The $100 MBA Show

Email lists are like houseplants. They don’t grow without a little love.It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’re helping one listener who built a solid list, but just can’t seem to crack the 1,000 subscriber mark. Here’s the good news: once you get your list growing, it gets easier to keep it growing.Fortunately, this listener already did the hardest part — getting from 0 to 3 figures.In this episode, we discuss what holds a list back from growing, and share a few growth strategies for different goals and budgets. We also discuss some key mistakes to avoid (yeah, we’ve made them), and how to decide which list-building approach will work best for you.  Your email list is one of your business’s most important assets. Get the moves you need to keep the momentum going — Click Play!To submit your questions, visit 100mba.net/q.SUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you build it, they will come.Yes, that’s from a movie, but it definitely applies to today’s episode! When you’re looking for sponsorships, the key is not to chase potential sponsors around. It’s to understand the sponsors’ needs, and create something irresistible.In other words, you have to make sponsorship the easiest possible decision.Whether it’s for content, events, or anything else, getting sponsorship is not about convincing. It’s about making yourself the most attractive possible proposition. Today, we share how we grew sponsorship for this very podcast, and how you can do the same.SUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This one kept us up at night.No, literally. Omar had to stop reading Derek Sivers’ How to Live before bed, because it generated so much thought and emotion he couldn’t sleep. Today’s Must-Read is so different from the usual personal development books, we just had to share it.But we can’t share too much.This book takes a walk through some of the most fundamental wisdom — much of which you’ve heard before — and challenges it. In the end, it all comes together in a way that’s so surprising, it might actually affect how you live your life.The author himself claims it’s his best work so far, and we have to say “Hell yeah it is.” Find out why: Click Play!How to Live by Derek SiversDiscover all our must-read book reviews at https://100mba.net/bookreviews.SUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Marketing is a must.The second you can afford it, hire a marketing professional to get your message out there. But before you do, you have some things to consider. From budget to skill set, your first marketing hire is a decision to make carefully — not lightly.It can make all the difference in the world.Today, we discuss how to set your budget (for more than just salary, btw), and what to look for in a marketing pro. Marketing is a broad field, which means you have to find someone with the specialty you need. Professional marketing is one of the most important investments you’ll ever make in your business. Learn how to get it right — Click Play!SUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Your “To Do” list doesn’t have to be a scary thing. In fact, it should be a relief.Every entrepreneur has to self-discipline. It’s the price of freedom! But when a To Do list gets too long, it can start to seem hopeless. Tasks pile up, and next thing you know, each new addition is just another drop in the ocean. It’s time to break the cycle.Today, we’ll show you how to make your To Do list a path to freedom, not a prison of your own overwhelm. Good ol’ Omar spent years trying to find the best way to get everything done, and he’s settled on a system that might just work for you.With this system, you might not get everything crossed off your list each day. But each night, you’ll go to sleep knowing that what needs to happen, happened. You’ll be confident that wherever you are, you’re on the right track. Get Omar’s step-by-step instructions. Click Play!SUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Controlling the direction of a business you built is one thing. But what if you didn’t build it?It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’ve got a listener in a special kind of pickle. They purchased a business, but it needs to shift gears. The business isn’t doing as well as it could, because it’s trying to please everyone instead of a targeted audience.Can you buy a business and change it without alienating existing customers?As it turns out, we have an example that can shed some light on this one. Many businesses make the mistake of casting a wide net instead of finding their niche. And this isn’t the first time a new owner has recognized that problem and tried to fix it.We’ll share the story of how this other business faced the exact same situation, and how they addressed its challenges. Learn why niching down is so important, and get our best tips on pulling off a big shift like this. To submit your questions, visit 100mba.net/q.SUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

File this under “questions we get a lot.” If you want to start a software business, do you need outside money?Well, it depends.Our SaaS business, WebinarNinja, is 100% self-funded. Omar used his own money to get it going, and it’s been running on its own steam ever since. But that doesn’t mean self-funding is the right decision for everyone. It all depends on your goals.Today, we discuss the ups and downs of taking investment, and alternative ways to get the capital you need. Software is a special animal, one that requires a concrete plan to get off the ground. Tune in, and see which you need more: investment, or control. SUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What’s the difference between getting someone to make a purchase, and getting someone to tell you the truth?To the human brain…very little. This one sounds out of left field, but stick with us. Michael Reddington made a career out of getting information from criminal suspects. Along the way, he discovered that the same kind of trust, honesty, and vulnerability required to elicit a confession has another application.Turns out, it’s a heckuva sales strategy.In this episode, Michael explains 5 principles of interrogation techniques that work just as well in sales. From a psychological standpoint, selling and interrogating are basically the same thing — a conversation that ends with the right decision.InQuasiveSUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sometimes, the best way to find customers is to create them.You’ll hear what we mean! Today, we discuss how entry-level products are the perfect gateway for bigger purchases later. Almost every kind of business can (and should) use this strategy.In this episode, we discuss exactly how.We’ll cover various ways to create versions of your product with a lower barrier of entry. Using examples from our own businesses and others, we’ll show you how there’s always a low-risk way to bring people through the door — and later turn them into lifers.No matter what your product is, start thinking about the entry-level version now. Tune in, and develop a strategy that not only attracts customers, but helps you weed out the casual fans and identify the true, lifelong loyalists.SUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Just. Get. Started.Sometimes, we spend so much time planning to start a business that we never do it. To get out of “analysis paralysis” and make your business a reality, start here. Today, we discuss the only 3 things you really need to get the ball rolling.From there, you can decide what you need next. But first things first!The best part? These 3 tools cost less than $100 combined. It’s never been easier or more affordable to start an online business. The key is to get your ideas out of your head, and into the real world. With these 3 tools, you’ll have everything you need to create that initial momentum. Take action — Click Play!SUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.