Are you "Joe the Plumber"?

It's an understatement to say people have been discussing "Joe the Plumber" this week in regards to United States politics, but it's not so much the tax plan references that have caught my interest.

What has surprised me most about "Joe" is that it seems a lot of people discussing him aren't aware of what small business people are capable of. And that needs to change!

(Note: whether the real Joe is actually named Joe, is a licensed plumber, or has an extra toe on each foot may be relevant in the candidate arena, but for changing perceptions about entrepreneurs, it's not our issue! My goal today isn't to sway a vote to either side, but to look at our own businesses in a positive light.)

For the sake of my point today, let's look at "Joe" as an archetype for people who may be looking to buy the business they currently work in, or start a business of their own.

I've seen people reference that $250K US is far more than what a plumber can make in a year. Is it?

If a plumber (or the owner of a plumbing company, who may have a background in business, finance, or underwater basket weaving for all we know) runs a staff of five working plumbers, and each perform two $500 jobs per day, five days a week, they generate $25K in revenue. Multiply that by the year's 52 weeks, and we have $1.3M. Remove from that the cost of goods, taxes (income and property), upkeep, vehicles, licensing, wages, and healthcare, and, just by my rough estimates (plumbing is clearly not my field!), the business could easily generate $250K+.

This also means that the worth of the business, if purchasing it, would be far greater than that! There's a lot that goes into valuation, as pointed out by this article, and you should either know what you're basing your numbers on, or be prepared to hire or barter with a professional who does.

My main point is that, as small business owners (whether plumber, voice artist, CPA, mechanic, or chef), we shouldn't let ourselves be marginalized in the minds of our public! Ask yourself, "How can I educate people as to the potential that lies within the American Dream (which isn't just for America--this is a shout out to all business owners in the global marketplace!)?". Inpsiring the children of today will create the entrepreneurs of tomorrow, and I'm glad that at least "Joe the Plumber" is an opportunity to raise awareness to that fact!

Music Lessons from Seth Godin

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/01/music-lessons.html

A good read, not surprisingly. This guy becomes more of a rock star everyday!

Check this out, fellow bloggers!

I'm evaluating a multi-media course on blogging from the folks at Simpleology. For a while, they're letting you snag it for free if you post about it on your blog.

It covers:

• The best blogging techniques.
• How to get traffic to your blog.
• How to turn your blog into money.

I'll let you know what I think once I've had a chance to check it out. Meanwhile, go grab yours while it's still free.

Which social network is right for you?

Our next podcast will not only feature tips on why you should develop a USP, but also on how to find the right social network for you and your business. Can you effectively network on MySpace? What else is out there? We'll show you some alternatives as well as discuss how to make the most of the popular services.

The Color of Your Business

This is really neat! When designing your site, logo, or other branding materials, color plays an important role. Here are some great resources to help pick the colors right for you!

Color Wheel Pro: Color Meaning
Color Use in Merchandising & Advertising
What color is your Business? - Even more resources here!

Serious Vanity Music 100% Organic Podcast #2!

SVM 100% Organic Podcast #2!

Welcome to our 100% Organic Podcast #2, featuring business tips, product recommendations, studio specials and samples, web spotlights, and a few bonuses here and there.

This week our featured site is OneCoach.com.

Our featured product can be found at: Jeffrey P. Fisher's site under "resources", and you can also sub to Jeffrey's mailing list there, under "tips".

Check out our featured voice talent, Jane Nolan, at JaneNolan.voices.com.

Thanks for listening, and sign up on our mailing list if you'd like to be notified when the 100% Organic Podcasts are posted!

Serious Vanity Music's 100% Organic Podcast !

100% Organic Podcast #1!

Click the link above to access our very first 100% Organic Podcast, featuring business tips, product recommendations, studio specials and samples, web spotlights, and a few bonuses here and there.

This week our featured site and product are both from Voices.com. I mentioned that we would have the direct link to the product, and here it is:

The Small Business Podcasting Kit

Or, to download from the page, Click here, then visit the June 20 entry.

Thanks for listening, and sign up on our mailing list if you'd like to be notified when the 100% Organic Podcasts are posted!

--Dana and Paul
Serious Vanity Music - All Natural Talent
100% Organic Audio!
http://www.seriousvanity.com/AllNaturalTalent/

Welcome to the New Site!!

Welcome to the all new Serious Vanity Music - All Natural Talent site! If you're new to our services, we're a full service production studio serving corporate and creative clients.

This blog will offer business tips, product and service recommendations, sale notifications, and updates from the studio.

We look forward to informing and inspiring!

Paul and Dana