Utah Real Estate Investors Association

"Being honest may not get you a lot of friends but it'll always get you the right ones." - John Lennon

Perhaps it's not at all surprising that today's manager is pulled in many directions -- and often does such a poor job.

It's the irony of the digital age -- we have so many tools at our disposal to "virtually" connect with one another, that the real work of connecting in person is becoming a lost art. Posting status updates, sending emails, texting -- we've forgotten how to work without the digital assistance.

And, ultimately, being a business manager is about actual interpersonal influence and leadership. When you're used to leading virtually, it's harder to lead in person.

Even worse, perhaps because of all of these distractions (or, perhaps because of a modern, misplaced desire to be liked) managers learn to ignore the "small things", because there are just so many to keep track of that it seems "uptight" to track them. But when you start relaxing standards in the small tasks of your business, your bottom line will eventually be the real victim. Read More...

"Keep in mind that the true measure of an individual is how he treats a person who can do him absolutely no good." - Ann Landers

There are really only three kinds of customers (or clients, depending on what you do).

And when you think of things in this way, it can be a clarifying exercise, especially when you consider marketing budgets moving into 2020. I suggest you allocate budget towards EACH of these groups...

1) Existing Customers/Clients

This seems obvious, but frankly it can be one of the most under-utilized -- and yet most profitable -- groups of customers or clients to pursue.

2) "Lost" Customers/Clients

More about these in a minute.

3) Targeted Prospects (i.e. New Customers/Clients)

This is the "sexy" segment ... but in my opinion, established business owners spend far too much energy and resources going after this group. Read More...

Residential property management is much different than it used to be.  It’s not simply about collecting rent and keeping tenants quiet.  21^st century property management is about performance and focus.  That’s where Rize comes in.  We focus in single and small multifamily property management and our job is to maximize net income while creating a passive investment so our clients can rest assured their asset is performing at the highest potential.  Our fee structure incentivizes us to do just that.  We don’t get paid unless you do.

In fact, our goal is to make our fee irrelevant.  Time after time clients who self-manage bring us their properties and even with our fee, they make more money without doing any of the work.  We understand that rental property is a small ball game and every bit counts towards the end goal.  Don’t let anyone tell that $10 per month doesn’t matter! 

Perhaps you are a new investor or you have been in the game, but either way, we are here to help.  We would be honored to sit down and discuss any challenges you have to overcome or goals to achieve.  Give us a call to learn more about how we can help make your buy and hold dreams come true.

Jon Neviaser
Rize Property Management
jon@rizepm.com 
(801) 210-7002
https://rizepropertymanagement.com/

 "The best way to predict the future is to invent it." -Alan Kay

I do taxes and help with business finances for a living. I'm not (necessarily) an expert in matters of mental optimization.

However, I do see what happens to my clients who get wrapped up in the media cycle of fear and negativity, and ... well, what often happens to their businesses as a result.

Frankly, I'm tired of seeing clients and friends who are beaten down by all the fear and stress.

Because there is one major source of it -- which is entirely optional.

I believe that the preeminent danger for ALL of us moving into 2020 is allowing today's world to starve your brain with junk food and deaden your spirit with the overwhelming feeling that you are small, insignificant ... that you have no control over outside events.

I've learned to avoid the 24-7 news channels, mindless scrolling of certain social media feeds, and the sites online that traffic in fear. I figure that I'll see what I need to when seeking out resources for our clients about current events. Read More...

"Most people give up just when they're about to achieve success." - Ross Perot

Ah, those lofty goals of New Year’s Resolutions. Did you make yours? By now, 29 percent of those who did will have already stopped. By June, only 46 percent will still be struggling to maintain their goals and by year-end, a paltry 8 percent will make it.

Not very encouraging, is it?

So many self-proclaimed experts will advise you to try harder, write more lists, and use more notebooks, bullet journals, and other (My opinion) time-wasters; they are fancy, costly products for you to record your efforts and goals. One YouTuber showed off her 18-inch tall stack of such products that she felt were essential. It sounds like a whole lot of busywork to avoid accomplishing one’s goals.

Instead of buying a mountain of paper, choose a word. Short, simple, free, and works everywhere you go. You can’t leave home without it, and no chance of losing it somewhere. If you are conscious, it is with you. Read More...

"People travel to wonder at the height of the mountains, at the huge waves of the seas, at the long course of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars, and yet they pass by themselves without wondering." -St. Augustine

"God, help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with her children.

"Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can't make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester.

"Remind us, Lord, that the scary-looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day (who really ought to get a job!) is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares...

"Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slowly through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together. Read More...

"New Year's Day is every man's birthday."  -Charles Lamb

Chances are, if you're just now thinking about bonuses, it might be too late. (But with Amazon, I guess there is still hope). Yet with 2020 on the horizon, you can begin with 2020's holiday gifts in mind. It really is important to factor year-end bonuses at the beginning of the year so that you can budget and plan accordingly. In addition, you'll want to consider questions such as:

• Who on your team will receive bonuses?
• Will the bonuses be the same across-the-board or differ based on merit?
• How will you present the bonuses to your employees?

If you don't have a solid system for year-end bonuses, your budget might take a hit.

Budget Accordingly

When you think of budgeting the bonus, don't just think in terms of cash bonuses. Read More...

"You are a product of your environment. So choose the environment that will best develop you toward your objective. Analyze your life in terms of its environment. Are the things around you helping you toward success - or are they holding you back?" - W. Clement Stone

I take a look around the small business world sometimes, and I get a little sad.

Because it's heartbreaking to watch so many small businesses go out of business or not bring home enough bacon simply because they get trapped into thinking about their pricing in the wrong way.

When you differentiate yourself based on price, you simply cannot provide value. You end up competing on the wrong playing field.

Sure -- while price competitors have been in operation since the beginning of time, it's important to understand that if YOU want to build a sustainable, scalable and one day SALE-able business, a core foundational piece of that puzzle is that you must be charging enough for your services.

You see, most business people under-price their products and services. It's my experience that price either isn't or doesn't have to be a very important factor in a consumer's decision or the success of a business. Read More...

"No man was ever wise by chance." -Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Sometimes there are things you can fix, and sometimes there are the business problems that you just have to take on the chin.

But golly ... the worst are those that are self-imposed and done in ignorance.

Which is what we're here to help you fix, before it's too late.

Year-end is a great time, simply because of the impending deadline of 12/31 to do something that will serve to fix things for 2019.

Here are a couple examples of the sort of things we should fix, if they apply to you, specifically if your business is set up as an S Corp (or is an LLC operating as such).

An S Corp is a pass-through entity. That means the income and losses of the company pass through to your personal return. The entity itself files a tax return but doesn't actually pay tax (except a state tax in a couple of states).  Read More...

Right in the middle of the bloody depths of civil war, President Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November as a national day of Thanksgiving which should take place every year.

His entire Thanksgiving proclamation (written by his Secretary of State, William Seward) is worth taking in, or even reading aloud, but the opening is particularly powerful:

"The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added ..."

I believe Lincoln understood a fundamental truth in the human soul: how we choose to see our circumstances often dictates the state of our hearts -- and, thereby, our future circumstances. After all, if a war-torn nation can turn its eyes upward -- so can you, your employees, and your family.

You should sit in my office with me sometime, watch the procession of "wealthy" and "poor" clients -- Some businesses with 7-8 figures in the *bank*, and those going underwater. You would see what I get reminded of regularly: Sometimes my "wealthiest" clients are the most impoverished ... and those without many zeroes in their accounts are flat-out rich. Read More...