DecaMillionaire Decoded

Succession planning and exit planning are terms that are often used interchangeably. However, each one is a vital aspect of business planning that works to achieve different outcomes. So, what is the difference? In this episode, I take a closer look at succession planning vs. exit planning. I also discuss their benefits, why and how business owners should use them, and when to begin planning.   Th...

Understanding your customers is a critical aspect of business. But there might be more substantial benefits than you think. When you're just starting off, it's usually necessary to take on as many clients as you can. However, as you grow, this practice could actually stunt the growth of your business. In this episode, I discuss 3 ways (metrics) to determine your ideal client and how you can use th...

Business owners are just wired differently than most people. We want to do things our way and we're willing to work twice as hard to make that a possibility. I've often said we're the only people in the world who will work 80 hours per week for ourselves so that we don't have to work 40 for someone else. But it takes a special kind of person to succeed in business. You've got to be tenacious and w...

As a business owner, you must always be ready for change. Adapting and reacting to shifts in the market, technologies, consumer trends, etc., can help keep your business moving in the right direction. Sometimes, that means pivoting away from your original plan. Pivoting to a new business model or offering doesn't indicate failure. If done properly, it could be an effective strategy. In this episod...

One of the greatest parts of entrepreneurship is the freedom to choose how you're going to operate your business. You can choose the type of business you want to run, what your product will be, who you're interested in helping, etc. The possibilities seem to go on and on into eternity. As long as you follow sound business principles, you're at least going to have a shot at success regardless of th...

Mentorship is a valuable asset in the business world. It is beneficial for both the mentor and the mentee. The mentee benefits from your experience. On the other hand, you, as the mentor, get to sharpen your skills and increase your network. Perhaps you've identified a promising young talent in your company and want to help them grow. But where do you begin? What's the most effective path to accel...

When you own a family business, it's important to keep family discord and internal conflict out of the business. Those who can manage the family dynamics within their companies will often see them become generational businesses. But that's not always the easiest thing to do. In this episode, I'm joined by a father & son team who has made the family business work. My dear friends Chris (CEO) and Sc...

Owning a family business is as much a part of the American dream as having a house with a front porch swing and white picket fence. It's a fine dream to have, and for many, it can be a reality. However, owning a family business is hard. You're dealing with all the usual problems business owners face while adding complex family dynamics to the mix. Things can grow even more complicated when it's ti...

Recession is a very real part of the economic cycle. Yet, it's one that nobody really likes to talk about. Understandably, the term conjures many negative emotions. People become fearful during periods of uncertainty in the economy. But we must think differently, as business owners. Although your instinct may be to draw back and cut spending during economic uncertainty, this will likely prevent yo...

Luke Acree is the President of ReminderMedia, an organization that helps businesses generate leads, develop repeat clients, and capture referrals. Under Luke's leadership, ReminderMedia has expanded its product line to include turnkey social media management, digital magazines, email marketing, and analytics. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Longwood University and al...

Business owners all over the country are feeling the effects of inflation in their organizations. The longer it goes on, the harder it becomes to simply "wait it out." The truth is many business owners are facing a tough choice… continue watching their profit margins diminish until they're forced to close their doors or increase their pricing. But how can business owners raise their rates without...

In the tough economy we're in, we frequently see fierce price wars raging between companies. Business owners are tenacious, bullheaded, and ferociously competitive people. We want to win at all costs, and all the time. But winning a price war can be dangerous—when we're not careful with our emotions, we can find ourselves trying to win a race to the bottom. So, when you see your competitors drasti...

Christopher Shea is the Chief Investment Officer at WealthSource Partners, a financial advisory firm dedicated to helping financial advisors thrive with business resources, innovative solutions, and ongoing support. Chris's diverse career in the investment management industry includes security research, portfolio construction consulting, investment product development, and portfolio management. Be...

Business owners and leaders always set visions not only for their companies, but for products and services as well. The thing is, life happens, and not everything turns out exactly as we plan. While we leaders and managers can push through change, disruptions, or obstacles, it's not necessarily the same for teams and employees—and we're inclined to go so fast that we don't think about how the peop...

Many of us business owners are like drivers: our heads are always in the future, thinking about where our companies are headed. On the other hand, many of us aren't experts in human resources and have difficulty working with groups of people with different personalities and skill sets. Still, people are an essential aspect of a company and we have to have a core group of high-performing employees...

Undoubtedly, in our lives as business owners, we will reach a point where we find ourselves considering selling our businesses. Some owners may feel like they've already achieved a certain goal while others may want to sell their business to raise funds for a new venture. Whatever the reason is, we business owners need to be prepared, and we need to take a step back and evaluate whether it's reall...

What do you do when you hire the wrong person into your company? One of the most difficult aspects of owning and running a business is human resources—people, and hiring them. As business owners, we spend a lot of time, money, resources, sweat, intellectual equity, and energy trying to hire the right people: we articulate and write the perfect job description and go through hours of countless inte...

We entrepreneurs have an unbelievable propensity for optimism. When it comes to cutting ties with something familiar, we often face familiarity bias. So, when it's time to phase out a product or service, we tend to cling to it. Or because it's familiar to us, we never know the right time to innovate our product or service mix and lose out on opportunities to widen our margins. But, friends, the wo...

Every day when I turn on the news I see the word "inflation" and never in my life have I seen this word so much. Just the other day, my wife and I went to our local grocery store and purchased bacon, but the cost has been getting increasingly expensive. It's not just food—we've seen inflation impact power bills and gasoline. Every time we turn around, it seems like inflation is rearing its ugly he...

You've probably heard me preach—shout from the mountaintops, even—several times that for us to drive the values of our companies, we have to decentralize ourselves. We have to remove ourselves from the epicenter of our business—position ourselves where it can function without us. But if decentralization is crucial to the success of our companies, why do we keep returning to the fray?   In this epi...

Sales and marketing teams play similar roles in a company. However, many business owners fail to understand the relationship between sales and marketing, costing them resources and the opportunity to efficiently scale their businesses. When it is understood, cultivated, and optimized, a balance of sales and marketing can create happy, long-term customers while boosting a company's growth.   In thi...

I went through the process of exiting three businesses in the last year. Despite my experience as an entrepreneur and certified exit planning advisor, I found that the process of moving my business from an illiquid to a liquid position was challenging. Truly, there's no amount of preparation that can prepare you for the emotional rollercoaster you're going to ride as you exit your business.   What...

There are a few ways to sell your business: you can sell to a family member or your employees or managers. But what if none of your family members want to take over your business? What if your managers don't feel ready to take an entrepreneurial role? In that case, you may want to sell your business to an open market. Just like other exit strategies, selling your company to an open market comes wi...

The idea of selling a company to a manager or a group of employees isn't unheard of. In my decades of being an entrepreneur and consultant to other business owners, I've listened to many conversations about transitioning organizations to workers. But should you actually sell your business to your employee? What are the holes and blindspots that you need to consider? In this episode, I discuss the...

Whenever I sit down with business owners and ask them where their business is going to end up, the majority of them have the same answer: they'll give it to their kids. But even if business owners transition their business to their family, it is not without risk. So, if you're an entrepreneur who wants your children to continue your business legacy someday, what are the things you can do to make a...