Blunt Force Business - Brutally Honest Advice for Small Business Owners

We know that it took you time to have a solid financial projection. But what if things don't go well? Do you have a backup plan? How do you know in the first place if those financial plans are strong anyway? Having two sets of financial plans helps deal with these and other challenges. Oh, and we're not getting paid by these guys yet, but here's the planning software discussed in the v...

The restaurant industry is notoriously fickle, but our guest Shane Matlock built a successful one through his relentless focus on his brand. And while social media played a part, we've seen many businesses with a lot of followers and engagement that ultimately still failed. So what makes a great brand? We'll let Shane tell you. You can find Shane at his spot in Attleboro, Massachusetts - t...

So many of us have to do regular subscrption purges because we just forgot all the things we were subscribed to. What if your business was the beneficiary of this instead of the victim? And subscriptions don't need ot be just a cynical way of milking lifetime value. There are many more strategically positive reasons to introduce a subscrption model into your current offering, even if, ultimately,...

There are only 3 ways to scale your business. And we're covering all 3 in here. Business growth should be perpetual and that's not an evil/greedy thing. If you dno't scale you run the risk of being passed by, either by a business that's more aggressive or just a new kid on the block with new ideas. Scale or die! If you like what you heard here, make sure to leave us an episode review! And if you R...

What is the 125/75 rule? Well, you have to watch to find out, but it's a super simple way of making sure your financials are on point. Use this rule when launching a new venture, either a new business, or just a new product or service. Expect the unexpected. Plan for the worst. Design for success. And get the free worksheet here: https://bluntforcebusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Won-Strate...

We think it's time to ditch DEI!Diversity, and Equity and Inclusion initiatives are in the news constantly, and have become extremely divisive. So just saying DEI causes people to get nervous. But we are going to give DEI a rebrand. We want you to listen to this from our favorite, intentional, cynical, profit hungry, business owning perspective. Make more money and have a stronger organization by...

Serial entrepreneurs know a few things about starting businesses, because all of them have some battle scars. These serve as important reminders for what NOT to do when starting a business. And this episode is all about some of those learnings. David Jones from Safe Harboar Properties is with us to talk about three important considerations for all entrepreneurs looking to start a business. Oh, and...

Why don't your customers or prospects buy from you? Well sometimes it's just because you've made it difficult. Web pages that load slowly, forms that ask too many questions, seemingly unlimited choices of products and services, long delays in responses...These are all things that cause friction in your sales process! This episode talks about the friction that you may or may not already know about....

Whether you like it or not, the smaller the business, the more local the business, the more you, the business owner, are it's strongest representatiive. What you stand for personally, and how you present that to the world, could make all the difference. In our estimation, not enough small business owners consider their own personal brand and how it can affect their business performance. But we pro...

Have you ever thought about what you'll do with the business at the END?Are you thinking about cashing out? A lot of small business owners aren't thinking that far ahead. They aren't even thinking about what the end game might look like. Brian Lafauci from https://www.wonstrategy.com/ is here to talk about your business exit strategy. How your business is valued and some of the unique things you s...

Remote work is here to stay. Which means we need better managers capable of effectively leading remote teams. Sure, some of the steps to being a successful remote manager are the same as traditional management. But the zoom meeting work environment creates unique challenges that require creative organization. If your team is remote, this episode is for you! If you like what you heard here, make su...

Explosive sales are only possible when you get out of your comfort zone. We gathered 3 Paisans to talk about one particular paisan's sales process. Learn as he breaks the ice and establishes long term relationships in building a little guy's brand to compete with the big boys. Our special guest is Adam Lagreca of Rachel's Table. You can find their Grandmother-inspired classics along the East Coast...

When we consult with small businesses, 9 out of 10 times they are wasting money on bad advertising strategies, or they aren't advertising at all because they tried and failed in the past. And it's REALLY easy to try a Google Ad or Facebook Ad campaign and get everytihng wrong to the point where a good company with regular income is just throwing away $500-$1000 a month they may have to spend but i...

A wise man once said: "It’s easy to sit there and say you’d like to have more money. And I guess that’s what I like about it. It’s easy. Just sitting there, rocking back and forth, wanting that money."That's kinda what I think is giong on in a lot of entrepreneur's heads when they decide they want to start a side hustle. They see the result, a steady stream of income from efforts that don't requir...

If you are dealing with stress in your business or your life as a business owner, you are not alone. This edition of Blunt Force Business will focus on the stresses we have in our businesses. And if you stick around to the end, you'll get to hear great tips and tricks for both mitigating stress, but also using it to your benefit. If you like what you heard here, make sure to leave us an episode re...

Everyone needs to be MANAGED but not everyone likes to be MANAGED.And the same holds true for accountability. The first rule of accountability is that accountability isn't the same thing as punishment. The rest? Well you have to listen to find out...In this pod we talk about the importance of accountability in your organization and we take you through action steps to get there. If you like what yo...

When a customer complains, or expresses dissatisfaction with your business, the first thing a lot of business owners want to do is scream to everyone who will listen how wrong the customer is. But there's a better way. Just Be Nice! We're going to help you develop a process for dealing with unhappy or unruly customers by walking you through Dalton's 3 simple rules of the Road House. Watch this one...

As a small business, you need to be constantly introducing new products, or evolving older products, to stay on top. By using Human-Centered Design methodology, you can ensure that these new products or changes are best meeting the needs of your customers or prospects. And don't forget...Chicks Dig EmpathyListen and learn, let us know what you think in the comments. If you're looking for the works...

If you feel like your business is spinning it's wheels making the same mistakes over and over again, then you NEED Standard Operating Procedures in your life. And you likely need to do this now, rather than wait for these issues to crop up. You will save yourself valuable man hours and potentially a ton of money by getting a little upfront work out of the way. As always, stick around to the end as...

Are you, or a friend or loved one, a professional networker? You know the type... at every networking event, in all the FB pics, but you don't actually know what they do except drink and go to networking events? Well, we have Brendon Elliot, CEO of Newtorking Group USA to help you learn to network with purpose and confidence. Check out Brendon's group at https://networkinggroupusa.com/If you like...

A lot of small business owners are unaware of how a relationship with the local government can impact their growth. Often the relationship seems adversarial. So we brought a city council president (Ian Abreu, New Bedford, MA) to help us make sense of it all. Oh and we promised a link to the delicious coffee syrup https://smilewithsilmo.com/If you like what you heard here, make sure to leave us an...

RevOps? This is just more damn jargon for stuff you should just have been doing anyway...So, duh, you shouldn't have departments working against each other, and everyone should be trying to make you money. But as we know, that's not always the way things shake out. Departments grow apart due to poor management, or just other hiring, training, organizational reasons. How can we connect them all bac...

Your fancy degree from your fancy school might help you make more money after graduation, but if you decide to 'just get a job' even in the C-Suite, there's a real ceiling on your potential. Very few people make a salary of a million dollars a year as an employee of a company. They're almost all CEO's of multinational corporations. The rest of the millionaires are business owners, entrepreneurs, o...

Do you lie to people with your marketing? Of course you don't, but do you sometimes toe the line? Many of us do and have, and while you can certainly make money that way, we advise against it. More and more consumers demand honesty and authenticity, and avoiding deception in your promotions is your best long term strategy for success. Oh and right in the middle of the pod, Brian decides now's a gr...

What if we told you that there's a small number of things you do in your business that make ALL the difference to your success? That's what the 80/20 rule teaches us. This video is going to help you determine the 20% of things you do in your workday that generate 80% of your output. And we're going to help you MAXIMIZE the 20% of your tasks that have the most impact while MANAGING the 80% of your...