ARIES
A home-based business could take off this month, thanks to Mars touring your domestic fourth house. You’ll be most efficient when working in solitude, without the distraction of chatty people. Whether you’re set up at home or in an office, make sure you have a quiet space of your own—preferably with a door. The Sun will be in Aries through April 19, charging you up to take more risks around your business. This is a great time for initiating contacts, exploring bold strategies, and connecting with helpful VIPs in your industry. Re-evaluate your rates or pricing structure for your products and services. Do some dedicated research to find out the industry standards. You may be either undercharging or overcharging, which is causing you to lose clients or feel insufficiently compensated for your efforts. A minor adjustment can make a world of difference.

TAURUS
One aspect of your business may have felt like an uphill battle. Instead of forging ahead, stop and reassess. This direction may never work out as you hope, but that doesn’t mean you should give up. Consult some experts in your field and get their constructive feedback. If you’ve been running a brick and mortar shop, you may want to take your business online, or vice versa. You should also re-examine how much you are paying your vendors, employees, and other suppliers. Expensive doesn’t always mean “the best.” There may be a more economical way of doing business without compromising quality. On April 19, the Sun zips into Taurus, helping you gain a fresh perspective. Lucrative partnership opportunities could fall into your lap during the Full Moon in Scorpio on the 20th. These are likely to be with people or companies you’ve worked with successfully in the past.

GEMINI
Your brand is expanding and growing in so many directions that it may be hard for you to keep up! While you don’t need to downsize, you do need to streamline. Before you add another component to the mix, work out the kinks of your current efforts. There may be a few unforeseen expenses to deal with. Hiring an expert to troubleshoot could be one of those costs. You are on steadier ground than you think, Gemini. Keep your cool, and set up meetings for the first week of May to explore new ideas and ventures. Mercury will be in Gemini then, helping you think clearly once again. The Aries Sun helps you reach a wider audience with your brand through April 19. There is a compromise involved, however. You may have to tone down your message slightly in order to appeal to more people. Set a creative bottom line for yourself so you don’t lose your unique edge in the process.

CANCER
Ambitious Mars powers through Cancer all month, energizing you into action. It’s all about pitching, networking, and hobnobbing with the head honchos in your industry. You may do your best work solo now—other people simply aren’t working at the same pace as you. It may be necessary to break away from a partnership or put it on hold temporarily while you set up some baseline connections. Aim high with your efforts and err on the side of overconfidence. The Sun will be in Aries and your tenth house of prestige through April 19. Striking an agreement with a large corporation could be part of the picture. Set up meetings with buyers but be prepared for different strategies of manufacturing and supplying goods. They could place a larger order than you expect. The Full Moon in Scorpio on April 20 invites you to showcase your brand. Push for press opportunities or set up shop at a trade show or expo.

LEO
Get those frequent flier miles ready. The Aries Sun invites you to add an international twist to your brand this month. Whether you join forces with a global sister-company, pitch to an overseas client, or explore manufacturing in a faraway land, the expansion you seek will be found outside city limits. There may be a learning curve you have to work through in order to take your company to the next level. Sign up for specialized training, a seminar, or online course to upgrade your skills and knowledge. Working as an apprentice for an expert in your field is another great way to fill in this gap. With Mars in your 12th house of mentors all month, you’ll have plenty of helping hands around, ready to pull you up the ladder of success. Your challenge: putting that lioness pride to the side and admitting that you need some assistance. Prestigious clients and companies will take note of your efforts after the 19th, when the Sun heads into Taurus. Prepare to move into the big leagues.

VIRGO
Contract negotiations take center stage this month. Though you tend to be hands-on about your business, you may not be the best person to work through these deals. Hire a lawyer, sales rep, or agent on your behalf. That way, you can keep on being the “good cop” in the eyes of your clients and customers. Research new tax-reduction strategies, like setting up a SEP IRA or paying more of your home office expenses through your company and reducing your salary (and income taxes) slightly. With Mars in your 11th house of groups all month, collaborations with other business owners will be quite successful. Look for ways to join forces while still retaining the individual identity of your brands. Marketing or hosting an event as a group could be a win-win for everyone.

LIBRA
Partnerships take center stage while the Sun tours Aries through April 19. The old “opposites attract” rule holds true here. Collaborate with people who are on an equal playing field but bring an entirely different skill set to the mix. With Mars touring your prestigious tenth house, consider upgrading your target market. If you’ve been producing products for mass consumption, look into developing a mid-tier, department store level, or even luxury line. No matter what your business model, you are perfectly poised to lock in an elite partner for a venture. Keep your vision and your standards high. You may need to be a little more aggressive with your efforts now too. Sharing pleasantries with prospective clients is all well and good, but at some point, you’ve gotta lock in the deal. This may be a good place to bring in a partner, as you tend to excel at openings but shy away from playing the “closer” role.

SCORPIO
It’s all about efficiency this month. The Sun tours your orderly sixth house through April 19. Set up systems for filing, payroll, tracking assets, invoicing, and any other administrative tasks. If you simply can’t deal, hire a bookkeeper or part-time assistant to help. Getting this off your plate will lighten the psychic load you’ve been carrying around. Having set hours to start and finish work each day is essential to your productivity as well. You tend to work around the clock, but this is a surefire recipe for burnout. Taking breaks to exercise and socialize helps you stay balanced and happy. On April 20, a Full Moon in Scorpio brings the promise of a long-awaited success. An effort you began six months ago (during the New Moon in Scorpio) could finally pay off. This may involve travel or media coverage. Be prepared for exciting changes and growth!

SAGITTARIUS
Put your company on display. With the Sun in your fifth house of glamour and promotion through April 19, this is a prime time for spreading the message of your brand. You’re poised to attract greater media attention now. Circulate a press release or media kit. Don’t worry if you haven’t quite got a finished product on your hands yet. You can still create a buzz, especially if you enlist the help of a skilled PR person. Hosting a party or special event is a great way to get the word out and make connections with other industry pros. Getting your brand identity in top shape should also be a priority. Think luxurious, elegant, and top of the line. Spring for higher quality paper or printing for your marketing materials. Sleek, stylish graphic design is essential to making a solid first impression.

CAPRICORN
Look up from your goal sheet momentarily, and assess the cultural climate of your office. With the Sun in your family-oriented fourth house through April 19, interpersonal dynamics need attention. Consider how you’d like to shape the vibe of your company. Even if you are still a one-woman show, you may eventually bring on employees. Retaining their loyalty requires regular communication. If you have a staff, schedule an open forum, allowing your staff to air their grievances (constructively) and offer suggestions for improving operations. If you can listen objectively, this is a great opportunity to grow as a team. Not to mention the valuable feedback you’ll get from folks on the “front lines.” Motivator Mars will be in Cancer, your partnership sign, all month. You’ll work well in a joint effort now. Since Mars sometimes indicates areas of tension, this may also be the month where you officially end a partnership that is no longer working. Don’t be afraid to let go, as you will clear the space for new collaborators to enter the fold.

AQUARIUS
It’s not enough to have a great brand or product on your hands, Aquarius. If you don’t properly market and advertise, the world will never discover you. Spend time developing a promotional strategy this April. Hiring a sales force, PR firm, or agent may be necessary in order to tap into contacts that aren’t in your rolodex. Not quite flush with cash? Enlist people on commission or work the barter system. There are plenty of creative ways to get what you need without draining your finances. Networking promises to bring fruitful results. Take the initiative, even if it feels like a long shot. Head to after-work events, join online communities for professionals in your industry, pick up the phone and make a cold call. One chance encounter could turn the tide on your business for the better this month.

PISCES
Make friends with your spreadsheet software. With the Sun in your second house through April 19, it’s time to develop a solid and practical business plan. That means crunching numbers, drilling down to micro details, and researching costs of labor and materials so you can make accurate projections. Having a clear picture of where you want to go and what is required to get there makes everything more real and exciting. You’ll just have to grin and bear your way through this planning phase first. There’s no need to rush, however. Slow and steady wins the race now. You may choose to scale back one arm of your business so that you can give another more of a dedicated effort. Having success with a single product or service, or a smaller line of offerings, is an excellent foundation upon which to expand. Allow your brand to grow organically and you’ll have a much easier time getting off the ground.