Hey, if you want to keep skipping the gym and binge watching Netflix, that’s fine with us. When it comes to your YouTube channel, though, New Year’s resolutions are always a good idea. After all, it is your business. Here are some ideas to consider this year and some YouTubers who are doing things right!

1. Stick to a schedule

Whether subscribing to a magazine, newspaper or Birchbox, you expect to receive it on a consistent basis, right? Think of your YouTube channel in a similar way. Our favorite fashion and home design guru, Carly Cristman, brings us something to enjoy every Thursday…in neutrals of course. We also love YouTube veterans Noah, Jonah and Emma from KittiesMama who keep us smiling four days a week on their main channel, and we still can’t get enough. Sticking to a schedule gives your subscribers something to look forward to and sets expectations to hold yourself accountable for.

 

2. Get more sleep and outsource your work

It’s five in the morning – are you still editing? If you have reached a point where juggling the demands of a growing YouTube channel has become too much, consider hiring an editor or assistant – it’s a write-off. Alleviating yourself from time consuming tasks like editing can allow you to focus your energy on other projects that will further your business.

 

3. Utilize multiple channels

If you have more to say, say it!  iJustine, Sky Does Minecraft and CuteGirlsHairstyles know how to flood our feed with awesome content that engages a huge range of audiences. From Black Ops and Minecraft to mom hacks, beauty, braids and all things random, these Tubers are building their brands and creating multiple revenue streams for themselves.

 

4. Incorporate

Your channel is killing it and you’re growing like crazy. Now what? Well, it may be time to step up your game. Depending on your annual income, you could just be throwing money away to the IRS. Incorporation could offer substantial tax savings that otherwise would not be available to you if you continued as a sole proprietor. Check out our blog on incorporation to see if you’re ready!

 

5. Make quarterly estimates

If you’re in the U.S., no matter who you are or what your job is, you’re paying taxes. Trust us, the IRS does not discriminate! Make some sound financial decisions this year and look into making quarterly payments to the government; you’re going to save yourself some major headaches and major dollars come tax season.

 

If you are a YouTuber looking to put some of these resolutions into place, give us a call at (949) 215- 9900

The 5^th Annual Streamy Awards will be broadcast live on VH1 and its digital platforms this Thursday, September 17^th at 10 pm ET.  YouTube’s Elite will flock to the Hollywood Palladium to honor fellow creators in the best online video has to offer. 

Why is it a big deal?

This is the first year that a mainstream media channel has broadcast the show live! 

Glozell Green and Chelsea Briggs hosted the announcement of 35 winners already; but tune in for the live announcements of some of the biggest awards!  Award categories will include Beauty, Comedy, First Person, Kids and Family, Lifestyle, Pranks and Viner, Audience Choice: Entertainer of the Year and Audience Choice: Show of the Year.

Tune in to see what everyone’s wearing and winning all in one night as social media and mainstream media collide!

It’s that time of year again and over Labor Day Weekend the internet’s elite will be migrating east to attend PlayList Live. This year the event has relocated from New Jersey to Washington, D.C.  Home to our President, Congress and now some of YouTube’s freshest faces! 

Our nation’s capital will be taken over by creators and fans from September 4 – 6, 2015 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.   Complete with panels, meetups and dance-offs, PlayList Live has something for everyone! 

Don’t miss Charles Trippy and Danny Duncan of We the Kings at Saturday’s Meetup.   Get hair tips from the gurus of Cute Girls Hairstyles Saturday afternoon.  Get beauty and lifestyle tips from some of your favorites like Nikki Phillippi and Shelby Church.  Prepare to laugh with Bart Baker as he discusses his parody videos Sunday night and FouseyTube’s wild ride to the top of the YouTube charts.

Semaphore CEO, Mike Bienstock, is a PlayList Live veteran!  From narrating panels, to attending some of the best parties he’s got some sound advice for anyone attending PlayList Live in DC.  First tip, wear comfy shoes.  Second tip; take all selfies with your dominant hand.  Third tip; make new friends that last a lifetime! 

Digital media has changed hobbies into careers and dreams into businesses.

It’s a wild, fun, and rewarding ride. However, the transition from small-to-big-time often occurs to Creators quicker than they can adjust.

Taxes, incorporations, payroll: all complicated things that come with the territory of a making your YouTube operation into a legitimate business.

“Siri, What’s Incorporation?”

Basically, incorporation separates a business from its owner, which shields an owner from personal liability to the company. Additionally, incorporation allows for potentially big tax savings.

To summate it all, becoming incorporated makes all the costs of running a business worth it.

Am I ready?

So when do you know it’s time to take your business to the next level and incorporate? It’s a question we at Semaphore get all the time from Tubers.

Here are some things to consider:

1. Income

As we all know, it doesn’t take one million subscribers to make money on YouTube. But until your channel is making $100,000-$150,000 annually, it’s difficult to justify incorporation. The costs involved with incorporation are difficult to substantiate until that threshold is met.

2. Protecting Personal Assets

Do you like the things you own? Of course, you Instagram them all the time. When you’re not incorporated, your personal assets are at risk. Personal assets include your home, your car, your bank accounts, and more. If your operation sees rainy days, you could be sued for your own things. If you have liability concerns, you should incorporate as soon as possible.

3. Tax Benefits

If you’re just beginning to consider incorporating, you may not have even thought of the tax benefits associated with this transition. When you incorporate, your business is assigned an Employee Identification Number, also commonly referred to as a federal tax ID. Simply, these enable you to hire people and open business bank accounts. You want those.

4. Credibility

When incorporating a company, you legitimize your business and your channel. So when brands want to work with your channel, you will have already established a higher level of credibility than a sole proprietor just by being incorporated. When your business is a corporation or an LLC, it gives customers and partners a greater comfort thanks to the aura of credibility incorporation gives.

If you need more help understanding your taxes, please visit our live chat at our website (www.semaphoretax.com) to get in contact with one of our experienced tax professionals, or call us at 866-736-2444. We’re excited to hear from you!

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This post is to be used for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, business, or tax advice. Each person should consult his or her own attorney, business advisor or tax advisor with respect to matters referenced in this post. Semaphore assumes no liability for actions taken in reliance upon the information contained herein.

 

It’s no surprise our team had a phenomenal time at Playlist Live in Orlando this year.

In fact, take a look at this picture of our CEO Mike Bienstock sneaking selfies with sWooZie.

 

Our fabulous photographer captured so many great moments just like this from Playlist Live Orlando 2015. Here are our favorites.

 

Twice The Selfies

Forget about a double rainbow. How about a double Connor Franta and Troye Sivan fan selfie? And the fangirls go wild…!

Down For The [View] Count

You won’t be surprised to learn that the bright grin in this picture belongs to Olga Kay. It looks like the P90x workouts are working. Steve Zarazoga would probably be a better person to ask.

Doing It For The Vine

This mega-viral mix of Vine superstars (TheGabbieShow, Amymarie Gaertner, Brodie Smith, and Marcus Johns) were prepping for a special Vine that we’re sure was not receive a “#deletos”.

We’re Uncomfortable, Too

Let’s play a game of I Spy.

I spy: Nerf guns, squirt guns, pancake mix (for Josh Chomik, of course), confetti shooters, and a dancing pizza man.

We’re not sure  what’s exactly happening here, but we’re into it.

It’s Bethany Mota

Need we say more? Bethany Mota looks stunning as ever in this shot with fans. All these smiles could cure the worst case of the Mondays.

Most Precious

Twinning, or nah? Meghan (@MsMeghanMakeup) called this the “GREATEST MOMENT CAPTURED EVER”. We are inclined to agree. It’s definitely our favorite moment captured this Playlist.

If you want to see the rest of our pictures from the event, visit our photo site at www.tuberbiz.com.

Until next time,

Semaphore HQ