The How of Business - How to start, run, grow and exit a small business.

Overcoming Fear to start and grow your small business, with Ruth Soukup - author of “Do It Scared: Finding the Courage to Face Your Fears, Overcome Obstacles, and Create a Life You Love”. Show Notes Page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/r255-ruth-soukup-overcoming-fear / "The whole idea behind ‘do it scared’ is not that you don’t ever feel afraid because we all feel afraid. It’s that you take action even in the face of fear and you continually take action because ultimately action is the antidote to fear." Ruth introduces the concept of the Seven Fear Archetypes, which she developed through research involving over 4,000 participants. These archetypes include the Procrastinator, Rule Follower, People Pleaser, Outcast, Self-Doubter, Excuse Maker, and Pessimist. Each archetype reflects distinct ways fear manifests, such as procrastination driven by perfectionism or self-doubt stemming from insecurities. Understanding these archetypes allows individuals to identify their unique fears and develop targeted strategies to overcome them. Our discussion also focuses on principles of courage, including “owning your choices” and “recognizing that balance is overrated.” Ruth argues that taking responsibility for one’s life, while letting go of the myth of perfection and balance, empowers individuals to prioritize purpose over superficial ideals. She highlights the importance of rejecting excuses, embracing imperfections, and persistently moving forward, even when success feels uncertain. This episode is hosted by Henry Lopez. The How of Business podcast focuses on helping you start, run and grow your small business. The How of Business is a top-rated podcast for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Find the best podcast, small business coaching, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com

How to take control of your time, and trade stress, overwhelm and anxiety for peace, freedom and clarity, with Andrew Hartman. Show Notes Page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/545-andrew-hartman-take-control/ Andrew Hartman introduces the "Time Boss" framework to help small business owners regain control over their time by setting boundaries, prioritizing tasks, and incorporating "whirlwind time" to manage daily interruptions. Andrew shares time management and productivity improvement tips and techniques for small business owners.  He also introduces his time operating system designed to multiply your time. By adopting weekly planning and reflection habits, entrepreneurs can reduce stress and sustainably increase productivity without overworking. Andrew Hartman is the Founder of Time Boss, a training organization helping leaders and their teams take control of their time to get more done with less stress and anxiety. He founded Time Boss after burning out several times over, even losing his sense of smell for a season. He has taken all he has learned over the years to build a system to help business leaders avoid the same mistakes and chaos. This episode is hosted by Henry Lopez. The How of Business podcast focuses on helping you start, run and grow your small business. The How of Business is a top-rated podcast for small business and entrepreneurs. Find the best podcast, small business coaching, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com

Discover the top 10 productivity tools that can supercharge your efficiency as a small business owner. Learn how Outlook keeps your scheduling organized, while Canva helps create stunning visuals. Find out why ChatGPT is the go-to for content generation and how Zapier automates tedious tasks. Unpack the benefits of Mailchimp and HubSpot for effective client communication. Get insights on choosing affordable and user-friendly technology to streamline your operations and boost productivity.

David Begin, a co-host and business expert, shares insights on the transformative 1-3-1 Problem Solving Method, designed to empower teams in small businesses. He emphasizes how this method encourages critical thinking and autonomy, allowing employees to independently tackle challenges. Discussion centers on fostering a culture of independent problem-solving, enhancing team dynamics, and navigating complex decisions. Real-world examples illustrate the benefits of delegating decision-making, which ultimately boosts accountability and free up owners for strategic tasks.

The 6 Stages of Successful Employee On-Boarding for small businesses. How to create an effective on-boarding process that sets new hires and contractors up for long-term success. Show Notes Page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/542-employee-on-boarding/ Go to the Show Notes to download the free Employee On-Boarding Guide. In this episode of The How of Business podcast, Henry Lopez dives deep into the essential strategies for creating a robust employee onboarding process tailored for small business owners. Employee onboarding is not just about the first day - it’s about setting new hires, including contractors, up for long-term success. From pre-hire preparation to ongoing support, Henry breaks down the six key stages of effective onboarding, offering practical tips to ensure new team members feel welcomed, engaged, and productive from the start. Some of the critical benefits discussed include improved employee retention, enhanced productivity, and clarity in role expectations. Henry highlights the importance of a well-prepared first day, structured training, regular performance check-ins, and continuous feedback. He also shares insights on avoiding common pitfalls, such as overwhelming new hires, and emphasizes how a smooth onboarding process can strengthen the culture of a small business. Listeners will learn how to develop a structured approach that fosters clear communication, effective training, and consistent feedback. Whether you’re looking to enhance your existing program or build one from scratch, this episode is packed with actionable advice to help you create a seamless onboarding experience that boosts productivity and retention for your small business. This episode is hosted by Henry Lopez. The How of Business podcast focuses on helping you start, run and grow your small business. The How of Business is a top-rated podcast for small business and entrepreneurs. Find the best podcast, small business coaching, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com

Navigating growth while minimizing chaos in your small business, with entrepreneur Garrett Delph. Show Notes Page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/541-garrett-delph-navigating-growth/ In this episode of The How of Business, Henry Lopez chats with serial entrepreneur Garrett Delph about how to navigate growth while minimizing chaos in your small business. Garrett shares his insights on streamlining operations, defining roles, and building a culture that fosters employee retention and sustainable growth. Learn how to scale your business without letting chaos take over! Garrett Delph advises that minimizing chaos in a small business requires mindful planning, clear role definitions, and effective delegation. He stresses that chaos often results from disorganization, reactive decision-making, and the lack of proper operational structures. To combat this, business owners should create clear job descriptions, define values that guide decision-making, and establish processes that support growth without overloading employees. He highlights the importance of hiring the right talent, creating growth paths for employees, and ensuring responsibilities are balanced. Garrett also emphasizes that chaos is not inevitable and can be managed with the right frameworks and proactive leadership. This episode is hosted by Henry Lopez. The How of Business podcast focuses on helping you start, run and grow your small business. The How of Business is a top-rated podcast for small business and entrepreneurs. Find the best podcast, small business coaching, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com

Explore the essence of competitiveness in small business! Discover how to build robust business models that drive profitability and growth. Learn about the importance of recognizing your competitors and the potential to outmaneuver them. Delve into strategic concepts like Blue Ocean Strategy and how identifying niche markets can keep you ahead. Find out the signs that indicate your business might be falling behind and why innovating and understanding your unique strengths are crucial for customer satisfaction and long-term success.

Achieving small business success requires personal sacrifice. What are you willing to sacrifice to launch and grow your small business? Show Notes Page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/r239-personal-sacrifice/ This is a re-release of Episode 239 of The How of Business podcast with additional new content and edits. Outline of this episode on the personal sacrifices required to achieve small business success: Definition and Meaning of Sacrifice: Henry Lopez, host of The How of Business podcast, defines "sacrifice" in the context of small business success: Sacrifice is defined as the destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else. Henry Lopez emphasizes that sacrifice is essential for small business success, particularly when launching a new business. Willingness to Make Sacrifices: A major obstacle to business success is the lack of willingness to make necessary sacrifices. Aspiring small business owners often struggle with giving up their current lifestyle, free time, or comfort in pursuit of their business dreams. Examples of Sacrifices: Sacrifices might include giving up hobbies, free time, sleep, and even time with friends and family. Henry explains that launching and growing a business often requires significant dedication and effort, sometimes at the expense of personal life. Financial Sacrifices: Aspiring business owners must have their personal finances in order to start and sustain a business. Henry highlights the importance of reducing debt, improving credit scores, and being financially prepared to go without a paycheck during the early stages of business start-up. Actionable Advice: Henry encourages listeners to list 2-5 specific things they are willing to sacrifice and allocate the time saved toward starting or building their business. He stresses the importance of being honest with oneself and remaining focused on these sacrifices to achieve long-term business goals. Sacrifice - what are you willing to personally sacrifice to become your own boss and start your first business? If you are already in business, what are you willing to sacrifice further to grow it? On this episode of the top-rated podcast for small business, Henry Lopez shares his thoughts on the kind of sacrifices that, based on his entrepreneurship experience, you must be willing to make in order to succeed as a small business owner - particularly when launching your first business. The questions to ask yourself include: What are you willing to sacrifice to realize your dreams of becoming your own boss? Are you willing to sacrifice your quality of life today for something more in the future? Are you willing to give up hobbies, free time, family time and friend time all to devote to your business? Are you willing to work harder than you ever have at something? This episode is hosted by Henry Lopez. The How of Business podcast focuses on helping you start, run and grow your small business. The How of Business is a top-rated podcast for small business and entrepreneurs. Find the best podcast, small business coaching, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com

Is your small business Scalable? How do you know if you are ready to scale, and how do you grow your business to the next level? Show Notes Page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/539-is-your-business-scalable/ How and when do you plan to scale? Particularly, when will you be able to scale past just yourself? On a previous episode of The How of Business podcast, episode 532, Henry Lopez addressed the higher-level question: Is Your Business Model Broken? How can you tell, and how do you fix it? A strong and healthy business model supports a business that is consistently profitable, can scale and remains competitive. Then on episode 537 Henry Lopez focused on Profitability. This episode help you determine if Your Small Business is Scalable. Topics include: What is Scaling? Signs Your Business is Ready to Scale. Why Should You Scale Your Small Business? Common Fears or Concerns. How Do You Scale Your Small Business? It’s fine if you simply want to be a solopreneur. But if you want to grow a business that is completely or somewhat owner-independent, if you want to be an entrepreneur, and perhaps be able to exit your business, then you need to scale to the next level. This episode is hosted by Henry Lopez. The How of Business podcast focuses on helping you start, run and grow your small business. The How of Business is a top-rated podcast for small business and entrepreneurs. Find the best podcast, small business coaching, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com

The Five Pillars of Leadership to help you lead a high-performing small business, with Brian Gottlieb. Show Notes Page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/538-brian-gottlieb-5-leadership-pillars/ Brian shares his entrepreneurial journey and introduces the five foundational pillars of leadership. Executing on these five leadership pillars allows you to develop a high-performing organization. And help your managers get out of crisis mode so they can effectively lead their teams. Brian Gottlieb is an inspirational business leader who in 2009, founded Tundraland Home Improvements on a plastic folding table with $3,000. Twelve years later, when he sold the family of businesses he created, they had diversified products, expanded across multiple states, grown to 600 employees, and neared $1 billion in lifetime sales. The company was recognized by INC 5000 as one of the fastest-growing companies in America. Brian’s leadership principles are simple: Have a well-defined strategy, empower your teams, provide world-class training, and execute with consistency. He believes that if you want to build a business, you must commit to building people. This clarity of focus created a meaningful culture, making his company the best place to work in his home state. Brian’s book “Beyond the Hammer: A Fresh Approach to Leadership, Culture, and Building High Performance Teams” is being published by Forbes and will be available September 10, 2024. This episode is hosted by Henry Lopez. The How of Business podcast focuses on helping you start, run and grow your small business. The How of Business is a top-rated podcast for small business and entrepreneurs. Find the best podcast, small business coaching, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com