Work Less, Earn More

What would I do if I lost my whole business?If my email list got deleted and my YouTube channel was shut down? If my website was erased and maybe even my professional reputation was lost, how would I start over from zero? What would I do first? How would I make my first sale? How would I get the momentum I would need to grow a new business into a reliable source of income?Here's what I do. If I had to start over.Listen to the full episode to hear:What type of work I’d look for and how I would pursue clientsWhat my first goal would beWhy I would still choose quality over quantity when creating contentHow I’d start planning to scale upLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEGet on the waitlist for Creator Fast TrackProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkinsResources:Abby Ashley

Maybe you have a goal of starting a successful YouTube channel.But you can only reach that goal if you’re clear on what that really means.From the outside, it might look like YouTube is easy. All you have to do is record a video each week and post it, right?But the reality is that there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes of building a successful YouTube channel.Today, I’m going to share from my six years of experience on YouTube, the mistakes I’ve made, what I’ve learned, and what really matters when it comes to building a successful channel in 2022.Listen to the full episode to hear:Why you need to approach starting a channel like starting a businessHow choosing a broader topic can actually help you more than finding a narrow nicheWhy you need to be clear on what value your videos bring to your viewersFour action steps for starting your channelWhy you should set smaller, short-term goals in the beginning Learn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEGet on the waitlist for Creator Fast TrackProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkinsResources:3 Secrets to Reach 1,000 Subscribers on Youtube

I recently posted a video where I broke down four phases to take you from zero to $100,000 dollars over the next 12 months.And in the comments, there were a lot of questions about phase three of that process.So today we’re diving into more detail about how to use systems and automation to scale your business.These are systems that will allow you or your team to guide people to find out about your products and to deliver those products without dropping what you’re doing for every single sale.I’ll tell you what those systems are, how they should work, and give you some tips for building them for yourself.Listen to the full episode to hear:How to automate your sales systemWhy you need to scale your traffic system to scale your businessWhy your production process matters, even if you’re selling servicesThe most important system you need to have in place to scale your businessLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkinsResources:How to go from $0 to $100,000 in 2022Creator Fast TrackVideo Creator AcademyDownload The Easiest Business Plan Ever

The security and protection of our businesses and our customers’ information is so important, but a lot of us don’t know that much about how to go about making those things as safe and secure as possible.Especially with rapid changes in technology and new threats to cybersecurity that come up.Which is why today I’ve brought in an expert.Todd Mitchell has over 25 years of experience in using risk-based assessments to create and enforce cyber security policies that keep data safe while ensuring the information gets to the correct decision maker at the correct time, intact and unchanged.Todd has a Master of Science in Cyber Security Policy, as well as a Master of Business Administration, and a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology with a concentration in Ethical Hacking.Listen to the full episode to hear:The biggest mistakes people make with their payment processorsThree key ways to keep your customers’ information more secureThe kind of scam that makes up 94% of all attacks on small businessesThe number one cause of data breachesTwo things you can do right now to make your business more secureLearn more about Todd Mitchell:Cybersecurity 4 BizFacebook: @cs4bizTwitter: @cs4bizInstagram: @cybersecurity4bizLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

If you only had 20 hours to work in your business each week, what task would be at the top of your priority list? Why?That’s the question I asked four of my most trusted business connections, friends, and mentors.Today, you’ll hear from Lucy Griffiths, Ashlyn Carter, Lacy Boggs, and Ashley Gartland in the first of a new format we’re calling Roundup, where I invite my business friends and mentors to answer a question, and you get their insights and experiences on that topic.Today, they’ll tell us what tasks they prioritize in their business and why, and you’ll get insight into why you might want to shift your priorities so you can do more with less time.Lucy Griffiths is the creator of Confident on Camera. Her incredible sales funnel has sold over 30,000 copies of one of her online courses. Lucy focuses on strategies that give her really big results with the least possible effort.Ashlyn Carter is conversion copywriter and marketing strategist specializing in wedding & creative industries. Her launch funnels have generated results for clients including upwards of $1M in revenue in a single week and her courses teach people to write their own effective, sales-generating copy, all while working half-time.Lacy Boggs is a content strategist and the director of The Content Direction Agency. She helps small business owners fill their program or practice by generating organic demand through content marketing.Ashley Gartland is a business coach who helps busy small business owners and online entrepreneurs simplify and streamline their business so they can grow more and work less. Listen to the full episode to hear:Why Lucy focuses her energy on audience building and relationship buildingHow Ashlyn uses the Pomodoro technique and batches her days to stay on trackWhy Lacy keeps sales and marketing at the top of her listHow Ashley builds and maintains relationships to run her business in 20 hours per weekLearn more about Lucy Griffiths:LucyGriffiths.comConfident On Camera CourseFollow Lucy on YouTubeLearn more about Ashlyn Carter:Ashlyn WritesInstagram: @AshlynCarterFacebook: @AshlynWritesYouTube: Ashlyn WritesLearn more about Lacy Boggs:The Content Direction AgencyInstagram: @LacyLu42Facebook: @ghostbloggergbLearn more about Ashley Gartland:AshleyGartland.comInstagram: @AshleyGartlandFacebook: Ashley Gartland CoachingLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkinsResources:Work Less, Earn More Ep 42: 30,000+ Courses Sold in Just 18 Months (and with a Small Audience!) with Lucy GriffithsWork Less, Earn More Ep 16: Copywriting Secrets for Converting More Customers with Ashlyn CarterWork Less, Earn More Ep 39: Building a Quarter-Million Dollar Agency in 20 Hours a Week with Lacy BoggsWork Less, Earn More Ep 13: Three Systems to Maximize Your Productivity with Ashley Gartland

I got an email recently with a really good question. The email went something like this, “I know you don’t have a crystal ball, but what is a fair estimate for how long it will take me to start making consistent monthly income. Some sort of ballpark to help me set my expectations would be helpful. The number I have in my head is 12 to 18 months from now that I should be covering my monthly expenses and making at least a little beyond that.”This person’s expectation right now is that after working on her business for a year, or a year and a half, that she should be breaking even, maybe a little more.The thing about goals and expectations is that whatever target you set your course toward will affect everything you do to try to reach that goal. So when you expect the break even in 18 months, your actions will–consciously or not–take you in that direction.It’s like the saying, aim for the moon, and even if you fail you’ll be among the stars.Which is why I don’t want that person or you to be setting your sights on just breaking even after a year or more, because it is possible to do so much better than that.So today I’m taking you through exactly what you can expect in the first year, how you can make predictions for yourself and your business, and what your first goal should be to set yourself on the trajectory for success.Listen to the full episode to hear:What you can expect in your first three to six months in businessWhy your first $1000 is the first milestone you need to aim forHow the validation process supports you on the path to growthLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Resources:Online Business Quickstart GuidePredict Your Profits Workshop

Have you heard of the Employee Retention Credit?If you haven’t, you’re not alone.The ERC is part of a COVID relief program created by the US government to provide assistance to business owners who have been impacted by COVID-19.Your business could be eligible for a substantial credit but most entrepreneurs and business owners aren’t aware of it, which means there’s a significant amount of funding going unclaimed.So today, I’m talking with Mark Sullivan, CEO of ERC Specialists about the ERC, who is eligible, how to apply and how to work with an ERC specialist to make the process as easy as possible.ERC Specialists is a specialty payroll company exclusively dedicated to understanding and maximizing the CARES Act Employee Retention Credit (ERC) for small businesses affected negatively by COVID 19.Mark has a wealth of knowledge on this topic, and he is really passionate about helping entrepreneurs to take advantage of this unusual opportunity that has been created.Listen to the full episode to hear:Why you probably haven’t heard of the ERCWhat kinds of businesses qualify for the creditThree key ways your business may qualifyLearn more about Mark Sullivan:ERC SpecialistsLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!

Too often, choosing your business model isn’t a conscious decision and you accept whatever the default seems to be for your industry.But choosing your business model is a really important decision.The business model that you choose affects absolutely everything about how you do business, from what you do on a daily basis to how much money you make and how you make that money, to how much time you spend working each week.Let’s open our eyes to the different options out there and make conscious choices about the model that’s really right for our businesses, our customers, ourselves, and our personal goals.This episode is part of a series on business models. In each episode, I’m interviewing a business owner about their business model, how it works, how they make money, and what it all entrails so that you can learn about your different options and make that choice.Today I’m talking to Nathalie Lussier about the Software As A Service model and her business, AccessAlly.Nathalie Lussier is an award-winning entrepreneur who has been making web sites since she was 12 years old. She graduated with a degree in Software Engineering and a job offer from Wall Street, but she turned down this job to start her own business right out of college.As the founder of AccessAlly, the powerful digital course and membership solution for industry leaders, she believes that access to education can help defy stereotypes and make the world a better place, while providing a sustainable livelihood for enterprising teachers.Listen to the full episode to hear:Why Nathalie made the leap from hands-on coaching and consulting to developing softwareHow software as a service provides stability for business ownersWho to partner with if you have a great idea but don’t have software development experienceWhy AccessAlly stopped paid advertising and focused on content marketing How Nathalie and her team evaluate adding new features and services to AccessAllyLearn more about Nathalie Lussier:YouTubeTwitter: @NathLussierFacebook: @AccessAllyTMPinterest: @AccessAllyConnect with AccessAlly on LinkedInLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!

Choosing your business model is a really important decision.The business model that you choose affects absolutely everything about how you do business, from what you do on a daily basis to how much money you make and how you make that money, to how much time you spend working each week.But too often, it isn’t even a conscious decision, but just accepted as the default for whatever type of business you’re building or the industry you’re in. It doesn’t have to be that way.Let’s open our eyes to the different options out there and make conscious choices about the model that’s really right for our businesses, our customers, ourselves, and our personal goals.This episode is part of a series on business models. In each episode, I’m interviewing a business owner about their business model, how it works, how they make money, and what it all entrails so that you can learn about your different options and make that choice.Today I’m talking to Jordan Gill about her business, Systems Saved Me.Jordan helps burned out service providers convert their monthly retainers to virtual VIP Days. Her program Done In a Day™ has helped over 270 students create and sell their first VIP Days. She also has a podcast called Systems Saved Me with over 300 episodes all about how business owners navigate success with systems.Listen to the full episode to hear:How Jordan shifted her business entirely to VIP Days in 2017 and never looked backHow she structures her client onboarding to maximize the productivity of the VIP DayHow Jordan cultivates win-win referral sourcesThe systems and automations that give Jordan a three-day work weekLearn more about Jordan Gill:Systems Saved MeInstagram: @SystemsSavedMeSystems Saved Me PodcastLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!

The business model that you choose affects absolutely everything about how you do business, from what you do on a daily basis to how much money you make and how you make that money, to how much time you spend working each week.Choosing your business model is a really important decision.But too often, it isn’t even a conscious decision, but just accepted as the default for whatever type of business you’re building or the industry you’re in.So let’s change that.Let’s open our eyes to the different options out there and make conscious choices about the model that’s really right for our businesses, our customers, ourselves, and our personal goals.This episode is part of a series on business models. In each episode, I’m interviewing a business owner about their business model, how it works, how they make money, and what it all entrails so that you can learn about your different options and make that choice.Today I’m talking to Natalie Gingrich about her business, The Ops Authority, where she certifies and mentors women who leverage their natural skillset of operations and administration. She's driven to help women earn an income with ease while doing what comes most naturally to them.Natalie has merged her corporate career background with her entrepreneurial learnings to create the Director of Operations Certification Program, the only strategic operations certification for leaders.Listen to the full episode to hear:Why Natalie landed on developing a certification program rather than strictly a courseHow Natalie began marketing to her networks and why relationship marketing is still a key strategy for her todayHow her podcast functions as the top of her sales funnel, and why it works for her audienceWhere Natalie spends the most of her time and money in her business, and which sales avenues provide the best conversionLearn more about Natalie Gingrich:The Ops AuthorityFacebook: @TheOpsAuthorityThe Ops Authority PodcastLearn more about Gillian:Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!