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

5 Reasons You're Causing Chaos in your small business with Henry Lopez. To avoid or fix a chaotic business environment requires multiple approaches, but perhaps nothing is more important than asking ourselves (and perhaps our partners and leaders) if we are the primary cause of the chaos. Show notes page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/496-5-reasons-you-are-causing-chaos/ Reducing chaos and fostering a more organized and efficient environment within a small business can significantly contribute to its success and make it a significantly more enjoyable business to be a part of. We are not referring to good chaos – as there are times when some level of chaos is to be expected. We are talking about the consistently chaotic and disorganized work environment that perhaps has become the norm for your small business. 5 Reasons You're Causing Chaos: 1 – It’s Your Identity 2 – You’re not great at delegating. 3 – You’ve created a culture of dependency and chaos. 4 – You don’t trust your team. 5 – You are Managing, not Leading Henry Lopez is the host of The How of Business podcast – 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, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com

The process and benefits of Minority/Women-Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) Certification (starting at 11:52) to help grow your small business with Sheena Thomas. Show notes page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/495-sheena-thomas-mwbe-certification/  Sheena is a 25-year supplier diversity program and diversity certification program professional. As the first Black woman Executive Director of the only two regional certification agencies in Texas, she was responsible for the certification of over 40,000 combined applicants and was the Supplier Diversity Coordinator for the nation’s largest natural gas distributor, Atmos Energy. Minority/Women-Owned Business Enterprise Certification - a designation given to businesses that are primarily owned, managed, and controlled by individuals who are women or belong to a recognized minority group. This certification offers these businesses better access to certain public contracts, training, and financial opportunities. Sheena launched Lengo Strategic Partners in 2016 and helps minority and women owners gain access to corporate and government contracting opportunities by securing their M/WBE certifications. Lengo Strategic Partners also supports corporate clients by developing and enhancing supplier diversity programs. She is a newly published author with her debut collaboration project, “Building Beyond the 9 to 5” a collection of stories from Black women professionals and entrepreneurs. Minority, Women-Owned, Disadvantaged, and Small Business Enterprise Certifications offer entrepreneurs access to local, state, federal and corporate contracting opportunities. Henry Lopez is the host of The How of Business podcast – 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, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com  

Public Relations for Small Business with Megan Bennett. Megan shares her experiences and tips for using Public Relations to promote and grow a small business. Show notes page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/494-megan-bennett-public-relations/ Megan has been on the Light Years Ahead Public Relations team for over 20 years. She started working at Light Years Ahead just a year after college and fell so in love with public relations that she stayed on and helped build the company into what it is today. Her expertise focuses on managing clients, engaging with top national media daily, and securing meaningful media placements. She has spearheaded and implemented countless successful PR campaigns for numerous brands and small businesses. Megan understands what the media wants and what tactics work to obtain the most high-profile placements. When it comes to placing a story or segment for a client, she is relentless with the media, and she doesn't stop until she makes it happen! Public Relations is affordable and makes sense for many small businesses. Megan offers a free consultation to help you determine if they can help you promote your small business through their PR services. Henry Lopez is the host of The How of Business podcast – 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, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com  

Building vs. Buying a small business - which option may be best for you? David Barnett is back on the show to share his expertise on buying and selling small businesses. Show notes page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/493-david-barnett-build-vs-buy/ If you are thinking about investing in a small business, you essentially have two options: build your own business from scratch - including perhaps a franchise business - or buy an existing small business. David Barnett is an expert on the topic of buying and selling small businesses, and he is back on the show to share his knowledge and experience on the topic of Build vs. Buy. David Barnett has been working with small businesses for over 20 years.  He’s helped them grow, he’s helped entrepreneurs buy and sell them, and he’s helped people finance them. David is the author of 7 books about small business transactions and local investing. He’s the host of a YouTube channel with hundreds of videos about buying, selling, financing, and managing SMEs. Henry Lopez is the host of The How of Business podcast – 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, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com  

Aleric Heck, YouTube Ads Expert and Founder of AdOutreach, shares his entrepreneurial journey and how to utilize YouTube Ads to grow your small business. They discuss starting a YouTube channel, balancing college and entrepreneurship, using YouTube Ads to promote small businesses, effective retargeting, building a custom YouTube ad strategy, and creating a positive ripple effect through Ad Outreach.

Listener Q&A - Small Business Operations: Henry Lopez answers listener's small business questions related to small business operations.  Show notes page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/491-small-business-operations/ This is a special Listener Small Business Question & Answer episode! We have gathered some of the great questions our listeners have submitted related to the on-going operations of a small business through the Listener Survey, and Henry answers these questions on this episode of the How of Business podcast. This group of questions are about the operations of a business, from what it means to create processes and procedures to hiring and retaining the best staff for your small business. Episode Index: [0:00] - Overview of the Components, Departments or Areas of Small Business Operations. [8:05] - What does it really mean to create Processes and procedures? Does everything have to be written down in a formal format? [21:14] - What are the Duties and Responsibilities of a Small Business CEO? [28:30] - How to hire the best talent? Where do you look and what does a small business offer to keep their talented employees? Henry Lopez is the host of The How of Business podcast – 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, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com  

From selling guavas in a barrio in Santo Domingo as a child, to selling his startup to Mastercard in Silicon Valley, Edrizio De La Cruz shares his inspirational entrepreneur journey. Edrizio is the author of the new book "The Underdog Founder - How to Go from Unseen to Unstoppable". Show notes page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/490-edrizio-de-la-cruz-entrepreneurship/ Edrizio is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur and the first Latino Y-Combinator Visiting Partner. He is most known for selling FinTech startup Arcus to MasterCard, in its first Latin America acquisition. In 2013, Edrizio founded Arcus, a payments-as-a-service platform, secured $19M in funding from Y-Combinator, Ignia, SoftBank, and Citi Ventures, and grew the company to 100+ employees and 100+ clients, including Walmart, 7-Eleven, Santander, BBVA, and Rappi, before selling the business in 2021. "Underdog Founder" shares Edrizio De La Cruz’s improbable odyssey from selling guavas in a Dominican barrio to co-founding his startup, Arcus, in Silicon Valley. Arcus was recognized by Forbes as one of the most successful startups of 2021 and was later sold to Mastercard. This no-nonsense playbook is for the entrepreneurial dark horse, a memoir and business narrative that presents seven key principles to rise above racism, poverty, imposter syndrome, and every imaginable and unimaginable startup obstacle. Henry Lopez is the host of The How of Business podcast – 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, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com  

How to deliver Customer Service Excellence at your small business, with Micah Solomon. Micah is one of the world's leading experts on customer service. Show notes page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/489-micah-solomon-customer-service-excellence/ Micah is a Customer Service expert, and on this episode of The How of Business podcast he shares his vast experience helping companies deliver great customer service. He also shares actionable tips and advice from his latest book, “Can Your Customer Service Do This? Create an Anticipatory Customer Experience that Builds Loyalty Forever”. Henry Lopez is the host of The How of Business podcast – 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, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com  

Turning the Power of Mindset into Action, The Performance Paradox, with entrepreneur Eduardo Briceño. He explains that if all we do is perform at a high level, our performance suffers. To improve, we have to go beyond the known. To grow as a person and a business owner and entrepreneur. Show notes page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/488-eduardo-briceno-performance-paradox/ Eduardo shares his experiences and knowledge from his own life and his new book “The Performance Paradox: Turning the Power of Mindset into Action”, to help us develop greater purpose, joy, growth, and impact through our small businesses and in our lives. "The Performance Paradox" has been selected as a "must read" by The Next Big Idea Club, curated by Susan Cain, Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, and Dan Pink. Eduardo Briceño is a global keynote speaker and facilitator who guides many of the world’s leading companies in developing cultures of learning and high performance. Earlier in his career, he was the co-founder and CEO of Mindset Works, the first company to offer growth mindset development services. His TED Talk, How to Get Better at the Things You Care About, and his prior TEDx Talk, The Power of Belief, have been viewed more than nine million times. Henry Lopez is the host of The How of Business podcast – 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, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com  

Starting a flooring business with entrepreneur Bryan Park. Bryan shares his entrepreneurial journey, from attending the Air Force Academy to founding Footprints Floors, a nationwide full-service flooring provider. And his experiences and guidance on starting and growing a flooring small business. Show notes page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/487-bryan-park-starting-flooring-business/ Bryan Park is the founder and CEO of Footprints Floors, a full-service flooring provider in Colorado and across the nation. Under Bryan’s leadership, Footprints Floors has established an exceptional reputation by prioritizing the customer and promoting the best in people, products, and business practices, which has enabled rapid growth in over 160 territories. The flooring industry is a segment of the home improvement industry which generates over $500 billion in annual sales. Offering a range of options from hardwood and laminate to carpet and tile, the flooring industry can be a profitable small business venture for entrepreneurs. With the increasing focus on home aesthetics and comfort, along with the constant need for renovation in both residential and commercial spaces, the flooring industry presents lucrative opportunities for entrepreneurs. Henry Lopez is the host of The How of Business podcast – 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, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com