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As a business owner, there are lots of opportunities to Present yourself and your company. We have found that most owners don’t think of it this way. A few examples include Presenting to a new potential customer or current customer. What about Presenting to a bank or investor? How do you come off when Presenting to your team? Ever consider selling your company or looking to buy another company?

Presenting can create a lot of stress for an organization and for the individuals who are called on to Present. As a business owner, you should be the top Presenter in your company. You should be aware of who you are Presenting to and how to tailor the message to that particular audience. To keep things simple, we focus our business coaching clients on following our MVP 7 Keys to Success (http://maximumvp.com/7-keys-to-success/) as a framework and guide for what to present.

We have had several clients who have been wrestling with Presenting their annual Profit Plans to their team

People, Companies and Resources We Mentioned in the Show

• The Big Chill (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085244/)
• The Big Lebowski (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118715/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)
• Nathanial Rateliff and the Night Sweats (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathaniel_Rateliff_&_the_Night_Sweats_(album))
• Mr. Rogers (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Rogers)
• Billy Graham (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Graham)

The post How Do I Present? appeared first on Dirty Secrets of Small Business.

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In This Episode

A common struggle for leaders of just about any organization is that they often feel like they have to do everything themselves. Even when they have a lot of good people around who are able and willing to help. We see this with many small business owners and we’ve seen it in several non-profit situations as well.

One of the key principles we hammer into our clients’ heads is that their job consists of three simple things, and it’s not “Do, Do, Do”! We teach our clients how the embrace the approach of “Plan, Direct, Control”. This simple but powerful model is what we use to orient our business owner clients as well as ourselves or any other leader we counsel.

First things first, “what’s the plan?” This quickly becomes a favorite mantra for our business owner clients. It starts with us asking them this question and it flows throughout the organization as they begin to ask everyone else that same question. It all starts with the plan. Next is the Direction. Think of yourself as a conductor of an orchestra when you are in a leadership role. You have to give direction (sometimes correction or encouragement) to your team. And then comes the Control. We do this in business through a series of regular meetings and reporting.

Not sure who you can build around in your company? Try scheduling a few brainstorming sessions and see who stands out. Also, have people Present as much as possible. This doesn’t need to be a “formal” presentation but can simply be someone up at a whiteboard. You’ll get a great sense for how they think when they present. We shared several success stories during today’s show as well as some other helpful tips!

People, Companies and Resources We Mentioned in the Show

• Wedding Crashers, Will Ferrell as Chazz Reinhold and “Where’s the Meatloaf Mom?”
• Star Trek Vulcan mind meld
• KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)

The post Podcast Date: How Do You Work Through People? appeared first on Dirty Secrets of Small Business.

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Finding good people is a constant battle for any business, but especially for small businesses. If you have 10 people in your company, the positive impact a good person can have (or the negative impact a bad person can have) can be transformational for your organization.

So why do so many business owners get in their own way and get stuck in the hourly mentality when trying to find and hire good people? Good people are going to be “expensive”. Especially if you aren’t plugging them into an overall Profit Plan for your company. And they aren’t going to work for an hourly rate. They’re most likely to be salaried.

When you have a small business, you know the people and the hiring and firing process is something that can be very personal and emotional. One of the things we work on with all our clients is to be more decisive when it comes to their people. The old adage of “slow to hire and quick to fire” is a great one to keep in mind.

People, Companies and Resources We Mentioned in the Show

• Indeed.com
• Zip Recruiter
• LinkedIn
• Craigslist
• Office Space

The post How Do You Break Free From The Hourly Mentality? appeared first on Dirty Secrets of Small Business.

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Too many folks get in their own way when it comes to buying a company. In fact, they usually stop it before they start. The biggest reason has to do with money…or lack thereof. We hear this all the time when it comes to buying a company.

On tonight’s show we shared several stories about current business coaching clients as well as other potential clients who we’ve spoken with just in the last week alone about how to buy a company. And doing it without putting down a ton of money. The key with buying anything, whether it be a car, house, or a business, is buying it right.

One of the biggest mistakes to avoid when it comes to buying a company is to make sure you don’t get emotionally involved as the potential buyer. Keep in mind that the seller is already very emotionally involved, it’s their business after all. One of the ways to avoid this emotional commitment is get to the point of making an offer sooner vs. later.

The first question you need to answer when it comes to buying a company is, “Would you take it if they gave it to you?” Keep this question in mind as you’re looking at the potential company to purchase. Simply “giving it to you” can take a lot of different forms. The seller could play the role of the bank and you as the buyer pay them out of the future profits of the business, so the business literally pays for itself. Or, the offer could be so low, say a few thousand dollars, that it’s basically equivalent to someone giving it to you. The point is, don’t use not having a nest egg of money as an excuse for not buying a company!

People, Companies and Resources We Mentioned in the Show

• Entrepreneur Magazine, “6 Factors In Taking Over An Existing Business”
• Cocktail with Tom Cruise and the flugelbinder

The post How Do I Buy A Business When I Have No Money? appeared first on Dirty Secrets of Small Business.

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