TSF on Vacations - Part 1

Will you be going away on vacation this summer? The beauty of being in your own business is that it is flexible and this provides many options and opportunities when it comes to `getting away from it all'.

Our next mini-series of tips will look at vacations and some tips and options for you to consider with regards to your direct sales business.

One oft used phrase amongst folk in direct sales is that there are tons of tax benefits; even to the point of `you can take a vacation and write it off.' This is tricky territory; certainly an area to consult your tax professional on before going on vacation. The IRS will want to see that the main purpose of the trip was to conduct business. A two week road trip to visit Aunt Martha and Uncle Ted across country - leaving a catalog in a rest stop along the way - doesn't exactly entitle you to claim your mileage, food and hotel costs as business expenses. Get the picture?


That said - there are things that you definitely can do while on vacation to promote and grow your business. Here are some ideas to get you started:

There are lots of reasons to have both a local and long distance team (the subject of many emails in the past). To grow your team long distance, consider running an ad in the local paper in your destination city. You can dedicate one afternoon of your vacation to recruiting appointments in the lobby of your hotel while dad takes the kids to a local museum.

If you are visiting friends or relatives - see if they will consider hosting a home party. Depending on your product line - you may need some creative tips from your upline or other seasoned consultants on how to take a smaller sampling of products on the road in an extra suitcase.

If you already have a long distance team and you are driving to your destination - consider a stop along the way to meet with and train those team members that you may have only met over the phone in the past. Remember, you are always a celebrity when you come to town from a distance!

DO leave extra catalogs in rest areas along the way. Put a sticker on the front with your phone number on it - letting them know about the business opportunity!

DON'T miss the opportunity to chat with hotel clerks, waitresses, bellboys, and even your cab driver about what you do! You never know who might be interested.

DO have open dialoging with your family about expectations and boundaries for working your business while on the road. DON'T forget to HAVE FUN. You know what they say about all work and no play…