The $100 MBA Show

Personal finance is different for entrepreneurs. For the conventionally employed, so many expenses and lifestyle choices are dictated by the job. But for independent business owners, the equation is much more flexible. Unfortunately, not every entrepreneur takes advantage of that fact. Today, Omar offers advice from his own experience on how to do better financially in your private life, even as y...

It’s a great problem to have: being forced to choose between good, steady pay and the opportunity to start your own business. …but it’s a problem nonetheless. It’s Q&A Wednesday, and one of our listeners is in a big ol’ success pickle! They put over a year into building their own business on the side, while simultaneously working an unrewarding dead-end day job — or so they thought.  Just as the t...

There’s money to be made in the software game — even if you couldn’t code your way out of a wet paper bag. Entrepreneurs looking to make online income (even the “passive” kind, insofar as that exists) can’t do better than SaaS products. There’s no inventory, no shipping, and lots of recurring revenue month after month. And if you choose…there’s no software engineering involved. How? Affiliate mark...

Whatever you’re worried about, it’s probably not that big of a deal. That can be hard to hear. It can be hard to acknowledge. But it’s also very, very true. Today, we review a classic: Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff by Richard Carlson . Omar first read this book 17 years ago, well before he became an independent business person. But since then, he’s read it — and referred back to it — over and over....

Are you holding your business back? It’s a classic problem for solopreneurs and small businesses. The founder is used to personally taking care of everything; but when the business gains traction, there are more decisions than anyone can handle alone.  As a result, the work backs up behind one person, whose inability to let other people share the steering wheel slows the whole operation down.  Is...

The online community: is it just a gimmick, or an important part of a modern business approach? Whether it’s a Facebook group, a Slack channel, Discord, or something else, giving your customers a place to hang out together can have its advantages.  But of course, someone has to devote the time and effort necessary to build and maintain these communities.  Today, we explore what it takes to create...

Engagement is crucial. But how much engagement can you handle? It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’ve got a listener with a problem that most creators would be happy to have. Their social feeds and YouTube channel are brimming with comments! The problem: do all these comments need replies? You have to engage, but it’s impossible to keep up with every comment on a popular account. How much is too much? How...

The ‘Great Resignation’ set a lot of talent loose. The options for all kinds of workers are better than ever, and opportunities for better employment abound. So why should your team stick with you? It’s a question every business owner should ask, especially now. Today, we share how we maintain a solid relationship with all our employees, so top talent doesn’t head for the door. Spoiler alert: it’s...

If you’re not well, your business can’t be.  There’s nothing woo-woo about it. Keeping your mind, body, and energy in good shape is key to making the best decisions, being productive, and making entrepreneurship a healthy pursuit.  But of course, that’s easier said than done for busy founders.  Kerrie Otto de Grancy & Marie Louise take a conscious, holistic approach to putting all your wellness du...

So you created an app. But can you sell it totally on your own, or should you make it available on the most popular marketplaces: the App store, Play store, etc?  What do you have to gain? What do you have to lose?  Today, we run a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis for independent app developers. There are very good reasons to work with a major app store, but also unden...

If you’re not growing, you’re dying. That’s just as true for a business founder as it is for the business itself. If you’re not improving your ability to run a business, your business can stagnate. In other words, you can never stop upping your game. But how do you go about that? What can you do in concrete terms to make sure you’re developing as an entrepreneur? In this episode, we help you do ex...

Some countries cover their citizens’ healthcare needs. Some cover a portion. In others, employers are the only real source of coverage. So if you’re hiring globally, what the heck kind of health plan do you even offer? It’s Q&A Wednesday, and one of our listeners is building a borderless distributed team. How can they possibly accommodate the needs of…everyone? It’s a fair question, one that’s bec...

As we like to say, your website is your biz. Even if you have a physical store or office, your site can make or break your whole operation.  But of course, every website needs regular maintenance, updates, and protection from cyber-threats in order to run properly. Is that the kind of thing you can do on your own, indefinitely? Or do you need someone to be in charge of it? More importantly, is thi...

It’s been quite a year for adversity. From a global pandemic and its effects on hiring and supply chains, to a drastic reckoning with structural inequality, times got tough. But as any successful entrepreneur will tell you, navigating adversity is the one skill that everyone in every business needs. So how can you dig deep and respond constructively when the struggle becomes real? Jessica Norwood...

Let’s be clear: we almost never recommend lower prices. In fact, we spend lots of time on this podcast encouraging people to charge more. Often, raising prices is the best way to boost overall revenue.  Often, but not always. Today, we explain how lower prices can be a powerful tool — when applied correctly. There is a way to sell to the clearance-bin crowd that won’t kill profit, or devalue your...

So..are we ever going back to work?  More importantly, should we? Not ‘work’ as in doing work, of course. We mean going back to the physical, brick & mortar office space that used to be a requirement for any business, big or small. The key phrase is “used to be.” Office space is expensive, especially for new and small businesses. For all that money, is it really worth it? Has COVID shown us that t...

Well this is awkward. However, it’s not that uncommon. Hiring family members who just don’t work out is a thing that happens. In fact, it even happened to Omar!  It’s Q&A Wednesday, and it also happened to one of our listeners. Six months into a new position, and one business founder’s brother just isn’t up to the task. How in the world do you let a close family member go without creating chaos at...

What’s the difference between a website that works, and one that doesn’t? When we say ‘works,’ we mean the site’s ability to reach an audience, generate leads and sales, and represent your brand. In our experience, most ineffective sites are suffering from one or more of 5 specific mistakes. These common no-no’s are like cinderblocks tied to the neck of your business. They’re holding you back, and...

We’re not all great with numbers. And we don’t all know the rules. If you’re thinking of starting a business, but not sure how to do the whole financial management thing, you’re not alone. That’s why we brought an expert in for advice. Joe DiChiara is a rare combination: successful independent entrepreneur and CPA (Certified Public Accountant). While most CPA’s work for someone else, Joe knows wha...

Get started marketing! Too many new entrepreneurs skip this part, or make it a low priority. While it’s natural to focus on developing your product, marketing is where you can get an incredible return on every cent you invest. In other words, marketing is just as important to building your business as the product is!  By getting an early start on forging your company’s relationship with your targe...

Can you handle business? If you’re thinking about starting one, you might wonder what pitfalls or obstacles are the toughest.  Entrepreneurship is challenging in a thousand different ways, but which way is…the scariest? Today, we narrow it down to one. There’s one thing about business that will hurt the most, take the most out of you, and make you ask yourself again and again if it’s really the li...

Fact: entrepreneurship is not for everyone. The truth is that not everyone is right for independent business. Some people thrive more, contribute more, and live more happily by working a conventional job.  But how do you know which category you fall into? It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’ve got a listener with several business failures under their belt. The question of whether to just hang it up is loom...

We’ve all heard sayings about the value of pressure.  Pressure drives us; it “creates diamonds,” or so we’re told. But is it true?  Yes! Today, we explain why you should seek pressure — because otherwise, you won’t know what your team is really capable of.  A simple fact of human nature is that we respond differently when things aren’t optional. The good news? There’s plenty of pressure to be foun...

Get ready for a (seriously) life-changing book. The Ultimate Jim Rohn Library is a collection of lectures and lessons from the one and only — you guessed it — Jim Rohn. The O.G. of self-help and personal development, Rohn taught and inspired countless individuals to be their best selves. Now, the best of his life’s work is distilled into a power-packed audiobook. The Library is truly the ‘best of’...

Everybody quit. So where will they work now? The ‘Great Resignation’ is real — countless professionals left unfulfilling jobs in 2021. Startups and other small companies are uniquely positioned to benefit from this once-in-generation trend. Today, we explain how. With so much talent on the table, there’s never been a better time to recruit. You can lock in newly free, high-value pros from bigger —...