Sunshine Family News - April 2005 - The Herbs Place
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Sunshine Family News
April 4, 2005 Edition
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The content of this newsletter is directed to members doing a Nature’s Sunshine business in The Herbs Place organization. Any benefits or offers in them are directed solely to this group of people. If you are new to this list or a new NSP distributor that is wanting to get lots of answers to many questions, we suggest you go back through the archives of this newsletter and save/bookmark the links that will take you to places to find answers.
Hi Sunshiners!
What a gorgeous day here in Virginia! I’m going to be heading for the dirt when I get my email box empty. So much to be done in the garden and I’m so excited about checking each item off the task list.
We have not adjusted to the long winters here compared to AL and GA where we lived for almost 20 years. We barely get snow here and the daytime temps are reasonable, but it’s the bare trees and lack of flower color that makes it such a long winter.
I’m already gathering information for our trip to convention. We plan to take some extended time and visit Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Zion, and Bryce Canyon after the convention. Our son, Ben, will join us so I’m busy planning our journey. With that and getting to see so many of you in Utah this year, September is looking like a special month of this year.
Happy Springtime!
Sunshine Blessings to Each of You!
Randal and Donna Watkins
Toll-Free: 1-866-580-3226
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NSP News
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NSP Downloads and Brochures
There are a lot of downloads available at the NSP site. There are forms and documents, price lists, and product sheets. The brochures are nice to have when somebody wants some information on probiotics, cleansing, enzymes, children’s supplements, and the newest one we like is the 20-page booklet that gives an “Introduction to NSP.” We have added the brochure downloads to our site.
If you have any suggestions for more brochures or other downloads, submit your requests at the bottom of the site. We’ve been asking for a brochure on Thai-Go. Since it’s the #1 selling product, we should have something on it to give people more information.
New NSP Marketing Plan is Now In Effect
Effective April 1, 2005, NSP made the following changes: All QV levels were first be raised to match the PV levels, and all qualification and compensation will now be based on these new, higher QV amounts. PV has been eliminated. This change will result in several additional rank advancements every month, and thousands of dollars paid out in additional bonuses. Bonus-earners should remember that compensation from Pass-it-on QV is calculated separately from regular paid-on QV.
The April 1 price lists and order forms reflect this change. Each listed stock item will have the following information:
QV – Qualification Volume
Direct Cost – the wholesale price NSP charges to any active NSP Member
Member-to-Member Cost – formerly listed as “Distributor Cost”, this is the amount NSP suggests that an active Member should charge another active Member for NSP products from his/her inventory (typically 15% more than Direct Cost—in years past, this amount was only 10% more than Direct Cost)
Suggested Retail Cost: the amount NSP suggests a retail customer should pay for a product (typically 50% more than Direct Cost)
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NSP Product Education
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Know Anybody Taking a COX2 Inhibitor for Pain?
COX2 inhibitor, Vioxx, has been pulled from the market after a study has shown it greatly increases the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients who took it. A COX2 inhibitor is a drug that blocks the enzyme cyclooxygenase 2.
It’s the cyclooxygenase pathway of enzymes that makes inflammatory and pain products out of arachidonic acid. Arachidonic acid comes from animal fats, so if you block animal fats from being broken down, they have to go somewhere.
In this case, the fats are causing heart attack and stroke. Other studies are coming out saying that other COX2 inhibitors are causing the same dangerous side effect. Therefore, if you are taking a COX2 inhibitor for pain, then please stop, and tell others to as well.
Protease Plus Enzymes are another fantastic supplement recommended for pain. If taken on an empty stomach, enzymes go through your body breaking down all inflammatory products that cause pain.
Naturopathic doctors know that there is not just one treatment that will bring about a cure; or that disease is localized to an exact area, organ, or part of the body. We are whole beings. Everything we take into our bodies affects every cell, tissue, organ, system in the entire body.
Recently both Pfizer Inc. and Merck & Co., Inc., two pharmaceutical giants, announced that two of their top-selling drugs Celebrex and Vioxx, respectively, would be pulled from the market. Both companies announced that studies had shown an increased relative risk for confirmed cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke. The Vioxx study revealed that patients suffered roughly twice the number of heart attacks and strokes than a control group not taking the drug.
Both Celebrex and Vioxx address COX2 inhibition, or in other words, inflammation. Nature’s Sunshine offers a safe way to address the emerging problem of inflammation and the havoc it wreaks in the body.
Recent studies have revealed that a reduction of inflammation will reduce incidences of health concerns such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and arthritis.
NSP Alternatives for Pain:
EverFlex
• Contains Devil’s Claw an herb that has a very similar affect as COX-2
inhibitors. Studies compare Devil’s Claw with phenylbutazone; a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent.
• Promotes joint health and helps lubricate joints.
• Contains MSM which provides an adequate supply of sulfur—a compound important to connective tissue health.
Red Yeast Rice
• Contains satins that have proven anti-inflammatory actions for blood vessels.
• Supports the production of HDL (good cholesterol in the liver.
Thai-Go
• Rich in xanthones and antioxidants. Studies show that xanthones show COX-2 inhibition. (Especially xanthones found in the pericarp of mangosteen fruit).
• Correlation between antioxidant activity (neutralizing free radicals) and the reduction of inflammation.
Good Topical Relief Formulas
• EverFlex Cream
• MSM Cream
• RElief Formula
For more information go to the “Little Herb Encyclopedia and Vitamin and Mineral Encyclopedia” by Dr. Jack Ritchason.
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Resources for You
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NSP Online Library
This is an easily accessible resource for NSP Members and Managers seeking more information on specific products or topics.
To enter the Online Library, simply log in to the Nature’s Sunshine website and click on the “My Account” link at the top of the page. You’ll find the Online Library link along the top of the white section of the page.
Once you enter the library, you’ll be able to search through all of the NSP magazines since 1999. Search by topic to find more information about products that help with energy. Have a question about a specific product? Search by product name for all of the articles on that product, or bring up the product’s fact sheet for a quick overview of what it offers. You can even open entire magazines and view them page by page.
This is a resource you will use often to pass on information to customers and people you are working with. You can easily cut and paste the info into an email and send it to somebody who has a question on a specific product or health issue.
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Growing Your Business
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The Seven Sisters of Success
by Philip E. Humbert, PhD,
I recently had a chance to interview several groups of extremely successful people. A handful are famous athletes, several are nationally known artists, writers or political leaders, and all are multi-millionaires. I asked them for the keys, or essential factors that allowed them to accomplish more than most of us.
Their answers included a wide variety of specifics, but to an astonishing degree, 7 items came up in every discussion. I’ve called them the “Seven Sisters of Success”, and want to share them with you.
1. Self-awareness. The first thing that struck me about these men and women was the degree to which they understood themselves. They know their values and goals, and are comfortable with the choices they have made in life. They acknowledged some regrets and mistakes, but they have made peace with the past and are eager, confident and optimistic about the future.
2. Specific Goals. Every single one of these people (all 26 of them) have written goals, ranging from 30- day projects to 10 year programs. I was impressed that their goals are IN WRITING. Athletes had targets for scoring or performance, and the business leaders had sales goals. They all had family or personal goals that were just as detailed as their professional objectives. The advice we have all heard about writing down your goals really works!
3. Powerful Networks. They all acknowledged their network of friends and colleagues. Every one of them gave credit to a mentor or friend who taught them the ropes, opened doors, or gave them a chance when they needed it. They seemed profoundly grateful and appreciated that success is the result of partnering with many different people over many years.
4. Surprising Idealism. I was surprised at the degree to which these seasoned, mature individuals openly discussed their ideals. Some talked about religious beliefs, others framed it in political or psychological terms, but they all want to make a difference, fulfill a life-purpose, or pursue a dream. They are motivated by a desire to create a better world, to contribute, and to help others.
5. Intense Pragmatism. Balanced with their idealism, these highly successful people were extremely practical. They are solution focused, and use technology, information, and skills to reach their most important goals. They were not interested in theories, or in defending past choices or old traditions. They want practical tools to help them reach their goals.
6. Incredible Curiosity. They observe culture, read the paper, read about their industry, and they try to learn about everything around them. They read about politics and religion, they want to know about the stock market and cooking. I was surprised that most of them were not “experts” in the usual sense, but they are extremely educated, bright and curious. They have earned their doctorates in “real life”. Very interesting!
7. Personal Discipline. They don’t waste time, and they don’t lie to themselves. They don’t exaggerate or minimize, and they don’t generalize. These people were precise when they spoke about their age, relationships, business affairs or dreams. Numbers and dates, dollars and cents were important to them, and I found them easy to talk with, and very clear in their communications.
What impressed me was that the keys to their success were not related to family or background. They had not been born wealthy, and only about half completed college. They did not seem “driven” for success. They did not make their fortunes in high-tech or by winning a lottery. Instead, they followed a plan that created persistent, high levels of success.
Each of these skills can be learned by anyone! There are no “secrets” of success, and talent, family and luck had little to do with it. These highly successful people knew what they wanted, and used their networks, hard work, patience and discipline to achieve outstanding results. So can you!
Philip E. Humbert, PhD, Copyright (c) 2000, all rights reserved. U.S. Library of Congress ISSN: 1529-059X. You may copy or distribute TIP’s so long as this copyright notice and full information about contacting the author are attached. The author is: Dr Philip E. Humbert. Contact him at: mailto:Coach@philiphumbert.com.
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Business Tax Tips
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It’s still tax time of the year, so I will include another article on this topic.
Your Automobile is a Tax Deductible Goldmine
By
In my public seminars, I am constantly asked what the number one audited area by the IRS is. Most people believe it is the home office deduction. The number one audited area by the IRS is the automobile deduction.
The reason is that it is a big-ticket item that can generate lots of deductions and is the most used and abused. It is the purpose of this article to give some great tax planning tips for yours vehicle.
Strategy 1 – Use the actual method on your car and not the IRS method.
There are two methods of deducting car expenses. One is the actual method where you deduct part of your gas, oil, repairs, depreciation, wash, wax and insurance. The other method is the IRS method that is in lieu of the all the actual expenses. In the year 2005, IRS gives you 40.5 cents per business mile.
EXAMPLE: Gene drives 20,000 miles for business. If the IRS method is used, the deduction would be $8,100.
Although this method is neat, clean and sweet, it does not ordinarily produce the highest results especially after the first year. IRS gives you 40.5 cents per business mile regardless of your expenses, regardless of the cost of the car and regardless of the mileage.
Thus, if you buy a new Mercedes, IRS gives you 40.5 cents a business mile. If you drive a ten-year-old “dog,” IRS still gives you the same amount. Thus, the morale is “the cheaper the car, the better the IRS deal is.”
When IRS comes out with their numbers, they base them on the cheapest American car that is one year old. They assume that you have zero options and that you drive your car at least 20,000 miles for business each year for three or more years.
The bottom line is that if you drive a car that costs more than the cheapest cars on the market, you are ordinarily better off using the actual method. It is a little more of a hassle since you need to keep receipts, but the benefit is worth approximately 5 cents per mile.
Strategy 2 – Don’t forget to deduct interest on your business car.
In 1990, Congress passed a law eliminating the interest deduction and deduction for taxes on all personal automobiles (welcome to the beginning of the flat tax). In order to get this deduction, many people have taken out home equity loans.
I am sure that many readers of this article can identify with this. However, what is not well known is that if you use your car for business, you may deduct the interest and taxes incurred to the extent of your business use.
EXAMPLE: Mary drives her car 75% for business and uses the car 25% for personal trips. If she incurs $8,000 of interest in financing the car this year, she may deduct on her business tax return (schedule C), $6,000.
<< HOT TIP >> The interest and tax deduction is allowed regardless of which method is used to deduct your car. Thus, you may still deduct interest and taxes even if you use the IRS method. Since many accountants are not aware of this, you may wish to check your tax returns for prior years.
If your accountant omitted the interest deduction, you would need to file amended returns for up to three years and claim this deduction for both federal and state purposes. Moreover, fire any accountant who did not tell you this!
Strategy 3 – Either purchase a vehicle with a truck base or buy a heavy metal car.
There is a strange quick in our tax law. Light cars that save on gas usage take a long time to depreciate. For example, a $36,000 car that is used 100% for business can take sixteen years to depreciate.
However, if you purchase a vehicle that has a gross manufactured weight without you in it of 6,000 pounds or more, this does not constitute being an automobile, and you can depreciate the car within five years.
Moreover, you can elect to deduct the cost of the car up to $20,000 in the first year of usage alone! Cars that meet this definition would be some stretch limos and some of the big suburbans.
If the vehicle is built on a truck base such as sports utility vehicles or trucks then the 6,000 pound rule applies to its potential carrying weight suggested by the manufacturer. This may be a reason that so many vans and sports utility vehicles are being sold today.
Strategy 4 – Leasing is fine but buying is better
Leasing has become one of the biggest ways people buy cars. It requires very little down payment. The monthly payments are usually lower if you lease then if you purchase the car with the same down payment, and you don’t have to worry about selling the car at the end of the lease.
The problem is that leasing generally costs more than buying. IRS has killer tables that prorate the lease payment in such a way so that you rarely come out ahead over buying. Thus, when does it ever pay to lease? I ran the numbers, and here is what I found as a general rule
The best thing you can do with a car is to buy it and keep it as long as possible, preferably ten years or more. Many people don’t want to keep a car that long, thus, if you normally keep a car for four years or more, you are generally better off buying a car.
If you generally keep a car for two years or less and put on less then 15,000 miles per year, you are generally better off leasing. Finally, if you generally get rid of a car every three years and put on less then 15,000 miles per year, it is a wash as to whether you should buy or lease.
I should note that some manufacturers subsidize their dog sellers by subsidizing the leases instead of lowering the prices. In a really good case, you may indeed be better off leasing. Otherwise, what I have stated above will apply to most.
Source: By
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Who’s Going to Convention?
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Let me know if you are planning on convention this year. I will list your name here and as you complete qualifications, let me know, and I’ll make a notation that you’re IN! This way all those in our Sunshine Family planning to attend will know who is going to be there.
Charlie and Louise Allred (Our Sponsors)
Dianne Frase and Virginia Franks – Making QV goal and 2 Achievers plus almost 4 Achiever equivalents due to a huge overage on their March goal to get double QV – Great Job Girlfriends! 🙂
√ John and Roxanne Howlett – Qualifications Complete!
Nathan and Kelley Howlett – Beyond goal, may be complete
Jim Robertson (if he can find somebody to keep his store)
√ Robin and Steve Snelgrove – Earned From Becoming a Rising Star
Christina Tarman – Making QV goal and has 2 of 6 Achievers
√ Randal and Donna Watkins – Earned With President’s Trophy Last Year
Edward Young – Making QV goal, no report on Achievers
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News Within The Family
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* Dianne Frase signed up a doctor in March. He’s interested in alternative therapies and was already selling products in his practice. She shared a few capsules of Intestinal Soothe and Build with his wife and she was sold. Dianne is working for him as Office Manager part-time so she gets plenty of time to discuss more and more products. As the patients overhear her talking, they are asking for the products too. The Doc is one of her Achievers towards earning convention.
* Christina Tarman is going to be doing an essential oil newsletter. She’ll be using this to drive traffic to her My Nsp site. If you’d like to get on the mailing list, the link is below. She did two workshops in early March and had a good time with it and learned a lot during the preparation time. She’s been answering essential oil questions and her most recent excitement was helping somebody get rid of mice that were in the kitchen. She told them which essential oils to use and it worked. She’ll be taking questions from her subscribers to have a Q&A segment in each issue. Here’s her ad for the new ezine:
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