Tue, 31 October 2017
What’s In This Episode:What do you believe in? Jill believes in the gut-check. Brad believes in giving in any interaction - that a client or a prospect walked away with more than they came with. Both are essential to business. "As a business gets bigger, your gut gets disconnected with what's happening in the business." - BradJared Hecht, superstar to his 11-month-old son and tech guru, calls in to talk about his new startup, Fundera. He's really proud of what Fundera has accomplished, and how they're helping people all across the country with small-business pitfalls. But he has a problem with hiring. Since the company is located in NYC, it's hard to compete dollar-for-dollar with the bigger-name companies out there (Facebook, Google, the list goes on). They want the best talent. Brad and Jill suggest that he look at the areas he can compete: the mission, the autonomy involved in changing people's lives - which you might not be getting at a major company - and the mindset of employees when it comes to workplace culture and recognition. "If you're able to create a fun story that your PR team will go out and tell, people will gravitate toward applying to you." - JillJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 things you should never quit doing:
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Tue, 24 October 2017
What’s In This Episode: Does practice make perfect? Brad seems to think so. Not only because we practice, but because the benefit increases the more we do something. Jill agrees, especially when it comes to business: the operations and managerial tasks get easier, as well as figuring out how to pitch properly so that you get a response! In fact, that might be the difference between a bad entrepreneur and a good one. "Good entrepreneurs pay attention and aren't mindlessly doing the same thing over and over again." - Jill Author and teacher Kimberly Johnson calls into the show because she doesn't have enough time and she's not the best at delegating. Brad says that you need to make a list - who can do things for you? Then write down procedures. Furthermore, Jill says to put a timeframe on it. If you write down 5 things, pick the first item and say, "I'm handing this off in the next 12 hours." And when you hand things off, you're actually allowing people to share in your success. "You're more likely to get referrals the fifth time you ask than the first time you ask." - Brad Jill and Brad then discuss the top 5 things that are better the more frequently you do them: E-mail marketing. The more frequently you e-mail, the more people respond. Listener question: Will asks, "Do you have any tips for taking a break from your business due to moving?" Think about your clients. Will they go anywhere? You can bring on contractors to cover some things for you. Phone calls can be done from the road. Guest: Kimberly Johnson is the author of The Start of Something BIG:: Your Ultimate Guide to Writing a Dynamic Business Plan, now in its second edition. She founded U3I, a management and marketing consulting firm which provides business development, project management, and management/technical assistance to small, medium, and large private businesses, government agencies and not-for-profit organizations.
Direct download: Breaking20Down20Your20Business20EP20229.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 11:00am CDT |
Tue, 17 October 2017
What’s In This Episode: Brad just wants to automate things - is that too much to ask? He loves Zapier. He wants to make things better, and optimize them, and make them run more efficiently! Over time, however, business owners need to keep in mind that your business will change, along with the perspective on your business. Jill says that the more efficient you get, the more you see where you actually need to do the work... instead of letting a computer do it for you. So there may be a thing as optimizing too much (sorry, Brad). "Sometimes I'm working on the dashboard of my dashboard." - Brad David Feinman calls into the show and talks about what "viral" means in the video space. To him, viral means getting the audience that they want to see the product at the right place at the right time. He's got a problem, though: His pricing. Two years into his business, he's realizing that while the quality of his product is better than his competitors, he's charging less than he should be. Jill and Brad explain that he absolutely should raise his prices because that communicates to the marketplace that you're more confident in the value that you're putting out. People want high-quality stuff, and if they want it bad enough, they'll pay for it. In fact, they suggest tripling David's current prices for his new clients. "You need to take more time for yourself. Schedule a block a week. Center yourself and make more money that way." - Jill Jill and Brad then discuss the top 5 reasons you should quit doing things that aren't working: Do a gut-check, and put your focus elsewhere. Oh hey there, memory lane: As an added bonus in this episode, Rebecca Dengrove from Rebecca's Mom Leotards calls in to follow up from her podcast episode. Her terrible 1995-era website was redesigned based on Jill and Brad's advice, and consumers love it so much, she can't keep up with current demand! A better website really is magical, guys. Guest:David Feinman is the co-founder of Viral Ideas Marketing, where they create to inspire. They believe everyone has the right to be fulfilled, they believe in shared creativity, and in the power of defining your why. His company shares this message through the creative process and through video.
Direct download: Breaking20Down20Your20Business20EP20228.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 2:00am CDT |
Tue, 10 October 2017
What’s In This Episode:Jill and Brad conclude their series on money and wonder aloud why talking about money is so weird. Jill remembers that she was offended the first time someone asked her what her money-making model was. She takes a much more private and personal approach to the topic because it's one that is a source of pride as well as a vulnerability for many. Brad thinks that if you just talked about pricing outright, things wouldn't be so uncomfortable. Social entrepreneur Joanna Black calls into the show and talks about the impetus for starting her co-working space, SheWorks Collective. The times they are a'changing for Joanna's business model, due to the fact that the collaborative/co-working environment that kicked off her business two years ago is a bit outdated. She's trying to attract new members but finds that it might be difficult given her industry. Jill and Brad suggest focusing on community as well as possible work themes which might bring connection. "Collaboration doesn't happen because you have a conference room or because you have a meeting. It happens in between meetings." - BradJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 money hang ups business owners have:
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Tue, 3 October 2017
What’s In This Episode:Jill and Brad take a trip down memory lane and talk about why they started their businesses. When Jill started her first business, she focused on money. Now into her third enterprise, money matters a bit less and it's more about enjoyment. Brad agrees with Jill (it doesn't happen often, but it happens!): When you have a baseline, it becomes easier to build the type of business you want. Fun fact that we didn't know about until this episode: Vanilla custard and moisturizer have similar methods of cooking.Katarina Stetz calls into the show and discusses how she was inspired by chemistry and her grandmother from a young age to become a skincare formulator (that's the technical term for a person who makes skincare products). Her problem? She moved from London to Chicago and doesn't know how to build up her network of industry contacts or buyers or other entrepreneurs in her new location. Every city has a code, she says, so she wants to know how to "crack the code" of Chicago. Jill and Brad suggest going to networking organizations no matter what city you're in - and while it won't happen overnight - it gradually will result in business relationships you're looking for. And the other important thing? If you want something, all you have to do is ask. You can't go into any industry and assume that they'll be helpful without asking. With enough opportunity, you can even create an event of your own and look like a rockstar for bringing everyone together! "There is a much bigger mission that I understand and a lot more satisfaction I get from not thinking every day about, 'Did I make this number today?'" - JillJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 things that are more important to your business than money:
"When I take a day off, I'm actually better at what I do." - Brad
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