Engineering Calmer Agencies & Consulting Firms: Calm is the New KPI

Software is the lifeblood of any modern business. Software keeps projects on track and helps clients pay you. Software is how we communicate with each other. Software allows you to operate leaner and smaller than ever before. And every piece of software involved in your business has a role to play—an integral part of your business’ ecosystem. It has a job description and it's a core member of your team, just like any human. That’s why it’s even more important that you have the right tool, doing the right job, at the right price. Choosing the right software tool, particularly when it comes to your choice of project or task management, can impact how well your team communicates, how well-informed your clients are, and how they feel about your service as a whole. Your financial software choices can also affect how quickly you can send an invoice, how quickly clients pay you, and ultimately, how healthy your cash flow is. And that's what we're talking about today with Melanie Richards, owner of Modern Traction, a boutique web design agency. Mel is an award-winning web designer and brand strategist with over two decades of experience. Her turnkey approach is designed to save you time, ensures your brand and messaging is on point, and that your website is built to drive growth. Mel’s on a mission to create efficient marketing solutions that support busy entrepreneurs to gain faster traction and multiply their impact. Listen to the full episode to hear:How the right choice of software has helped Mel scale her company, increase profits, and deliver better results for her clientsHow the right software tools make your team more effective and how ClickUp helps Mel’s team know what to do nextAll the tools that have been essential for Mel’s businessLower costs, less complication, more opportunities for automation Learn more about Melanie Richards:moderntraction.comLearn more about Susan: Scalespark Dollars + Decisions RoundtableTwitter @ScaleSparkLinkedIn @thesusanboles Grab the Calm Service Design + Delivery Swipe File here

Do you know the secret to scaling profitably and effectively? In reality, it’s not much of a secret. It’s just something that not a lot of companies prioritize: building a solid process and making sure it's documented.It’s unfortunate, really, because creating well-documented processes is the one thing that I consistently see that makes a huge difference in growing lean, resilient companies. It's not necessarily sexy but documented processes affect every area of your business ecosystem and make a big impact. A rock-solid process allows you to deliver better service to your clients, onboard team members with ease, deliver projects and services more profitably, free up time for you and your team, and use software to automate tasks.My guest today is one of my favorite fellow process geeks. Meet Tamara Kemper, the founder of The Process Mavens where she helps CEOs get back time and peace of mind through systematizing and documenting their business. As a former classroom teacher, she puts humans first when it comes to improving business processes and patiently guides her clients through a clear plan to make things work better.Listen to the full episode to hear:How having solid processes make your business more profitable and effectiveWhy your processes inform your software and team choicesWhy it’s so important to document your processAnd the giant return you get out of investing in your processLearn more about Tamara Kemper:The Process MavensConnect with Tamara on LinkedInLearn more about Susan: Scalespark Dollars + Decisions RoundtableTwitter @ScaleSparkLinkedIn @thesusanboles Grab the Calm Service Design + Delivery Swipe File here

Every decision you make in your business impacts every other area of your business. Yet, we often tend to think of the different areas of our businesses—marketing, finance, operations, team—as if they’re disconnected from each other.In actuality, business doesn’t work that way. Your business is an ecosystem. Every part of your business is interconnected with other areas of your business. The decisions you make about the kind of business model you have affects how you market your business. Today, I’m excited to have Ashley Gartland back on the show to talk about how these decisions impact the size and roles of the team you need to have (if you have a team at all!) and the software you need to use. That, in turn, results in how profitable your company ultimately is.So, in other words... the kind of decisions you make matter.  Ashley’s a business coach who helps busy small business owners and online entrepreneurs simplify and streamline their business so they can grow to the next level and experience more freedom and flexibility in their life. In case you missed it, tune into Episode 12 where Ashley discussed how she’s using Voxer with her coaching clients.Listen to the full episode to hear:How your default decisions impact your business modelHow these decisions can determine your approach to marketing and what software to useHow to view your finances as a symptom and not a causeAnd why your finances are a trailing indicatorLearn more about Ashley Gartland:Ashleygartland.com5 Steps To Simplify Your Business Workbook (Free!)Ashley Gartland on FacebookThe Simplified Entrepreneur Facebook GroupAshley Gartland on InstagramAshley Gartland on LinkedInLearn more about Susan: Scalespark Dollars + Decisions RoundtableTwitter @ScaleSparkLinkedIn @thesusanboles Grab the Calm Service Design + Delivery Swipe File here

Right now, building a community around your business is more popular than ever.You might even be considering adding one to your business—perhaps to save you time, to add another income stream, or to make you more accessible to your clients—or all of the above.No matter why you might consider adding community to your business model, you might wonder—a business owner who does the same thing is already doing this. So how can I do it, too? Should I do it at all? Seeing someone beat you to the punch might feel deflating but I’m here to tell you that there are infinite ways to shift your business model and make it all your own. No two businesses are ever the same. Even if two business owners offer the same thing, they’re doing it in their own, unique way. That’s why if you hear an idea for a new revenue stream or a new way of operating—or if you implement the same thing—it’ll always look different in your business compared to another business. It’s your special sauce.In the last few episodes, we’ve been talking about using new revenue streams to create strength and resiliency and minimize risk in your business. Specifically, we've been doing a deep dive on membership and community models. I talked to Sophie Bujold in Episode 39 about where a community should live in your business (and whether or not you should have one in the first place). And in Episode 40, I talked to Margy Thomas about how her community was an evolution of the work she'd already been doing with clients. My guest today is Katie Hunt, founder of Proof to Product, where she helps product-based businesses create product lines, sell wholesale, and build stronger businesses. She has a podcast, courses, masterminds, coaching, conferences, and yes, a community. Katie’s helped thousands of brands get their products on the shelves of retail stores like Target, Anthropologie, Nordstrom, and independent boutiques around the world. Listen to the full episode to hear:An alternative look at what launching a community/membership model with a team looks likeHow having a membership improved resilience in Katie's business—financially AND with the rest of her product suiteWhat evaluation process Katie went through before adding community as part of her business modelHow Katie’s boundaries have been impacted through the launch of her program and the pandemic—and how she’s proactively reinstating those boundaries nowLearn more about Katie Hunt:prooftoproduct.comProof to Product Labs Group CoachingProof to Product on FacebookProof to Product on InstagramProof to Product PodcastLearn more about Susan: Scalespark Dollars + Decisions RoundtableTwitter @ScaleSparkLinkedIn @thesusanboles Grab the Calm Service Design + Delivery Swipe File here

Thinking about shifting your business model is one thing… Actually doing it? Well, that’s a whole other thing. You might wonder: do I burn the old one to the ground? Do I make a gradual shift? Or do I just tack on one more service to my offerings? Maybe you do start from scratch… or maybe you take a more nuanced approach to shifting your business model from one to another… or maybe you add more value to your existing model. Whatever your path, it’s crucial to examine the risks in your business, re-examine your business model, and then make changes to how you do business. This month, we’re shifting from the abstract and into reality with stories from entrepreneurs like you of what it really looks like to evolve your business from one model to another. My guest today is Margy Thomas, Ph.D., who recently made the move from 1:1 services to a membership model. Margy’s community, ScholarShape, is a place for creative, visionary scholars to gather and support each other in creating Story-Arguments, a framework that she developed. For Margy, creating the ScholarShape community was the natural evolution of that framework.  She looked at her business and realized that 1:1 services was no longer the best delivery option for her clients and it wasn’t the business she wanted to be running.Listen to the full episode to hear:What was going on in Margy’s business that drove her decision to create ScholarShape and shift her business modelHow Margy executed the transition and what her business looks like nowInstead of a fast pivot, community can be a natural evolution of your existing workWhat the decision process LOOKS like for someone thinking about making shifts in their business modelLearn more about Margy Thomas:ScholarShape.comScholarShape CommunityScholarShape on InstagramLearn more about Susan: Scalespark Dollars + Decisions RoundtableTwitter @ScaleSparkLinkedIn @thesusanboles Grab the Calm Service Design + Delivery Swipe File here

It seems like everyone is adding a community or membership to their product lineup these days. It’s a great idea for three reasons: it diversifies your revenue stream, allows you to be in direct conversation with your customers, and scales pretty easily. But is adding a community right for YOUR business? And what makes a good community anyway?And how might a community reduce your risk as an entrepreneur?We've been talking about how you can manage risk and build resilience into your business all this month. And one of the ways to make your business less risky is to build in more than one way you make money by adding some additional revenue streams. If something happens to one of those sources, the other ones can float you for a while so you can figure out what to do next.In the last episode, I talked to JoAnn Holmes about how to leverage your intellectual property to create additional revenue streams like courses, licensing, or books. But harnessing your IP isn't the ONLY way you could add additional revenue or build resilience into your business. Today, we're talking with Sophie Bujold about another option: building a community product around your business. Sophie is an entrepreneur and consultant with more than 18 years of experience in online community building, customer experience, and digital strategy. As the founder of Cliqueworthy, Sophie helps creative entrepreneurs gather with impact through outstanding online community experiences.Listen to the full episode to hear:Using community/membership model as a means to diversify revenue streamsWho should build communities & where should it live in your businessWhere your community should live inside your business model—and how to create a great oneLearn more about Sophie:cliqueworthy.comLinkedIn: Sophie BujoldLearn more about Susan: Scalespark Dollars + Decisions RoundtableTwitter @ScaleSparkLinkedIn @thesusanboles Grab the Calm Service Design + Delivery Swipe File here

Your business model might already have some inherent risks built into it because of the choices you've made about how you want to run your business. For example, maybe you only want to work with high-value retainer clients. Totally valid choice! But it’s inherently riskier than other models where you might have several sources of income. If you only work with 2 or 3 of those clients at a time, what happens when you lose one of them? That's a pretty big blow to your income all at once. As long as you recognize that risk, there are many ways to bolster your business to mitigate those scenarios. You could accept that it's a risk and make sure that you're cultivating a waiting list of folks who want to work with you so it's easy to fill that open spot. That's one way. Or you could start looking at other ways to strengthen the foundations of your income so it's less susceptible to big drops from losing one client.You could also diversify where your income comes from. Maybe you decide to offer a course or a product or build a tool or write a book so that there is income streaming into your business from more than one source. That way, if something happens to ONE source, it's just a hiccup—not a catastrophe. We've been talking all about risk and resilience this month. Jacquette Timmons and I talked about the intimate relationship between the two. And I talked to Priya Malani and Luke Frye about the two biggest risks for business owners: cash flow and taxes. Today, we're shifting a little bit to talk about how to build some more resilience into your business model by using work you've already done—your intellectual property—and turning it into another source of revenue for your business. JoAnn Holmes is an attorney who helps 7 and 8 figure companies grow recurring revenue through licensing brands, software, and business content. Basically, she helps you take your intellectual property—stuff you've already created—and turn it into an additional source of income for your business. She's the founder of Holmes at Law and the host of the Your Business Ally podcast. Listen to the full episode to hear:Using your intellectual property to pivot & build resilienceTaking advantage of your IP to diversify your revenue streamsIdentifying different types of IP and how to protect what you’ve created with your businessLearn more about JoAnn:holmesatlaw.comLinkedIn: JoAnn HolmesFacebook: Holmes at LawInstagram: @holmesatlawTwitter: @holmesatlawLearn more about Susan: Scalespark Dollars + Decisions RoundtableTwitter @ScaleSparkLinkedIn @thesusanboles Grab the Calm Service Design + Delivery Swipe File here

Nothing is certain but death and taxes.Except that taxes are very rarely certain—and in the U.S., taxes are a labyrinth of confusion. Our tax system is founded on the idea that the government knows how much we owe them... but they're not going to tell us—we have to guess. And if we guess wrong? We either pay more or go to jail. It’s not really the friendliest system. That might be why taxes are a bit of an afterthought for small business owners. For most, having a “tax strategy” means making sure you’re dumping money into a tax reserve savings account so that you have enough to pay whatever it is that you’re supposed to pay at the end of the year. But that’s pretty much where it ends. Let me be clear: that is a great—and essential!—first step because there is real risk of losing your business if you don’t have enough cash to pay your tax bill. And, even worse, if you ignore paying your taxes for too long? Sometimes you just can’t come back from that. But there’s another side: having a strong tax strategy allows you to avoid risk, yes, but also to use that strategy to ensure that every single dollar in your business is being used in the MOST effective way possible. The reality is that every dollar that you spend paying taxes that you didn't have to spend is a dollar that could have used on something else.This month, I’m covering risks, resilience, and the relationship between the two. So far, I’ve talked with financial behaviorist Jacquette Timmons about identifying financial risks and building resilience. Last week, Priya Malani laid out just how important it is to know how much money is coming in—and out—of your business. Today, I’m excited to discuss the importance of accounting, bookkeeping, and understanding your taxes with Luke Frye, cofounder and CPA at Timber Tax Accounting.Luke was the first accountant at Bench.co and has been helping entrepreneurs with their accounting and taxes for nearly a decade. He knows what it's like on both sides of the table as he had his own business as a teenager where he learned how to manage his quarterly taxes.Listen to the full episode to hear:Tax issues that service business owners should be thinking about (and what you might be missing out on)What type of account Luke recommends that self-employed people use to save for retirementLLC vs S-Corp from a tax perspectiveWhy not saving for taxes is a huge risk Learn more about Luke:timbertax.coFacebook: Timber Tax Co.Instagram: Timber Tax Co.Learn more about Susan: Scalespark Dollars + Decisions RoundtableTwitter @ScaleSparkLinkedIn @thesusanboles Grab the Calm Service Design + Delivery Swipe File here

Consider this: the number one reason why businesses go under is because of cash flow issues (with number two being a lack of access to capital.) While there are a ton of different kinds of risks that can impact your business, financial health is still the most pressing because of the threat they pose to the health of your business if you don’t get it right. More often than not—no matter your business model—sales don’t show up consistently on the same day, month after month, even though your personal and business bills do. That’s why understanding how cash flows in and out of your business—and how to manage that money in both your personal life and business—is a crucial skillset to strengthen as an entrepreneur. This month, I’m talking about risks, resilience, and the relationship between the two. Last week, I chatted with Jacquette Timmons about identifying financial risks and how to build resilience. Today, I’m continuing the conversation about money and business with Priya Malani, CEO and Founder of Stash Wealth, a financial planning and investment management firm for HENRYs™ [High Earners, Not Rich Yet].Dubbed “the Rebel of Wall Street”, Priya’s goal is to change the way young professionals think about money by empowering them to get their financial sh*t together. Listen to the full episode to hear:Money management mistakes that business owners are makingHow to balance your personal and business cash needsStrategies for making sure there's always enough cash on hand in your businessHow much of a cash reserve you REALLY need to have to be safeLearn more about Priya:Stash WealthLinkedIn: Priya MalaniInstagram: @priyamalaniofficialLearn more about Susan: Scalespark Dollars + Decisions RoundtableTwitter @ScaleSparkLinkedIn @thesusanboles Grab the Calm Service Design + Delivery Swipe File here

You can never completely eliminate risk. It's something you just have to live with. But risk doesn't have to consume you.In fact, identifying and addressing risks in your business is one of the main ways to build resilience into it. You can't fix what you can't see and if you don't understand what's most likely to break, it's pretty hard to build that trampoline of resilience right where you need it most. That's what building resilience in your business REALLY means: you're building systems and structures that can respond to and rebound from whatever you throw at it. Even if it's a risk or a crisis that you never saw coming. No one, no matter what they tell you, knows what's going to happen next. We don't know how our society, our government, the economy, or our businesses will change. All we can do is examine the risks and do our damnedest to build something better and stronger—and something built for change. This month, I’m talking about risks, resilience, and the relationship between the two. To kick it off, I’m chatting with Jacquette Timmons. Jacquette is a financial behaviorist, speaker and author of Financial Intimacy: How to Create a Healthy Relationship with Your Money and Your Mate, and the host of the More Than Money podcast. Jacquette focuses mostly on the personal side of finance although many of her clients are entrepreneurs.Listen to the full episode to hear:How assessing your risk is actually a move towards building resilienceWhat the relationship between risk, uncertainty, safety, and resilience isWhy your personal risk versus taking risks in business are different—and how they can influence each other Learn more about Jacquette:jacquettetimmons.comFinancial Wheel ExerciseLinkedIn: @jacquettetimmonsInstagram: @jacquettemtimmonsTwitter: @jacqmtimmonsLearn more about Susan: Scalespark Dollars + Decisions RoundtableTwitter @ScaleSparkLinkedIn @thesusanboles Grab the Calm Service Design + Delivery Swipe File here