The $100 MBA Show

No matter how well your small business grows, it will stop. Not permanently, but definitely. You could be growing steadily for years before it happens, but it will happen. It’s happened to us. It happens to everyone! For whatever reason, the needles just stop moving, and nothing you try seems to work.  But there’s always a way forward. Today, we explore what to do when your business is just stuck....

As your business scales, you’ll need more customer support. There are companies out there that can handle it for you. Easy, right? Just pay a fee, and let someone else answer questions, troubleshoot, and otherwise deal with your customers for you. But is it a good idea? By outsourcing support, do you give up something besides the workload? We approach this issue a little differently in our company...

Are you tired of working from home? It’s not just you. While it seemed great at first (and there are lots of upsides), it can get old. That’s even more true if you don’t actively design a WFH lifestyle that maintains clear boundaries. It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’re helping one listener cope with the distractions.  It’s all there: your TV, your couch, your bed, and the rest. For many, productivity i...

Is your business idea…any good? If the answer is “no,” you don’t want to find out the hard way! That’s why validation is one of the most important steps you can take before investing too much into a product or service.  A business isn’t just a hobby or a passion. It has to be profitable to be sustainable. Today, we explain how to do just enough market research pre-launch to make your next idea a s...

Let’s get your financial house in order! Today’s episode is a very special one. Omar sat down for a chat with Michelle Brownstein, a Certified Financial Planner from Personal Capital . Together, Omar and Michelle discuss the big financial questions every entrepreneur needs to answer: How do you prepare for financial downturns and personal emergencies? How do you set yourself up for retirement? Wha...

How far can a side hustle take you? Pretty far, apparently. Nick Loper started building a business on the side, ultimately earning $550,000 in total revenue. That number includes the sale of the business, once it became valuable enough. How did he do it? Today, we take a break from our usual programming to bring you an extended interview with Nick Loper on The Side Hustle Show . He’ll tell the inc...

It’s the sale before the sale. When most of us think lead generation, we think freebies. Marketing content, free trials, free plans, etc. But what if that’s not the best way to create customers? What if making people pay their way into your funnel works out better? It just might. Today, we explain how getting someone to reach into their pocket is an excellent way to qualify them as a lead. Granted...

Your blog isn’t only for marketing. Or it doesn’t have to be, anyway. For a little supplemental income, you can convert your blog into a revenue-generator. It doesn’t take a ton of time or resources, and it won’t affect your marketing. But it works! Today, we share a few ways to pull this off. With some relatively simple options, you can earn more money from the traffic you’re already getting. Boo...

What makes people buy knowledge? A course or other training-based product is different. It’s not like selling a T-shirt or car. To sell guidance, you need a reliable system for finding the people who need it, and earning their trust. It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’re helping one listener do just that. This listener has multiple courses available through their website. Unfortunately, none of them are t...

Money is everything.  It’s not superficial to admit this. If you don’t have enough money, you can’t even start to work on fixing other problems. And one way or another, all your problems cost money to fix.  This is reality, not materialism. That includes the most un-material things: health, emotional and mental well-being, and spirituality. It all takes money. So how can you ensure you have enough...

Are you your best? Is your team their best? We understand: “Best” can be tough to define. Fortunately, we’ve got an expert in personal improvement and optimization: Michael Solomon. He’s here with a lesson on how to reach your highest potential — and get your team there, too. Hint: it’s all about quality feedback. As Solomon explains, everyone needs reliable, honest feedback to reach peak performa...

Let’s be clear: time off is an investment in your team. When people don’t have enough downtime, their work reaches a point of diminishing returns. But how do you know what’s “enough?” And how can you track and manage off-time for the whole team? We have some experience with this. With a remote team of dozens spread across four continents, we know how tricky it can be. You have to let your people r...

You need feedback.  It’s the only way to measure customer satisfaction and improve your product. If you’re not asking how you’re doing, you can expect trouble down the road. But it takes so much time…. It doesn’t have to! Today, we share a few ways you can gather the data you need without sucking up too many hours. With the right systems in place, you can keep fresh, valuable feedback coming in ev...

Can non-tech people run successful tech startups? It’s a common question. As co-founder of a SaaS business, our host Omar is a pretty good example of what non-techies can do in the software game.  But he’s not doing it alone, of course. It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’re helping one listener who’s got the basics in place. There’s a software product, a solid group of beta testers, and experience in busi...

Do we need to rethink in-person events? Will marketing and networking move permanently online? While COVID is increasingly closer to under control, it’s not quite over. Vaccines are out, but everything is still far from “normal.” Will people ever feel safe enough to gather again? Can we do so responsibly?  Today, we discuss what live events might look like going forward. If you’re making plans to...

Trouble following through? Laurie Gerber believes that success in business, life, and relationships has a common factor: personal integrity. It’s what allows you to show up for yourself, to hit the goals you set. To keep your promises to…you!  From there, you can be just as reliable for others. Today, Gerber shares what makes us accountable to ourselves. By focusing on this specific version of int...

Why stop at just one business? We run two: The $100 MBA , and our software company, WebinarNinja. In our experience, that comes with some ups and downs. Naturally, it takes more time and resources to run more than one operation. But multiple businesses can support each other! The key is to define your goals. Today, we discuss what to do with all that entrepreneurial energy. By picking and choosing...

Let’s keep the “lean” in your lean startup. One of the best ways to grow your business is to get the most out of every team member. But you don’t do it by demanding harder work; you do it by empowering employees to do their best work. And it doesn’t have to cost much. Today, we’ll share the most low-cost, high-impact ways we’ve helped our team members up their game. With a few smart moves, you can...

No one likes losing team members. Sometimes it’s the only way to save the business. But before you let the ax fall, consider a few alternatives. That way, if you have to let someone go, you’ll both know it was truly the last resort. It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’re helping one listener do just that. Many businesses were hit hard in the last year. The good news is that if your troubles are temporary,...

Why do people buy? A reduced price or extra bonus can help, but things like that won’t drive sales by themselves. The key to a really attractive deal isn’t in the savings or product details —  it’s in the psychology behind the offer. You’ll see what we mean. Today, we lay out the key components of an effective special offer. By combining a few elements, you can create offers that boost the heck ou...

You should write a book. No really! You don’t have to be Hemingway or Tim Ferriss. Anyone with expertise and a story can share both. The key is to write the right kind of book. Not a novel, not a tell-all memoir, and not something to impress critics. You want to write something with one purpose: marketing. Today, we review The 100-Page Book: The Business Owner’s Guide to Self-Publishing a Short Cu...

Stop offering too much. There’s an over-promising epidemic in marketing and sales today. Too many entrepreneurs try to get customers by promising the moon and stars. But even when your product or service can potentially deliver, can you really guarantee that outcome? It’s time to focus on what’s deliverable. Today, we discuss why promising less works better in the long run. It’s not about undersel...

Sales: most people think it’s really easy, or a mystical art. It’s neither. Great salesmanship is nothing more than understanding why people buy stuff. It’s effective application of a few key principles that pretty much always work.  But there’s one principle way too many people forget. Today, we explain what it is, and how it works. Sales is our host Omar’s thing. From his childhood in his father...

A real conversation goes a long way. We’re not talking about performance reviews or team meetings. We’re talking about frank, one-on-one dialogues with each member of your team. They work wonders!  That’s why we do them in our business. But how often is often enough? It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’re helping one listener get closer to his employees. We’ll explain why you should establish a consistent...

It can be hard to see how you’re doing. Just keeping up with the day-to-day of running a business can take most of your time. Then you add experiments with different strategies for sales, marketing, team management, and more. What’s left over? Where’s the time to analyze? Where’s the bandwidth for checking your progress? We’ve got a shortcut. With one clever little tactic, you can get a clear, rel...