Ep. 166 – How a Business Partnership is Like a Marriage: An Interview with Grava Bike Co., Part 4

Grava Bikes, straight from the paint booth.

Grava Bikes, straight from the paint booth.

In a marriage, one of the thorniest issues tends to be managing money. As Grava Bike Co. co-founders Jeff Welch and Shawn Moore explain, a business partnership is kind of like a marriage where the only thing to think about and talk about is money. Handled poorly, a business partnership can easily turn into a stressful and tense situation. Not surprisingly, both Jeff and Shawn believe strong communication to be key to a long-lasting business partnership.

In today’s episode of the Success in Business podcast, host and business coach Tom Ryan continues his conversation with Jeff and Shawn. As always, Tom is joined by co-host and producer Jason Pyles. Continue reading

Ep. 165 – Listening for the Pearls of Wisdom from Manufacturers: An Interview with Grava Bike Company, Part 3

Grava Bike's Revenuer frameset

Grava Bike’s Revenuer frameset

What business misstep would you take a mulligan on? For Jeff Welch and Shawn Moore, co-founders of Grava Bike Co., that do-over might be starting a bike shop in the first place. As it turns out, running a retail location while trying to get an internationally sourced manufacturing business of the ground takes a lot of work.

In today’s episode of the Succes in Business podcast, host and business coach Tom Ryan continues his conversation with Jeff and Shawn. As always, Tom is joined by co-host and producer Jason Pyles. Continue reading

Taking The Pain Out Of Creating A Longform Business Plan

SIBP-Blog-NEW-B-2Creating a successful business sometimes means doing things that aren’t the most efficient or effective use of your time. If you’re working with commercial lenders, old-school angel investors or partners who prefer traditional approaches, it’s entirely possible that they will ask you to write up a business plan before moving forward with them. As I mentioned in my last post, while I’m a huge believer in business planning, I’m not a fan of longform business plans.

If you find yourself in this situation, it’s usually easiest to just bite the bullet and create one. The more business planning you’ve already done — perhaps using something like the business model canvas — you should already have most of the building blocks in hand to create a narrative business plan. Continue reading

Ep. 164 – Market Driven Design and Customization: An Interview with Grava Bike Co., Part 2

Grava Bikes, straight from the paint booth.

Grava Bikes, straight from the paint booth.

As a small bicycle brand competing against the biggest names in the industry, Grava Bike’s founders need every advantage they can get. As co-owners of a retail bike shop, they already had an edge, hearing customer feedback and frustrations with existing products firsthand. One of those biggest issues — the lack of color choice — might just be a major factor in Grava Bike’s future success.

In today’s episode of the Succes in Business podcast, host and business coach Tom Ryan continues his conversation with Jeff Welch and Shawn Moore, co-founders of Grava Bike Co.. As always, Tom is joined by co-host and producer Jason Pyles. Continue reading

Why Business Plans Are Bad, But Business Planning Isn’t

SIBP-Blog-NEW-B-5One of the questions I’m most frequently asked as a business coach is “Do I really need a business plan?” It happens once every few weeks, and I’m asked by surprising variety of business owners, startup founders and soon-to-be entrepreneurs. Unfortunately, I still don’t have an easy answer, and by trying to provide some context for my take on the subject, I’ve gotten something of a reputation as a business-plan skeptic.

It’s time for me to set the record straight: I’m a huge believer in business planning, but I’m not a fan of business plans. If that sounds strange to you, allow me to explain. These two concepts aren’t as closely linked as you might think. Continue reading

Ep. 163 – Being the Hole-in-One for Your Customers: An Interview with Grava Bike Company, Part 1

Grava Bike's Revenuer frameset

Grava Bike’s Revenuer frameset

Biking can be an expensive hobby. Between your light, sleek racing bikes and beefy, rugged mountain bikes, there are a range of frames, wheels, saddles and other options. A serious cyclist could easily end up with a garage filled with bikes and bike parts, each suited for a specific kind of riding. But what if there was a single bike that could do it all?

In today’s episode of the Success in Business podcast, host and business coach Tom Ryan talks with Jeff Welch and Shawn Moore, co-founders of the Grava Bike Co., makers of a bike that is shaking up the cycling status quo. As always, Tom is joined by co-host and producer Jason Pyles. Continue reading

Alignment-Based Sales: Three Steps of the Alignment-Based Sales Structure

SIBP-Blog-NEW-B-3What does the alignment-based sales approach look like on the ground level? It’s one thing to conceptually understand the theory, but it isn’t always obvious how to take that 10,000 foot view and apply it to your sales process. How do you start an alignment-based sale? What do you say to make sure both parties are still in alignment? How do you walk away when there isn’t an alignment?

Let’s roll up our sleeves and dig into some real-world techniques for implementing an alignment-based sales process. There are three basic steps: The Alignment Statement; Qualifying; and Continuous Testing. Let’s take a look at how each of these work. Continue reading

Ep. 162 – Donald Miller’s “How to Tell a Story” eBook – Part 9

StoryYour customers have a problem. They came to you in the hopes of finding a guide who not only understands that problem, but who can also help them come up with a plan for solving it. It’s your job to not only walk them through the changes and challenges they will face, but to show them what the consequences of failing to act on that plan will be.

Host and business coach Tom Ryan explains the role of “The Plan” in business storytelling in this final installment of his review of Donald Miller’s How to Tell a Story ebook. As always, Tom is joined by producer and co-host Jason Pyles. Download your own copy of Donald Miller’s How to Tell a Story ebook today, and be sure to keep listening to the Success in Business Podcast this week for our continuing review. Continue reading

Ep. 161 – Donald Miller’s “How to Tell a Story” eBook – Part 8

SIBP-Blog-NEW-3In every great story, there is a hero who needs a guide. Every Daniel LaRusso needs a Mr. Miyagi, and every Luke Skywalker needs a Yoda. When you tell your company’s story, it’s important to remember that you aren’t the hero. Your customer is the one facing the challenge, and it’s their story they care most about. Your role is to be the guide who helps them overcome their challenges.

Host and business coach Tom Ryan dives into this important element of business storytelling in this multi-part breakdown of Donald Miller’s How to Tell a Story ebook. As always, Tom is joined by producer and co-host Jason Pyles. Download your own copy of Donald Miller’s How to Tell a Story ebook today, and be sure to keep listening to the Success in Business Podcast this week for our continuing review. Continue reading

Ep. 160 – Donald Miller’s “How to Tell a Story” eBook – Part 7

SIBP-Blog-NEW-2A truly compelling story isn’t defined by the hero, it’s defined by the challenge or problem the hero must face. The same is true when constructing a compelling story for your business. Your customer has a problem, and it’s your job to explain how your product or service helped them overcome it.

In today’s episode, host and business coach Tom Ryan talks about Donald Miller’s concept of the three kinds of problems a protagonist can face, and what this means in the context of creating a persuasive narrative for your business. Tom is joined by special guest co-host and producer Natalie Pyles.

Download your own copy of Donald Miller’s How to Tell a Story ebook today, and be sure to keep listening to the Success in Business Podcast this week for our continuing review. Continue reading