Carl Gould
Posts by Carl Gould:






CLG Collective Podcast – The Value Builder System with John Warrilow
Episode 008 - John Warrilow
John Warrillow is the founder of The Value Builder System™, a simple software for building the value of a company used by thousands of businesses worldwide. John is the author of the bestselling book, Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You, which was recognized by both Fortune and Inc magazines as one of the best business books of 2011. Before founding The Value Builder System™, John started and exited four companies.

CLG Collective Podcast – Shark Attack with Paul de Gelder
Episode 004 - Paul de Gelder
In this episode of the Carl Gould Collective Podcast, Carl Gould interviews Paul de Gelder, a former paratrooper in the Royal Australian Army and Navy clearance diver. Paul shares his journey from being a peacekeeper in East Timor to become a member of the elite dive team. He also talks about the varied and exciting roles he played as a clearance diver, including underwater battle damage repair and land-based EOD.
Here are the top three takeaways from the podcast:
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Embrace challenges: Paul talks about how he faced numerous challenges in his life, from being kicked out of his home at 17 to having his deployment to Iraq revoked. Despite these setbacks, he remained determined to find his dream job and poured his heart and soul into becoming a Navy clearance diver. His message to listeners is to embrace challenges and use them as an opportunity for growth.
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Pursue your passion: Paul discovered his passion for diving and used it as a way to move up in his career. He says that finding your passion is crucial to achieving success in life. He advises listeners to try new things and explore different interests to find what truly excites them.
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Be adaptable: As a clearance diver, Paul had to be adaptable and prepared for any situation. He talks about the varied roles he played as a diver, from doing underwater battle damage repair to land-based EOD. He advises listeners to be open-minded and adaptable, as it will help them navigate any situation they may face in their personal or professional life.
Overall, Paul’s story is one of perseverance, determination, and embracing new challenges. His message to listeners is to find their passion, embrace challenges, and be adaptable to achieve their goals.

CLG Collective Podcast – Father of Modern Networking, Dr Ivan Misner
Episode 013 - Dr. Ivan Misner
In this episode of the Carl Gould Collective podcast, Carl Gould interviews Dr. Ivan Misner, the founder of BNI, the largest business networking organization in the world. Misner discusses the thought process behind starting BNI and his vision for creating a networking group that was both relational and focused on business without being mercenary. He merged these two ideas to create the core value of “givers gain,” which emphasizes helping others as a means of receiving help in return.
Misner also talks about the challenges he faced when starting BNI and how he created systems and processes to scale the business. He read “The E-Myth” by Michael Gerber and followed his advice to work on the business, not in the business, and create an org chart as if he were going to franchise the business. Misner explains that BNI operates as a licensing model, where individuals can pay a fee to use the BNI name and system, and the organization also generates revenue through training, events, and other services.
Throughout the interview, Misner emphasizes the importance of accountability in networking and how BNI encourages members to be active participants and contribute to the group. He also shares tips for effective networking, such as building relationships with others, being specific about the referrals you’re seeking, and following up consistently.
Overall, the interview provides valuable insights into the founding and growth of BNI, as well as the principles of effective networking that can benefit any business leader or entrepreneur.
The top three takeaways from the interview are:
- Accountability is key to success in networking groups, and BNI has an attendance requirement and encourages members to bring referrals regularly.
- Dr. Misner’s plan to scale the business involved creating systems and processes, writing everything down, and creating an org chart as if he were going to franchise the business.
- The success of BNI is due to its focus on relationships and helping others, as well as its consistent adherence to its core values.

CLG Collective Podcast – Building Your Personal Brand with Rey Perez
Episode 001 - Rey Perez
Global Branding Expert, Rey Perez talks about personal branding and how it can help business owners and CEOs build relationships and attract more clients. Rey talks about the importance of personal branding for service and product-driven businesses and for those who are the face of their business. He emphasizes the need to leverage digital resources like the internet, social media, and websites to build relationships faster and create something that can be leveraged over and over again.
The difference between a personal brand and a business brand is explained, with personal branding being about the person behind the business and their unique qualities, skills, and experiences. Rey provides examples of how personal branding has helped people attract more clients, build trust, and establish themselves as thought leaders in their industry.
Top Takeaways:
- Building a personal brand is crucial for entrepreneurs and CEOs who are the face of their business, as it allows them to create a connection and relationship with potential customers before they make a buying decision.
- The internet, mobile devices, and social media provide entrepreneurs with a powerful digital resource to build relationships with customers faster and more efficiently and leverage their time and efforts.
- A personal brand is different from a business brand, and involves creating a clear and consistent image of yourself as a thought leader and expert in your industry while showcasing your unique personality and values. It can help entrepreneurs stand out in a crowded market, and establish credibility and trust with potential customers.













Find Ways to Reduce Risk to Get More First-Time Customers
Anyone who owns a business knows that getting first-time customers isn’t
easy. That’s because every purchase, big or small, represents a risk. In fact,
no matter how good, valuable, or inexpensive your product is, it’s risky. And
people don’t like risks.
On the other hand, we know that consumers make first-time purchases all
the time. We also know that people try new things to obtain well-established
benefits such as increased status, less cost, more convenience, or better
quality. But getting a customer to switch isn’t always easy. Unless your
customer has a self-identified paint point (not cool, too expensive, poor
service, unreliable), they will stick with the choice that is “good enough for
now.”
The secret to getting new customers–lots of them–is to research what risk
your product represents and then find a way to eliminate or compensate for
that risk.
Reduce Risk With Trial Offers
One way to reduce risk is to motivate trial. Instead of requiring a customer to
buy all of your product or service, let them try a little bit. These bite-sized
offerings present less risk, are usually less expensive (or free), and are an
effective way to reduce the downside of purchase.
Sometimes bite-sized offerings come in easy-to-identify packages, such as
free samples, limited-time offers, discounted first purchases, or trial-sized
products. Reducing the risk by paring down the purchase size minimizes the
barrier to trial.
Digital businesses are well-versed with the benefits of trial offers. Before
committing to a paid package, the company often allows people to sign up
for a week or a month. Mailchimp, SEMRush, QuickBooks, and many
business software companies use this model. Then, users can try out the
features to see how easy they are to use and figure out how they work with
other software.
Free at First
Sometimes you must remove every obstacle to get people to try. That’s why
more and more companies, especially new services, give people something
for free at first. Some of the most innovative businesses around offer free
trials. Are you considering getting Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, or YouTube
TV? Sign up for a free trial first. You’ll get 30 days free, and you can cancel
anytime. Of course, you give them your credit card before you get your free
trial, and it’s up to you to remember to cancel. Easy to try. Easy to buy. But
maybe a little harder to cancel.
Eliminate Risk With Samples
When it comes to hard goods, customers also struggle with the risk of trying
a new product or service. And this is especially problematic in the DIY world.
The painting industry has created many creative approaches to make people
feel more comfortable with their options. Benjamin Moore has done a great
job of allowing customers all sorts of trial options, including paint sheets and
trial-sized paint samples. Others soon followed. Sherwin Williams now offers
9”x 14.75” peel and stick sheets. And most big box stores now sell eight-
ounce paint samples made to order.
Bite-Sized Service
For some large ticket items, it’s essential to get the customer to try early so
they can create lifelong commitments. That’s why bite-sized offerings also
work well in service industries. For years, banks have offered free checking
accounts to attract new customers, who are later offered bank loans, savings
products, and investments. The banks work on getting customers in early.
They sacrifice smaller, immediate profits in favor of lifetime value.
In another example, over the past few decades, healthcare systems across
the country have spent a lot of time and money developing top-notch
women’s and babies’ centers, based on the realization that births are often
the first time adults interact with a hospital. If a couple has a good birth
experience, they are more likely to return to the parent system for other
needs.
Tiered Offerings: Good/Better/Best
One of the most effective ways to draw in new customers is to create well-
defined tiers. These allow clients to choose their risk level while creating the
groundwork for the most premium offering. Airlines are a classic example of
the effectiveness of tiered offerings. Most flights offer economy (good),
business class (better), and first-class (best). First-class often costs hundreds
more than economy class. The airlines constantly tout the value of their top
tier, even forcing economy passengers to walk through the spacious first-
class cabin to get to their seats.
In recent years, the airlines devised their own version of the trial offer. If
first-class seats aren’t sold out at the full price, airlines often offer every
passenger the ability to upgrade when they check in, sometimes for less
than $100. This offer is removed once the first class is full. Offering upgrades
for unsold seats encourages more people to enjoy the luxuries of the first-
class experience, eventually persuading them to buy top-tier tickets.
Ready to Develop Your Own Risk Reduction Offer?
Trial offerings, free-at-first deals, and bite-sized offerings are all around you.
So take a look at your industry with a fresh eye. Which offerings do you need to create to attract first-time buyers? How can you reduce the perception of risk? Which small purchases make customers aware of your upscale offerings? Are estimates or seminars part of your trial offer? What are your company’s good/better/best options?
With a bit of time and creative thinking, you’ll be able to use find options that reduce initial risk and drive more people into your sales funnel. And once that happens, it becomes much easier to grow your business.

Working Remotely
Compass Media Network – This Morning America’s First News






How Owners Can Love Stage 5 of Business Success
When helping businesses find ways to grow larger and more profitable, I start by analyzing the company’s current stage. If they are in Stage 1, it’s time to create a strategic plan. If they are in Stage 2, the owner runs the organization and becomes an industry leader. In Stage 3, it’s time to start delegating essential tasks to senior people, and in Stage 4, systems are created that allow the owner to scale their workforce.
By Stage 5, many owners are a little bored. Some want to make major changes. They might wish they had the next big idea to catapult the company into the big leagues. And that presents a risk. The complacency or boredom that sets in at Stage 5 can also drive the founder to lose sight of the things that made the firm successful in the first place.
So resist the impulse to disrupt a reliable revenue stream or sacrifice dependability. Instead, work on ways to build on past successes. This is the time to create a franchise-type system. That means that instead of focusing on the nuts and bolts, the founder will spend time building an authentic brand that has incremental meaning and value. Innovation at this stage is not about what you do; it’s about how customers perceive you.
Get in Touch With Emotional and Psychological Needs
Building a brand involves finding more powerful ways to meet your customers’ emotional and psychological needs. It’s time for the business to grow beyond making or doing.
Meeting needs beyond delivering goods and services is a way to create emotional equity. Once you do that, you’ll be able to transition into a franchise-type system that replicates an experience, again and again, no matter who is leading the company, no matter who is selling the product, and, for many companies, no matter where you do business.
What Does Franchise-Type Business Success Look Like?
There is a long list of companies that added emotional equity to their offerings and were able to expand as a result. The stronger the emotional equity is, the further that equity can be stretched or applied to other divisions.
Whole Foods started in 1980 with just 19 employees at one location in Austin, Texas. In 2017, Amazon purchased Whole Foods for $13.7 billion, a purchase price that well exceeded the value of the stores and distribution. Amazon openly admitted it was paying for the value of the brand. Whole Foods developed a meaningful experience that they could recreate at the location after location until eventually, the experience became more valuable than the sum of its parts. Their emotional equity turned out to be worth billions.
What about stores that don’t have retail outlets? The same principles apply to mail-order exercise equipment (Peloton), airlines (Southwest), entertainment (Disney), packages (FedEx), and the list goes on.
Why Owners Love Stage 5
It’s not always easy to reach Stage 5, but once the organization is ready to scale up in this way, something magical happens: the owner no longer needs to steer the ship every minute.
With systems in place and brand-building efforts in progress, it’s now possible for the owner to leave for a day (or a month) and return to find that the business ran successfully without them. The firm no longer relies on the passion and push of one person.
Stage 5 also offers the chance for better margins. Again, think about the Whole Foods example. When it started, competitive pricing was a challenge. The store needed to be priced low, or it would lose business. Fast-forward to 2017; Whole Foods was nicknamed “Whole Paycheck” because it was a pricy place to shop. But that didn’t keep people away. Why? Because even in price-sensitive industries, businesses with incremental value don’t have to match the competition’s low prices.
Finally, Stage 5 is the time to grow exponentially. With solid systems in place, a strong leadership staff, and well-defined incremental value, it’s possible to expand distribution quickly, open new locations, or even bring in other owners. How fast and how high is up to you.
Want to Learn More?
Want to find out more about The 7 Stages of Small Business Success ? Take a look at my best-selling book, listen to my podcasts, or watch for me as a featured speaker at your next big industry event. And if you want personalized attention to help you solve your company’s unique challenges, contact 7 Stage Advisors for assessments, coaching, and recommendations.


WCBS TV Interview
Mayor Adams says city employees must return to work in-person, no hybrid schedules allowed!

President Biden meets with Fed Chair
WPHL PHILADELPHIA TV INTERVIEW / Live –
https://phl17.com/phl17-news/president-biden-meets-with-fed-chair/




The Arthur Aidala Show
What about Crypto currency?
https://omny.fm/shows/the-arthur-aidala-power-hour/the-arthur-aidala-power-hour-5-13-22

Which Kind of Fish Does Your Business Need to Grow?
When it comes to categorizing employees, you can use all kinds of
organizational principles such as sorting by department, by seniority, by
team sizes, by tenure, and more. But many firms overlook another important
categorization: muddy fish or clean water fish.
Every employee can be categorized into one of these two categories. One
isn’t objectively better than the other. In fact, both types are great when
they’re in the right job. That’s why it’s so important to understand how and
when these two different personalities meet the needs of your business in
every stage of growth.
What are Muddy Water Fish?
Employees who do well with ambiguity are Muddy Water Fish. They do best
when the waters around them are murky. These staff members embrace
uncertainty, solve problems as they go, and move forward comfortably even
if they can’t see the way.
Muddy Water Fish require a particular environment in which to thrive. They
don’t like a lot of rules or dress codes. They can take an idea and run with it,
so they don’t need much structure. In fact, regulations and processes often
slow them down, and they know it.
Muddy Water Fish are able to drive rapid growth in the early stages of a
company’s development. They work independently, and they don’t need
much infrastructure to excel. But as your business grows, their working style
can become disruptive. A firm full of Muddy Water Fish might be innovative,
but it will have problems scaling up.
Muddy Water Fish will be important in Stage 1 (Strategy), Stage 2
(Specialty), and Stage 3 (Synergy) of Business Success. But they can
present a challenge in later stages.
What is a Clean Water Fish?
Many employees fall into the category of Clean Water Fish. These folks want
to be able to see what’s next. These process-driven individuals work best within an established framework. They need order and goals, and don’t do
well with ambiguity.
Clean Water Fish work best in mature companies with well-developed
processes. They want direction and appreciate evaluations. This type of
worker wants contingencies for every eventuality. And importantly, they
work well in large groups.
While Clean Water Fish often show up early in process-driven departments
such as accounting, they are rarely present in large numbers in a firm’s early
days. In the first stages of a business’s growth, the Clean Water Fish’s need
for organization stresses them out. They swim towards order, stability, and
continuity. They shy away from risk.
Clean Water Fish might be especially helpful in Stage 4 (Systems), Stage 5
(Sustainability), and Stage 6 (Scalability) of Business Success. But they
may slow down progress in earlier stages.
Are There Any Downsides to Muddy or Clean Water Fish?
Muddy Water Fish may create a cloud of muck to protect themselves from
scrutiny and potential dangers. Confusion or obscurity can be a form of job
security for this type of employee, so they won’t always play nice with
others. It’s also common for Muddy Water Fish to resist attempts to create
processes, regimens, and order.
Clean Water Fish come with their own set of challenges. They feel vulnerable
and insecure without processes in place. They aren’t always good at taking
leaps of faith. They get upset if others “break the rules” or if exceptions are
made to established procedures. Their need for order can trigger chronic
procrastination and become a barrier to progress.
Business Owners Start as Muddy Water Fish, and Transform into
Clean Water Fish
While it’s easy enough to categorize employees, this analogy also applies to
business owners. In the early stages, most entrepreneurs are Muddy Water
Fish. Founders must be flexible to adapt quickly to a variety of market
situations. Comfort with uncertainty is a requirement.
In a firm’s early days, the focus is on sales and growth, not checks and
balances. As a result, entrepreneurs usually surround themselves with other
Muddy Water Fish who are also comfortable with a startup environment.
However, to transition a firm to the next level, the founder must transform
into a Clean Water Fish. Eventually, owners must say goodbye to the
startup’s short-term vision and reliance on intuition. Scaling and stability
require systems, checks, and balances. It’s a common issue in company
growth. If the owner doesn’t transition from the invention mindset to a
process-driven approach, their own support teams will eventually view them
as a liability.
There is a Place for Both Types in Most Organizations
Once a business has a steady revenue stream, it’s time to put systems and
processes in place, which means it’s time to clean up the water. As the
business morphs from a scrappy startup into a going concern, it’s time to
staff the growing enterprise with Clean Water Fish who see the vision,
embrace the processes, understand cooperation, and want to create
consistency.
But don’t get rid of all your Muddy Water people. While most won’t do well in
the new world of systems and processes, some still have a place in the more
fluid environments that continue to exist in areas such as sales and
marketing.
Every well-established, successful firm has areas that demand order and a
few pockets of ambiguity that require more flexible employees. By
understanding the fundamental differences in working styles, you can stock
your firm with the mix of Muddy and Clean Water Fish that help you meet
your goals.

Why Business Blind Spots Can Cause Your Firm To Crash
Most drivers know how to identify blind spots on the road, but did you know that we also have blind spots in business, and if we ignore them, we can get sideswiped? Read full article by clicking on the link below.

Once the Strategic Plan is Done, It’s Time to Conquer Stage 2; the Specialty Stage
Some entrepreneurs want to wait until everything is finalized
before they dip their toes into the actual startup. Others are
more comfortable with ambiguity. But the fact is, no matter
how much you plan, there will be a lot of surprises in startup
mode.
But creating a plan, and sticking to it, is how most successful
companies manage to grow in predictable ways. As most of
you know, I call these the 7 Stages of Business Success.
The first stage is planning and development. And once you
have just one paying customer or client, the company
catapults into Stage 2, the Specialty Stage.
Once the company has made a single sale, the owner has
officially created a job for themself. That initial sale pushes
the enterprise out of the concept stage and into the tasks
and to-do list phase. It’s time to run a real business.
Stage 2 is the Time to Build a Reputation
In these early days, it’s time to hone your skills and become
known as the best in your industry. So look around and study
your competitors. How can you be more knowledgeable,
additionally certified, better qualified, or a cut above the
rest?
In Stage 2, the owner needs to work out the most effective
ways to be seen as the best choice. Credibility is essential for any business’s long-term success, but it’s also critical for
short-term profits. After all, you’re the new kid on the block,
and you have a lot to prove. You are the leader of the firm, so
you must be superior just to keep up.
Don’t dismiss the value of accreditation. If you need to get
certified or take classes, do so. Make sure you have the
highest professional credentials available. Whatever is
required to be considered highly proficient, do it now.
For some business owners, that will mean taking more
classes or acquiring new initials for their titles. But some
entrepreneurs can use exceptional experiences as proof of
superiority. For example, if you’re a former Olympian opening
a gym, promote your story as a unique qualification. The
same principle applies to an ex-White House housekeeper
opening a cleaning service or a plumber who apprenticed at
the Empire State Building. If you’ve encountered special
events or challenges that make you better suited or more
experienced, your customers should hear about it.
This is Also the Stage to Get Obnoxious
Lately, I’ve been talking a lot about obnoxious offers (it’s the
topic of my next book). When a business owner thinks about
what customers want–that no one else is bothering to give
them–and then figures out how to deliver on those needs,
that’s an obnoxious offer.
Stage 2 is the perfect time to develop your own obnoxious
offer. After all, you probably already know what your
competitors are doing wrong or what your customers wish you would do. So why not find a way to address these unmet
needs?
For example, in my first business, a commercial landscaping
company, I discovered that missing deadlines could make my
clients lose money. That’s why I created a premium package
that guaranteed on-time completion and included a one-year
warranty. For a 30% premium, I would ensure the job would
be finished on the agreed-upon date. No excuses. I took some
risks to offer this guarantee, but my customers loved it and
lined up to pay more.
I also got a lot of business based on a much smaller promise–
all calls returned. Many guys didn’t bother returning calls, so
people were impressed when I returned every call. That
simple promise was a foundational part of creating a million-
dollar company.
Obnoxious offers are ways of telling people you are the best.
Think about the factors involved in your customers’ purchase
decisions, identify a real pain point, and remove it. Every
business is different. But if you eliminate frustrating barriers,
you’re way ahead of the game.
Is Stage 2 Where Your Business Wants to Stay?
Some people like to stay in Stage 2 and maintain a hands-on
role. They remain both the owner and the star of the show.
Other entrepreneurs move on to other business models. One
is not necessarily better than the other; both strategies can
be wildly profitable.
For example, Billy Joel is still in Stage 2 of his business model.
He is the star. Who wants to attend a Billy Joel concert with no Billy Joel? If Billy Joel sourced his job out to another
musician, the value of his recordings and concerts would
plummet. In this model, when Billy Joel stops performing, he
essentially closes his business. If he wants to continue
making money, he will need to change his business model in
ways that don’t depend on his personal and ongoing
contributions.
You may think that all music acts have to be a Stage 2
business, but that’s not necessarily so. Mannheim
Steamroller is a set of musicians, run by a management
team, who can play worldwide, sometimes in two or more
locations at once. No one pays to see a particular musician.
Instead, concert-goers pay for an experience.
Understanding Business Stages Helps You Grow
Predictably
Understanding how businesses grow and what’s critical to
improve in each stage puts your business on the path to
predictable growth. For more information, check out my
book, The 7 Stages of Small Business Growth . This
volume explains how businesses expand, ways to manage
development, and how to sequence growth in ways that
maximize momentum and profitability. Or email me
at [email protected], and let’s talk.


Housing Sales are Hot, but is this Also a Good Time to Sell a Business?
There’s no doubt about it. We are in a very hot housing market, but is it a
good time to sell a business? Most indicators point to an attractive business
sales market as well. After months of operating in a “wait and see mode,”
many private equity groups and investors are ready to spend. Not only is
there pent-up demand, but potential buyers are eager to take advantage of
low-interest rates. This combination may make this a great time to sell your
company.
However, market conditions are only one reason to sell a business. But if the
hot market has made you think about putting your firm up for sale, you’ll
need to prep to get the best offers possible.
The sale price of your organization can vary based on a range of factors.
When buyers evaluate a firm, they want to see a productive culture. A strong
company must have sustainable systems in place. Buyers are also interested
in the history of expansions, if there are multiple locations, the possibilities
of franchises, or the presence of affiliate programs. And, of course, a
business needs to demonstrate a history of steady or growing sales.
When You’re Getting Ready to Sell, You are in
Stage 6: the Salability Stage
Stage 6 of Business Success is the Salability Stage. If you have taken your
firm through Stages 1-5, you are in a great position to get the maximum
asking price. However, if you’re unsure where you are in the business
development cycle, you may want to revisit the goals and strategies for
Stages 1-5 in my bestselling book) .
Stage 6 firms are reliable money-makers and don’t need personal passion
and drive to continue to generate revenue.
But being in Stage 6 does not necessarily mean that your organization
attracts a great asking price. If you intend to sell in the coming months or
even a few years from now, you may still have some work to do to ensure
that investors and buyers make great offers.
Get a Professional Business Valuation Early
A professional valuation helps identify the cosmetic upgrades needed to
increase company value. Get it early in the process, well before you solicit offers. The valuation should include an exhaustive analysis of your business
and encompass the value of everything in your inventory.
Once the valuation is completed, you can address any issues identified in
ways that increase the assessment. It should also help you avoid spending
money on parts of the business that won’t add to the selling price. Best of
all, once you have completed a professional valuation, it’s easier to
recognize a good offer when it comes your way.
This is Not the Time for Big Improvements
Avoid a company overhaul. While it may be tempting to dress up the firm, at
the end of the day, you’re selling the predictability of future revenue. Solid
systems and controls should be driving the business. So, make sure you
retain key hires and keep core competencies in place. It’s okay to make the
firm look slightly better, but this isn’t time to mess with the magic that got
you this far.
An office remodel or a logo upgrade are easy changes. These kinds of
cosmetic upgrades can make your company a bit more attractive to sellers.
In addition, by upgrading things such as package design, the building facade,
and marketing materials, you add a little credibility to the success of your
organization. But again, this isn’t the time to mess with systems or controls
or move critical employees.
Organize Your Financials
When you’re getting ready to sell, make sure your P&L is attractive,
organized, and easy to review. Buyers will request a financial audit before
completing any business purchase. You may also want to improve your
company credit and reduce financial liabilities. With a strong P&L statement,
excellent credit, and minimal liabilities, your firm will be more attractive to a
broader range of buyers.
Need Help Prepping for Sale?
While this is an excellent time to sell a business, getting ready to sell can be
complicated. Mistakes can cost you millions. So, if you’re thinking about
getting your business prepared for sale this year or in ten years, let 7 Stage
Advisors help. Email me at [email protected], and let’s talk about how
you can get your business ready for a fantastic offer.


Stop Chirping and get Serious About Business Strategy
If you’ve ever had kids, you know you will end up watching a lot of movies
that you might otherwise skip. Years ago, one of my children dragged me to
“March of the Penguins,” and, as expected, it wasn’t my favorite film ever.
If you’ve never seen it, it focuses on one penguin who searches endlessly for
a partner. Finally, after miles and miles without much luck finding other
birds, he shuffles over a high hill and sees tens of thousands of penguins.
This is where he’s going to find a mate.
He starts chirping loudly, but the problem is that thousands of other
penguins are also chirping loudly, so he hardly sticks out. And even though I
didn’t come away a big penguin fan, that one scene did seem to be a perfect
example of poor strategy. We (businesses) are chirping and all of us sound
the same. We’re making a lot of noise, but it’s almost impossible to stand out
when you’re competing with others who are doing the same thing.
You Can’t Eliminate the Noise, but You can be
Different.
Whether you’re a mating penguin or a determined entrepreneur, you are
surrounded by competitive noise. I’m not telling you anything new when I
say that consumers are exposed to thousands of messages each day. You
can’t eliminate the competition, but you can revise your business strategy.
Start by letting go of “the best” title. Everyone says they are superior. Even
businesses with clearly inferior competitors can’t convincingly claim that
they are the best. It’s a standard marketing message that was invented the
same day advertising was created back in the Stone Age. It’s a parity
message, and it’s a complete waste of time.
No matter how much better you are than your competition, saying you’re the
best won’t get the attention of customers, and it certainly won’t convince
them. Your best prospects have already encountered hundreds, even
thousands, of businesses that have claimed to be the best, and most didn’t
live up to their own hype.
Do Things That Prove You’re the Best
Focus on doing the kinds of things that clearly position you as a leader and
an expert. And do things in ways that communicate confidence in the quality of your products or services. Instead of saying you’re the best, work on proving it.
So instead of saying you’re the friendliest repair shop, start learning your
customers’ names. Train your staff to take time to talk to clients, learn about
their lives, and understand how they use their vehicles.
Instead of saying you’re the fastest lunch spot in town, start offering a 5-
minute guarantee, telling customers that they have their food in 5 minutes
or the meal is free.
Instead of boasting that you’re the best law firm, start publishing articles for
the local press, become the go-to firm for local TV stations, and get your
lawyers to teach at the local university.
Doing things that position you as a leader is WAY more effective than simply
saying you’re the best. When you greet customers by name, when you offer
a ground-breaking guarantee, or when you’re all over the local media, your
best clients will see that your company is the best without you ever chirping
a word.
Avoid Sacrificing Competence for Convenience
I often talk to business owners who know what their customers really want,
but the owners also have a dozen reasons why doing the right thing “won’t
work.” It’s too hard, too expensive, or no one else does it.
In fact, I’m sure you can immediately give me a dozen reasons why the three
examples I just shared (of being the best) will never work. Allow me to beat
you to the punchline…
In my first example, that friendly repair shop would have to do everything
differently. Do you know how hard it is to remember faces and names? And
to get all of your staff to do it? And do you know how angry some customers
get when the people ahead of them in line are just chatting about their day?
And how can you possibly track the use and background of each vehicle?
What about a 5-minute guarantee? How can they possibly serve lunch, every
time, in 5 minutes? What if there are long lines? What if there are tons of
people? How can the kitchen handle that volume?
And the law firm can never be on TV or in articles because they might say or
do something wrong. How can they ask partners to teach a class? When will
they handle cases? It’s the most inefficient approach in the world!
But the truth is, in each of these three examples, those businesses
absolutely COULD be those things, but these changes will require that they
rethink how many parts of their business work. They will have to commit to
spending more time making their customers happy. Instead of being good
enough, they will have to commit to being extraordinary.
Meeting customer needs in the ways your competition can’t (or won’t) isn’t
always efficient, but it is effective. This approach isn’t the easy way. And
that’s why most businesses never do it.
Stop choosing convenience over competence. When it comes to your clients
or patients, or customers, stop choosing efficient processes and start making
effective choices that result in a a company that attracts profitable, loyal
customers.
When you begin building a company that stops taking the lazy route (saying
you are the best) and goes well out of its way to do things that make it the
best, you are no longer chirping. You’re clearly better and every customer
knows it.
Be Brave. Be Different.
If you want your business to be better, bigger, and more profitable than your
competitors, you must do things differently. And doing things differently is
difficult and inconvenient. But I’ve built a series of multi-million dollar
enterprises on this principle, and I’ve helped thousands of companies do the
same thing in over 100 countries around the world. So I know it works.
If you’re ready to be brave and be different, shoot me a line, and let’s talk
about ways to get started. [email protected]

The Power of Sales Scripts
A good script can address concerns and provide robust responses. Moreover, effective scripts train your team on how to close. Read the full article HERE

Becoming a serial entrepreneur with multimillion-dollar businesses with Carl Gould
guest on Entrepreneur Lifestyle podcast with Ben Ivey, listen HERE


For Continued Growth, Owners Must Stop Working Longer and Start Scaling Up
Like every other aspect of life, business is full of myths and legends.
Business owners are taught to admire founders who gave it their all. They
didn’t have a personal life, and they worked night and day to build their
business. They slept at the office. And sometimes, that is a legitimate part of
building a business.
But creating a large business doesn’t require the owner to work 100 hours a
week, week after week, forever. Very few businesses fail because the
founder didn’t work hard enough. When companies get to a certain size and
stop growing, it isn’t because an entrepreneur isn’t giving it their all.
The fact is that the blood, sweat, and tears of one person can only take a
business so far. And the secret to growing isn’t working longer or harder: the
secret is scaling.
Yes, hard work and dedication are definitely helpful, but that’s not the whole
story. Launching a business requires a considerable time commitment and
lots of personal sacrifices along the way. The owner of a typical startup
begins doing everything partly because they are good at what they do and
partially because it saves money. While the “give it all you got” approach
can be exciting (and necessary) for a while, it can quickly become
unprofitable. The founder gets tired. They focus on the wrong things. They
make mistakes. They spend all their time executing tasks instead of
orchestrating strategies.
Avoiding the Overwork Trap
Sometimes the more you do, the harder it is to stop. That’s how business
owners get trapped in a cycle of 100-hour weeks. But once your business is
launched, it’s time to delegate, orchestrate, and find people who are better
than you. Because no matter how good you are at any one task, there are
many people for hire who are better. Find a better accountant. Find a better
sales director. Find a better facilities manager.
Instead of handling all functions, as the owner of a growing business, you
must create structure, assign tasks, and build a solid team. As an enterprise
grows, it’s time to train other employees to lead the way, and that can be
scary. But by allowing hired experts to own the success of parts of the
business, you create a well-rounded team with more experience, bandwidth,
and focus.
And once the team is in place, you can concentrate on vision, quality control,
and business strategy. Throughout history, every successful business owner
had to make this transition, and you can too.
Lean on Systems and Processes
Asking others to help run your business is a big step. There’s a lot at stake,
so you want to provide as much structure and guidance as possible. That’s
why systems and processes are an essential part of scaling a business.
Creating predictable, reliable processes makes it easier for any business to
satisfy customers, expand trade, and maintain margins. That means that
each job, department, and specialty will need its own set of systems, checks
and balances, and processes. And as the owner, you will need to lead the
creation of formalized systems and processes and enforce adherence.
How does that work? Let’s start with a smaller example. Many business
owners issue checks to vendors. Maybe an assistant opens your mail and
lays a pile of bills on your desk to pay. Most are pretty straightforward, and
they take just a moment to settle. Occasionally, sorting out vendor issues
can suck up an hour or more. But on average, the task takes an hour or so of
time each week. So it’s not worth hiring an accountant for that, right?
But when start analyzing your process, you may realize that you spend
another hour or so each month tracking down invoices or trying to keep your
invoicing system in order. And maybe you spend another two or three hours
each month trying to track expenses and income and figure out profits.
Perhaps you want to learn more about pricing and determine if you’re
charging enough or too much. And you wonder if you should expand the
offices and if you could get a tax break doing it.
In this case, you are spending your time doing an accountant’s job, and
you’re also avoiding related tasks that take more time. A good financial
officer not only pays bills but also handles vendor relations. They ensure
clients and customers are paying on time. They may create new payment
systems like credit card payments, Venmo, or PayPal. They should be well-
versed in tax law and be able to advise you on ways to get the best tax
credits from your expenditures. And they can review competitive pricing and
make recommendations. The accountant can also create monthly P&L
statements, explore lines of credit, and recommend more cost-effective
suppliers.
In other words, letting go of a small but vital task (paying bills) empowers
you to add a team member who adds exponential value. In this example, it’s
easy to see how devoting more time and attention to the books can quickly
reap significant improvements and how adding this key hire creates the bandwidth needed to scale.
But of course, delegation is not just limited to
accounting. What about the sales tasks? Which marketing responsibilities are
you heading up? Do you have HR experts taking care of hiring? Who is
managing your facilities? Who is in charge of IT? A long list of tasks, initially
managed by the founder in the start-up phase, need to be delegated if a
company wants to scale into a seven-, eight-, or nine-figure business.
How Scaling Works: The Dentist Example
When explaining how scaling works, I often use the example of a dentist
opening a practice. At first, the dentist invests in property and equipment
and sees as many patients as possible to pay the bills. Unfortunately, he’s
overextended and scared to hire a lot of people, so he hires just one
receptionist. In this example, the dentist is doing as much as possible to
make money, trying to pay off debt, and working very long and hard to do it.
But with just one dentist and a receptionist, there’s a clear manpower limit,
which slows the practice’s growth.
Now dentists often hire hygienists to help increase their bandwidth. After all,
if two or three hygienists do most of the patient work, the dentist spends
much less time with each patient, so they could theoretically triple the
patient load. The practice may need another chair or two, so it’s not a
complex addition. But if the dentist in our example does this, he is still
working more than 80 hours a week and has to be there for every
appointment.
To really scale, that dentist is going to have to think of a bigger end game. Is
the goal to work with patients all day, or is the goal to serve patients AND
have a more profitable dental practice? Could the dentist employ other
dentists? What tasks could he delegate? Yes, he may be able to reduce his
hours by hiring an office manager, an accountant, or a tech consultant, but
these hires also give him the ability to expand. Could he have offices all over
the city? Throughout the state? Across the country?
In this example, if the business owner stopped focusing on “doing” and
concentrated on vision, he could create a practice with multiple locations.
Thousands of appointments could take place, and the dentist would not have
to be present at any of them. With systems, checks, and balances in place,
it’s possible to scale the practice, which means the owner could increase
profits 10x or even 100x while working fewer hours.
By creating new roles and delegating responsibilities, the dentist spreads out
work. He allows his staff to specialize. This dentist will assign different tasks
to people who have the time and expertise to handle them quickly and
efficiently. And with staff and systems in place, he doesn’t depend on any
single person to be present every day–including the himself.
Start Scaling Up
To scale up quickly, owners must focus on building systems, automating
duties, creating processes, and building an organization that runs well with
or without them. While you may have been chief cook and bottle washer in
the early days, if you’re ready to scale your organization, it’s time to
orchestrate, refine, and build. And that’s when exponential growth can begin.
If you want help finding ways to scale or strengthen your structure, systems,
margins, or succession plan, email me at [email protected]

The Great Resignation
Carl Gould returns… With ‘The Great Resignation’ continuing and labor shortages in many industries this may be the year you ask for a raise. Employers in businesses big and small are desperate to attract, and more importantly, retain employees. Listen HERE

Burn out is an epidemic among American workers
Why is everyone burnt out? A therapist and consultant both join The Factor to discuss. Watch the full interview HERE

Expert shares advice for small businesses owners amid Omicron surge
Many small businesses have had a tough time since the pandemic began. Business growth strategist Carl Gould joined us on Good Day Rochester with some advice for small businesses owners on how to stay afloat as the omicron variant has the number of new COVID-19 cases at a new high. Watch the interview HERE

The Bill Meyer Show – KMED & KCMD Radio
Carl Gould, business expert, digs into what the GREAT RESIGNATION is all about, and how workers, and businesses can best work through it.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/01-05-22-wednesday-7am/id631607011?i=1000547060591

How To Measure The Tangible And Intangible Factors Necessary For Business Growth
Check out Carl’s latest Forbes article HERE

Bad Bosses keep Workers from Returning to Work
Carl is interviewed by Isiah on Fox 26, watch the video HERE

ABC7 News at 7 Roundtable Discussion
Watch Carl’s discussion HERE

Practical Tips on Growing or Launching a Business
In this podcast serial entrepreneur and best-selling author Carl Gould shares with us how he uses his own entrepreneurial experience to help business owners who want to grow their companies or expand personally as a leader. As a business coach, Carl has been told that he’s a “time machine” that can show you what the future could look like and how to get there. It’s then up to you to decide what you want your life to be about. As you build your legacy, Carl offers practical advice for every step of the way. In fact, the last stage in Carl’s seven stages of business success is the “succession stage” in which a legacy business is born. Listen HERE

Nationwide Christmas Tree Shortage
Carl is interviewed on Fox 26 Isiah, watch HERE

How to Grow from 1 Employee to 1,000 Employees (or More!)
People start out as a one-person business for all sorts of reasons. Some
people set out to follow a passion. Others get tired of layoffs and start a
business to gain control of their professional life. Others realize they can
actually make more money selling their skills directly to clients. But no
matter what drove the creation of the firm, the majority don’t start out as
well-funded start-ups. Most new businesses begin small and grow from there.
If you’ve created a business, and you’re just one person, growing can feel
intimidating, risky, or even impossible. But it can be done. In fact, many
successful firms have expanded from 1 person to 100 or 1,000 employees or
more. But there are things all companies must do to get scale up quickly and
profitably.
Some Advice About the First Hire
A solopreneur works alone. Most one-person businessowners have a core set
of skills. They use those skills as the product, and also sell, fulfill, and take
care of the invoices. In the very beginning, most business owners are the
CEO, CMO, Sales Director, CFO, and all the rest. It’s very typical to see a
solopreneur who sells and executes during the week and on nights and
weekends, they focus on the billing and administrative duties.
It usually doesn’t take too long for a one-person shop to realize that if they
want to continue to grow, they need more manpower. And when that time
comes, we are adamant that the very first hire should be a good numbers
person. Seasoned accounting skills are critical for profitable growth no
matter what size the business. Whether the company is a start-up, pre-
revenue, or if you’re pulling in a million plus, an excellent financial hire is
needed to organize your cash flow. And let’s face it, for the majority of
solopreneurs, their cash flow is a mess.
When we work with a single-person outfit, it’s typical to discover that they’re
not sure of profit margins. They don’t know if their offerings are priced right.
But when you hire a financial expert, a bookkeeper, or a controller, the
company now has somebody paying attention to expenditures, cash flow,
pricing, and profits. A qualified financial officer serves as an invaluable
guidepost who makes sure that you’re getting it right.
A common error is to start by investing in sales and marketing first. Now,
sales and marketing are key, but unless you already know what you’re
spending, where you’re pricing, and what financial formula makes the most sense for the best margins, you’re spinning your wheels. Who wants more
unprofitable sales? Make sure your financial person can provide the kind of
reporting that tells you that you are getting it right. Then, and only then, can
you look for your next employee.
Are You Growing or Scaling?
So many of our clients tell us that they want to grow. Very few tell us they
want to scale. There is a big difference between the two. Understanding the
distinction between growing and scaling is actually essential for any
business, so read these next paragraphs carefully.
When a business owner makes a new sale, they are growing. They have
more business. When a company grows, it may bring in more money,
become busier, and get more clients. And all of that is good stuff.
But simply growing means that the business owner is still an employee. The
owner of a growing enterprise must be involved on a day-to-day basis and do
more and more to grow. Some business owners tell us they don’t want to
grow because they’re at capacity. The owner is already working full time,
and then some.
But scaling involves a different scenario. When an owner scales the
company, they aren’t simply spending more hours at work. Scaling is about
creating systems and predictability so that others can take over parts of the
company. Owners don’t have to worry about getting too many clients to
service or too many people to manage, because they have employees who
take over those duties. Financial people take care of billing and taxes, and
lines of credit. Sales teams manage client relationships. Human Resources
find the right hires for the right job. An owner who is focused on scaling
assigns selective control to their employees. Of course, these workers must
understand the company mission, vision, values, and purpose. With systems
in place, a firm runs profitably because it follows processes that create
consistent results over time. Scalable organizations don’t rely on the
bandwidth of a few people. Instead, it can grow almost infinitely on the
strength of its systems.
We often cite the example of the owner of one grocery store vs. the owner of
100 grocery stores. Does the owner of 100 stores work 100 times harder?
No. In fact, with good systems in place, the owner of 100 stores is more likely
to be able to walk away from the business for a day or a week or a month,
and the company hums along without them.
What Does Planned Growth Look Like?
Early on, we researched what all successful companies have in common. We
discovered seven very clear steps to creating a large, successful business.
We used this research to form the 7 Stages of Business Success. Stage 1
is strategic planning when you get a compelling and inspiring set of ideas out
of your head and onto paper.
Then you go to Stage 2, the specialty stage. Whether you’re a solopreneur or
working with a team, in Stage 2, the owner becomes an expert in your niche.
They are thought leaders, speakers, consultants, or have a particular set of
achievements or awards. They are now recognized as an expert in their
niche. That expertise is an integral part of price flexibility. You need fat
margins early on to carry you through later stages; when you sell more, but
margins can shrink.
Stage 3 is the synergy stage. The business is expanding, and it’s time to
surround yourself with people that help get the job done. This is the time to
create a top-notch implementation team.
In Stage 4, you make a giant leap into the systems stage. You decide what
kind of business you’re going to be. Will you be a closed ecosystem like
Apple? Want to franchise someday? Should you be multi-location? Where do
online sales fit in (if at all)? You decide on your ecosystem and systematize
accordingly.
Stage 5 is all about scaling. Systems become the star. How you do it makes
you different, and that makes it easier to scale. Think of Starbucks, FedEx,
Panera, or Uber. These companies can show up almost anywhere, and you
know you’ll get the same experience (mostly) whether you visit in Seattle,
Sarasota, or Shanghai. Systems and processes allow these companies to
duplicate success in multiple locations.
Once you’ve got systems and scaling covered, it may be time to consider
Stage 6, the salability stage. This is when the company is an asset that can
be bought or sold. Yes, everybody is working hard in and on your business,
but your firm now has standalone value that is working for you. Suppose you
want to sell your enterprise. This is the time to polish the books, clean up
any debts, and make it an attractive asset to sell or take public.
Stage 7 is the succession stage. A business becomes a legacy, and you can
confidently fire your first employee (yeah, that’s you!) You are replaced with
a CEO, and the value of your business actually increases because the market
recognizes that the firm’s success is no longer dependent on one person: the
company has a great leadership team in place.
Is it Time to Turbo Charge Your Business Growth Cycle?
Whether your business employs one person or 1,000, it’s always a good idea
to strengthen structure, systems, and strategic plans. 7 Stage Advisors offers
coaching and mentoring to business owners to help increase predictability,
fortify margins, or even create an exit plan. Contact us HERE

Supply Chain Issues – Advice for Small Businesses
Carl talks to Fox News Rochester about the supply chain issues small businesses face this Christmas. Watch the interview HERE



Thanksgiving Expected To Be Most Expensive Holiday In History
Carl Gould is a business expert with 7 Stage Advisors in Butler.
“The consumer price index is up about 5% right now … You should expect things to be 5-10% more expensive.”
Gould says this could be a year to get creative.
“Coming from an Italian family, as I was growing up, you know, Thanksgiving for me was as much about pasta as it was a turkey.” Watch the full interview – https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2021/10/27/thanksgiving-2021-costs-expensive

The problems with the Supply Chain and how it affects all of us
“At the end of the day, a business has to fulfill customers,” Mr. Gould said, in defense of companies hiring extra workers in preparation for the number of them that will inevitably leave. If an employee decides not to show up to work one day, then there is no product that day, simple as that. The employee didn’t lose anything in that exchange besides a day worth of pay but the business lost out on crucial customers and revenue. By over-hiring, the company is protecting themselves as “60-80% of somebody’s net worth is tied to their business; it HAS to work for them.” This behavior of hopping between jobs and quitting ones as soon as it becomes more demanding may seem impolite and in poor taste, and it is, but it is not their fault. Check out the full article below:

What is Cross-Training and Why Does Your Business Need it?
In the sports world, cross-training is training in sports or activities outside the
athlete’s core competencies. For example, runners learn about weight
training. Basketball players do yoga. Swimmers add cycling. These athletes
learn new skills to use the effectiveness of one training method to negate
existing shortcomings.
In business, cross-training is about creating redundancies. Having highly
trained experts for each part of your business all year long is essential. But
what happens when someone must take leave, gets sick, or accepts another
job? Cross-training key individuals in more than one area protects your
company from unexpected vacuums. When done correctly, it may also allow
your employees to use the skills acquired while learning another position to
negate the shortcomings in their own field of expertise.
Develop Recognition and Coverage
Cross-training in business takes care of two essential needs; recognition and
coverage. When team members learn another area of skills, they also
understand and value other jobs’ importance and value. While this may seem
like a soft benefit, it’s critical to a high-performance team. For example, it’s
natural for an employee to think that other departments are easier to
manage, especially if they are managing them well (because they make it
look simple). But with cross-training, employees begin to understand and
internalize what works and what is problematic in various roles.
Secondly, redundancies provide coverage. With cross-training in place, your
business won’t slow down as people come and go. For example, if your sales
manager leaves, a marketing director with cross-training could cover those duties until the firm finds a permanent replacement. Likewise, if your CFO
needs to take a leave of absence, a CEO with cross-training can keep things
running until they return. When key senior personnel expands their vision
and responsibility beyond their areas of expertise, they are well-placed to
take over in a crisis. And that means that you, the owner, can continue to
focus on building your business.
What are Muddy Water and Clean Water Fish?
Cross-training protects your business, but it can also help you identify critical
issues in your workforce. As you start creating teams focused on
redundancies, you will discover that you have two types of employees. I call
them muddy water fish and clean water fish.
Muddy water fish thrive when the waters around them are cloudy. They can
work in chaos and can move forward even if they can’t see the way. For
most companies, muddy water fish are critical employees in the early stages
of development. When the company is just starting, clear paths and well-
defined processes are rare. So muddy fish are an asset in the early stages.
Clean water fish work best with maps and plans. They like to see the future
and know what’s next. In earlier stages of your business’s growth, that need
for process may have been annoying or even impossible to satisfy. However,
clean water fish are process-driven individuals who make good candidates
for redundancies. They like to share their process. They like to create order,
and they want contingencies for every eventuality.
If you’re staffed with muddy water fish, they may resist redundancies. They
push against process and planning. Many of these types of employees resist
attempts to create methods, regimens, and order. As the business owner,
you’ll have to convince your muddy fish to swim in clean waters. If they
refuse, it’s time for you to reassign or find a replacement.
This Means Owners Must Also Become Clean Water Fish
Most entrepreneurs start as muddy water fish. Very few entrepreneurs have
a detailed 5-year plan that they follow to the letter. Instead, startups usually
avoid rules or regimens so they can adapt to a variety of market situations.
Early on, muddy water entrepreneurs surrounded themselves with like-
minded employees who were equally comfortable with ambiguity.
However, when it’s time to transition to the next level, it’s also time to foster
a shift in the corporate mindset. It’s time to say goodbye to the rebellious,
nothing-to-lose attitude that launched the firm. While muddy water fish are
great for startups, they can hinder an established company.
That means it’s time to review your team. Can your muddy water fish adapt?
Some of these employees fight cross-training and leave voluntarily. They’ll
see that your business is no longer a good fit for them. You may have to fire
others. But muddy water fish still have a place in departments with built-in
chaos and change such as R&D, sales, and marketing.
Build Security with Cross-Training
Yes, some employees will embrace cross-training, and others will run from it.
But creating redundancies is one of the only ways to develop corporate
security. If your company wants to experience fast, profitable growth, you’ll
have to protect against obstacles that stall your expansion. And unexpected
vacancies in critical positions can be significant obstacles. Without cross-
training precautions in place, a single resignation could stop development in
its tracks.

Thanksgiving dinner could be more expensive this year because of inflation
Economists say consumers will continue to see and feel sticker shock for as long companies struggle to meet consumer demand. Carl Gould appears on New Jersey News 12 – https://newjersey.news12.com/dept-of-agriculture-projects-that-food-at-home-costs-will-be-up-2-5-3-5-this-year

Companies Offering Big Incentives As They Struggle To Fill Seasonal Jobs
While companies are struggling to hire temporary help for the holidays, some major retailers are offering huge benefits to attract seasonal workers. Carl shared on CBS News New York, “Right now, employees have the advantage,” said Carl Gould, an entrepreneur and founder of 7 Stage Advisors. “If I’m an employee, what I would do is, I would negotiate. If they call you up and say ‘Here’s what we’re offering,’ feel free to tell them what you need.” Watch the video here – https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2021/11/08/employees-have-the-advantage-companies-offering-big-incentives-as-they-struggle-to-fill-seasonal-jobs

NJONAIR
Will business people, just now recovering from the worst of the pandemic, pull the trigger on requiring employees to be vaccinated? Joining us now to talk about this is someone who has mentored the launch of over five thousand businesses — he’s also an entrepreneur — Carl Gould with 7 Stage Advisors. Watch HERE

What businesses can do to attract and keep employees
Carl is a guest once again on the This Morning with Gordon Deal Show! Listen below.

Experts Offer Advise For Those Looking To Use Storage Units
Because of hurricane Ida many people lost their possessions when storage units were flooded. Carl talks about what you should consider before signing over your stuff! https://newyork.cbslocal.com/video/6107523-experts-offer-advise-for-those-looking-to-use-storage-units

Push Through With Analytics
Every business owner has been there at one time or another: you get to a
certain point in your growth, and you stall. Maybe you’ve grown your
business a little. Perhaps you’ve grown it a lot. But if you’re reading this
article, you probably don’t want to be done expanding yet.
If you’re not growing as fast or as much or as profitably as you want to, you
can take your business skills to the next level. But to get to this next level,
you’ll need heightened abilities and better information. You’ll need analytics.
Take a Deep Breath and Commit to Spreadsheets
Most Business Owners or Entrepreneurs (I call them BOEs) like “doing.” They
like to pound the pavement or create stuff or hire people. By their nature,
BOEs gravitate towards tangible activities with well-defined outcomes. That’s
probably because “doing” got them started on the road to success. But being
a “doer” will only get you so far.
To scale your business dramatically and profitably, the founder will have to
leave the “doing” to others and start focusing on analytics. But, of course,
we all know that paperwork and analytics don’t provide the same immediate
gratification as tangible activities. Maybe that’s why so many business
owners avoid analytics. But if you want to grow your business into a 7- or 8-
or 9-figure enterprise that fires on all engines, you’ll need data, numbers,
and spreadsheets.
It’s Business Pilates
If you’re not sure what Pilates is, it’s an approach to fitness that emphasizes
low-impact flexibility, strength, and endurance. It builds postural alignment,
core strength, and muscle balance. And it’s an excellent metaphor for
analytics.
Benchmarking your business against industry norms is an excellent way to
build postural alignment. You’ll be properly positioned. You’ll understand
how to build your core strengths. The benchmarking process also measures
your strength and balance and identifies what you’re doing well and what
you need to do better.
Start by focusing on revenue generators (marketing, sales) and loyalty
functions (fulfillment, delivery, customer service). The goal is to assign
benchmarks to both the tangible and intangible parts of each division and use these benchmarks to empower your team in ways that help them understand where they are succeeding and where they need improvement.
Embrace the Power of Spreadsheets
Start your analysis by listing and mapping all your company’s tangibles. The
tangible part of your business is, by its nature, easy to measure. These
elements can usually be expressed with numbers, such as revenue, gross
income, cost of goods sold, net profit, expenses, and other measurable
quantities. You want all this information mapped out in ways that allow you
to compare your performance to the industry averages.
Where Do You Find Industry Averages?
Getting detailed information on your industry isn’t always easy. An industry
consultant may help. Many industry associations offer very detailed
competitive reports, usually for a fee. If you know people in your industry
that are not your direct competitors, talk to them. Call in favors. Pay experts.
Do what you need to do to get the information you need to see if you are
doing better, the same, or worse as other businesses like you. Learning
about the details of your competition is a great way to benchmark your
business.
This kind of analysis takes a lot of time and energy, but it reaps big rewards.
Once you’ve mapped out your tangibles and can compare them to industry
averages, you’ll quickly identify problems and opportunities. Are you doing
better, worse, or the same as others in your field? When you evaluate and
compare the tangible categories of your business, you’ll get a better
understanding what’s average and what is exceptional, including:
– Your charges and prices compared to others in your industry
– Share of market
– Margin comparison
– Your facility costs and overhead
– Departmental costs in comparison to your competitors
– Material costs
Don’t Forget Intangibles
While it can be satisfying to tally up numbers and create charts, don’t forget
about intangibles. Things like performance, quality, service, and ability are
hard to measure, but your people still need to be better at all of these things
for your business to succeed. So how do you do that?
Instead of evaluating individuals, create benchmarks for positions instead.
Start by creating a set of ideal attributes required to do very well in any given role. Think of the position as a “personality.” For example, you may
want customer service employees to be friendly, empathetic, and outgoing.
On the other hand, maybe you want a CFO who is a conservative, dedicated,
perfectionist.
Once you get personality benchmarks in place, it’s easier to make
dispassionate adjustments to your team. For example, if you believe your
accountants should be dedicated perfectionists and you have a team who
isn’t organized or passionate about your books, it’s time to make a change.
Of course, we’re talking about people, so there are no absolutes here, but
assigning ideal attributes will help you get on track to building an stronger
department. When your departments are compatible in style and
temperament, you’re giving your company the best chance for success.
Analytics Are Time-Consuming, but Worth the Effort.
This article is a fast overview of analytics, and these exercises just scratch
the surface. No matter how big or small your company is, analyses are a LOT
of work. But a solid analysis is one of the only ways to create more reliable
systems that will propel your business forward. So put in the work now, and
everything you do in the future will be easier, faster, and more successful.
Want to talk more about benchmarking and analyses? Email me at
[email protected] or check out my best-seller, The 7 Stages of Small
Business Success.

Consumers urged to start holiday shopping early amid supply chain issues, labor shortages
“There’s plenty of products, but they are there and we can’t get them here. And we can’t get them here in time,” says consumer expert Carl Gould, president of 7 Stage Advisors.Another reason for the delay is the labor shortage.“We don’t have the people to drive the trucks. Don’t have crane operators, don’t have laborers to fill containers or people at ports to unload them,” Gould says. Watch full interview HERE

Carl Gould on the Jim Bohannon Show
Listen HERE Carl Gould, Founder of 7 Stage Advisors, discusses vaccine mandates and employers.

Carl Gould is the winner of a Gold Award – Entrepreneur of the year 2021
Congratulations are in order! Carl is an Entrepreneur of the Year GOLD GLOBEE® WINNER! For the 3rd year running Carl has received this prestigious award.
CEO World Awards celebrate the achievements of leaders, executives, and their management teams behind the year’s most outstanding initiatives and achievements. Chief Executive Officers, also known as CEOs lead the development of the organization’s short- and long-term strategy. This annual awards program recognizes individuals and teams who set industry benchmarks for excellence. All organizations private or public, corporations, nonprofits, associations, vendors, and government organizations worldwide and from every industry are eligible to participate.
Judges from a broad spectrum of industry voices from around the world participated and their average scores and inputs determined the 2021 award winners.
Read the full press release HERE

Don’t Rely on Luck: The 7 Stages of Business Success
Many business owners are looking for a break. If things just go their way, the business will succeed, the sales will zoom, and all their dreams will come true. But that never really happens, does it? Leaning on luck is a dangerous strategy, but we all know of businesses that just seem to grow and grow. Looking from the outside in, it can seem like hard work and effort have nothing to do with success. But the truth is, big profits don’t just happen. Some business owners might be “lucky” for a few months, or even a year, but not year after year.
Certainly the pandemic taught us that no matter who you are or what you do, “business as usual” can only get you so far.
That’s because growth and profitability don’t happen through luck. Every successful business owner out there – every single one – had to learn how to run their businesses in ways that allowed them to expand fast while maintaining margins. Luck had nothing to do with it.
Even when the odds seem to be in your favor, mistakes happen. Unless you know why businesses grow, how to move through the stages, what to do, and when to do it, even the luckiest business will not thrive.
The 7 Stages of Success
Once you put luck aside and start focusing on process, many business owners can grow their organization very quickly. By using reliable, predictable tools, companies can grow from a small enterprise into a major concern with dependable revenue in just a few years.
Conversely, if the founder doesn’t understand how to scale their business, they will get bogged down at the start, and that will prevent them from growing and increasing profits. 7 Stages is a methodology that I teach in my own consulting business, 7 Stage Advisors, but I’m also proof it works. Because I’ve used the 7 Stages process to grow three of my multi-million dollar businesses by age 40. I’ve
used it to help over 7,000 companies in 68 countries, so I know it works. The 7 Stages approach helps businesses determine what they need to do to grow and prosper reliably and predictably. Business success relies on strategy and process, not luck.
Stage 1: Strategic Planning Stage
How can any business grow dependably without a roadmap? It will be tough to make rapid progress if you don’t create a strategic plan that outlines goals, strategies, and timelines. Whether you started a business this week or ten years ago, it’s never too late to create a strategic plan. Once this plan is in place, it becomes much easier to understand what you need to do to succeed, and you have a tool to keep your team focused.
Stage 2: The Specialty Stage
In this stage, the business owner must become an expert in their field. This is also a time to fortify a point of difference. In Stage 2, business owners become known for their specialty and working at being the best at whatever they do.
Stage 3: The Synergy Stage
Maintaining control is a recurring issue for business owners. However, running a growing business is a team sport. That means the founder needs to build teams, create strong leaders, and delegate responsibility to handle different parts of the company. Even though it’s scary for many business owners, this is the time to stop doing everything and let others do their jobs.
Stage 4: The Systems Stage
Systems help your teams achieve success consistently and reliably. In Stage 4, owners create processes and systems for everything that needs to get done – from ordering copiers to training salespeople to onboarding new clients. By developing repeatable processes, checklists, and evaluations, the business owner empowers everyone to understand what they need to do and how they can succeed.
Stage 5: The Sustainability Stage
With expertise, teams, and processes in place, this is the stage in which businesses can grow fast. Intangible value becomes much more important in this stage. With everything in place, a company can add more locations, facilities, customers, and profits. Owners can scale product, operations, markets, and expertise in ways that allow them to increase profits exponentially.
Stage 6: The Salability Stage
Most business owners don’t want to run their businesses forever. However, for those who decide that they want an exit plan, this is the time to adjust the company in ways that make it a profitable commodity that is appealing to buyers, partners, or even family members.
Stage 7: The Succession Stage
Not everyone business owner wants to sell the business. Some want to step aside, step down, or step away from a company. No matter which option they choose, steps need to be taken to ensure that the firm continues to succeed after the owner is out of the picture.
Learn More About the 7 Stages of Success.
While listing these 7 Stages makes it look easy, growing a business is hard. And there isn’t any one-size-fits-all roadmap for success. But by internalizing the 7 Stages of Success, and follow the methodology in ways that build on strengths and eliminate weaknesses, you can become one of the thousands of people who own a multi-million dollar business. If you have questions or want to learn more, feel free to email me at [email protected]

You Just Don’t Love Your Business Anymore — Now What?
Carl Gould’s latest Forbes article- Whether it’s part of a long-term plan or a new development, when it comes to selling a business, preparation is everything. Here’s how to make a smooth transition.

Mandatory Vaccine Mandates
On “Connecticut Today” with Paul Pacelli, Paul spoke to Carl Gould, a leading business authority, on whether more businesses might institute mandatory Covid workplace vaccine mandates after the FDA’s full approval for the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine. Listen HERE

Vaccine Passport
“It’s one of those deals that we have to just live with. Is it fair to anybody? No, it’s not fair to anybody,” Carl Gould, president of 7 Stage Advisors, told Dias.
Gould, a worldwide leading authority on business, said small business owners, who are still trying to win back customers, will suffer the most.
“You’ve been spending the last 18 months just hanging on for dear life, and now what we’re doing is restricting the flow of potential customers that will come through there,” he said. Watch the interview HERE

Getting Ready to Sell the Business: Stage 6 of Business Success
We all love our businesses. We worked hard to build them into something impressive and profitable. But sometimes even the most successful companies are difficult, maybe even impossible, to sell. Why? Aside from profitability, the number one reason people don’t buy is that the owner is too important to the success of the business. However, if you’ve completed Stages 1-5 of Small Business Success, chances are you now run a high-value organization that has all of its systems working. When your systems are working, your business becomes a reliable money-maker. And best of all, you no longer have to be there to run it. You’re not important to the success of the business. (Sounds harsh, but this is a good thing, trust me.) Your firm no longer requires personal passion and drive to continue to be profitable.Like it or not, being profitable is just one part of a business valuation. How owners structure their companies is at the heart of true market value.
A Buyer’s Checklist
What do investors want to buy? What makes some businesses more valuable than others? Investors aren’t solely focused on a company’s P&L statement. These buyers are also looking for top management teams, sustainable systems, good locations, excellent distribution chains, strong customer relationships, or valuable equipment. Many factors determine a company’s value.You should have a good management team, especially in HR, Sales, and Financials. Your books have to look good. Your P&L needs to be strong. And while it makes sense to finessing the appearance of a firm before selling, this isn’t the time to mess with the systems. If you’re systems aren’t strong, you’re not ready to sell a business. You may have real estate, equipment, or even a market share to sell, but without systems, you are not selling a business, just its parts.
Get a Professional Valuation
To ensure you know a good offer when you see it, invest in a professional valuation early on. A professional valuation should include an exhaustive analysis of your company, systems, assets, and the value of everything in inventory. This kind of valuation will also help you identify issues and fix them in ways that increase the selling price.
Financials Must be Pristine
Like it or not, your buyer is going to be looking at the books. Disorganized accounting is a red flag so if you’re thinking about selling, get all financial records into pristine shape now, before putting a business up for sale. It’s also wise to take steps to improve the company’s credit. Take stock of financial liabilities and look for ways to minimize or eliminate them. While credit issues may not have impacted the performance of a firm in the past, they will affect a buyer’s interest and the size of their offer.Once your financials are neat, easy to access, and well organized buyers can easily see your strong P&L, plentiful credit, and minimal liabilities. And that’s attractive to any buyer.
Don’t Rush it. This is a Big Deal
Selling your business is the very DEFINITION of a big deal. Take your time to get your company financials in shape, polish up the appearance, and make sure your strong systems keep working. At this point in the game, even small mistakes can cost you. Taking the time to get it right can increase your profits before you even start negotiations.Want to learn more? Feel free to email me at [email protected] let’s talk more about getting your business ready to sell.

School supplies may be in short supply due to pandemic-related issues
“If you have to get a notepad, can you find one? Yes, probably. Can you find the exact one your teacher wants to go in your binder for that special class in a certain color that’s 2 inches thick? Eh, that might be a bit tough,” says Carl Gould of & Stage Advisors.Gould owns a company that advises small business owners on how to grow their companies. He says that the shortage on everything from backpacks and notepads to Chromebooks and clothing is thanks to what he calls a “perfect storm” of pandemic-related supply chain disruptions and staffing shortages.“Whatever your kids need – it has been manufactured. It is somewhere. The problem is we can’t get it here on time,” Gould says.He says that parents and students should start looking for supplies now if they haven’t already. He also advises looking online and in person. He says that if you find an item you need now, grab it and don’t wait for comparison shopping. He also says to consider secondhand or lightly used items.“That’s when you want to hop on local neighborhood social media groups, you’re Nextdoor, Facebook, LinkedIn, Yahoo groups. Here is where social media helps you. And tell people what you are looking for,” Gould says.Gould also suggests looking into marketing and promotional companies for specific items. Many bought products last year and have plenty to sell.He says that the supply chain issues could take another year to level out. Read the full article HERE

Jim Bohannon Show
Carl talks to Jim about businesses having difficulty finding workers. Listen HERE

From Solopreneur To Big Business: How To Make The Leap
Solopreneurs (entrepreneurs that are in business for themselves, with no employees) have a pretty big hill to climb. While, in my experience, they are usually an optimistic bunch, few are able to envision a big end game. In fact, just getting through the first year can be a real challenge. For these folks, growing into a seven- or eight-figure business seems unlikely, maybe even impossible. Read more…

CDC Reverses Course, Recommends People Wear Masks Indoors Where COVID Rates Are High
“You’re now getting into people’s medical history and their privacy,” Carl Gould, president of 7 Stage Advisors, told Dias. “People do have religious and philosophical principles that dictate whether or not they take a vaccine.”
Gould is a worldwide leading authority on business. He says a mask mandate is much easier for private companies to handle than vaccine rules.
“To try to enforce a vaccine mandate for your employees is going to open a Pandora’s box that you’ll be sorting out in the courts for years to come,” he said. Read more HERE

On Business & Masks NJ on Air
The CDC and the White House say you can take off the masks in public places. Retailers have followed — Target, Walmart and many others have announced you don’t need masks to shop in their stores — unless you are in New Jersey. Governor Phil Murphy is sticking with the mask mandate — he says at least for a little while. All of our neighboring states are following the CDC’s recommendations — and removing mask rules. Many business owners in New Jersey may now be in the position of having to be ‘mask police’. Joining us now is business expert and President of 7 Stage Advisors in Butler, Carl Gould. Watch the interview HERE

The Power Of The Obnoxious Offer
Carl often advises his clients to create an obnoxious offer — a really big offer, one that may even seem too good to be true. The offer solves a pain point, but it also costs your customer a lot more. Read more in this Forbes article by Carl Gould.

Sterling’s Business Success & Coffee Podcast
Carl joins Sterling’s Business Success and Coffee Podcast to share about: A Passion For Dream Building, How 4x Outbound Content Exploded His Business & LinkedIn Insights. Listen HERE

Stage 5 Scalability: Incremental Value and Exponential Profits
Sometimes business owners get stuck. They are not sure what they can do to grow the business. But most companies dream of becoming bigger and more profitable, and most organizations strive to be better than their competition. How do they make it happen?In Stage 1 of small business success, it’s time to create a strategic plan. Stage 2 requires entrepreneurs to start getting customers and become an expert in the field. In Stage 3, owners must begin delegating essential tasks to senior people, and in Stage 4, systems are created. In Stage 5, it’s time to scale up. Not only must you offer the very best product or service (and that’s no easy task,) but it’s also time to create an authentic brand that has meaning and value that goes well beyond the scope of your offerings. Creating a franchise-type system goes beyond whipping up a logo and a mission statement. A scalable business also has to meet the emotional and psychological needs of their customers. In Stage 5, a company must move beyond products or services and transition into the realm of emotional value.It’s time to think about how the business makes clients feel.
And most importantly, a franchise-type system creates a product and experience that can be successfully replicated again and again.By now, the organization should have a solid team to cover all the bases – sales, accounting, HR, marketing, operations – and the owner simply orchestrates the team in ways that create incremental value. In Stage 5 of Business Success, the owner must stop running the company and start leading it.
Peloton Doesn’t Sell Exercise Bikes
Peloton is an excellent example of a company that has mastered Stage 5. Peloton has only been around since 2012. By 2020, Bloomberg announced that the founder, John Foley, was officially a billionaire. That makes him one of the fastest billionaires in history. Peloton is just one of many companies in the crowded fitness category, but they didn’t do it by selling exercise bikes. In fact, they consider themselves a technology company. They built their success on incremental value. Peloton sells upscale exercise equipment connected to hardware and software that allows the company to stream fitness classes on a tablet affixed to a machine. Some classes are on-demand videos, but many classes are live. And to access the workouts, Peloton owners must pony up $39 per month, on top of the $2,000 initially spent on their bike or treadmill.
Peloton knew that selling really good exercise equipment wasn’t enough to rule the market. So instead, they created a virtual gym. They invested a lot in training and promoting engaging, inspiring instructors (they’re so good that some have become social media sensations.) Peloton equipment includes software that fosters interactive communities who can share aspects of their workout with each other. Peloton created incremental value by marrying home exercise with the motivation and social benefits of a gym. And they created fanatics in the process.
Three Reasons to Love Stage 5
1. ScaleAt this stage, you can grow a business exponentially. With sound systems in place, a strong leadership staff, and well-defined incremental value, it’s possible to successfully expand distribution, open new locations, or even bring in other owners.
2. Better MarginsOnce you create a business with incremental value, you no longer have to match the competition’s low prices
3. Your Business Can Run Without YouWhen a business masters Stage 5, the owner will find that they don’t need to steer the ship every minute. At this stage, an owner can leave for a day (or a month) and find the business continues to run successfully without them at the helm.
Learn More
Want to find out more about the7 Stages of Small Business Success? Take a look at my best-selling book, listen to my podcasts, or book me as a featured speaker at your next big business event. And if you want personalized coaching from an industry leader, contact 7 Stages Advisors for personal assessments, coaching, and recommendations.

Video Call Faux Pas
Carl shares how you should never stand straight up! You may have only dressed from the waist up, so you would be modeling your best pajama bottoms, flip-flops or comfy socks, which is not professional. Read the full article HERE