The $100 MBA Show

Cold emailing works — just maybe not the way you think it does. Sending an unsolicited message to a complete stranger is…awkward at best. But ask any successful independent business founder, and you’ll find that it’s almost unavoidable. Creating a stronger network (and a stronger business) means you can’t be afraid to reach out, even when it’s downright uncomfortable. You have to power through the awkwardness to get results! But first, you can take a few steps to raise your odds of success. Today, we share 4 things that make our cold emails work more often. Note we said “more often,” not always. Yes, you will be ignored. Yes, you will be rejected. But not every time. It’s a simple matter of doing everything you can to improve your stats, and realizing that even one successful cold email can be worth a dozen fails. Tune in, and learn how a few consistent practices can make your cold emails a little warmer. 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. The post MBA2074 4 Cold Emailing Tips if You Hate Cold Emailing appeared first on The $100 MBA.

Are you charging too much? Most small business advice encourages higher prices for higher profits. But the somewhat controversial Price for Growth goes against that grain, suggesting entrepreneurs should play a longer game — even at the expense of profit. And frankly, we’re convinced. Jeff Robinson’s book flies further under the radar than it should. Today, we unpack its growth-centric pricing model, and share the philosophy behind the strategy. This isn’t abstract stuff; this book’s argument is so well-conceived that it led to a significant decision re: pricing in our own software company. There’s a sweet spot between low-balling yourself out of business, and strategically sacrificing profit for long-term customer loyalty. Hear about this book, and decide if that approach is right for you. Click Play!  SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS Stitcher | SoundCloud | Podcast Feed | How To Subscribe Give us a Rating & Review Today’s Sponsors Capital One Spark With the Spark Cash Plus card from Capital One, you earn unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase. There’s no preset spending limit, so your purchasing power can adapt to meet your business needs. Antonelli’s Cheese Shop in Austin, Texas used their 2% cash back to help cover their employees’ healthcare costs — imagine what the Spark Cash Plus card from Capital One could do for your business! Capital One: What’s in your wallet? Terms and conditions apply. Find out more at CapitalOne.com/SparkCashPlus. 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 Price for Growth by Jeff Robinson The post MBA2073 Must Read: Price for Growth by Jeff Robinson appeared first on The $100 MBA.

Desperation can cloud your business decisions and hinder success. Learn to spot signs of desperation and shift your mindset to one of confidence. Master your metrics and diversify your income to create stability. Discover the importance of a structured sales process that fosters brand loyalty and trust. Using luxury car brands as a key example, this discussion emphasizes the power of strategic, long-term thinking to transform your approach to business.

Can lower prices = more revenue? Sure — but only if you do it right. Yes, we spend a lot of time on this podcast advocating for higher prices. “Who can charge the least?” is a race to the bottom that no one wins (unless you’re Wal-Mart). But in certain contexts, a discount can be an investment in your business’ growth. Today, we explain how. We’ll discuss when it’s time to offer a discount, and how to execute a discount in a way that makes money in the long term (even while sacrificing some in the short term). It’s all about mastering the art of “value pricing” without slipping into constant discount mode. Hear our golden rules for offering discounts, and why just the right amount of price-cutting can be a boon. 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. NetSuite There are two kinds of CFO. One is struggling to keep up; spreadsheets everywhere, manual processes, errors, and lack of visibility into the numbers. The other is on top of their game; automated reports; inventory, ecommerce and HR flowing into the financial model seamlessly, and insights coming at the click of a button. That’s NetSuite, the#1 cloud financial system that has everything you need to grow. With visibility and control of your financials, inventory, HR, planning, budgeting, and more, NetSuite lets you automate processes and close your books in no time. Head to NetSuite.com/MBA for a one-of-a-kind financing offer! The post MBA2071 How to Discount Your Product While Maximizing Revenue appeared first on The $100 MBA.

The good news: in-person events are a viable option again (finally). The bad news: it’s been a while. Do we still remember how to pull them off? It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’ve got a listener who wants to organize their very first live, in-person event. As it happens, we’re planning one of our own — and we’ve done a few in the past. Today, we share our best tips. Think of the advice in this episode as “things we wish we knew before we threw our first event.” Based on his own experience attending and organizing events, Omar shares the most important lessons he’s learned. We discuss everything you need to look out for, and the most important ways you can ensure your big day is a success for you and attendees. If you’re thinking about organizing a conference or other business event, don’t stress! Let our experience be your guide. 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 MBA2070 Q&A Wednesday: Any tips on running an in-person event? appeared first on The $100 MBA.

Udemy: it’s got a quarter million courses on just about every topic under the sun — and an audience of tens of millions of potential students. Sounds like a great place to sell your own course, doesn’t it? …or is it? There’s never been a better time to sell your expertise and create a revenue stream as an online teacher, trainer, or coach. But whenever you sell your wares in someone else’s shop, it comes at a cost. In Udemy’s case, the question is: is it worth that cost? Today, we break down how Udemy works for course creators — including how they calculate their cut of the money your courses bring in. We’ll discuss the upsides, the downsides, what kinds of courses do best on Udemy, and of course, whether or not you should do it. Find out if Udemy is the right move for you, or if it’s better to stay independent. Click Play!  SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS Stitcher | SoundCloud | Podcast Feed | How To Subscribe Give us a Rating & Review Today’s Sponsors 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. 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. The post MBA2069 Should You Sell Your Online Course on Udemy? appeared first on The $100 MBA.

Make the “Sunday Blues” yesterday’s news. If you struggle with getting things done over the course of the week, we have the episode (and the expert) for you. Demir Bentley is a renowned productivity expert who’s helped executives at major companies to…well, get their sh*t together. The problem, according to Bentley, isn’t a lack of effort or even time. It’s that we need a more active approach to tackling our priorities. And yes, by applying the strategies Demir shares today, you can finally enjoy your weekends again. Tune in (and get that notepad ready) as Demir shares a way to invest 30 minutes of your week into strategic planning, with a return of hours. Before your alarm even goes off on Monday, you’ll be set up to be caught up. You’re just a half hour away from saying goodbye to weekly overwhelm. 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 Winning the Week The post MBA2068 Guest Teacher – Demir Bentley – How To Plan A Winning Week, Every Week appeared first on The $100 MBA.

Solopreneur-ing or running a small team? Have too much on your plate? Have everything on your plate? We’ve been there. Specifically, Omar knows what it’s like to be the developer, marketer, salesperson, janitor, and everything else you can think of in a small business — all at once. Today, he shares his system for getting it all handled efficiently, and still having time to breathe. The key is avoiding “context switching.” Learn what context switching is, how it demolishes your productivity, and how Omar eliminated it from his working life. With a fairly simple plan for your week, you can ensure that you get the most done in the least amount of time — and still have a life outside your business. 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 assets like automated emails, an easy landing page builder, and more, it’s never been easier to connect with your audience. Best of all, you can use WebinarNinja at no cost with our FREE plan. No credit card, no expiration; just a basic version of WebinarNinja you can use as long as you like. Just head to webinarninja.com Show Links EasyCourse The post MBA2067 How to Organize Your Week When You Wear All the Hats + Free Ride Friday appeared first on The $100 MBA.

No money in the marketing budget? There’s a way around that. For newer and smaller businesses, relying on content, word of mouth, and other organic marketing is normal (and smart!). But at some point, you’ll hit that growth plateau. With rare exception, most businesses have to invest in marketing to see results. But what if you don’t have any spare revenue? What happens then? You get creative, that’s what. Today, we lay out a plan for funding paid marketing — without actually cutting into your current revenue. At all. Sound impossible? Nothing in entrepreneurship is impossible!  The key is to think outside your normal business model and products/services, and tap into a source of cash you might not have thought of. Sound mysterious? It’s actually pretty simple. Once you hear what it is, you’ll know how to level up your marketing without losing a dime.  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 assets like automated emails, an easy landing page builder, and more, it’s never been easier to connect with your audience. Best of all, you can use WebinarNinja at no cost with our FREE plan. No credit card, no expiration; just a basic version of WebinarNinja you can use as long as you like. Just head to webinarninja.com The post MBA2066 How to Have a Marketing Budget With Zero Dollars appeared first on The $100 MBA.

Entrepreneurship is about freedom. But if you take investments, how much freedom are you giving up? It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’ve got a listener in a fairly common pickle. They started a business, grew it, and it’s doing great. The only problem: our listener can see that the business has hit a plateau — and the only way to grow is to get a little help from outside. Is it worth it? Is it possible to maintain control of “your” business after it becomes (partially) someone else’s? In this episode, we discuss what the founder/investor relationship can look like, and how to decide whether it’s right for you. We’ll discuss what to consider before making this very big decision, and how much autonomy is really possible with an investor to answer to. There’s no right or wrong to this one: there’s only knowing exactly what you want out of your own business, so you can determine whether an investor will help you get there or not. 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 assets like automated emails, an easy landing page builder, and more, it’s never been easier to connect with your audience. Best of all, you can use WebinarNinja at no cost with our FREE plan. No credit card, no expiration; just a basic version of WebinarNinja you can use as long as you like. Just head to webinarninja.com The post MBA2065 Q&A Wednesday: How do I get investors without losing control? appeared first on The $100 MBA.