Phoenix Trading - Hints and Tips

skeeter_2

ramk_ wrote: »

Hi everyone. I am so glad I came across this thread! I received my info pack and brochure through from Pheonix Trading on Saturday and am really impressed with the products. However I am slightly nervous about committing to it as I am quite shy so can't imagine myself doing the parties. I think I'd probably go down the route of door to door brochure drops and maybe circulating some brochures round my work, family and friends.

I was interested to read Skeeter's post about door to door drops, that appeals to me as I wouldn't want to pressurise people. Out of interest, how did you get on - would you use the same tactics (if that's the right word) again?

This thread, together with the pack makes me really want to get involved!!I'm sure once I got going and did my first brochure drop I'd be fine, but as I say I'm just a bit nervous about it. If anyone has any words of advice I would grately appreciate it.

Also.......I've been reading all the info and I have question. You see the £25 annual fee, is that due a year from when you join or in January of every year?

Thanks in advance for any help/advice you can offer.

I agree with Kat, if you are shy brochure drops may be a good way forward for you, since you do not really have to 'sell' the product. However, please do bear in mind that some people may not appreciate having brochures delivered to them, and some may be abrupt.

I am pleased with the results of my recent (and first!) brochure drop. I did deliver to those houses which had stickers on the door which specified 'no sales callers please' or similar, since these are rarely aimed at those delivering brochures. Although I did decide not to knock on any doors, so if a brochure was not left out on the doorstep, I would put a note through their door instead which specified that I would return the following day to collect the brochure and asking them to leave it on the doorstep.

I personally choose not to deliver to houses which look neglected. It is a good idea to take a notebook with you, so you can write down which houses not to return to, for example, if someone asks you not to deliver any more brochures to them.

If you have any further questions I would be glad to help.

kat81

I am so pleased this thread has got started, there are some really useful tips

I was just wondering what everyone does in terms of the finance side? Do you use your own persoanl bank or have you set up a business account. And also what have you done about tax etc?

skeeter_2

kat81 wrote: »

I am so pleased this thread has got started, there are some really useful tips

I was just wondering what everyone does in terms of the finance side? Do you use your own persoanl bank or have you set up a business account. And also what have you done about tax etc?

I have registered with the tax office as self-employed, it only took one phone call and is fairly straightforward. If you do not register as self-employed within three months of commencing self-employment, you may be fined £100. So it is important you do this promptly.

I keep two books, one for income and one for expenditure. I also keep all the receipts.

I opened a basic bank account, just so that I have somewhere other than my main account to pay cheques into. I do not have a business bank account, since my upline advised me that I do not need one.

kat81

skeeter wrote: »

I have registered with the tax office as self-employed, it only took one phone call and is fairly straightforward. If you do not register as self-employed within three months of commencing self-employment, you may be fined £100. So it is important you do this promptly.

I keep two books, one for income and one for expenditure. I also keep all the receipts.

I opened a basic bank account, just so that I have somewhere other than my main account to pay cheques into. I do not have a business bank account, since my upline advised me that I do not need one.

That's great, thanks. I presume you have another source of income though? As i work full-time.

katchambers

Hi Kat,

I have a business bank account but I had the account before I joined Phoenix, so I would say it is not imperative, but it is easier for tax purposes to have a separate bank account, but it doesn't have to be a business account.

The tax isn't very difficult, just keep records of everything you pay out, and bring in. There are a lot of things that are tax deductible so working full time whilst being self-employed can be good because you tend to get tax rebates in your first couple of years of trading, unless of course you have done amazingly - I am talking general business here not phoenix. I have my own business (self-employed) and I do that full time, I also do phoenix and avon.

Here are my tax tips
You can take off the cost of the following off of your profit:
- Stock costs (obviously )
- the cost of brochures
- the cost of samples
- Interest from credit cards used, bank fees
- admin (order forms, bags, stationary)
- the petrol costs of driving to anywhere that is Phoenix related at 40p per mile
- the cost of running a computer, internet costs, telephone costs
- if you have a home office in your house that you use exclusively for your Phoenix business you can deduct all of the fees for that room, for example if you have (like me) a lounge, kitchen and 3 bedrooms that makes 5 rooms, if one of those is used for you business you can deduct 1/5 (one fifth) of the following: electricity, gas, mortgage interest, and trust me the 1/5 of your entire years worth of mortgage interest can mean you will have to pay very little, if not zero tax, I have had 2 tax rebates the last 2 years that I have been self-employed!

I know all of this because I went on a course with the HMRC - all about tax and self-employment, and you would be surprised on the number of things that you can deduct from your profit.

Kat x

ramk_

Thanks very much for your quick responses Kat and Skeeter. The craft fair idea sounds good, and as you say less pressure than a party. I'll certainly keep that in mind.

Thanks for letting me know about the annual fees, was just wondering if it was worth joining now or waiting til the start of next year but what with Christmas coming up I would imagine that now is as good a time as any.

Also very interesting to read your tips on tax etc, I have to admit that I would never have thought of half of those things you can deduct.

I think I'll go and have another look at the info pack ....... I may be back if I have some more questions.

Thanks very much again!!:D

25.lindsay

Thanks to everyone for adding to this thread. I think I am 99% certain that I will be becomming a trader within the next couple of weeks. Am about to go back to normal work part time after my first child, and need some extra pennies to make up the difference/nursery fees.

Just waiting on the addded info direct from phoenix now.

Just a couple of Q's - having never done anything like this before:
Do I need a seperate bank account?
Will I be entering the wealms of tax returns?
Do you put money aside for the tax bill at the end of year - or do you find you don't earn enough/offset it against running expenses etc???

Many thanks

froofroo

Hi all,
After reading this thread i am very interested in joining phoenix, i have requested the info pack but i've just had an email back asking who i heard about phoenix from. The email says when i have replied they will send out the info. What do i say? Is it ok to say i heard about it on a forum? Anyway if i do get set up i will look forward to getting lots of tips and advice from you all!

twinmummy_2

Hi froofroo -

Usually people join phoenix as a result of a referral from an existing trader - they are after the trader details and they would usually become your 'upline' and be there for help and advice if you wanted it when setting up your business. You would also become part of their 'team' I believe, although I don't have direct experience of this myself. I am a member of the team of my upline who was the person I got the initial info from.

I hope that makes sense!!!:cheesy:

I'm not sure about saying you heard about it on a forum - I read a post on one of the other boards before I found this one and remember someone saying that they had not been sent any information after saying they had seen it on the internet. It is useful to hae a named person to contact for support and to ask silly questions (I did ask a lot at the beginning - still do sometimes!) I think they will allocate you someone near to you if you can't give them a name but I'm sure some of the other traders who have been doing it longer will be able to tell you more.

I don't know if you have read the OP

katchambers wrote: »

First of all I would like to state the rules of Phoenix Trading and in some cases on MSE are that we are not allowed to promote the job opportunity, so if anyone who reads this thread is interested in joining, feel free to ask us questions, but do not ask us to PM you with further details or anything like that, you will have to go to the main phoenix website (google it) and request an info pack from the company rather than one of us as we are not allowed to promote the job opportunity online but we are allowed to take about being a trader and the company. The reason phoenix have those rules is because they are are proud of all their DSA awards, they are very ethical.

Good Luck anyway - I have been a trader for just under a year and missed the 'Christmas Boat' last year and just did bits and pieces last year. I have really got into it recently and am very motivated to do more and have a coffee morning and a fair arranged - the beauty of it is that you only do as much or little as you choose as there are no targets to meet and no pressure.

All the best
Jane:D

skeeter_2

A good tip from my upline was to contact local charities e.g Women's Institution, hospices etc. and offer your fundraising services to them. Since these are the charities with minimal publicity.

I contacted a local hospice, and asked if they would host a coffee morning, and they were very enthusiastic to agree