Positive Power of Principled Profit
Volume 1, Number 10 - June, 2004

Positive Power Spotlight: Eva Rosenberg, Tax Mama

Ever hear of an accountant who refused to charge her client for a tax prep visit because the client rolled over some construction debris near the tax prep office and killed two of her tires?

Here's one who did just that: Eva Rosenberg, owner of TaxMama.com and a highly successful multi-entrepreneur in both the physical world and cyberspace.

Here's another example of Eva's amazing commitment to her customers: After putting many hours of consulting time into negotiating an agreement with the IRS, she needed some documents from her client's ex-husband. If she couldn't get the documents, there wouldn't be a settlement—and she wouldn't take a fee.

Eva's commitment to extreme customer service and high ethical standards is the stuff that could make a whole book. Unfortunately for Eva, she'll have to settle for an article.(grin)

I became aware of Eva many years ago, when she started the Help Desk discussion group as an offshoot of the I-Sales discussion list, where we both participated. Through the Help Desk, Eva created a forum where people involved in Internet marketing could ask whatever questions they had, and some of the world's leading experts—or just ordinary folks with a good idea—could answer them. Plus, she shares a personal note each issue about what's going on in her life, and often, it's stories about how she helped clients above and beyond what most people would expect. While I-Sales and most of its spin-offs have faltered, this venue still continues. While it provides some direct revenue through ads and associate links, it has to be taking far more time than it pays for. She does it because her heart is too big to fit in her LA office; it spreads across the world. and as a result, she has a vast network of fans, including many who haven't even used her tax services (but have received the benefit of her sage advice on taxes, marketing, and entrepreneurship, as readers of either I-Help or TaxMama.

Eva's also the author of a popular e-book, "TaxMama's Secrets: 10 Businesses to Start Online Without Spending One Thin Dime" (http://www.1automationwiz.com/app/javanof.asp?MerchantID=27884&ProductID=88012), and a popular media source who's been able to secure coverage in many national publications. (She and I use the same "secret weapon": see for yourself at http://www.frugalmarketing.com/prleads.shtml). Inc magazine called TaxMama.com one of the top seven tax advice sites. A Google search for "Eva Rosenberg" plus variants of TaxMama and Help Desk yields over 5000 results. Not bad for a solopreneur, eh?

I got to meet Eva last year, when I asked her to host a gathering of Help Desk readers during my business trip to Los Angeles. She's every bit as warm and wonderful in person as she is online, and I'm delighted that she's been so successful.

If you'd like to subscribe to Eva's newsletters, you may do so at http://ihelpmate.srv3.pmachinehosting.com/members/register.php (Help Desk) http://taxmama.com/subscribe/ (TaxMama)

Another Recommended Book: "Blue Mountain: Turning Dreams Into Reality" By Susan Polis Schultz

It's always nice when David wins against Goliath. In this case, David is a couple who started a greeting card and poster company out of an old van. And the twin Goliaths are Hallmark and Microsoft, both of whom tried to muscle in, and both of whom lost against this tiny upstart.

Blue Mountain not only tells the stories of battling giant predators, but also about creating a culture and a product line that wasn't based on research polls, but on heart. And of people who were so committed to the ideals of their company that they turned down a buyout that would have made them economically secure for the rest of their lives. Schultz is also not afraid to admit mistakes; she and her husband made lots of them, and learned important lessons—which they pass on to the readers of this book. While the writing could be a bit tighter, it's a story well-worth telling.

If you'd like to buy this book, please follow this link to buy from a BookSense independent bookseller:
http://www.booksense.com/index.jsp?affiliateId=FrugalFun