The $100 MBA Show

We’re making a huge change to our business — and you’re invited to witness. As many listeners know, we run a SaaS business. Our webinar software has been on the market since 2014, and growing steadily. This week, we’re taking a big leap: ditching our free trial, and moving to a completely free plan with no expiration. In other words, we’ve decided to give our product away. …well, a version of it,...

Most service-based businesses (web design, copywriting, photography, etc) charge in a way that’s…well, limited. Usually it’s by the hour, or some other fixed unit that helps the client predict what they’ll spend. But there’s another way to charge. It’s a little different. It requires some risk on your part. But if you and the client are willing to try it, you can both make (much) more money. It ca...

What is Facebook about to do? Everyone’s talking about Meta and the Metaverse, but not everyone knows exactly what they’re talking about. Part rebrand, part new platform, part complete overhaul of the entire Internet — whatever it is, it’s potentially huge. Today, we clear up the confusion. More importantly, we’ll discuss what potential opportunities and/or problems Meta might create for your busi...

Your brain is your most important tool. And tools need maintenance. Taking care of your mental and emotional well-being is not indulgence — it’s business. Investing time and effort into brain health is what a responsible leader does. But sometimes, we need a little guidance.  That’s where Tanessa Shears comes in. Tanessa is a biohacking expert and health consultant for entrepreneurs. Today, she sh...

Need a boost to get through tough times, or just meet a short-term goal? We’ve got you covered. Today, we share 5 specific ways you can inject some black ink into the ol’ profit and loss sheet — quickly, and at very little cost. These are all tactics we’ve used in our businesses, which you can use alone or in combinations. Best of all? None of them are very difficult to pull off. No matter what ki...

Sometimes, you have to go the other way. Black Friday & Cyber Monday have become almost like holidays unto themselves. The only problem? The “tradition” of trampling each other for discount blenders or sending Amazon fulfillment centers into apocalypse mode isn’t right for every business. Not to mention, it has some serious drawbacks. Today, we explain why our company decided to skip Black Friday...

Sometimes, the toughest thing about entrepreneurship is putting faith in other people. That’s especially true when you need to hire someone.  None of us know how to do everything — creatives might not know how engineering works, graphic designers might not know SEO; the list goes on. So how can you build the best team when you haven’t played all the positions yourself? It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’v...

How do you get on Groupon? More importantly…should you? Groupon has a thriving business with a massive global reach. The only problem for you? Their revenue comes from drastically reducing yours. Groupon became a household name by selling vastly discounted products and services from companies who partner with them. But of course, there’s a huge upside. Today, we share our own experience with Group...

How can you build what you really want to build?  Do you have the courage to put your vision ahead of metrics? The work ethic to give it your all? The flexibility to figure out what works for your company, even if it’s a little different? If that sounds like you, you’ll probably love Amir Salihefendic. The founder and CEO of Doist (that’s the parent company of Todoist and Twist ), Amir built somet...

Most service-based businesses (web design, copywriting, photography, etc) charge in a way that’s…well, limited. Usually it’s by the hour, or some other fixed unit that helps the client predict what they’ll spend. But there’s another way to charge. It’s a little different. It requires some risk on your part. But if you and the client are willing to try it, you can both make (much) more money. It ca...

Tired of staring at that blank word doc? Writing can be hard. It can be intimidating. But you’ve got knowledge to share, and potential customers to bring to your website. So how can you pump out great content, reliably?  All you need is a system. Today, we show you how to get the good stuff out of your head and onto the page. With a relatively simple template, you can break the entire writing proc...

It’s an age-old e-commerce debate: should you offer free shipping? There is a firm answer, but it’s not as simple as ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ Like so many things in business, it depends. It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’re helping one listener decide whether to ship their high-end iPhone accessories at their own expense, or make the customer cover it. Is shipping a deal-breaker? Can covering shipping increase sal...

Is your business healthy? How do you know? For a small business, it can be hard to tell which metrics really matter. You can lose yourself down endless rabbit holes of analytics — without really gaining any useful insight. And as your business grows, the complexity of data grows too.  Maybe the most useful question is: what metrics can you afford to ignore? Today, we discuss which stats you should...

Why do some entrepreneurs win, while others…just don’t? If you ask reality TV star and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, the short answer is hustle — even though so many other factors are outside your control. Today, we review Cuban’s book, How to Win at the Sport of Business. Packed with actionable, down-to-Earth advice, this book leaves no doubt as to how Cuban rose from modest means to serious...

What is your business worst at? No one can be the best at everything. But to survive and thrive in business, we have to make a conscious effort to address our weak points. Whether it’s marketing, sales, support, or any other aspect of your business, you can always improve. Today, we explain how. With a shift in mindset, you can become the kind of entrepreneur who leaves no aspect of their game stu...

Workers have more options — which means small businesses have more opportunities. If the COVID-19 pandemic has a silver lining, it’s the “Great Resignation.” Across the globe, people are quitting jobs that aren’t fulfilling, challenging, or lucrative enough. Part of that has to do with an expanded social safety net, but there’s more to it than that. More importantly, the Great Resignation is chang...

Paid advertising can supercharge your growth — or just drain your budget. It’s Q&A Wednesday, and one of our listeners has a problem. They’ve spent $20k on paid advertising, and gotten squat as a result. Facebook, Insta, YouTube, and more have produced nothing in terms of conversions, despite their dumping a used car’s worth of money into ads. What’s going on here? Today, we explore what could be...

You wouldn’t pay millions of dollars for a screenshot of the Mona Lisa from Google Images. But the original hanging in the Louvre is priceless, because there’s only one of those. Now apply that logic to digital files, and you can understand NFTs. Yes, people are spending millions of dollars for images of things you can see for free. That’s because blockchain technology has made it possible to iden...

She’s the best-selling author, thought leader, and all-around veteran of entrepreneurship whose advice helps and inspires millions.  The one and only Dorie Clark is here to share some business wisdom! In this extended interview, Omar sits down with Dorie to discuss long-term strategic thinking, and Dorie’s new book on the topic: The Long Game: How to Be a Long-Term Thinker in a Short-Term World. ...

Marketing starts with a name. Every product needs a name that doesn’t just express your company’s personality, but actively begins the marketing process. The name has to occupy a space in consumers’ minds, quickly, and create associations conducive to purchasing. After all, there’s no word-of-mouth without the right word. Today, we share a few “rules” to follow when choosing a product name. By fol...

Can you find customers on Quora? It’s one of the top Q&A-based sites, right up there with Reddit. Quora pages often rank high in search engine results for certain topics, which begs the question: should your business have a presence there?  Quora allows you to post sponsored answers to questions in your niche. It’s also much more competitively priced than other online ad platforms, like Google and...

It’s a $100 MBA Show first — Omar refuses to answer a listener’s question! You read that right. It’s Q&A Wednesday, but our intrepid host has finally found a question he just can’t bring himself to tackle. It’s not because he doesn’t know the answer. Rather, it’s because the question itself begs an even better one:  Why would you ask family and friends to invest in your business? Today, Omar helps...

What’s price anchoring?  We’re so glad you asked. You’re probably doing it already — but maybe not as effectively as you could be. It’s an old-school sales move that can work for any business. It uses basic psychology to make the best case for buying your product or service.  And best of all, it’s pretty easy to do! By creating the right mental context for a purchase, you help potential customers...

Not in the real estate game? Maybe you should be. Real estate isn’t just for realtors, or full-time home-flippers. It’s a smart place to send cash you’ve earmarked for reinvestment. ‘Reinvestment’ can mean many things — including moves that don’t put cash directly into your business, but create overall stability. So how can you get started? Real estate investment expert James Knull is here with th...

The odds of success are low. It’s a little uncomfortable to admit, but it’s too true to ignore. According to a recent study, about 80% of businesses fail within the first 2 years.  Which begs the question: why? Today, we share what kills most new businesses. Having started businesses that crashed and burned before we “made it,” we know what it takes to fail! And in our experience, it usually comes...