The $100 MBA Show

Nervous about going live? Live video presentations are almost unavoidable in business now — especially online business. Even if it’s just internal presentations with your own team, the camera is calling. Fortunately, Omar has a lot of experience in this department. As someone who’s logged countless hours running webinars, remote meetings, and live courses, Omar’s picked up a few moves along the wa...

Can you break up with your business? What do you do if you’ve built a business, but you’re just not feeling it any more? What happens when entrepreneurship starts to feel like…just work? It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’ve got a listener who’s had an ecommerce business for a few years — and kinda hates it now. This listener hasn’t enjoyed the business in a long time, and feels like life is starting to p...

Does being nice, funny, or likable even matter? Lots of jerks are successful in business, right? But is there any tangible evidence that likeability and profitability go together?  The impact of your personal brand on your business brand is hard to measure. But it’s pretty impossible to argue that a well-liked personality who puts smiles on people’s faces doesn’t have a positive effect on sales. ...

How big could your business grow? The decisions you make now can put a ceiling on your growth potential, or make the sky the limit. It all depends on whether you build for scalability and innovation. Today, we have a lesson from a special guest teacher on how to do exactly that. Whether you’re just starting your business, or you want to unleash its fullest potential, this episode can help. Patrick...

Thinking about writing a book? The first question to ask yourself: why? There are great reasons for an entrepreneur to write a book. There are also terrible reasons. Before you put a single word down, make sure you’re approaching it from the right angle. Setting appropriate intentions and expectations is key to making your book project successful. If you’re not willing to be honest about what you’...

Starting a business while holding down a 9-to-5?  It’s one of the smartest ways to get started. That said, it’s not the easiest. To actually make progress, you’ll need to give up significant amounts of free time.  How significant? Well, that’s what this episode is all about. It’s one thing to “start a business.” It’s quite another to start and grow a business until it reaches true escape velocity...

Ready to find your crowd on Twitter? Take it slow. Too many new entrepreneurs put too much focus on social media. And of course, that’s exactly how social media platforms like it. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use Facebook, Insta, Twitter, and the rest to your advantage. Today, we explore how. It’s Q&A Wednesday, and one of our listeners is an experienced entrepreneur who’s never played the soci...

Luck doesn’t happen by accident. No, this episode is not about witchcraft or “manifesting” success. It’s a simple lesson on how the things you can control put you in a better position re: things you can’t control. Fate can’t be controlled, but odds can be raised or lowered.  Today, we share a few key things that — no matter what kind of business you’re in — help expand the zone of what’s within yo...

What do you really need to start and grow a business? Today’s marketplace has lowered the barrier to entry for entrepreneurship. Given the tools available, the average person can start a profitable, scalable business with way less capital — and less experience — than ever before. Today’s Must-Read explains how. The Minimalist Entrepreneur is a roadmap for creating low-stress, low-investment busine...

The “freemium” model is everywhere now. And it makes sense! Consumers are picky, more wary than ever, and in need of more proof before opening their wallets. But what if freemium isn’t feasible for you? Giving away your product or service is pretty costly, after all (we know — our software platform offers a free plan). If you’re not yet at a point where you can absorb the cost of even a basic vers...

We can all agree that networking is vital to getting anywhere in business. But you might be surprised to learn that networking is something you can outsource. Wait, what? How can you outsource building relationships with people? With a little ingenuity, that’s how. From helpful tech to helpful employees, you can develop systems to initiate and maintain connections with the right people. Tune in, a...

You have an awesome idea for an app. You’re sure it would address a real need in the marketplace. You’re ready to do the work of marketing and selling it. …but you couldn’t code your way out of a wet paper bag. It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’ve got a listener with a fairly common question: to engineer or not to engineer? Theoretically, anyone can learn to develop software. That said, theoretically any...

Ready to dive into video marketing? Here’s what you need. Video is second only to the written word when it comes to online marketing. It’s personal, involves more senses, and is proven to elicit more engagement.  But many entrepreneurs — especially newer ones — are intimidated by the idea of creating videos. In truth, it’s never been easier for a non-professional to produce high-quality videos, as...

Don’t just send a message. Send a video. Consumers are hit with about a bazillion marketing and sales messages each day. Most of them are emails that go straight to ‘Promo,’ and other text-based messages we simply ignore or delete. But video is different. Video has a better chance of being consumed, and scoring you a conversion. Plus, they’re easier than ever to create! Mike Moll is a marketing co...

As they say, “the money’s in the list.” But more list does not mean more money. Like so much in business, it’s more complicated than a simple equation. To get the most out of any email list requires way more than just gathering new addresses.  If you’re throwing lead magnets around the whole wide Internet, you’re probably raking in contacts — and they’re probably not becoming customers. If that sy...

More people will sign up for your course if they can sign up whenever they want…right? Not necessarily. It might seem logical to let people enroll in your course whenever. But basic consumer psychology tells a different story; when there’s no urgency, there’s less chance someone will make a commitment. Most people will put off ‘till tomorrow what they can do today. …and that’s only one of the reas...

For a brand-new business, is a VA (virtual assistant) worth it? When you’re starting out, staying lean is a top priority. Which is why it struck one of our listeners as a little counterintuitive that we’re so bullish on hiring VAs.  It’s Q&A Wednesday! This listener is only weeks into a new business, and wants to know if a VA is really, truly a wise investment at this stage. We understand; a hire...

Are paid ads a money pit? Small businesses need to stay lean. That means not throwing money away on expensive marketing and sales tactics that don’t produce a solid return. From print to radio to Google and Facebook, is the money you spend on paid advertising worth it? More importantly, can your business thrive without it? Lots of businesses do just fine without spending a dime on ads. Today, we s...

Are you brave enough to admit it’s time for change? Accepting the need for change is one of the more surprising challenges in business. It requires courage, accountability, and the will to let go of what’s familiar and comfortable. Barry Moltz is a speaker, author, radio host, and SMB expert who specializes in getting business out of ruts. For a small business, a plateau can become a graveyard. Be...

Thinking about starting an e-commerce business? Listen to this first. Before he got into the podcast & SaaS game, our intrepid host Omar ran a successful e-commerce business selling custom menswear. Along the way, he learned valuable lessons about what to do, and what not to do — sometimes the hard way. Today, let Omar’s experience be your guide! From your website design to your payment processing...

For most coaches, the ultimate goal is to have fewer clients paying higher prices. But the group coaching model — whether as a stepping stone to 1:1 clients or a long-term strategy — is more than sustainable.  Better yet, it’s super-scalable. But how do you get those clients in the first place? To sustain a group coaching business, you need to ensure a steady flow of leads, and a reliable funnel t...

Blogging: it’s still one of the best ways to start a business! All you really need to get started is your own experience, decent writing ability, and the time to put your insights down on (digital) paper. But of course, there are a few other costs. It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’ve got a well-traveled listener who wants to start a blog, with the ultimate goal of monetizing it through affiliate commiss...

Never go to market without a strategy. A launch is never as simple as just putting your product or service in front of people. Before you attempt the first sale (whether it’s a new business, a pivot, or a product launch), you have to decide exactly how to make your “entrance” into the marketplace. Today, we break down exactly how to plot your debut. Based on countless hours of reading, research, a...

It’s another incredible book from the 4-Hour legend. Today, we review the inimitable Tim Ferriss’ Tribe of Mentors . Ferriss is the original life-hacker, a seeker of new solutions for everything from making money to getting in shape. With Tribe , Ferriss surveyed successful innovators and game-changers to see how they managed to make waves where others couldn’t. This book is big, dense…and worth e...

Don’t let holidays sneak up on you! Having SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for holiday breaks is a crucial part of managing your team — and your customers’ expectations. From communicating with customers to giving your employees time off (while still keeping the business running), holiday management takes a little preparation. It gets even more complex when you consider remote teams and globa...