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As many of you read in my blog, I went on a creative break to Seabrook Island off the coast of South Carolina in early April. I had never been here before but it was a treat to myself for a busy and successful year.

I woke early one morning thinking about this week when my boys would be off skiing on spring break in Colorado, and my husband would be travelling, and wondered what I should do. I asked my Inner Savvy & Audaciously Successful Business Woman and she knew right away! She said to go away…find a place to go that was inspiring….use this chunk of free time to get a few projects done and to relax and fill back up. She also said…and treat yourself nice…go somewhere inspiring! For me it has to be a beach! I found Seabrook Island as I was looking at lodging choices, and I also heard her say…and you want to be on the beach - no skimping out on your creative inspiration!

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My friend Sandra Ries emailed the other day:

"I’m in the midst of my first collaboration and I’m in a bit of a quandary. We’re putting together a 1/2 day workshop with the idea that someone will hire us to deliver the same program for them in house and then do followup coaching with both of us. If not, they can hire one or the other of us for followup coaching.

"How do we do this? ‘We’ don’t have a business. Should I be his contractor? Should he be mine? Who do we tell people to write the check to? And how do we brand the marketing?"

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A new Small Business Administration study released today found that when the deductibility of health insurance premiums is increased, the survival of self employed businesses increases.

Well, duh!

Anything that puts dollars on the bottom line of a solo business is going to increase the odds of success. And they needed a study to confirm that? Jeesh.

Solo entrepreneurs (in the US) that can legitimately employ their spouse at least part-time can do even better — deduct their premiums AND medical expenses — through a tax “feature” known as section 105. Here’s a chance for little companies to finally get the breaks usually reserved for the “big boys”!

Tags: [medicalreimbursementplan],[self-employed],[taxes]