Ep. 147 – The Four P’s of Scaling Your Business: Part 3 – Planning and Pace

Posted on January 7, 2016 by producer

“Building the airplane in the air” might be a survivable strategy for a high-growth startup, but for an established company looking to scale, it’s rarely anything other than a disaster. If you want to scale your business sanely, you need to have a rock-solid plan in place. That means knowing where you’re going, and getting there at a realistic pace.

In this final episode of the Four Ps of Scaling Your Business, host and business coach Tom Ryan talks about the final two piece to the puzzle: Planning and Pace. As always, Tom is joined by producer and co-host Jason Pyles. Continue reading →

Startup Capital: One-Time Costs and Ongoing Expenses

Posted on January 6, 2016 by Tom Ryan

As you raise startup capital, one of the first questions you should ask yourself is “What do I need this money for?” It can be a tricky question to answer, as there are a lot of expenses associated with starting a business. To understand how much money you need, you need to start with your expenses.

While every startup is different, most early stage businesses share similar needs. These generally break down into two broad categories: One-time costs and ongoing expenses. In this post, I’ll explain the differences between these two kinds of expenses, and give you some general examples of each. Continue reading →

Ep. 146 – The Four P’s of Scaling Your Business: Part 2 – Process

Posted on January 6, 2016 by producer

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Expanding a business into multiple locations requires more than just the logistics of renting a space and hiring new staff. Successful scaling means building a new level of efficiency and developing clear company practices, all while creating a consistent customer experience. At the same time, it can also require a balancing act between empowering the on-site management while building up centralized processes.

In this episode, host and business coach Tom Ryan explores the fundamentals of process, the second “P” in his Four P’s of Scaling series. As always, Tom is joined by producer and co-host Jason Pyles. Continue reading →

Ep. 145 – The Four P’s of Scaling Your Business: Part 1:B – People (The Outback Model)

Posted on January 5, 2016 by producer

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Bloomin’ Onion. Photo source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mastermaq/

No matter what your business plan, you’re going to need the right people to make it happen. That’s even more true as you scale your business. Grow too quickly without bringing the right partners on, and the quality of your service or product will suffer. Try to do it all yourself, however, and you’ll be spread paper thin before you know it.

In this episode, host and business coach Tom Ryan talks about Outback Steakhouse’s highly aggressive — and highly successful — expansion strategy, and the lessons it can teach any company looking to scale. As always, Tom is joined by co-host and producer Jason Pyles. Continue reading →

From Idea To Business: Common Obstacles, And What To Do About Them

Posted on January 4, 2016 by Tom Ryan

One of the best parts of my job is working with young entrepreneurs. I call them my “baby birds,” and there’s something incredibly rewarding about taking them under my wing. I love being in a position to guide them through the early stages of starting a company, acting as a mentor as they turn an idea into a full-fledged business. When those businesses finally take flight, it’s a huge thrill.

Creating a viable business means going into the process with your eyes wide open, and I always love it when those young entrepreneurs ask me those simple-yet-tough questions I really have to think about. For instance, I hear a lot of variations on this question: “What obstacles can I expect to run into as I start to turn my idea into a real business?” Continue reading →

Ep. 144 – The Four P’s of Scaling Your Business: Part 1 – People

Posted on January 4, 2016 by producer

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It’s time to start the New Year off right! That means another multi-part series on developing your business. This week, we’re talking about the four big things to keep in mind as you scale and expand your operations. Growing a business is always challenging, and it can take quite a toll on your relationships, your free time, and your health.

Host and business coach Tom Ryan explains the core concepts of expanding your business, and how to do so without sacrificing your work/life balance. As always, Tom is joined by co-host and producer Jason Pyles. Continue reading →

7 Steps For Getting Great Results From Initial Consultations

Posted on January 1, 2016 by Tom Ryan

Running a small company is a lot of work, particularly when you run a one-person shop as a freelancer or consultant. At that scale, every client counts. When a new prospective client crosses your path, it’s only natural to want to give them plenty of time. Meeting face-to-face, perhaps sitting down for an hour over a cup of coffee, seems like the right way to have an initial consultation. From a sales perspective, however, it’s absolutely wrong.

More accurately, it’s ineffective and inefficient. Spending an hour on your initial consultation, only to find that you’re a bad fit for each other, represents more than a sale that didn’t happen. It also represents an hour that you can’t charge for, and couldn’t spend finding new clients. When you bill by the hour, time is money. Continue reading →

Ep. 143 – Happy New Year 2016: Reflection and Goals

Posted on January 1, 2016 by producer

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It’s a New Year! Here at the Success In Business Podcast, it’s time to take a look back at the highlights of 2015, and to cast our gaze towards the year to come. What does 2016 have in store for the SIBP?

In this free-wheeling discussion, host and business coach Tom Ryan talks with producer and co-host Jason Pyles about lessons learned (both personally and professionally), the value of being present, and some big ideas for the future. Continue reading →

Ep. 142 – Sale Deconstructed: Initial Consultation Approach, Part 2

Posted on December 31, 2015 by producer

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When you’re billing by the hour, every moment you spend talking with a potential client matters. That’s one reason why those hour-long initial consultations can be so frustrating, particularly when they don’t result in a sale. Is there an alternative? Have you been doing it wrong this whole time?

In this episode, host and business coach Tom Ryan continues his seven-point plan to make the most out of an initial consultation. As always, Tom is joined by co-host and producer Jason Pyles. Continue reading →

Rethinking The Initial Sales Consultation

Posted on December 30, 2015 by Tom Ryan

One of the best things about being a business coach is that I get to meet a lot of entrepreneurs in a wide variety of fields. I’m often struck by how diverse the local business community is, and by how similar their needs are when it comes to growing those businesses. My background is in working with high-growth startups — tech, manufacturing and service companies, mainly — but recently I’ve started to work with smaller, more creatively focused businesses. To my surprise, it turns out that both types of company have a lot of things in common. No matter what industry you’re in, some challenges are universal.

Recently, I was talking with the owner of a one-woman graphic design firm, and she was telling me about her struggles with landing clients. She was spending a lot of time meeting with prospective customers, but not landing as many of those job as she wanted to. Despite her best efforts, she just wasn’t getting enough business. Continue reading →