Monthly Archives: November 2015

Getting Started With Professionalization, Part 3: Production, Finance and HR

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IMG_2329The biggest benefit of a professionalized business process is that it delivers consistent results while allowing you to rapidly scale your ability to capitalize on those results. As I mentioned in part one, there are two general categories of professionalization: Generating revenue and managing expenses. I covered the revenue side of this equation in the previous post, so now it’s time to talk about managing expenses.

The most obvious place to start is with production. This also includes various kinds of product-related work, such as program management. It doesn’t matter what kind of product you’re producing, it’s really about what you’re delivering for the customer. The process for making that product — whatever kind of product it is — is what needs to be professionalized. Continue reading →

Ep. 115 – The Business Power Pitch Deconstructed – A 12-Part Series

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300x300new_resizedThanks to shows like Shark Tank, the art of pitching a business to investors has never been more popular. While having a strong business pitch is vital for a startup looking for financial capital, that’s barely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to understanding the importance of a great pitch. Any business or organization has something to gain from being able to tell their story in a concise, persuasive way.

Over the next few weeks, host and business coach Tom Ryan will be taking a deep dive into this hugely important topic. As always, Tom is joined by producer and co-host Jason Pyles. Continue reading →

Ep. 114 – How to Survive a Founders’ Breakup

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SIB-Blog-1Breaking up is never easy. When the breakup is between business founders, rather than romantic partners, things can become especially painful. When those founders are friends working on a handshake agreement, the failure can be catastrophic.

In today’s episode, host and business coach Tom Ryan shares the story his very first startup, which he co-founded with a friend. Learn how a few bad calls at the start resulted in a failed business and a friendship that nearly didn’t recover. Continue reading →

Getting Started With Professionalization, Part 2: Sales, Service and Marketing

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IMG_2329When people ask me about which process in their business they should professionalize first, I inevitably tell them to start with sales. In case you haven’t picked up on it yet, I’m a big believer in sales, and it’s no coincidence that I tend to give it the highest priority. A refined and professional sales process is an asset that will deliver great returns for your over and over again throughout the life of the business.

Why start with sales? Because it’s hard to uproot and replace an entrenched sales system — even one that doesn’t work very well — and every day you wait, the more difficult it becomes. If there’s one thing you want to get right as early as possible, it’s sales. Continue reading →

Ep. 113 – Paul Mazzola from Nivo Outdoor, Part 3

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Paul Mazzola

Paul Mazzola

One of the most valuable assets for any startup founder is having access to a diverse network of like-minded entrepreneurs. Nivo Outdoor founder Paul Mazzola knows this first hand, crediting much of his company’s recent success to lessons learned through the Kauffman Entrepreneur-In-Residence Program. After spending years as a glass artist, Paul is the first to admit that has some catching up to do when it comes to mastering the art of running a business.

In the final installment of this interview, host and business coach Tom Ryan talks with Paul about his entrepreneurial stumbling blocks, and what’s next for his company. As always, Tom is joined by producer and co-host Jason Pyles. Continue reading →

Ep. 112 – Paul Mazzola from Nivo Outdoor, Part 2

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Paul Mazzola

Paul Mazzola

Before he launched a new career as an entrepreneur, Nivo Outdoor founder Paul Mazzola spent the better part of a decade as a glass artist. As it turns out, many of the lessons he learned as a working artist would be surprisingly useful in his new job. From sticking with a core vision to becoming comfortable with sales, there’s a lot of overlap.

In part two of this interview, host and business coach Tom Ryan dives into the transition Paul made from artist to entrepreneur. As always, Tom is joined by producer and co-host Jason Pyles. Continue reading →

Getting Started With Professionalization, Part 1

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IMG_2329When a business doesn’t have professionalized processes in place, it’s obvious. Their performance is erratic and unpredictable. Instead of clearly organized methods and practices for accomplishing their operations, they’re essentially throwing spaghetti noodles at the wall and seeing what, if anything sticks.

That’s not an efficient way to run a business. By replacing that haphazard approach with a proven, reliable and scalable set of practices, those processes perform more consistently. In other words, it becomes “professionalized.” Every business has processes that benefit from being professionalized, from production to HR, and from finance to sales. Continue reading →

Ep. 111 – Paul Mazzola from Nivo Outdoor, Part 1

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Paul Mazzola

Paul Mazzola

Great businesses are often born out of frustration. While trying to set up a camping chair on the uneven ground at a West Virginia music festival, Paul Mazzola kept sliding down the hill. Looking around, he noticed that he wasn’t alone. The idea of a self-leveling outdoor chair popped into Paul’s mind. Surely, someone had something like that in the works, right?

Today, Paul is the CEO and Founder of Nivo Outdoor, a startup that makes those exact same self-leveling chairs. He’s also a member of the Kauffman Entrepreneur-In-Residence Program. In this episode, host and business coach Tom Ryan talks with Paul about how Nivo grew from concept to company, and the lessons learned along the way. As always, Tom is joined by producer and co-host Jason Pyles. Continue reading →

Calculating Your Price Points: Bringing It All Together

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IMG_2329Once you find a price point that fits, it’s time to do a little test marketing. This doesn’t need to be an elaborate process. You can easily test the price simply by talking to trusted friends, colleagues and advisors. Anyone who you can trust to give you candid advice is an ideal person to bring into the discussion.

Early on, as you tried to find the right price for your product, you might have asked those same people a fairly nebulous question like “What would you pay for this product?” or “How much should I charge for my service?” The more people you ask, the wider the range of feedback you tend to get. Continue reading →

Ep. 110 – The Fourth P of Sales: People, Part 2

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FourPs-ImageIn this final installment of the “Four Ps of Sales” series, host and business coach Tom Ryan nails down the two remaining concepts in hiring a great sales team: Skill sets and compensation. Learn why hiring the right person with the right skills for the sales system is often the best long-term strategy, and why it makes sense to hire for your level of compensation, rather than adjust compensation to hire a specific person.

To catch up on the “Four Ps of Sales,” check out: Overview; “Process” (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3); and “Performance”; “Pay” (Part 1 and Part 2); and “People” (Part 1). Continue reading →