The $100 MBA Show

They say “it takes money to make money.” We say: Hold my beer. You don’t need major investment or capital saved up to create a business. In fact, just to show how little you can start with, today we explore how to start with nothing! Before he was the game-changing business coach and SaaS founder we know and love today, Omar had to start from scratch — without any scratch. In this episode, he shares how he started a real business with nothing but a little networking, creativity, and gumption. And of course, you can do the same. It may take a little time, but starting with little or nothing is actually one of the best ways to see if a business really has legs. Why sink money into something that may or may not work? Instead, you can know for sure that something works so well, it doesn’t even need a cash kickstarter. If startup capital is what’s holding you back, give this episode a listen. It just might open your eyes to the possibilities. Click Play!  SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS Stitcher | SoundCloud | Podcast Feed | How To Subscribe Give us a Rating & Review Today’s Sponsors The $100 MBA Live Ready to unlock your potential as an entrepreneur? Ready to gain the knowledge, skills, and mindset necessary to make your independent business dreams a reality? If you need help getting unstuck and moving to that next level, The $100 MBA Live is for you. Join The $100 MBA Show host Omar Zenhom for a 2-day, in-depth workshop series that will make a better, more effective, more successful entrepreneur — guaranteed. Head to 100mba.net/live for details! Recommended Tools WP Engine WP Engine is our first choice for small business website hosting (seriously, you’re looking at one of our WP Engine sites right now). They’ve got the tools, features, and power you need to keep your online storefront going strong — and customer support is incredible, like having an extra tech team by your side 24/7. WP Engine has a plan for every size business! Get 20% off at wpeng.in/mba and use PROMO CODE WPE20OFF ConvertKit ConvertKit has everything you need for effective email marketing — and they make it ridiculously easy. From newsletter subscriptions to complex automations, ConvertKit is the most straightforward way to build your campaigns. Best of all, ConvertKit will even migrate your whole list, sequences, and forms from another platform for you! Check out the best email platform for independent business people at 100mba.net/convertkit WebinarNinja Share what you know, and grow your business — the easy way. WebinarNinja lets you teach, market, and sell with the user-friendliest webinar software ever created. With built-in features like automated emails, an easy landing page builder, and more, it’s never been easier to connect with your audience. Best of all, WebinarNinja comes with a FREE 14-day trial so you can see if it’s a good fit for you, risk free. Head to webinarninja.com and use promo code MBA for 15% off your first month or year. The post MBA2191 Can You Start a Business With Zero Capital? appeared first on The $100 MBA.

Sometimes, you just need more revenue. Often, that means getting more customers. But not always! For example, today might be the first Q&A Wednesday in which — rather than simply answering the question — we suggest our loyal listener rethink the problem in the first place. In this episode, we help a barbershop owner with a steady, profitable business that just isn’t growing. While the needs of a brick & mortar business can be a little different from the online kind, the basic principles are universal. Getting more folks in the door (digital or literal) is always a good idea. But is it the top priority, or the best strategy to accomplish the real goal: more revenue? Hear our suggestions for helping this barbershop maximize profits — and why that doesn’t necessarily mean putting more butts in the chairs. Click Play!  SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS Stitcher | SoundCloud | Podcast Feed | How To Subscribe Give us a Rating & Review Today’s Sponsors The $100 MBA Live Ready to unlock your potential as an entrepreneur? Ready to gain the knowledge, skills, and mindset necessary to make your independent business dreams a reality? If you need help getting unstuck and moving to that next level, The $100 MBA Live is for you. Join The $100 MBA Show host Omar Zenhom for a 2-day, in-depth workshop series that will make a better, more effective, more successful entrepreneur — guaranteed. Head to 100mba.net/live for details! Recommended Tools WP Engine WP Engine is our first choice for small business website hosting (seriously, you’re looking at one of our WP Engine sites right now). They’ve got the tools, features, and power you need to keep your online storefront going strong — and customer support is incredible, like having an extra tech team by your side 24/7. WP Engine has a plan for every size business! Get 20% off at wpeng.in/mba and use PROMO CODE WPE20OFF ConvertKit ConvertKit has everything you need for effective email marketing — and they make it ridiculously easy. From newsletter subscriptions to complex automations, ConvertKit is the most straightforward way to build your campaigns. Best of all, ConvertKit will even migrate your whole list, sequences, and forms from another platform for you! Check out the best email platform for independent business people at 100mba.net/convertkit WebinarNinja Share what you know, and grow your business — the easy way. WebinarNinja lets you teach, market, and sell with the user-friendliest webinar software ever created. With built-in features like automated emails, an easy landing page builder, and more, it’s never been easier to connect with your audience. Best of all, WebinarNinja comes with a FREE 14-day trial so you can see if it’s a good fit for you, risk free. Head to webinarninja.com and use promo code MBA for 15% off your first month or year. The post MBA2190 Q&A Wednesday: How do I get more clients into my barbershop? appeared first on The $100 MBA.

What are people really buying when they buy your product? The answer to that question can make selling it dramatically easier. Of course, it requires a little thought. Whatever your product or service is, it’s a means to an end for the consumer. And the end is all that matters, when it comes to your marketing and sales approach. What will the customer actually get once they put your product into action? Answer that honestly and fearlessly, and you won’t have to do much “selling.” Today, we share examples of the businesses that do this best. They look beyond the sale to the meaningful, real-life result their product brings. By understanding the real benefit of what they sell, these entrepreneurs make their products impossible not to buy. This strategy is all about simplicity and clarity. Get to the heart of what gives your product its true value, and it’ll almost sell itself. Hear some of the best examples of this principle at work — Click Play!  SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS Stitcher | SoundCloud | Podcast Feed | How To Subscribe Give us a Rating & Review Today’s Sponsors The $100 MBA Live Ready to unlock your potential as an entrepreneur? Ready to gain the knowledge, skills, and mindset necessary to make your independent business dreams a reality? If you need help getting unstuck and moving to that next level, The $100 MBA Live is for you. Join The $100 MBA Show host Omar Zenhom for a 2-day, in-depth workshop series that will make a better, more effective, more successful entrepreneur — guaranteed. Head to 100mba.net/live for details! Recommended Tools WP Engine WP Engine is our first choice for small business website hosting (seriously, you’re looking at one of our WP Engine sites right now). They’ve got the tools, features, and power you need to keep your online storefront going strong — and customer support is incredible, like having an extra tech team by your side 24/7. WP Engine has a plan for every size business! Get 20% off at wpeng.in/mba and use PROMO CODE WPE20OFF ConvertKit ConvertKit has everything you need for effective email marketing — and they make it ridiculously easy. From newsletter subscriptions to complex automations, ConvertKit is the most straightforward way to build your campaigns. Best of all, ConvertKit will even migrate your whole list, sequences, and forms from another platform for you! Check out the best email platform for independent business people at 100mba.net/convertkit WebinarNinja Share what you know, and grow your business — the easy way. WebinarNinja lets you teach, market, and sell with the user-friendliest webinar software ever created. With built-in features like automated emails, an easy landing page builder, and more, it’s never been easier to connect with your audience. Best of all, WebinarNinja comes with a FREE 14-day trial so you can see if it’s a good fit for you, risk free. Head to webinarninja.com and use promo code MBA for 15% off your first month or year. The post MBA2189 How To Sell More with a Strong Reason to Buy appeared first on The $100 MBA.

The better you communicate, the better your business will do. And yes, for almost every entrepreneur, that means having to write well. Whether it’s books, e-books, blog posts, sales copy, or even just social media, you need the written word. Even if it’s just for that all-important SEO, you have to write. The good news? You don’t have to be Stephen King to produce great writing. …just ask Stephen King. Today, we review his classic On Writing, where the mega-best-selling author shares a powerful secret: anyone can write, if you just put in the effort. Of course, a little strategy helps too. In this episode, we share the entrepreneur’s take on King’s book, and share the takeaways that business people can use to enhance their communication, from marketing copy to partnership proposals. Learn how the entrepreneur in you can unleash the writer in you! Click Play!  SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS Stitcher | SoundCloud | Podcast Feed | How To Subscribe Give us a Rating & Review Today’s Sponsors The $100 MBA Live Ready to unlock your potential as an entrepreneur? Ready to gain the knowledge, skills, and mindset necessary to make your independent business dreams a reality? If you need help getting unstuck and moving to that next level, The $100 MBA Live is for you. Join The $100 MBA Show host Omar Zenhom for a 2-day, in-depth workshop series that will make a better, more effective, more successful entrepreneur — guaranteed. Head to 100mba.net/live for details! Recommended Tools WP Engine WP Engine is our first choice for small business website hosting (seriously, you’re looking at one of our WP Engine sites right now). They’ve got the tools, features, and power you need to keep your online storefront going strong — and customer support is incredible, like having an extra tech team by your side 24/7. WP Engine has a plan for every size business! Get 20% off at wpeng.in/mba and use PROMO CODE WPE20OFF ConvertKit ConvertKit has everything you need for effective email marketing — and they make it ridiculously easy. From newsletter subscriptions to complex automations, ConvertKit is the most straightforward way to build your campaigns. Best of all, ConvertKit will even migrate your whole list, sequences, and forms from another platform for you! Check out the best email platform for independent business people at 100mba.net/convertkit WebinarNinja Share what you know, and grow your business — the easy way. WebinarNinja lets you teach, market, and sell with the user-friendliest webinar software ever created. With built-in features like automated emails, an easy landing page builder, and more, it’s never been easier to connect with your audience. Best of all, WebinarNinja comes with a FREE 14-day trial so you can see if it’s a good fit for you, risk free. Head to webinarninja.com and use promo code MBA for 15% off your first month or year. Show Links On Writing by Stephen King The post MBA2188 Must Read: On Writing by Stephen King appeared first on The $100 MBA.

No business product magically solves everything. Lately, we’ve seen more and more companies offering pre-fabricated marketing and sales “funnels.” Some of these companies claim that their funnels can replace things like your company website. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with these funnels. But the way they’re marked misses the point. Today, we explore the value of specific, targeted funnels and the products designed to build them. More importantly, we dig into how your own website is an irreplaceable complement — or even an integral part of — your marketing and sales funnels. Some of this debate is semantic, but most of it is strategic. Learn exactly what funnels are and how they work, and why you should always maintain a website, even when you have other assets doing some of the marketing and sales work for you. Click Play!  SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS Stitcher | SoundCloud | Podcast Feed | How To Subscribe Give us a Rating & Review Today’s Sponsors Capella University At Capella University, you’re in control of your education. With the game-changing FlexPath format, you can take classes at your own pace, set your own deadlines, and even leverage your previous experience to move faster. And the faster you move, the more you’ll save. Now THAT’s smart. Learn more at capella.edu. Recommended Tools WP Engine WP Engine is our first choice for small business website hosting (seriously, you’re looking at one of our WP Engine sites right now). They’ve got the tools, features, and power you need to keep your online storefront going strong — and customer support is incredible, like having an extra tech team by your side 24/7. WP Engine has a plan for every size business! Get 20% off at wpeng.in/mba and use PROMO CODE WPE20OFF ConvertKit ConvertKit has everything you need for effective email marketing — and they make it ridiculously easy. From newsletter subscriptions to complex automations, ConvertKit is the most straightforward way to build your campaigns. Best of all, ConvertKit will even migrate your whole list, sequences, and forms from another platform for you! Check out the best email platform for independent business people at 100mba.net/convertkit WebinarNinja Share what you know, and grow your business — the easy way. WebinarNinja lets you teach, market, and sell with the user-friendliest webinar software ever created. With built-in features like automated emails, an easy landing page builder, and more, it’s never been easier to connect with your audience. Best of all, WebinarNinja comes with a FREE 14-day trial so you can see if it’s a good fit for you, risk free. Head to webinarninja.com and use promo code MBA for 15% off your first month or year. Show Links The $100 MBA Live The post MBA2187 Are Funnels Better Than Websites? + Free Ride Friday appeared first on The $100 MBA.

Recessions are like rainstorms. They’re not something you can avoid. They’re something you prepare for. Just as you might keep an umbrella or a raincoat around, a business owner needs a plan in place for when the economy takes one of its natural, cyclical downturns. And that plan should not include winding down or stopping your marketing efforts. You just need to approach the market with a recession mindset. An ugly economy can be just as good a reason to buy something as to not buy something. When consumers experience financial anxiety, they don’t respond only by hoarding cash. Many respond by looking for more value in every purchase. In other words, people don’t always shop less in a recession. They often just shop smarter. All you have to do is position your product or service as the smartest choice! Today, we share our approach to marketing when things aren’t exactly bullish. With a little strategy, optimism, and trust in the good sense of your customers, you can not only survive a recession, but thrive in it. Click Play!  SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS Stitcher | SoundCloud | Podcast Feed | How To Subscribe Give us a Rating & Review Today’s Sponsors The $100 MBA Live Ready to unlock your potential as an entrepreneur? Ready to gain the knowledge, skills, and mindset necessary to make your independent business dreams a reality? If you need help getting unstuck and moving to that next level, The $100 MBA Live is for you. Join The $100 MBA Show host Omar Zenhom for a 2-day, in-depth workshop series that will make a better, more effective, more successful entrepreneur — guaranteed. Head to 100mba.net/live for details! Recommended Tools WP Engine WP Engine is our first choice for small business website hosting (seriously, you’re looking at one of our WP Engine sites right now). They’ve got the tools, features, and power you need to keep your online storefront going strong — and customer support is incredible, like having an extra tech team by your side 24/7. WP Engine has a plan for every size business! Get 20% off at wpeng.in/mba and use PROMO CODE WPE20OFF ConvertKit ConvertKit has everything you need for effective email marketing — and they make it ridiculously easy. From newsletter subscriptions to complex automations, ConvertKit is the most straightforward way to build your campaigns. Best of all, ConvertKit will even migrate your whole list, sequences, and forms from another platform for you! Check out the best email platform for independent business people at 100mba.net/convertkit WebinarNinja Share what you know, and grow your business — the easy way. WebinarNinja lets you teach, market, and sell with the user-friendliest webinar software ever created. With built-in features like automated emails, an easy landing page builder, and more, it’s never been easier to connect with your audience. Best of all, WebinarNinja comes with a FREE 14-day trial so you can see if it’s a good fit for you, risk free. Head to webinarninja.com and use promo code MBA for 15% off your first month or year. The post MBA2186 How to Market During a Recession appeared first on The $100 MBA.

A bad hire can cost you. There’s nothing worse than wasting time, money, and effort bringing in someone new, only to lose them shortly thereafter. Maybe they don’t have the right skills. Maybe they lack the right work ethic. More often, they don’t have the right attitude. But that’s not the most important reason it didn’t work out. The most important reason is that you didn’t see what they were lacking before you hired them. It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’ve got a listener who’s having trouble finding the right help. In this episode, we share our exact system for hiring, for any position. From the initial job posting to the final interview to the trial period (yes, there should be a trial period), we share step by step how we almost always manage to find a great fit.  Before your next hire, hear how our process works — and decide if it can work for you. Click Play!  SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS Stitcher | SoundCloud | Podcast Feed | How To Subscribe Give us a Rating & Review Today’s Sponsors The $100 MBA Live Ready to unlock your potential as an entrepreneur? Ready to gain the knowledge, skills, and mindset necessary to make your independent business dreams a reality? If you need help getting unstuck and moving to that next level, The $100 MBA Live is for you. Join The $100 MBA Show host Omar Zenhom for a 2-day, in-depth workshop series that will make a better, more effective, more successful entrepreneur — guaranteed. Head to 100mba.net/live for details! Recommended Tools WP Engine WP Engine is our first choice for small business website hosting (seriously, you’re looking at one of our WP Engine sites right now). They’ve got the tools, features, and power you need to keep your online storefront going strong — and customer support is incredible, like having an extra tech team by your side 24/7. WP Engine has a plan for every size business! Get 20% off at wpeng.in/mba and use PROMO CODE WPE20OFF ConvertKit ConvertKit has everything you need for effective email marketing — and they make it ridiculously easy. From newsletter subscriptions to complex automations, ConvertKit is the most straightforward way to build your campaigns. Best of all, ConvertKit will even migrate your whole list, sequences, and forms from another platform for you! Check out the best email platform for independent business people at 100mba.net/convertkit WebinarNinja Share what you know, and grow your business — the easy way. WebinarNinja lets you teach, market, and sell with the user-friendliest webinar software ever created. With built-in features like automated emails, an easy landing page builder, and more, it’s never been easier to connect with your audience. Best of all,  WebinarNinja comes with a FREE 14-day trial so you can see if  it’s a good fit for you, risk free. Head to webinarninja.com and use promo code MBA for 15% off your first month or year. The post MBA2185 Q&A Wednesday: How do I not hire the wrong person? appeared first on The $100 MBA.

The Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale feels almost as obligatory as Thanksgiving itself. But do you have to do it? Sometimes, following the herd is the best way to get lost in the crowd. With a billion promotional emails hitting inboxes this time of year, is your holiday sale a smart play, or just adding to the noise? Just because everyone else is doing it doesn’t mean you have to — but it doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t, either. So what are your options? Today, we explore different takes on the Black Friday/Cyber Monday strategy. When you run your own business, you get to decide how — and even when — to do promotions like this. And by doing things a little differently, you can stand out while staying true to your company’s core values. Hear what other businesses (including ours) do to put our own twist on the holiday sale. Then, do things your way. Click Play!  SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS Stitcher | SoundCloud | Podcast Feed | How To Subscribe Give us a Rating & Review Today’s Sponsors The $100 MBA Live Ready to unlock your potential as an entrepreneur? Ready to gain the knowledge, skills, and mindset necessary to make your independent business dreams a reality? If you need help getting unstuck and moving to that next level, The $100 MBA Live is for you. Join The $100 MBA Show host Omar Zenhom for a 2-day, in-depth workshop series that will make a better, more effective, more successful entrepreneur — guaranteed. Head to 100mba.net/live for details! Recommended Tools WP Engine WP Engine is our first choice for small business website hosting (seriously, you’re looking at one of our WP Engine sites right now). They’ve got the tools, features, and power you need to keep your online storefront going strong — and customer support is incredible, like having an extra tech team by your side 24/7. WP Engine has a plan for every size business! Get 20% off at wpeng.in/mba and use PROMO CODE WPE20OFF ConvertKit ConvertKit has everything you need for effective email marketing — and they make it ridiculously easy. From newsletter subscriptions to complex automations, ConvertKit is the most straightforward way to build your campaigns. Best of all, ConvertKit will even migrate your whole list, sequences, and forms from another platform for you! Check out the best email platform for independent business people at 100mba.net/convertkit WebinarNinja Share what you know, and grow your business — the easy way. WebinarNinja lets you teach, market, and sell with the user-friendliest webinar software ever created. With built-in features like automated emails, an easy landing page builder, and more, it’s never been easier to connect with your audience. Best of all, WebinarNinja comes with a FREE 14-day trial so you can see if it’s a good fit for you, risk free. Head to webinarninja.com and use promo code MBA for 15% off your first month or year. Show Links Green Friday The post MBA2184 Should You Run a Black Friday Promotion in 2022? appeared first on The $100 MBA.

Success is never immunity. Even the biggest businesses fail, as explored in this week’s Must-Read book review. Jim Collins’ How the Mighty Fall is a fascinating look at the demise of huge, multi-billion dollar enterprises — but its lessons are just as applicable to small businesses. If success leaves clues, so does failure. Your business isn’t FTX, or Blockbuster, or Nokia. But the same patterns of leadership (or lack thereof) can sink a small business as easily as a giant one. As the leader of your business, it’s critical to avoid doing what more high-profile founders did wrong. Learn what caused some of the most successful companies in history to crash and burn. Hear the telltale signs of trouble on the horizon, and position your business for longevity, not just growth. Click Play!  SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS Stitcher | SoundCloud | Podcast Feed | How To Subscribe Give us a Rating & Review Today’s Sponsors The $100 MBA Live Ready to unlock your potential as an entrepreneur? Ready to gain the knowledge, skills, and mindset necessary to make your independent business dreams a reality? If you need help getting unstuck and moving to that next level, The $100 MBA Live is for you. Join The $100 MBA Show host Omar Zenhom for a 2-day, in-depth workshop series that will make a better, more effective, more successful entrepreneur — guaranteed. Head to 100mba.net/live for details! Recommended Tools WP Engine WP Engine is our first choice for small business website hosting (seriously, you’re looking at one of our WP Engine sites right now). They’ve got the tools, features, and power you need to keep your online storefront going strong — and customer support is incredible, like having an extra tech team by your side 24/7. WP Engine has a plan for every size business! Get 20% off at wpeng.in/mba and use PROMO CODE WPE20OFF ConvertKit ConvertKit has everything you need for effective email marketing — and they make it ridiculously easy. From newsletter subscriptions to complex automations, ConvertKit is the most straightforward way to build your campaigns. Best of all, ConvertKit will even migrate your whole list, sequences, and forms from another platform for you! Check out the best email platform for independent business people at 100mba.net/convertkit WebinarNinja Share what you know, and grow your business — the easy way. WebinarNinja lets you teach, market, and sell with the user-friendliest webinar software ever created. With built-in features like automated emails, an easy landing page builder, and more, it’s never been easier to connect with your audience. Best of all, WebinarNinja comes with a FREE 14-day trial so you can see if it’s a good fit for you, risk free. Head to webinarninja.com and use promo code MBA for 15% off your first month or year. Show Links How the Mighty Fall by Jim Collins The post MBA2183 Must Read: How the Mighty Fall by Jim Collins appeared first on The $100 MBA.

Affiliate marketing: one of the best ways to grow your business. We would know! There’s currently a small army of content creators and other industry pros pushing our SaaS platform, and we couldn’t be more grateful.  But if you’re thinking about having affiliates sell your own product or service, give this episode a listen first. It’s slightly more complex than simply “You sell my thing, you get a cut.” There’s more than one way to set up your affiliate program — and choosing the way that best suits your business is critical. Today, we share 4 specific models. We’ll discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each, and what you’ll need to consider before choosing one.  Having non-employees act as marketers and salespeople on your behalf is definitely a good thing, but you have to approach it strategically. The more intentional you are at the beginning, the better the results will be later. Click Play!  SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS Stitcher | SoundCloud | Podcast Feed | How To Subscribe Give us a Rating & Review Today’s Sponsors Mission Control What if there was an online business coaching program that focused strictly on what you need to do, and held you accountable, and that’s it? No fluff, no busywork, just personal guidance from an experienced entrepreneur. That’s Mission Control, Omar Zenhom’s exclusive new coaching program. Mission Control is a 52-week program where Omar personally guides you to the business outcomes you’re looking for — with no detours or side alleys along the way. Learn more at 100mba.net/mc Recommended Tools WP Engine WP Engine is our first choice for small business website hosting (seriously, you’re looking at one of our WP Engine sites right now). They’ve got the tools, features, and power you need to keep your online storefront going strong — and customer support is incredible, like having an extra tech team by your side 24/7. WP Engine has a plan for every size business! Get 20% off at wpeng.in/mba and use PROMO CODE WPE20OFF ConvertKit ConvertKit has everything you need for effective email marketing — and they make it ridiculously easy. From newsletter subscriptions to complex automations, ConvertKit is the most straightforward way to build your campaigns. Best of all, ConvertKit will even migrate your whole list, sequences, and forms from another platform for you! Check out the best email platform for independent business people at 100mba.net/convertkit WebinarNinja Share what you know, and grow your business — the easy way. WebinarNinja lets you teach, market, and sell with the user-friendliest webinar software ever created. With built-in features like automated emails, an easy landing page builder, and more, it’s never been easier to connect with your audience. Best of all,  WebinarNinja comes with a FREE 14-day trial so you can see if  it’s a good fit for you, risk free. Head to webinarninja.com and use promo code MBA for 15% off your first month or year. Show Links The Automated Webinar Challenge WebinarNinja Affiliate Program The post MBA2182 4 Affiliate Program Models to Make More Sales + Free Ride Friday appeared first on The $100 MBA.