The $100 MBA Show

Should you get someone to help you with…life? We always recommend executive assistants for your business. But what about the personal kind? Can having someone take the pressure off your day-to-day life create enough breathing room to help you succeed in business? Is a personal assistant worth it? Or is it just an indulgence? Today, we discuss a few people’s experience with getting basic life help...

We all know the power of habits. But which habits are most important? Which ones have the biggest impact on your overall life and business? We believe it’s these 3. Today, Omar names the 3 habits that are definitely, unquestionably worth the effort to develop. They’re the habits he credits with giving him health, success, and the grounding to pursue a fuller personal and professional life. Can the...

How much “growth” makes your company a success? The truth is that the answer is different for every business. Depending on goals, funding, and a host of other variables, growth can mean everything — or very little.  It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’re helping one listener figure out where to set the bar. This listener started a small software business a few years ago, but they’re not sure if it’s progre...

When it comes to delighting customers (and making sure they remain customers), a little can go a long way! Tiny gestures can have a huge impact on retention, churn, and word of mouth for your business. In this episode, we explore some of the best pound-for-pound investments you can make in customer relations. The gestures are small, but the ROI adds up! New and smaller companies can afford persona...

Stop “competing,” at least in the old-fashioned sense. That’s the main message of this incredible book. Blue Ocean Strategy is a deep dive into a whole new marketing philosophy that will completely change the way you look at business. Or at least, it changed the way we look at business. This fascinating book by W. Chan Kim and Renee A. Mauborgne upended our entrepreneurial mindset. In this Must-Re...

Some of us have had a remote team since ever. Some of us had to go remote when COVID struck. And some of us are gonna stay remote, even after the virus is in our rearview. So how do you make remote work work, in the long term? Today, we explain how to make sure your homebound employees are on the ball, all the time. It’s not about intimidation or keeping a digital eye on them. It’s about making su...

Nothing’s really original. But that doesn’t mean your product can’t be unique. In fact, it kinda has to be. Today, we explain how to stand out from the competition, by narrowing your focus to being different in just one way. Whatever your product is, it’s ok if it’s not to be the only one on the market. But it has to be better than anything else at something. Just one thing. Learn how to find the...

Does every business need a website? Spoiler alert: YES. It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’re helping one listener decide whether to take their business from social media to their own corner of the Internet. While this entrepreneur is making a few bucks selling on social, it’s time to move on. The good news? Creating a business website has never been easier. In this listener’s case, it’s time to build an...

Put aside the politics. Let’s talk business. Ensuring diversity isn’t just a moral imperative or an obligation to society. It’s a smart move that a true entrepreneur sees the financial value of. It’s an investment in your company’s long-term future. It’s a strategy! Today, we discuss how diversity improves your bottom line. By avoiding a monoculture, you create a business that can engage more peop...

As COVID taught us, you have to expect the (completely) unexpected. That includes all kinds of disasters, including the natural kind. Today, public adjuster Vince Perri is here to explain exactly how to prepare for the worst. Floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes and more don’t schedule themselves into your calendar. You have to take action now, before they happen. Fortunately, the guy who ge...

What are you feeding your audience? It’s Part 2 of our series on building a (strong) audience, a lesson in putting together the most important asset a business can have. In this episode, we focus on the milkshake that brings all the boys to the yard: your content. Specifically, we discuss the 3 most powerful mediums you can use to reach your audience. With specific advice and examples from our exp...

Nothing is more important than your audience. It’s your Number One business asset. Your product can change; your entire business can change. But if you have a strong audience, they’ll follow you from venture to venture, even through ups and downs. So how do you build one? Today, we kick off a 2-part series on cultivating your audience — emphasis on “your.” While it might be tempting to go for the...

How much can you sell out of your garage? Quite a bit, turns out. Even better, you can move on to bigger (but surprisingly affordable) warehousing sooner than you might think. It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’re helping one listener learn how to handle e-commerce inventory management — from scratch. When you sell physical products, it gets harder to keep track of what you have to ship out as the busines...

Make money while laying on the beach! Or…not. Roughly 17 billion entrepreneurs, coaches, and influencers promise “passive” income. You know, the “set it and forget” kind where you build an asset, then sit back and watch the money roll in. Forever. If that sounds like horse puckey, it is.  In this episode, we explore what “passive” income really means, and how to realistically generate the most pro...

You’ve heard of the marketing “funnel.” Now, welcome to the flywheel. Content marketing works — but only if you know how to leverage content effectively. One of the best ways to do so (that people often don’t realize) is to leverage it more than once. Justin Gordon of the Just Go Grind Podcast is here to explain how it’s done. In today’s special guest lesson, Justin explains the flywheel concept a...

“Do what you love and you’ll never work a day.” True — but you also won’t make very much. Following “passion” and doing only what your heart desires is a luxury, not a business plan. Most of us need to make a living, and that means doing things you would never do if it weren’t profitable. Getting comfortable with this fact is crucial to your success. Today, we destroy the myth of “doing what you l...

Let’s call it the business-flipping model. Some entrepreneurs search for the one business they can devote a whole career to. Some seek a way to monetize a passion or interest. But others are in the business of building businesses — and selling them off. Creating businesses for sale is a great way to make a living or fund other ventures. But it requires a different approach. If you plan to cash out...

This one’s for the noobs. Let’s start at Square One: your very first customer. It’s the first big hump for new entrepreneurs, the line you cross to become an actual independent business person. So how do you get there? What’s the best route from zero to one? Hint: it’s not advertising. It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’re helping one listener make their very first sale. We’ll share a few strategies that...

Lose weight. Read more. Play the violin. Build your own business. There’s a single, universal trick for achieving most goals. It’s the secret to accomplishing whatever you want, in any area of life. From personal to professional goals, there’s one thing you can always do to increase your chances of success — by a lot. This isn’t a magical solution. In fact, it’s not really a “secret” at all.  Ther...

You’ve probably heard you should “niche down.” Well, today’s special guest wants you to niche down even further! Author, speaker, and consultant Michael Redman is here to introduce us to the “super niche.” It’s a market so small and specified that — counterintuitively — it’s worth its weight in gold.  So how do you find yours? Join Michael as he explains how to identify and serve a niche-within-a-...

Introverts have to network too. Fortunately, there are plenty of introvert-friendly ways to do it! Even if you’re not a showperson, even if the thought of “networking” makes you cringe, there is a way to make connections. Best of all? You don’t have to wander *too* far out of your comfort zone. Today, we share a few ways to network that don’t feel forced, fake, or otherwise unnatural. Introversion...

Webinars can be the best sales asset in your business. But if they’re not working, it’s time to tweak your ‘nique! As the co-founder of WebinarNinja, Omar has hosted hundreds of webinars. He’s attended hundreds more. Over the years, he’s learned what works, what doesn’t, and how to optimize your presentation for results.  Today, he shares the 3 most important things to get right. By nailing these...

Starting a SaaS business? Plan for success. Decisions you make early on can limit or expand your company’s potential. To give your software the best chance at the biggest market share, you have to create the space to grow!  Today, we explain how. When we started our own software business, we did a few things right from Day One. We also did a few things really, really wrong (and paid the price late...

The best way to be an influencer? Earn the trust of the influential. Making a good name for yourself starts with trust. But too many people (and brands) try to earn trust in ways that are superficial, or too focused on demonstrating their value.  Today’s guest teacher, Jon Levy, believes there’s a better way. It’s less about proving yourself, and more about making meaningful connections. And surpr...

Has your company been asked to sponsor an online event? Once your business has a certain reach, online event planners will notice. They’ll come to you with offers to sponsor an online conference, seminar, or other event — and promise serious brand exposure for you. Is it really a good investment? It’s Q&A Wednesday Monday, and we’re talking to a listener who’s considering it. Our companies have sp...