The $100 MBA Show

Got more clients than you can handle? Ready to take the next step? It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’ve got a listener with an awesome problem: too many customers. He’s the only one who works at his own web services company, and it’s time to grow beyond solopreneurship. But how can he handle the quantity without sacrificing quality? Today, we’ll explain how to move past the solo phase. Scaling can be a h...

Firing people sucks. It’s not just uncomfortable. It’s a loss of investment in the employee, and a sign that you missed something along the way — possibly something that could’ve prevented the firing (or hiring!) in the first place.  You will have to fire people eventually. But you can be proactive in reducing how many. Today, we discuss the steps we take to make sure we fire as few people as poss...

“Long hours” is not the answer. If you think you’re too busy to run a business, we submit Yasmin Vorajee: a mother of 3 who operates her business in just 20 hours a week.  The author of Tiny Time, Big Results , Vorajee had to find a way to maximize her time…and boy, did she. Today, Vorajee explains her system for bringing in new business every week — in less time than it takes to watch a miniserie...

We automate emails, social posts, and a million other things.  Why not automate webinars? We’ve been experimenting with “on demand” or automated webinars for the last year or so, and it’s been great. Our pre-recorded lessons and sales pitches have brought us a bump in conversions and sales — all while we’re sleeping. Today, we’ll explain how to set up, record, promote, and follow up on these valua...

The sales funnel: if you’re in business, you’ve heard of it. But maybe you’ve heard too much. Today, we’ll break the funnel down into a simple, step-by-step plan to generate sales. We’ll put aside all the theorizing and competing expertises, and bring it back to basics. This is Creating Customers 101. We’ll establish the tried-and-true fundamentals of purposely building a funnel — from attracting...

He’s “not your guru.” But he’s something. Tony Robbins might be the biggest name in self-help. But is personal development professional development, too?  It’s Q&A Wednesday, and one listener is pondering whether to spend company dollars on a Robbins training session. The formerly in-person seminars have gone online, and the price has dropped accordingly. Is it a wise investment? Or is this too pe...

Morale doesn’t happen by accident. It affects productivity and outcomes. It keeps people on the team instead of looking elsewhere. It makes your employees go beyond working “hard,” and feel personally invested in their work.  So how can you cultivate morale? Today, we discuss how to make everyone feel like their work matters. We’ll explain what you can do to increase your team’s enjoyment of their...

New to paid advertising? Now’s the time to get into it. COVID-19 sent the price of online advertising down. Way down. Google, YouTube, social media platforms — every platform is ripe for getting exposure.  …and your potential customers are spending more time on those platforms than usual. Today, special guest teacher Tyler Jordan of Jordan Digital Marketing is here with a lesson on how to capitali...

We’ve said it before, and we’ll keep saying it: Take a break from chasing customers, and focus on the ones you already have! Your existing customers are the easiest group of people to market and sell to.  But do you have unnecessary barriers between them and further purchases? Are you making it easy to buy again, buy something else, or upgrade? You could be leaving revenue on the table. Today, we’...

The easier it is to pay, the more people buy. We’ve all been somewhere that doesn’t accept credit cards. But in the future, will not accepting methods like Apple Pay put your business in the same outdated category?  Today, we discuss whether Apple Pay is the next PayPal — or the next Visa. Does your website or brick & mortar need to make Apple Pay happen? If so, what does it take? What does it cos...

They say not to rush important decisions. But you can’t drag your feet, either. It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’ve got a listener who takes weeks or months to make a call. Worst of all, the time he takes doesn’t necessarily result in better decisions — it just delays everything that comes next. So how can we speed things up? Today, we’ll discuss how to categorize your decisions, and find the right amou...

You can’t do everything. But who should do what? It’s a great problem to have: Your business is growing, and you’re ready to hand responsibilities off to new hires.  But how do you know what the best talent looks like? You’re hiring because you don’t know that much about…development, marketing, whatever.  In other words, you’re not qualified to pick the right person! There’s a way around this.  To...

All marketing starts with awareness. So how do you get your name out there? We’ve got an expert with an answer. Luana Ribeira specializes in getting entrepreneurs exposure by giving the media what they want: good stories from interesting people. To earn credibility and trust with a wide audience, media exposure and general PR is a must. And with a little strategy, almost anyone can get themselves...

How are those open rates looking? As your email contact list grows, it takes a little more effort to manage.  You’ve got to protect your “sender reputation,” the metric by which email services decide whether your message is sent to the inbox — or to the dump. Today, we’ll discuss a few tactics you can use to clean up that list, and trim the less engaged contacts from your campaigns. The net result...

Stop asking when COVID-19 will end. Start asking how to do business around it. We’re half a year into the pandemic, and there are no signs of it going away anytime soon. Major changes in consumer and company behavior are reshaping the business landscape. Can you navigate it? Of course you can.  Coronavirus is a unique disease, but it’s not the first global disaster human beings have faced. What ca...

Facebook ads can be incredibly effective. But if you’re not careful, you can end up losing money. It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’ve got one listener who’s been running Facebook ads for 6 months, and can’t seem to get one crucial metric to move in the right direction: the cost per lead.  If you’re spending too much on every conversion, you might as well not advertise! Today, we discuss the 4 factors yo...

If you’re not evaluating your employees, you’re not getting your money’s worth. Just as importantly, the employees aren’t getting their time’s worth.  Finding out if your employees are growing — or just working — is crucial. But it has to be done in a way that’s fair and long-term-goal-oriented. Today, we’ll explain how it’s done. A solid evaluation system isn’t just to help you figure out who to...

When everyone’s faking not faking it…who can tell the difference? It’s hard for any brand earn trust when cynicism rules the Internet, and consumer bullsh*t radars are set to High Alert.  But it’s not impossible.  Today’s special guest teacher, Mark Toft, built a career on finding the authentic message behind the brands he worked with. By stripping the attempts to be real away, any business can sh...

Is your team making progress…or just working? It can be hard for individuals to stay focused on long-term goals, let alone teams. So making an effort to keep your employees on track isn’t just smart — it’s necessary.  Today, we discuss how to make sure your team isn’t losing sight of the horizon. By ensuring their time is spent on moving the ball forward, you can avoid their treading water. That w...

Can your business run without you? It’s important that it can.  As your operation grows, it becomes more and more dangerous for you — or anyone on your team — to be indispensable. When life happens and you can’t make it to work, your business should be able to run on autopilot, at least temporarily.  To do that, you need a playbook. A guide. A manual!  So let’s create one. Today, we’ll explain why...

Website down? That’s a crisis for almost any business. What now? It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’ve got a listener whose site crashed. No small business can afford that, at least not for long. More importantly, no small business should run without measures in place to prevent it from happening! Today, we’ll discuss how to get the help you need. It takes a little planning, effort, and money. But it’s wo...

We assume big price tags are for big businesses. But it’s the opposite, really. Today, we discuss why new and smaller companies think they have to undercut. While it might seem like a better way to sell your product at first, the message it sends — and the customers it attracts — can make this strategy backfire badly. You have to be able to afford your customers. And low prices can’t get you there...

A lack of credibility is deadly. For all your other assets, not being seen as reliable can negate everything else. That’s true for potential customers, business partners, and your own team. Today, we welcome a special guest who can help.  Alain Hunkins is a coach, consultant, and author who’s worked with some of the biggest companies in business. Today, he’s here with 3 things you can do right now...

We’ve all seen “influencers” casually (or not so casually) hawking products on social media. But can this be an effective marketing strategy for you? It’s FREE RIDE FRIDAY!!!, and we’re exploring influence. While having a semi-famous (or “Instagram famous”) person back your product undoubtedly raises awareness, does it create customers?  Can it work for small businesses, or it just for companies w...

The lifetime deal: smart strategy, or slippery slope? Many companies with monthly or other recurring-revenue business models consider this trick. You simply offer a great deal that never expires — ever.  Customers are locked in at a certain rate, for as long as they’re alive. This can backfire. Today, we do the math on lifetime deals. Is there a version of this that doesn’t eventually cost you mor...