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Don’t let a day go by where you don’t negotiate something.  The opportunities are everywhere, whether it be your personal life or business life.  Heck, ask anyone with kids, especially younger ones, if they have to negotiate daily!

On the business front, you have opportunities with hiring employees, vendors, customers, financing, and even the eventual sale of your business.  During our show today we shared several examples of our clients negotiating well and also provided some insights and tips for how you can become a master negotiator!

People, Companies and Resources We Mentioned in the Show

Roger Dawson, negotiate every day (http://www.nightingale.com/authors/roger-dawson.html)

The post How And When Can I Negotiate? appeared first on Dirty Secrets of Small Business.

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We took a little trip down memory lane during tonight’s show.  We discussed how MVP in its early days wasn’t speaking the language of small business owners.  And because of that, we were making it too difficult for people to buy our services.

Part of our process for screening out potential prospects was to send them a list of information we wanted to see.  In our minds it was stuff we thought all companies had at their fingertips. They were things we figured anyone doing diligence on a company would ask for.  Things like recent financial statements, organization charts, details for how they set their selling price, and copies of their marketing plans. But for some reason we usually couldn’t get the owners to respond to us after we sent this list.  

What we discovered was that people weren’t responding to us because they either didn’t have most of this stuff, or more likely they didn’t know what they heck we were asking for!  We were speaking “big corporate” language but didn’t realize it as we thought all business people spoke this language. It took us a few years to “de-corporatize” ourselves. It started with not sending the list out any more.

So do you speak the language of business?  During the show we chatted about all 11 things we were asking business owners for and showed how these requests could easily be misinterpreted.  We think you’ll really enjoy the discussion!

People, Companies and Resources We Mentioned in the Show

Blind Man (http://www.heyblindman.com)
This Is Spinal Tap (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088258/)
Carnac the Magnificent (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnac_the_Magnificent)
War and Peace (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_and_Peace)

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

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So, this might sound counterintuitive to all of you business owners focused on growing at all costs, but it often pays big dividends in the long-term to slow things down a bit.  Growth can create all kinds of indigestion for a company.

We have several clients who have learned very expensive lessons about how it often pays to slow down.  This includes everything from failed acquisitions to the wrong attachments being sent out on emails and everything in between.  We shared several of those stories on our show tonight.

So what does slowing down look like?  It can be as simple as forcing yourself to wait 24 hours to make a decision or “sleeping on it” for a day or two as you let things percolate.  Believe it or not, most things can wait 24 hours (and usually longer).  Things like having regular meetings can also force an organization to slow down a bit as that structure provides a place for most decisions.  Listen instead of talk.  What about “single-tasking” vs. “multi-tasking”?

If you’re in business long enough, things should naturally “slow down” for you.  Much like an athlete moving from grade school to high school or high school to college and eventually to the professional ranks, at some point either the game “slows down” or they don’t survive at that next level.  So if things haven’t slowed down for you yet, tonight’s show is for you!

People, Companies and Resources We Mentioned in the Show

• Days of Thunder (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099371/)
• Budweiser Clydesdales (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budweiser_Clydesdales)
• Barry White (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_White)

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

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During tonight’s show we had the honor of being joined in studio by Ben Ihde, owner of D&S Color Supply, who has been a business coaching client of Maximum Value Partners for several years.  He has a fascinating story for how he went from an entry level position to owning the company and he shared many insights from that experience during tonight’s show.

Ben also discussed his experience with the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program where he was a graduate of the first class here in Cleveland.  One of his key takeaways was being able to present his business especially to bankers which paid off well for him as he took over the business and doubled his credit line and borrowed money to buy out the previous owner.

People, Companies and Resources We Mentioned in the Show

D&S Color Supply (http://www.dscolorsupply.com)

PPG Industries (http://corporate.ppg.com/Our-Company.aspx)

Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program (https://www.goldmansachs.com/citizenship/10000-small-businesses/US/)

The post How I Got From Entry Level Job To Owner, Ben Ihde? appeared first on Dirty Secrets of Small Business.

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When my wife starts talking to me about football I know I need to pay attention because she doesn’t really like football.  In late January 2019, ESPN investigative reporter Seth Wickersham published a scathing article about the Cleveland Browns and the dysfunction that has existed since Jimmy and Dee Haslam took ownership in 2012.  My wife had a lot of questions after reading that article, so we thought it would be an interesting topic to delve a little further into for our audience.

During tonight’s show we dissected the article to hit on some Leadership and Organization issues that we know will relate to small business owners.  You might find it hard to believe after reading Wickersham’s article, but Jimmy Haslam has actually done a lot of things right when it comes to Leadership and the Organization.  Chances are you might have more in common with Jimmy Haslam as an owner than you want to admit in public.

We shared some stories of clients of ours as well that relate to what Jimmy and Dee have gone through as owners.  Some of the good Leadership traits like being decisive, listening, and being engaged lead to some victories for Jimmy but also some struggles.  So how do you avoid making some of those same mistakes? Take a listen to the show and find out!

People, Companies and Resources We Mentioned in the Show

Seth Wickersham Article on Jimmy Haslam and Cleveland Browns (http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/25797430/inside-cleveland-browns-front-office-where-hope-history-collide)

Jimmy Haslam (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Haslam)

People’s Court (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_People%27s_Court)

Seinfeld “close talker” (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Raincoats_(Seinfeld))

The post Is Jimmy Haslam Really As Bad An Owner As Everyone Thinks? appeared first on Dirty Secrets of Small Business.

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“All I need is more sales!”  Raise your hand if you’ve heard that phrase before from a small business owner you know.  Raise both hands if that small business owner is you! A Marketing plan can be one of the most daunting things to pull together for just about any small business owner.  Where do you start?

Chances are if you’ve been in business for a couple of years then you’ve probably engaged the services of some outside marketing folks.  Chances are also high that you had a not so great experience with those outside marketing folks. What’s even more frustrating, the marketing folks likely feel that they’ve done a great job for you.  So why the disconnect?

Our experience with small businesses and the marketers who are providing services is that there is often a gap between what the business owner believes they are paying for and what the service provider believes they are providing.  A simple example that most owners can relate to is a brochure. The marketing professional likely believes their goal is to provide a great tri-fold brochure. A brochure that looks good and tells the story of your company in a compelling and visually pleasing manner.  You as the business owner are expecting to increase your sales by using these brochures.

So what happens when the beautiful brochure is delivered?  The marketing professional feels their work is done, but the business owner feels like they’ve paid for something that hasn’t delivered any results yet.  The results the business owner is looking for is increased sales.

During the show tonight, we addressed how you as the business owner can have better results with your marketing going forward as it relates to increasing your sales.  We shared several stories of clients who have had some good results and break down some of the key findings we have to make sure your Marketing plan is delivering the increased sales your heart desires!

People, Companies and Resources We Mentioned in the Show

Definition of Marketing (http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/marketing.html)

Pi Beta Phi (https://www.pibetaphi.org/pibetaphi/)

Van Morrison Brown Eye Girl (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_Eyed_Girl)

This Is Spinal Tap, This One Goes to 11 (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088258/)

The post How Do I Market My Small Business To Grow Sales? appeared first on Dirty Secrets of Small Business.

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This past Monday our country honored a great leader who had a tremendous impact on race relations as well as many other things in the United States.  I was watching a documentary recently that provided some history and insight into to inner workings of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his team called King in the Wilderness.

I was struck by how similar the things he dealt with are to those things that our small business clients deal with.  Especially when it comes to Leadership.  He wrestled with things many small business owners wrestle with including doubts, people pulling at you, feeling like you’re always “on”, negative impacts to your personal life, etc.  Most people aren’t thinking of these things when they think of Martin Luther King, Jr., a small business owner, or anyone else in a leadership role.

During tonight’s show we shared several stories about clients and our own personal experiences with many of the Leadership issues that Martin Luther King, Jr. dealt with in a public and private way.

People, Companies and Resources We Mentioned in the Show

• King in the Wilderness (https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/king-in-the-wilderness)
• Martin Luther King, Jr. (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King_Jr.)
• Sopranos (https://www.hbo.com/the-sopranos)

The post Leadership Lessons from Martin Luther King, Jr. appeared first on Dirty Secrets of Small Business.

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Politics is a 4-letter word when it comes to business.  And it’s certainly a dirty secret of just about any organization.  So what do you do about it as the owner?  What can you do to prevent politics from infecting your organization?  If they’re already in your company, how do you get them out?

During the first part of tonight’s show we give some ideas for how to deal with politics in your business and shared several stories of what those politics might look like in your organization.

In the second half of the show we were joined by long-time MVP business coaching client and Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business alum, Bob Scaccia of USA Firmware.  Bob shared some highlights from his time in the Goldman Sachs program as well as chatted about the ever expanding area of IoT (aka Internet of Things).

People, Companies and Resources We Mentioned in the Show

• USA Firmware (https://www.usafirmware.com)
• Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program (https://www.goldmansachs.com/citizenship/10000-small-businesses/US/)
• Internet of Things (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_of_things)
• Flintstones (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flintstones)

The post How Do I Deal With Politics In My Company and Special Guest Bob Scaccia from USA Firmware appeared first on Dirty Secrets of Small Business.

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During tonight’s show we were joined by two business advisors from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program here in Cleveland.  Mark Pinto and Steve Sinisgalli have both been involved with the Goldman Sachs program for several years after successful careers in training and banking, respectively.

One of the exciting new monthly segments we’re kicking off in 2019 is having an alumni from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program join us for a segment to share their experience with the program and how it helped their businesses.  Mark and Steve gave some insights into what a typical day looks like during the program with an emphasis on “peer-to-peer” learning vs. lectures.  They also shared several wonderful stories about the participants in the program, aka scholars, and the successes they had with implementing their Growth Plans.

If you’re a business owner who thinks they’re the only one dealing with a certain challenge or opportunity then this program is for you.  You will learn from your peers who have gone through similar circumstances.  Mark and Steve also talked about the power of networking and how 85% of the alumni do business together.

If you’re curious to learn more about what is involved, click here to download a copy of the curriculum for the first cohort of 2019.  If you’re interested in applying, you can go here https://10ksbapply.com.

People, Companies and Resources We Mentioned in the Show

Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program (https://10ksbapply.com)

The post Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program, Mark Pinto and Steve Sinisgalli appeared first on Dirty Secrets of Small Business.

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Phew!  The holidays are finally over…and now we can get back to normal life!  Isn’t that a good thing?  How do you get back on track?  More importantly, how do you get your team and business back on track for the new year?

During tonight’s show we chatted about everything from holiday parties and their true objective which is often misunderstood and Jack makes the case for why you shouldn’t have holiday parties for your company.

What are you doing to move ahead and shake off those holiday hangovers, both literal and figurative?  If you’re struggling for ideas on how to move into the new year, tonight’s show if for you!

People, Companies and Resources We Mentioned in the Show

• Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program (https://10ksbapply.com)
• It’s A Wonderful Life (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038650/)
• Christmas Vacation (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097958/)

The post How Do I Escape The Holiday Hangover for My Business? appeared first on Dirty Secrets of Small Business.

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