The $100 MBA Show

More people will sign up for your course if they can sign up whenever they want…right?Not necessarily.It might seem logical to let people enroll in your course whenever. But basic consumer psychology tells a different story; when there’s no urgency, there’s less chance someone will make a commitment. Most people will put off ‘till tomorrow what they can do today.…and that’s only one of the reasons you should periodically close your course enrollment.Not only are people more likely to sign up when the window isn’t open forever, it’s actually easier to market close-able courses. Today, we explain why the open/close model is better for business, and how to set it up for the best results.With examples from some of the most successful course-based businesses around, this episode is your guide to getting more students. 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.

For a brand-new business, is a VA (virtual assistant) worth it?When you’re starting out, staying lean is a top priority. Which is why it struck one of our listeners as a little counterintuitive that we’re so bullish on hiring VAs. It’s Q&A Wednesday! This listener is only weeks into a new business, and wants to know if a VA is really, truly a wise investment at this stage. We understand; a hire is a significant expense. But it might not be as significant as you think — and it might be more valuable than you imagine.Today, we’ll explain how to decide exactly what your hypothetical VA would do with their time, where to find VA candidates, and how to choose the right one. Plus, we’ll discuss how to evaluate whether you’re really getting your budget’s worth.Get an accurate sense of what you’re paying for when you hire a VA. 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.

Are paid ads a money pit?Small businesses need to stay lean. That means not throwing money away on expensive marketing and sales tactics that don’t produce a solid return. From print to radio to Google and Facebook, is the money you spend on paid advertising worth it?More importantly, can your business thrive without it?Lots of businesses do just fine without spending a dime on ads. Today, we share several examples, and explain exactly why the ad-less strategy can work. Of course, it won’t work for every business — but yours could be one of them.We’ll share our own experience as well, and how we arrived at our own balanced mix of paid advertising and content marketing. Learn how to determine the best approach for your business, and get the most out of every marketing dollar. 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.

Are you brave enough to admit it’s time for change?Accepting the need for change is one of the more surprising challenges in business. It requires courage, accountability, and the will to let go of what’s familiar and comfortable.Barry Moltz is a speaker, author, radio host, and SMB expert who specializes in getting business out of ruts. For a small business, a plateau can become a graveyard. Being agile and embracing change is one of the most important abilities an entrepreneur can develop.Today, Barry explains why that’s easier said than done, and how to get around the most common blockers.Don’t be the next Blockbuster! Learn how to recognize when you’re clinging to what doesn’t work anymore, and get comfortable pivoting. When the same-old-same-old is holding you back, it’s time to take action. Click Play!Change Masters by Barry MoltzThe Small Business Radio ShowSUBSCRIBEYouTube | 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.

Thinking about starting an e-commerce business? Listen to this first.Before he got into the podcast & SaaS game, our intrepid host Omar ran a successful e-commerce business selling custom menswear. Along the way, he learned valuable lessons about what to do, and what not to do — sometimes the hard way.Today, let Omar’s experience be your guide!From your website design to your payment processing and fulfillment, there are many ways to make e-commerce harder for yourself, and hurt your chances of success. In this episode, we tackle the top 5, the biggest absolute no-no’s that are all but guaranteed to sink your business. Learn exactly what to avoid, eliminate unnecessary friction, and give yourself the best chance to build an e-commerce business that’ll profit for years. 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.

For most coaches, the ultimate goal is to have fewer clients paying higher prices. But the group coaching model — whether as a stepping stone to 1:1 clients or a long-term strategy — is more than sustainable. Better yet, it’s super-scalable. But how do you get those clients in the first place?To sustain a group coaching business, you need to ensure a steady flow of leads, and a reliable funnel to convert those leads. Today, we share 3 specific ways to do so, based on tried-and-true tactics employed by some of the most successful coaches online.Each of these 3 methods has its own strengths, but they all share one thing in common: no matter how you attract leads, your ability to genuinely prove how much you can help is the key to locking in clients.Learn how to get in front of the right people, and show them what you (and they) are capable of. 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.

Blogging: it’s still one of the best ways to start a business!All you really need to get started is your own experience, decent writing ability, and the time to put your insights down on (digital) paper. But of course, there are a few other costs.It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’ve got a well-traveled listener who wants to start a blog, with the ultimate goal of monetizing it through affiliate commissions. Wisely, this listener wants to know how much an aspiring blogger needs to budget in order to get their website off the ground.From hosting to design and more, starting a blog is one of the cheapest ways to launch a business — but it’s not free. Today, we discuss a few ways to monetize a blog, and outline exactly what you’d have to pay for, and where you should (and shouldn’t) invest a little more to give your blog the best chance to build an audience. 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.

Never go to market without a strategy.A launch is never as simple as just putting your product or service in front of people. Before you attempt the first sale (whether it’s a new business, a pivot, or a product launch), you have to decide exactly how to make your “entrance” into the marketplace.Today, we break down exactly how to plot your debut.Based on countless hours of reading, research, and coaching, we’ve boiled the go-to-market strategy down to 6 basic steps. In this episode, we share how to define and position your brand, appeal to the right customer base, and build a solid springboard for your launch.Learn how to communicate what your business is, what it stands for, and who it serves — before you hit the market. 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.

It’s another incredible book from the 4-Hour legend. Today, we review the inimitable Tim Ferriss’ Tribe of Mentors.Ferriss is the original life-hacker, a seeker of new solutions for everything from making money to getting in shape. With Tribe, Ferriss surveyed successful innovators and game-changers to see how they managed to make waves where others couldn’t.This book is big, dense…and worth every second.Tribe is composed of 100 interviews with various experts, based on conversations from The Tim Ferriss Show podcast. By asking the same set of 11 questions to each interviewee, Ferriss condensed their unique insights and experiences into an easy-reading, inspiring resource for anyone looking to change their life.Hear our favorite takeaways, from the distilled wisdom of dozens of high achievers. Click Play!Tribe of Mentors by Tim FerrissTools of Titans by Tim FerrissDiscover 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.

Don’t let holidays sneak up on you!Having SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for holiday breaks is a crucial part of managing your team — and your customers’ expectations.From communicating with customers to giving your employees time off (while still keeping the business running), holiday management takes a little preparation. It gets even more complex when you consider remote teams and global marketplaces, since folks in different areas may celebrate different holidays.Fortunately, we have some experience with this.Our SaaS business has customers and employees all over the world. It took some trial and error, but we have a system that allows everyone to celebrate the holidays that matter to them, while keeping the lights on for customers almost the entire year.Get our best tips on ensuring truly happy holidays — for everyone. 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.