The $100 MBA Show

For a small business, customer loyalty is the best guarantee of success. Ultra-happy customers create more business for you than any amount of marketing or advertising. Word of mouth is — and always will be — the undisputed champion of business growth, stability, and long-term success. So how do you create those die-hards? Today, special guest teacher Dave Charest is here with a system you can use to be discovered by your (soon to be) loyal supporters. Dave is the Director of SMB Success at Constant Contact, with access to loads of data on what really, truly works to drive engagement. With specific tips for 3 key areas of base-building, Dave will help you forge your biggest asset: your biggest fans. Learn how to help people discover your brand, turn them into customers, and leverage their passion for what you do. Click Play!  SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS Stitcher | SoundCloud | Podcast Feed | How To Subscribe Give us a Rating & Review Today’s Sponsors SYFOB Learn how to start your own business online, from scratch — without taking dangerous risks or sinking yourself into debt. This 10-part audio course lays out a complete roadmap for producing your first products and getting your brand off the ground. Get a special extended free trial of Himalaya Learning, an audio education platform with lessons from Tim Ferriss, Malcolm Gladwell, Omar, and more — just go to himalaya.com/mba and use promo code MBA. Shopify Supercharge your knowledge, sales, and success with Shopify: the all-in-one commerce platform to start, run, and grow your business. Shopify gives entrepreneurs the resources once reserved for big business, so start-ups and scale-ups can sell everywhere, synchronize online and in-person sales, and stay informed. Reach customers across social networks with an ever-growing suite of channel integrations and apps — including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and more. Plus, gain insights with detailed reporting on conversion rates, profit margins and beyond. Head to shopify.com/mba for a free 14-day trial. Show Links Constant Contact The post MBA2113 Guest Teacher – Dave Charest – How to Attract and Retain a Strong and Loyal Customer Base appeared first on The $100 MBA.

Let’s just say it: coaching isn’t always a good idea. There are times when it’s the best way to grow and advance as an entrepreneur. And there are times when it’s a colossal waste of time and money. Over years of developing businesses, Omar has had quite a few coaches. And of course, he’s been a coach too! With lots of experience from both sides of the coach/coach-ee equation, Omar is uniquely qualified to share a few (hard) truths about the business coaching industry. And suffice to say, it’s important to think very carefully before sinking significant cash into something that may or may not benefit you. Today, we discuss what makes coaching work, what makes it fail, and when coaching is most likely to be worth it. If you’re thinking about hiring a business coach, check out this episode first. Click Play!  SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS Stitcher | SoundCloud | Podcast Feed | How To Subscribe Give us a Rating & Review Today’s Sponsors SYFOB Learn how to start your own business online, from scratch — without taking dangerous risks or sinking yourself into debt. This 10-part audio course lays out a complete roadmap for producing your first products and getting your brand off the ground. Get a special extended free trial of Himalaya Learning, an audio education platform with lessons from Tim Ferriss, Malcolm Gladwell, Omar, and more — just go to himalaya.com/mba and use promo code MBA. 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 EasyCourse The post MBA2112 Do You Need a Business Coach? + Free Ride Friday appeared first on The $100 MBA.

You’re supposed to diversify and spread risk. But ideally, you’re also supposed to focus on one thing at a time. What’s an entrepreneur to do? For some of us, businesses are like potato chips or tattoos — it’s hard to have just one. That’s why so many independent founders have 2, 3, or more brands going at the same time. Is this some kind of addictive behavior? Or is it a smart way to keep your eggs in different baskets? Or is it both? Today, we explore the ups and downs of running multiple businesses at once. Naturally, we juggle our podcast and our SaaS (and occasionally, other stuff too). Does it stretch us too thin, or does it maximize our chances of success? Learn what factors you should consider before spinning those extra plates, and make a well-considered decision about what works best for you and your goals. Click Play!  SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS Stitcher | SoundCloud | Podcast Feed | How To Subscribe Give us a Rating & Review Today’s Sponsors SYFOB Learn how to start your own business online, from scratch — without taking dangerous risks or sinking yourself into debt. This 10-part audio course lays out a complete roadmap for producing your first products and getting your brand off the ground. Get a special extended free trial of Himalaya Learning, an audio education platform with lessons from Tim Ferriss, Malcolm Gladwell, Omar, and more — just go to himalaya.com/mba and use promo code MBA. Siemens Xcelerator Climate change, urbanization, and rising geopolitical tension are on the vast list of challenges we face today. Businesses have had to adapt to this ever-changing world to be more flexible, resilient, and innovative. Siemens Xcelerator is a single digital platform and enables you to accelerate your digital transformation fast, easily and at scale. The open business platform features a curated portfolio of IOT connected hardware and software, a growing, powerful ecosystem of partners, and a marketplace. Find out how Siemens Xcelerator can benefit your business digital transformation at siemens.com/xcelerator. The post MBA2111 Should You Diversify or Go All In With One Business? appeared first on The $100 MBA.

It can be easy to forget when you run your own business: you’re an employee, too. As such, you need compensation as much as anyone else on the team. No one can run a business when they can’t pay their rent. But too often, we feel like every dime we take for ourselves is somehow stolen from the company. It’s Q&A Wednesday, and one of our listeners is finally starting to see some real traction in their small business’s growth. Until now, our listener has been taking survival wages, just enough to keep lights on. But now that there’s more money coming in, how much is the founder entitled to? Omar has definitely been there. Serious consideration of founder pay is something too many entrepreneurs skip. It matters to you and your business how much you make. Moreover, it matters to the fundamental mission of your business, your big “why.” Today, we explore how to calculate the right number for you and your business. Plan your personal financial growth in the context of your business growth, so that you and the whole team succeed together. Click Play!  SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS Stitcher | SoundCloud | Podcast Feed | How To Subscribe Give us a Rating & Review Today’s Sponsors SYFOB Learn how to start your own business online, from scratch — without taking dangerous risks or sinking yourself into debt. This 10-part audio course lays out a complete roadmap for producing your first products and getting your brand off the ground. Get a special extended free trial of Himalaya Learning, an audio education platform with lessons from Tim Ferriss, Malcolm Gladwell, Omar, and more — just go to himalaya.com/mba and use promo code MBA. 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 MBA2110 Q&A Wednesday: Am I paying myself enough? appeared first on The $100 MBA.

Think of small businesses as David, and big businesses as Goliath. SEO is your slingshot. Paid advertising is getting wildly expensive, rapidly approaching the point where it’s out of reach for new and small businesses. Paying for attention and traffic can quickly deplete your resources. Bottom line: it’s not sustainable. But getting organic traffic from loyal followers who actually want to be on your website? That’s doable. Today, we explain how increasingly important SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is, and why you should take action immediately to make sure your SEO is as strong as it can be. We’ll discuss how to invest in SEO strategically, and why organic traffic is so much better than the traffic you get from throwing money at Google or Facebook. Every dime you spend on SEO is money you don’t have to spend on ads. Make an end-run around the trend. Boost your business on the strength of your content — not your ad budget. Click Play!  SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS Stitcher | SoundCloud | Podcast Feed | How To Subscribe Give us a Rating & Review Today’s Sponsors SYFOB Learn how to start your own business online, from scratch — without taking dangerous risks or sinking yourself into debt. This 10-part audio course lays out a complete roadmap for producing your first products and getting your brand off the ground. Get a special extended free trial of Himalaya Learning, an audio education platform with lessons from Tim Ferriss, Malcolm Gladwell, Omar, and more — just go to himalaya.com/mba and use promo code MBA. 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 WordPress Yoast Freelancer.com UpWork The post MBA2109 Why Should Invest in Your SEO Now appeared first on The $100 MBA.

You can get better at selling, just by thinking about it differently. Too many of us approach sales as an intimidating or mysterious skill — or worse, as a form of manipulation. As a result, we shy away from it. We think of it as one of those necessary evils that we just have to do to run a business. But what if sales isn’t like that at all? Sell It Like a Mango is a practical, easy read that’ll reframe your thinking about selling. Based on the author’s long experience in sales (starting with his childhood among Jamaican fruit vendors), this book looks at selling in a different, more practical, more human way. In other words, it explains how sales is something we can all do naturally. In fact, most of us already do, whether we realize it or not. Hear our takeaways from this excellent guide, and learn how the basics of effective sales don’t change, from fruit to software. Click Play!  SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS Stitcher | SoundCloud | Podcast Feed | How To Subscribe Give us a Rating & Review Today’s Sponsors SYFOB Learn how to start your own business online, from scratch — without taking dangerous risks or sinking yourself into debt. This 10-part audio course lays out a complete roadmap for producing your first products and getting your brand off the ground. Get a special extended free trial of Himalaya Learning, an audio education platform with lessons from Tim Ferriss, Malcolm Gladwell, Omar, and more — just go to himalaya.com/mba and use promo code MBA. 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. Show Links Sell it Like a Mango by Donald Kelly The Sales Evangelist Podcast The post MBA2108 Must Read: Sell It Like a Mango by Donald Kelly appeared first on The $100 MBA.

When you put a lot of effort into your marketing, there’s nothing worse than the sound of crickets. So many of us blog, vlog, tweet and post, only to get nothing out of it. We pump what we think is great content out into the Internet, and then…nothing. How can you turn this around? What can you do to finally get noticed by the audience you want to convert? Today, we finally shut those crickets up. In this episode, we’ll explore why certain brands don’t take off, and why it’s so hard (especially for new entrepreneurs) to get that initial traction. We’ll discuss what usually holds people back, and how some of the best examples in entrepreneurship have gotten over it. Learn how to make your voice heard. Hear a few exercises you can put into place right away, to start reshaping your approach for the better. Click Play!  SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS Stitcher | SoundCloud | Podcast Feed | How To Subscribe Give us a Rating & Review Today’s Sponsors SYFOB Learn how to start your own business online, from scratch — without taking dangerous risks or sinking yourself into debt. This 10-part audio course lays out a complete roadmap for producing your first products and getting your brand off the ground. Get a special extended free trial of Himalaya Learning, an audio education platform with lessons from Tim Ferriss, Malcolm Gladwell, Omar, and more — just go to himalaya.com/mba and use promo code MBA. 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 EasyCourse The post MBA2107 Why You Are Being Ignored + Free Ride Friday appeared first on The $100 MBA.

It’s one of the most effective ways to grow your following. But how do you pull it off? Here’s the good news: almost every podcast needs guests — lots of ‘em. Most of the time, your average podcast would be thrilled to have someone who knows their area of expertise and can carry a good conversation. You just have to be that person. Today, we explain how. Using Omar’s personal system, we’ll discuss how to get yourself invited onto the right podcasts, and how to prepare in a way that’ll make you more than just another guest. With the right strategy, you’ll make yourself the kind of guest who gets invited back — and gets invited to other shows. Learn how incredibly powerful podcast guest spots can be, and how to leverage that power to boost your brand. Click Play!  SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS Stitcher | SoundCloud | Podcast Feed | How To Subscribe Give us a Rating & Review Today’s Sponsors SYFOB Learn how to start your own business online, from scratch — without taking dangerous risks or sinking yourself into debt. This 10-part audio course lays out a complete roadmap for producing your first products and getting your brand off the ground. Get a special extended free trial of Himalaya Learning, an audio education platform with lessons from Tim Ferriss, Malcolm Gladwell, Omar, and more — just go to himalaya.com/mba and use promo code MBA. Siemens Xcelerator Climate change, urbanization, and rising geopolitical tension are on the vast list of challenges we face today. Businesses have had to adapt to this ever-changing world to be more flexible, resilient, and innovative. Siemens Xcelerator is a single digital platform and enables you to accelerate your digital transformation fast, easily and at scale. The open business platform features a curated portfolio of IOT connected hardware and software, a growing, powerful ecosystem of partners, and a marketplace. Find out how Siemens Xcelerator can benefit your business digital transformation at siemens.com/xcelerator. The post MBA2106 Tips for Being Interviewed on a Podcast appeared first on The $100 MBA.

What are your employees worth? What will it take to keep them? It’s a question every founder has to ask themselves, especially once the ball gets rolling. It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’ve got a listener who’s finally making decent profits — enough to start spreading the wealth to the team that helped make it happen. …but how much is a “good” raise? Today, we’ll explore how to create a raise-giving formula that rewards and retains your best employees without hurting the business. We’ll discuss what factors go into finding that number, how to evaluate employees and their contributions, and how to make the whole process fair and transparent. Of course, this is all based on our various experiments with salary increase structures and schedules, and the system we eventually stuck with. Learn how to share the fruits of everyone’s labor with…well, everyone! Click Play!  SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS Stitcher | SoundCloud | Podcast Feed | How To Subscribe Give us a Rating & Review Today’s Sponsors SYFOB Learn how to start your own business online, from scratch — without taking dangerous risks or sinking yourself into debt. This 10-part audio course lays out a complete roadmap for producing your first products and getting your brand off the ground. Get a special extended free trial of Himalaya Learning, an audio education platform with lessons from Tim Ferriss, Malcolm Gladwell, Omar, and more — just go to himalaya.com/mba and use promo code MBA. 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 MBA2105 Q&A Wednesday: How much of a raise should I give my employees? appeared first on The $100 MBA.

If you sell digital products, you need to know about AppSumo. AppSumo is the GroupOn of digital deals aimed at entrepreneurs and other business people. Today, we explain how putting your own offer on AppSumo can boost your business. …in fact, we’re offering our own deal on AppSumo, to help promote our SaaS business. Learn the benefits of creating an AppSumo deal, what missteps to avoid, and how to create an attractive offer that draws people in. Yes, you’re giving away a discount — but you’re doing so on a platform with massive authority and a huge reach. Done strategically, introducing your business to AppSumo’s audience can be a major boost. Learn how we approach it, and how your business can grow with a little help from a big platform. Click Play!  SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS Stitcher | SoundCloud | Podcast Feed | How To Subscribe Give us a Rating & Review Today’s Sponsors SYFOB Learn how to start your own business online, from scratch — without taking dangerous risks or sinking yourself into debt. This 10-part audio course lays out a complete roadmap for producing your first products and getting your brand off the ground. Get a special extended free trial of Himalaya Learning, an audio education platform with lessons from Tim Ferriss, Malcolm Gladwell, Omar, and more — just go to himalaya.com/mba and use promo code MBA. Siemens Xcelerator Climate change, urbanization, and rising geopolitical tension are on the vast list of challenges we face today. Businesses have had to adapt to this ever-changing world to be more flexible, resilient, and innovative. Siemens Xcelerator is a single digital platform and enables you to accelerate your digital transformation fast, easily and at scale. The open business platform features a curated portfolio of IOT connected hardware and software, a growing, powerful ecosystem of partners, and a marketplace. Find out how Siemens Xcelerator can benefit your business digital transformation at siemens.com/xcelerator. Show Links The 30 Day Automated Webinar Challenge The post MBA2104 Why You Should Run an AppSumo Deal appeared first on The $100 MBA.