| Is extensive travel one of your unfulfilled | | | | seminars. |
| dreams? | | | | |
| | | | 3. Research. Haven't you always wanted to |
| For years, my husband and I had talked about | | | | find out how businesses deal with setbacks |
| taking a grand tour of the U.S. and Canada, | | | | differently in different parts of the country |
| visiting well-known cities and viewing | | | | or the world? If not, then maybe you can |
| glorious landscapes. On March 1, 2003 we left | | | | formulate another travel-worthy question |
| in our car to do just that. At the end of | | | | whose answers relate to your line of |
| May, we returned home having racked up 20,000 | | | | business. Upon your return, you can publish a |
| miles, having experienced countless | | | | report and voilà, you have a new |
| adventures. What's more, by working just a | | | | product and your trip had a legitimate |
| few hours a day, we earned the same amount as | | | | business purpose. |
| at home and will be deducting expenses for | | | | |
| the entire trip on our tax return. We plan to | | | | 4. Focus groups. Convene small groups to feel |
| repeat our feat this summer, in and around | | | | out the market for possible new ventures from |
| Alaska. | | | | your company. You may need just one business |
| | | | contact in each city where you want to do |
| You too can do this! Here are five ways to | | | | this. Offer a free lunch or dinner for |
| turn the long trip you've been dreaming about | | | | participants and something more for your |
| for ages into tax-deductible - and | | | | contact, and ask him or her to round up |
| profitable! - business travel. | | | | colleagues for an interesting colloquy on |
| | | | _____ (describe the topic appealingly). To |
| 1. Seminars. By announcing my itinerary to | | | | fend off suspicions that this will be a |
| subscribers of my weekly newsletter, The | | | | disguised or explicit sales pitch, promise |
| Marketing Minute, I received seminar or | | | | that the event will include no selling. |
| speaking invitations for Houston and Austin, | | | | |
| Texas; San Francisco and Sacramento, | | | | 5. Book tour. Setting up author events is a |
| California; Seattle, Washington; Langley, | | | | feasible option if you have at least one |
| British Columbia and several other locations. | | | | published book, even if it came out a couple |
| Most business organizations plan events | | | | of years ago. If your book is fiction, the |
| several months in advance, so time your trip | | | | events would normally be readings or book |
| announcements accordingly. Besides appearing | | | | signings, while if your book falls into the |
| at events sponsored by an established | | | | nonfiction category, you can either offer a |
| organization, you can line up co-sponsors who | | | | talk about the topic of the book or set up |
| know one or more of the areas you'll be | | | | book signings. Besides all manner of |
| traveling to and who will take charge of your | | | | bookstores, including specialty ones like |
| legwork in exchange for a percentage of the | | | | those focusing on mysteries, New Age, |
| profits. | | | | Christian or gay and lesbian themes, book |
| | | | events also take place at libraries, museums, |
| 2. Client meetings. People I had been working | | | | community centers, churches and synagogues. |
| with remotely were thrilled at the | | | | As part of selling books during your travels, |
| opportunity to get together in person when I | | | | make sure you contact local media outlets |
| would be passing through their area. Some of | | | | along the way! |
| these meetings turned into enjoyable social | | | | |
| occasions while others materialized as paid | | | | Reminder: Be sure to consult a qualified tax |
| consultations. You'll need much less lead | | | | advisor to determine whether or not your |
| time to set up these get-togethers than for | | | | travels will count as tax deductible. |