Listen Here:

https://view.flipdocs.com/?ID=10004308_555249#22

Listen Here:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/02/20/15-tips-for-business-leaders-to-rein-in-stress/#5382c4696ea1

Listen Here:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/02/11/14-hallmarks-of-successful-business-team-building-activities/#7d42c4706b09

We’ve all heard the statistics, right? Most businesses fail within the first five years. Still, every year entrepreneurs take a chance, quit their 9-5 jobs, or invest their life’s savings to become their own boss.

We do this because we want more freedom and control of our time; we believe we can run a business better than the boss; we want to be multi-millionaires and realize this won’t happen working for someone else.

The drive to succeed in business is not the problem. What causes many smart, talented business owners to fail is the lack of a plan or strategy for getting where they want to go. This often happens because, as Planned Ascent notes, “in the day to day management of your business, it can be easy to lose sight of why you created it in the first place”. Timing is everything in business. To be successful, you need to build your business in the right order. The methodology that I use is measurable, systematic and created to move your business forward in the right sequence so results are more predictable and consistent. With a good business plan, businesses should expect to see growth eventually. Growth can be seen in different ways. For example, growth could be having to employ more staff to help you cope with demand. If that’s the case for your business, it might be time to get some of those boring jobs like payroll and employee benefits digitalized to save you some time. This can be done by visiting The PEO People to see which PEO service would be best to help your company grow successfully.

As an entrepreneur myself, I have a tremendous amount of compassion for anyone bold enough to step out on faith and create something of value. Over the years, I’ve seen many promising entreprises collapse, and I’ve also seen companies on the verge of bankruptcy turn around and become healthy again.

With my clients, I developed a methodology called the 7 Stages of Small Business Success. By the way, my focus is on medium-size businesses too. The 7 stages are: strategic planning, specialty, synergy, systems, sustainability, salability, and succession.

When followed, the principles can take an otherwise struggling business from startup to 7 figures in 3 years or less. I know this because I’ve personally created 3 multi-million dollar businesses before I turned 40. I’ve also observed the successful launch, growth and turnaround of businesses in more than 35 countries on six continents over the past two decades.

Hearing this, you might be chompin’ at the bit, ready to get to stage one. But if you started there, you would be less likely to succeed. There is a pre-stage process you must engage in first.

If you try and put together a model airplane with several parts, without reading the instructions, you could end up stuck. So before you take off in the complex world of business, you need to understand more about yourself, your business, and your team.

You need to know where you are–not where you think you are or where you want to be–but where you are NOW.

Understand the Ever-Changing Markets

In this volatile market, you need to know the buying patterns of your customers. Many times, consumer emotions are linked to reports of unemployment, natural disasters or the fluctuating stock and real estate markets. This has a lot to do with consumer confidence and how likely they are to buy what you sell.

That’s why 7 Stage Advisors help clients develop strategies ahead of time–whether the market is going up, down or sideways. You need to know when the time is right to push upgrades, bundles or membership packages. There are specific strategies for each of these marketing conditions, based on studies of human behavior.

Even in these turbulent economic times, history shows someone will be able to embrace chaotic market conditions and profit tremendously. It might as well be you.

Understand the DISCoverY Process

The DISCoverY process helps Business Owners/Entrepreneurs (BOEs) discover their strengths and blind spots. This, in turn helps you identify what type of people you need on your team. It will also help you create a balance between your business and work life by showing you what to do (strengths) and what to delegate (weaknesses).

Understand the Growth Cycle

The Growth Cycle helps you achieve your desired objectives with the least effort.This happens when day-to-day activities are properly aligned with your overall vision. It positions you to do the right activities within the right sequence at the right time to maximize your potential.

The start-up or early stages of the cycle would be Stages 1-3 and the beginning of Stage 4, and occurs within the first 18 months. You’ll complete Stage 4 and move through Stages 5-7 during the second 18 months.

Within the Growth Cycle, you’re going to focus 90% of your energy toward your desired result and 10% to identify the challenges (opportunities). This approach will move you more quickly through the cycle.

By the way, you may not find it necessary to go through all 7 stages of the cycle to be successful. The succession or legacy stage may not be your goal. The Rolling Stones, for example are a Stage 2/3 business. They will be there forever because they cannot be franchised. There is only one Mick Jagger.

One final point: To succeed, you’ll need to flip the script in your thinking. Conventional wisdom says, build it first, then sell it. With 7 Stages, you sell your customers first, then create a business around them. This is what Ray Kroc, the McDonalds mastermind, did. He knew if people weren’t first sold on him, it made no sense to create a business.

Understanding yourself, your team, and your business are prerequisites for success. Get this right, then you’re ready to begin Stage 1.

Carl Gould writes about catalyzing and sustaining business growth. He is an entrepreneur who built three multi-million dollar businesses by age 40, and his consulting firm has mentored the launch of over five thousand businesses in 35 countries. Each week he co-hosts “Quit and Get Rich” on iHeart® radio; and in his keynote speeches, he shares his insights from growing top companies from around the world. You can learn more about Carl and his firm at www.7StageAdvisors.com and www.CarlGould.com.

The side hustle or side venture is one of the greatest ways to get ahead in business. You collect a salary and benefits from your day job. Then do what you’re passionate about or something to make extra money in the evenings and on weekends. With this being said, some people may not find it as easy to start a side hustle, especially if they are not sure where to begin. Saying this though, there are a number of online ventures such as blogging, starting a YouTube channel or even freelance writing that people can get into, in the hopes of making a little bit of extra money.

There are many ways to work a side hustle. You can earn extra money seasonally over the summer or holidays; or leverage a resource or skill your already have, like using your car as a taxi or doing freelance design work. You may even want to consider something like etf investing, which you can learn more about online, to generate an additional source of wealth for yourself.

You could also take advantage of a lull in your work day. When I started my coaching career, I volunteered to coach international clients over the phone because when I got up early in the morning, it was mid-day in Europe and South Africa.

A side hustle can be very lucrative because if you’re doing most of the work and can keep your overhead low, so you’ll probably keep most of the profits. If you make a product, you can manufacture it right in your home, and sell it at the local street fair on the weekend. Your side hustle can be a blog or video channel, where you give advice and charge a premium price for the service because you’ve positioned yourself as an expert.

Tips for the side hustle:

1. Choose a hustle with very little upfront investment.
2. Choose something you can implement very quickly.
3. Have your e-commerce set up in advance.
4. Keep your inventory very low. Inventory is evil.
5. Utilize social media to build a buzz. Get likes, fans and followers to talk you up.

Here are a few examples to get you going. They require little start-up cost and you can start quickly using skills you already have:

4 Easy Side Hustles

• Rent out that extra room. Millions of users book short term rentals with Airbnb every year. You could be one of them, and turn your spare room into spare cash.
• Use your car to deliver food and get paid by restaurants.
• Virtual assistants are in high demand as more companies offer telecommute work options. Take a look at your skills and find out what companies may be a good fit.
• Sell products online without paying for inventory. Advertise items for the seller (who handles shipping). then collect your commission and you’re done. Alternatively, sell your own belongings on a site like LeoList and you’ll get to keep all the profits you make.

Carl Gould writes about catalyzing and sustaining business growth. He is an entrepreneur who built three multi-million dollar businesses by age 40, and his consulting firm has mentored the launch of over five thousand businesses in 35 countries. Each week he co-hosts “Quit and Get Rich” on iHeart® radio; and in his keynote speeches, he shares his insights from growing top companies from around the world. You can learn more about Carl and his firm at www.7StageAdvisors.com and www.CarlGould.com.

It’s January 2019, and you’re ready to go into the new year “full throttle.” Before you rush out, you’ll want to pump the brakes and follow these steps.  They’re designed to make this a banner year for your business:

1. Repeat vs. Regret.  Take a step back into 2018 to debrief.  Ask yourself what you want to repeat from 2018.  What lessons did you learn? What worked for you?

Business owners know when they’ve made a mistake.  Customers complain, sales may decline or fall flat.   But it’s harder to tell when they’ve got it right. When you’re planning for the coming year, it’s important to identify the steps that led to your success so you can repeat them.  Track your effort, especially if you’re trying something new, so you can see the correlation between right action and right results.

Take inventory of your regrets.  What do you want to do differently, or just want to do better?   What happened that you didn’t like? How can you avoid doing it again?

You can often find the answers outside your comfort zone, so don’t be afraid to go there. Turn to your staff for help because they are the ones who are doing the work every single day.  In the “Undercover Boss” series, the boss always works with folks at a lower level and finds that these employees have the on-the-ground intelligence they need.

2.  Get 2020 Vision.   We’ve just entered 2019, but by now, you should already be planning for next year.  You need 2020 vision in more ways than one.

There is a lag between the time you have an idea and the time those ideas manifest.   How long should you let things marinade before you can reasonably expect results? How far ahead can you project your results?  The longer into the future that you can project your activities, the BETTER you are at managing your business.

That’s why you want to plan out the entire year.  You need to connect the dots.

One thing 7 Stage Advisors recommend for our clients is to schedule ALL of the recurring tasks, trade shows, networking events, affinity marketing outreach campaigns, employee reviews, etc.,  NOW so you can understand the activities you are going to face in the new year.

We advise clients to develop a vision  20 to 30 years out. Have a plan for the next decade and the next 1-5 years.  Bad ideas start out as good ideas. They usually fail when they’re created in a vacuum.  Planning provides the framework for you to see and connect your ideas more clearly, within the context of real time and space.  

You can see, for instance, how you did something, when you did it, and the frequency with which you did it.  You may realize that you should have launched your project in the spring instead of winter, or that you should have tried a certain technique 5 times instead of 3 times.  You may need to come back and reintroduce your idea later.

3.   Have a compelling HOW and WHY.  Every business owner has a WHAT.  It’s a common commodity. But the HOW and WHY matter as much as what you do. When assessing your results in 2018, ask if you’ve distinguished yourself enough. What else do you need to do to improve in the coming year(s)?  Uber’s on-demand business model is an example of how the transportation industry was changed forever.

Knowing  why you’re in business drives your motives and your motivation.  Everyone’s why will be different, so it’s important to be transparent and feel good about the contribution you are making, both individually and corporately.  

4.  Always Be Continuous.  Adopt the ABC (Always Be Continuous) mantra, which applies to continuous learning.  You want to make sure your staff has the best resources available to keep pace within your industry and satisfy customer demands.  Making continuous education and training part of your business model will be an indispensable asset for your company’s growth and ability to pivot.   

We are doomed to repeat the mistakes we don’t acknowledge.  So, take advantage of the momentum of this new year by implementing strategies  that repeat your success and make changes to avoid regrets.

Carl Gould writes about catalyzing and sustaining business growth.  He is an entrepreneur who built three multi-million dollar businesses by age 40, and his consulting firm has mentored the launch of over five thousand businesses in 35 countries. Each week he co-hosts “Quit and Get Rich” on iHeart® radio; and in his keynote speeches, he shares his insights from growing top companies from around the world. You can learn more about Carl and his firm at www.7StageAdvisors.com and www.CarlGould.com.

Get ready for some profit building tips as I chat with Carl Gould, leading authority on business who built 3 multimillion dollar businesses by the age of 40! Today he’s going to share tips on how to eliminate your competition.

Welcome aboard Carl

• I think we often underestimate or overestimate the competition. What is a healthier view of one’s competition?
• Is it easy to assess WHO your direct competition is?
• How can you differentiate yourself and get ahead of the competition in your field?
• Can you use your competition to your advantage?
• How can you incorporate the top five complaints about your competition into your business plan?

Carl Gould is a worldwide leading authority on business and entrepreneurship. His company, 7 Stage Advisors helps organizations grow to the next level. He is an entrepreneur who built three multi-million dollar businesses by age 40. 7 Stage Advisors, has mentored the launch of over five thousand businesses. He has advised over 100 of the Inc. 500/5000 Fastest-Growing Companies. Some of the companies he’s helped are companies like Walgreens, Walmart, American Idol , USA Olympic Track, IBM, McGraw-Hill and the US Army.

Gould created the farthest-reaching business mentoring organization in the world, and his methodologies are in practice in 35 countries. He has trained, certified or accredited over 7,000 Business Coaches and Mentors since 2002.

Carl has written multiple books on the subject of business strategy, leadership and sustainable growth. He co-authored “Blueprint for Success” with Stephen R. Covey and Ken Blanchard; and his best-selling book, “The 7 Stages of Small Business Success”, lays out the formula for HyperGrowth. In 2016, ‘Biz Dev Done Right” became a #1 Best Seller on Amazon. Each week he co-hosts “Quit and Get Rich” on iHeart ® radio; and shares his insights from working with top companies from around the world. Carl’s dynamic and energetic presentation style has made him one of the most sought after speakers internationally. He combines practical and impactful content with real-world experience…no theory here! He engages his audiences and keeps them on the edge of their seat. Gould’s content is original, profound and battle-tested.

Carl Gould is a business growth expert and founder of 7 Stage Advisors. Carl has built three multi-million dollar businesses before age 40, mentored the launch of over 5,000 businesses, and has trained and certified over 7,000 business coaches in 35 countries. His clients range from Fortune 500 Companies to Small-to-Mid-Market Businesses, including Walgreens, Walmart, IBM and the US Army. Carl has written 3 best-selling books on business strategy and growth – most recently Biz Dev Done Right. And each week he co-hosts “Quit and Get Rich” on iHeartradio. Today’s episode is all about the entrepreneur and how to massively grow your business and set it up for long term success. We touch on the value of a business coach, how your business will not outgrow your personal vision and how to put together your “obnoxious offer” to give your customers everything they want and more! This is a great episode for any entrepreneur that want to scale their business! Subscribe to Monumental and emails from Evan: www.evanholladay.com Check out Carl’s Company website: www.www.carlgould.com/ Carl on LinkedIn : www.linkedin.com/in/carlgould/ Carl on Twitter: www.twitter.com/carlgould/ Carl of Facebook: www.facebook.com/Carl.L.Gould/

In just a few days, retailers will be raking in the highest revenues of the year.

Znet.com predicts that 25% of all holiday shopping will be done on Black Friday and 40% of the season’s sales will occur during Cyber Week (Tuesday before Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday). About 68% of holiday spending will be done from mobile devices.¹

Robust holiday sales can make a huge impact on the bottom line of retailers. But when January rolls around, sales fall flat. Retailers can keep up the momentum by offering incentives on peak shopping days. Don’t just have a clearance sale. Come up with offers for shoppers while they are already in your store and on your website.

It’s all about timing. Place your promotional information in prominent places on your site and inside your store before and during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, where bargain shoppers are sure to see them. Make your offer contingent on customers doing certain things on certain dates to retrieve additional savings.

Here are a few tips for creating awesome promotions for the biggest shopping days of the year:

Tip #1: Cash In On the Next Visit – Offer an incentive for shoppers to return to your physical or online store and make an additional purchase AFTER Black Friday or Cyber Monday. For example, offer them redeemable store credit for X number of days (i.e., the week AFTER Xmas, or the week after New Year’s Day).

Tip #2: Award More Rewards – Award DOUBLE or TRIPLE points to anyone in your rewards club when they shop on either Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Also offer to DOUBLE or TRIPLE their points on the next purchase when they show their Black Friday or Cyber Monday receipt.

Tip #3: The Selfie Surprise – Tell customers to take a #selfie inside the store while shopping on specified dates and post on social media. Then, have your social media team send them a surprise of some sort, like a voucher or gift card. To design suitable vouchers or gift cards for your particular business or promotion, you could look into designing gift vouchers with online creators such as MyCreativeShop, creating deeper relationships with the likes of personalized gift vouchers can increase customer retention and sales.

Tip #4: Like Me, and We’ll Like You Back— Have your customers retweet or repost one of your promotions for Black Friday or Cyber Monday. When a customer reaches X number of “likes,” they’ll receive a gift card to use on Cyber Monday or Black Friday.

Too many retailers treat the holiday season as a transaction game, whereas savvy retailers will treat this as an opportunity to build a long-term relationship with the buyer. Loyalty starts with the retailer, not the shopper. These tips should help you build those long-term relationships

Carl Gould writes about catalyzing and sustaining business growth. He is an entrepreneur who built three multi-million dollar businesses by age 40, and his consulting firm has mentored the launch of over five thousand businesses in 35 countries. Each week he co-hosts “Quit and Get Rich” on iHeart® radio; and in his keynote speeches, he shares his insights from growing top companies from around the world. You can learn more about Carl and his firm at www.7StageAdvisors.com and www.CarlGould.com.

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¹Vala Afshar, “2018 holiday shopping predictions: AI-powered recommendations will generate 35 percent of retail revenues, September 17, 2018.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/2018-holiday-shopping-predictions-ai-powered-recommendations-generate-retail-revenues/

Carl is located in Riverdale, New Jersey and is the owner of 7 Stage Advisors a business growth expert, mentor, and entrepreneur who has built three multi-million dollar businesses by age 40, mentored the launch of over 5,000 businesses and has trained and certified over 7,000 business coaches in 35 countries. Carl has written 3 best-selling books on business strategy and growth: Blueprint for Success, The 7 Stages of Small Business Success, and most recently Biz Dev Done Right. Other than his previously mentioned successes, Carl regularly appeared on the home improvement reality TV show This House Too, and each week he co-hosts Quit and Get Rich on iHeart® radio.

When your business is growing – especially if it’s growing fast – something strange happens.

You reach a certain milestone – say, you break 6 figures for the first time. Or the size of your team doubles. Or your number of paying customers multiplies…

…and everything breaks.

You realize that you need to ditch the old playbook and write a new one as you go along.

For example:

Your responsibilities as a business owner have shifted, and now you have to delegate most of the work you used to do personally. Or your old organizational structure doesn’t work with a larger team. Or the influx of new customers strains your operations to a breaking point. Or… you get the idea.

Now, you might be reading this and thinking, “These sound like great problems to have!”

And you’re right: they are. But guess what?

A great problem left unsolved can harm your business as badly as as a terrible one! Would you rather get crushed by 10 tonnes of rock… or 10 tonnes of money? How about neither!

Now, let’s get something perfectly clear: we’re not dissuading you from pursuing growth. Far from it!

But we do want to remind you that growth creates its own challenges. It’s crucial that we remember that – especially right now, as entrepreneurs and investors keep demanding more of it. As you are charting your own path towards business growth, you want to prepare for those inevitable challenges – so when the push comes to shove, you can overcome them!

To help you do that, we’ve invited a very special guest to today’s Get Genius…

Carl Gould is a business growth expert, mentor and entrepreneur. He lives and breathes business growth, and has built three multi-million dollar companies by age 40. Carl has also mentored the launches of over 5,000 businesses, and put over 7,000 business coaches in 35 countries through training and certification.

Carl has also written 3 best-selling books on business strategy and growth: “Blueprint for Success,” “The 7 Stages of Small Business Success,” and most recently, “Biz Dev Done Right.”

Carl regularly appeared on the home improvement reality TV show “ThisHouseToo,” and each week he co-hosts “Quit and Get Rich” on iHeart radio. He is the MC for EO Nerve, and Facilitator of Breakthrough the Barriers and the Firewalk Experience.

In this week’s episode, Summer and Carl will be discussing the uncomfortable truths about business growth. Here’s just some of what they will cover:

• The skills each business owner needs to master if they want to grow…
• What it really takes to build a company that doubles in revenue every year…
• How to solve the most common growth bottlenecks and improve continuously…
• The daily habits that contribute to your big wins, and how to cultivate them…
• Building a growth-minded team who share your values and beliefs…
• How to use complaints to help you improve as an entrepreneur…

And more. Please enjoy this conversation with Carl Gould, the Genius of growth!

Millennials. Much has been written about this group, and yet very little seems to be understood about them. Researchers even disagree about the precise start and end years of this generation, but most would agree that Millennials were born between the early 1980s through the early 2000s.

There are varied opinions about this group. Some speak highly of them, some not so much. But no one can dispute, Millennials are driving the workforce. You’ve probably noticed they value work differently? By the year 2020, they will be the largest single segment of the workforce, comprising nearly 46% of the workforce. Contrary to beliefs that Millennials are lazy, entitled, or have a short attention span, they’re just misunderstood. After all, aren’t we in one of the strongest economies ever? Aren’t we at record low unemployment? If that is the case, then who is doing much of the work? They are!

May I offer you some observations (and insights) into how this group thinks, and what they expect? Here are a few…

1. Millennials prefer to work in an environment that is value-driven-not task-driven. They will work just as hard as anyone else, but they are a purpose-driven group. They want to know WHY you are in business, and HOW you are different before they will commit to you. Their work needs to be meaningful. WHAT you do is often a commodity (services, manufacturing, distribution, etc) to them and not the compelling reason for them to want to work for you.
2. Create an interactive and tactile environment. This group feels at home in an open space with healthy, built-in distractions. For example, having space for ping pong, a dartboard, or a whiteboard wall are perfect for allowing Millennials to release their creativity. They need a workspace that’s stimulating. It can’t be just cubicles anymore………boring!
3. Ask the right questions. In order to understand what your particular Millennials are motivated by, ask them these three questions:

What is it you want to DO here? (to create a career path)

What is it you WANT to learn? (something that might have nothing to do with your job, but you have an interest or passion in)

What is it you NEED to learn in order to be better at your job?

4. “Gamify” and “Bracket-ize” their workplace. Create a process map, which is a workflow map of your major tasks, and then post it on the wall for all to see. Devise a point system to reward the activities and accomplishments that are in line with the company’s workflows. Millennials are phenomenal at understanding games and competitions. Remember, gaming is a huge part of their culture, so they understand how to excel at games. Make their responsibilities a game, and create the path where the desired behaviors are acknowledged and rewarded.

Deepening the Engagement Level

Millennials need to be seen for who they are, with their own set of work values that are different than their parents, or their 52-year-old bosses (OK, so I just dated myself…:)

It’s a mistake to assume what inspired the workforce of yesterday inspires them today. In the ‘olden days’, we were told to just work hard and be thankful you have a job. Millennials are not thankful just for a job; they want more. This should be very good news for you. They crave what you as the employer crave…a deeper level of engagement in the workplace. Haven’t you asked yourself what it would take to have your employees ‘get more into it’? Millennials want that too! If you’re really wanting to see what it would take for your workforce to “get more into it” then you might want to try out a learning engagement platform for your employees to use and build on weaker areas, while trying to promote transformation from the inside-out for a more engaged and efficient workforce.

This group grew up with a computer. They grew up as gamers and fantasy football fans, keeping attention creating their idea of an ultimate fantasy football team while also perhaps watching an actual football game… They can multi-task with the best of them! Just because they are more technologically minded than the previous generations, doesn’t mean they are “glued to their phones”, moving quickly with technology is a good thing to have in an ever-expanding work and social environment, they may partake in a DraftKings fantasy football game, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t partaking in intellectual pursuits to further their careers, fun and work can both happen!

Baby Boomers (1946-64) and Generation Xers (1965-1980) need to assume some responsibility for how Millennials feel about work. The prior two-generation taught this generation that there’s more to life than just a job. We instilled this attitude; They listened, and now they’re acting it out.”

Carl Gould writes about catalyzing and sustaining business growth. He is an entrepreneur who built three multi-million dollar businesses by age 40, and his consulting firm has mentored the launch of over five thousand businesses in 35 countries. Each week he co-hosts “Quit and Get Rich” on iHeart® radio; and in his keynote speeches, he shares his insights from growing top companies from around the world. You can learn more about Carl and his firm at www.7StageAdvisors.com and www.CarlGould.com.

Listen Here:

https://advantagefamily.com/blog/podcasts/carl-gould/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=C-UP&utm_content=BU—–

Hear this episode of the Nancy Gaines Show with Carl Gould on business pricing and growth strategies. He has built three multi-million dollar businesses before age 40 and written 3 best-selling books on business strategy and growth. He also co-hosts “Quit and Get Rich” on iHeart® radio. Carl provides tips and tricks on what it takes to grow a business profitably.

Listen Here:

http://www.nancygaines.com/190_carl-gould_business-pricing-and-growth-strategies/?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=NancyLGaines&utm_content=190_Carl%20Gould_Business%20Pricing%20and%20Growth%20Strategies

As the leader in your business, you are the person that everyone looks to, to solve problems and motivate your team. You’ll be expected to instill certainty in the direction of the business so your team will be inspired. After all, you are the driving force in your business; your employees have bought into your vision, and they are counting on you to be that guiding light to take them to the promised land.

So, How Do You Fill Others’ Tanks When Yours is Empty?

If this sounds like you, then you are not alone. CEO fatigue is a symptom we deal with at 7 Stage Advisors on a frequent basis. After years, and decades, with the accelerator pushed to the limit, how can you sustain that peak level of energy and enthusiasm that you had on Day 1 of the job?  There are times when even the most positive person doesn’t feel inspired.  What do you do when you need to inspire your team, but your own cup is empty?  Here are a few ideas to help you recover quickly and instill confidence in others that is so necessary to your company’s success.

Find Your “Why”

When you feel uninspired, reconnect to why you got into the  business in the first place. Ask yourself, “What is the ultimate fantasy I have for my business in the next 5 years?”. Answering this question will help you to imagine a brighter future, and gain a renewed perspective on your current situation.

Creating a compelling picture of your future is the quickest way to transform how you feel in the present. This is a good time to pull out your mission statement and re-read it.  If you have positive comments, reviews and testimonials from customers, that’s even better. Remind yourself of the progress that you have made to date, as well as the lives that you have impacted. Starting to feel a bit better already?

Show How They Fit Into the Company’s Vision

Share your vision with the team and tell them these four things:

1. “Here are all the reasons I love and respect you as a team, and why I want to go on this journey with you.” Be specific in pointing out what it is about them that you admire and respect.

2.    “Here’s where the business is going.”  Lay out your long-term vision and direction for the company. You can use the distinctions that you made when you asked yourself the ‘ultimate fantasy’ question earlier..:)

3. “There’s a seat for every one of you on this bus, and I very much look forward to having you onboard as we grow together on our journey.”  Using a mockup of the organization chart, explain in detail what the future of the company will look like five years from now, and the growth potential that exists throughout the company.
4. “There is much more potential inside of you. We want to help bring out your greatness.”  Sit down with each person one-on-one and explain in detail how you see that individual contributing to the long-range growth of the company.

7 Stage Advisors surveyed 435 Companies on 55 distinct areas of their business. This particular question illustrates just how few leaders effectively communicate their mission and vision to their staff. Only 23.7% of the key employees strongly agree that their company has a clear mission and vision statement! How can you expect your team to remain fired up about the direction of their company when they don’t know the direction of their company?

Take Your Feelings to the Gym….Daily!

If you’re feeling lackluster, maybe you just need a good round of positive self-talk to turn things around.  Create a #DailyInspirationRoutine. Each morning, listen to your favorite music, read your favorite quotes, say a mantra, affirmation or incantation OUT LOUD. Do this for a few minutes each morning while working out, showering, driving to work, etc. You will feel your mood change.  It works! Elevate yourself,  then you can elevate your team.

Step Up…or Step Aside

If none of these tips get you fired up, and they don’t fire up your team, then maybe someone should fire you! Seriously, you should go ahead and get your entrepreneurial pulse checked at the local hospital, because you’ve got bigger problems than growing your organization and the people in it :-).  Every successful company has sustained enthusiasm for the daily activities that they perform to make the world a better place for their customers and their employees.

If you are no longer the source of the that enthusiasm and inspiration, and no longer have the fire in your belly to motivate your team, then it is time for someone else to take your place as the C.I.O. (Chief Inspiration Officer). I suspect though, that if you are reading this article, you are not quite ready to hang it up….and you are seeking a shot-in-the-arm to ready yourself for the next phase of the business. I applaud your tenacity and determination to lead, and serve, at the highest levels!

Carl Gould has built 3 multi-million dollar companies before he turned 40. In this interview, he shares his best advice for growing your business.

http://sageadvicepodcast.com/gould?tdest_id=282205

From landscaping to real estate to coaching, Carl has a plethora of experience to share and he does so during this interview, especially with the explanation of his Seven Stages of Small Business Success. You won’t want to miss this episode!

Quit and Get Rich, Fix it in 5 Co-Author Carl Gould on Georgia Business Radio Carl Gould is a worldwide leading authority on business and entrepreneurship. His company, 7 Stage Advisors helps organizations grow to the next level. He is an entrepreneur who built three multi-million dollar businesses by age 40. 7 Stage Advisors, has mentored the launch of over five thousand businesses. He has advised over 100 of the Inc. 500/5000 Fastest-Growing Companies. Some of the companies he’s helped; Walgreens, Walmart, American Idol, USA Olympic Track, IBM, McGraw-Hill and the US Army. He’s a visiting lecturer at MIT, Rutgers Business School and the Wits Business School in Johannesburg. Gould created the farthest-reaching business mentoring organization in the world, and his methodologies are in practice in 35 countries. He has trained, certified or accredited over 7,000 Business Coaches and Mentors since 2002. Carl has written multiple books on the subject of business strategy, leadership and sustainable growth. He co-authored “Blueprint for Success” with Stephen R. Covey and Ken Blanchard; and his best-selling book, “The 7 Stages of Small Business Success”, lays out the formula for HyperGrowth. In 2016, ‘Biz Dev Done Right” became a #1 Best Seller on Amazon. His new book, “Fix It In 5” in which he discusses his business strategy to fix any business in five minutes or less. Each week he co-hosts “Quit and Get Rich” on iHeart® radio; and shares his insights from working with top companies from around the world. Carl’s dynamic and energetic presentation style has made him one of the most sought after speakers internationally. He combines practical and impactful content with real-world experience…no theory here! He engages his audiences and keeps them on the edge of their seat. Gould’s content is original, profound and battle-tested. Some of the topics that Carl presents to audiences worldwide are: Become the Master Of Rapport and Influence. In Carl’s keynote presentation he will walk you through the key insights he has gained from working with businesses in 35 countries over the last 25 years. Fix It In Five is a segment on Carl’s iheart’s radio program, “Quit and Get Rich” where he and his team help to solve entrepreneur and business challenges in 5 minutes or less. Other popular topics are The 3 Entrepreneurial Traps & How To Avoid Them 5 Ways to Generate Revenue in the Next 90 Days Top 5 Deadliest Mistakes People Make When Launching A Business.     Questions/Topics: We have to know, what’s the key step in fixing any business within five minutes? How do you know when a business is going to fail and there’s no saving it? What would you say is the most common mistake that entrepreneurs make when they start a business? What can they do to avoid it? There have been a lot of businesses around the globe that have been impacted by scandal, whether it be their owner’s or the very..

Carl Gould is a worldwide leading authority on business and entrepreneurship. His company, 7 Stage Advisors helps organizations grow to the next level. He is an entrepreneur who built three multi-million dollar businesses by age 40.

7 Stage Advisors, has mentored the launch of over five thousand businesses. He has advised over 100 of the Inc. 500/5000 Fastest-Growing Companies.

Some of the companies he’s helped; Walgreens, Walmart, American Idol, USA Olympic Track, IBM, McGraw-Hill and the US Army.

He’s a visiting lecturer at MIT, Rutgers Business School and the Wits Business School in Johannesburg.

Gould created the farthest-reaching business mentoring organization in the world, and his methodologies are in practice in 35 countries. He has trained, certified or accredited over 7,000 Business Coaches and Mentors since 2002.

Carl has written multiple books on the subject of business strategy, leadership and sustainable growth. He co-authored “Blueprint for Success” with Stephen R. Covey and Ken Blanchard; and his best-selling book, “The 7 Stages of Small Business Success”, lays out the formula for HyperGrowth. In 2016, ‘Biz Dev Done Right” became a #1 Best Seller on Amazon.

His new book, “Fix It In 5” in which he discusses his business strategy to fix any business in five minutes or less.

Each week he co-hosts “Quit and Get Rich” on iHeart® radio; and shares his insights from working with top companies from around the world. Carl’s dynamic and energetic presentation style has made him one of the most sought after speakers internationally.

He combines practical and impactful content with real-world experience…no theory here! He engages his audiences and keeps them on the edge of their seat. Gould’s content is original, profound and battle-tested.

Some of the topics that Carl presents to audiences worldwide are:
Become the Master Of Rapport and Influence.
In Carl’s keynote presentation he will walk you through the key insights he has gained from working with businesses in 35 countries over the last 25 years.
Fix It In Five is a segment on Carl’s iheart’s radio program, “Quit and Get Rich” where he and his team help to solve entrepreneur and business challenges in 5 minutes or less.
Other popular topics are The 3 Entrepreneurial Traps & How To Avoid Them
5 Ways to Generate Revenue in the Next 90 Days
Top 5 Deadliest Mistakes People Make When Launching A Business.

Questions/Topics:

1. We have to know, what’s the key step in fixing any business within five minutes?
2. How do you know when a business is going to fail and there’s no saving it?
3. What would you say is the most common mistake that entrepreneurs make when they start a business?
4. What can they do to avoid it?
5. There have been a lot of businesses around the globe that have been impacted by scandal, whether it be their owner’s or the very face of their brand, what kind of damage control does a business have to put in place to survive?
6. What is the most difficult part of a CEO’s job?
7. Do businesses have to manage young millennials differently than anybody else in the work force?
8. What are the pro’s and con’s to having a family business?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2R_PNunxb8

Carl Gould is an authority on business growth who advises organizations to grow to the next level for ultimate small business success. He is an entrepreneur who built three multi-million dollar businesses by age 40. His consulting firm, 7 Stage Advisors, has mentored the launch of over five thousand businesses. He has advised over 100 of the Inc. 500/5000 Fastest-Growing Companies, and currently works with the 9th fastest-growing company in NJ.Gould created the farthest-reaching business mentoring organization in the world, and his methodologies are in practice in 35 countries. He has trained, certified or accredited over 7,000 Business Coaches and Mentors since 2002.Carl has written multiple books on the subject of business strategy, leadership and sustainable growth. He co-authored “Blueprint for Success” with Stephen R. Covey and Ken Blanchard; and his best-selling book, “The 7 Stage of Small Business Success”, lays out the formula for HyperGrowth.In 2016, Biz Dev Done Right became a #1 Best Seller on Amazon. Each week he co-hosts “Quit and Get Rich” on iHeart® radio; and shares share his insights from working with top companies from around the world. You can learn more about Carl and his firm at www.7StageAdvisors.com.Carl’s dynamic and energetic presentation style has made him one of the most sought after speakers internationally. He combines practical and impactful content with real-world experience…no theory here! He engages his audiences and keeps them on the edge of their seat. Gould’s content is original, profound and battle-tested…his stuff works!Here are a few highlights in Carl’s career. He has…Built 3 multi-million dollar businesses by age 40 and teaches small business successCreated the world’s farthest-reaching business mentoring organizationFounded the International Association of Coaches (IAC)Certified/Accredited in Coaching, Facilitation, Leadership, Human Needs Psychology, NLP (Neuro-Linguistics Programming) and NAC (Neuro-Associative Conditioning), Tele-Conference Leadership, Organizational Lifecycles, Behavioral/Values/Axiology Analysis through such organizations as:*International Coach Federation*Coach University*Coachville*Robbins-Madanes Institute*Institute for Independent Business*Adizes Institute*Dale Carnegies Companies*Target Training International*Robbins Research International- https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlgould/- http://7stageadvisors.com/Please do NOT hesitate to reach out to me on Instagram, Twitter or via email

https://www.fox46charlotte.com/good-day/337385583-video

An American business advisor recently traveled the Province speaking about turning your farm into a dynasty.

Carl Gould from New Jersey is with Seven Stage Advisors, and says, diversifying your operation can change your farm from a legacy into a dynasty.

“Farming is one of the unique types of businesses that when you have a bad year it strikes you twice…, and so diversification allows your farm, or your company, and in this case almost weather proof your business, but it just gives you other ways for the business to earn revenue, it gives you a slightly different client base, and it gives you more opportunity for your business to grow.”

At Gould’s talks, he discussed how to get the next generation involved by making agriculture sexy.

“The way that you make a job interesting and compelling is you also stress how you do something and why you do something, not just the what. Businesses have gotten very savvy over the years in being very good at describing what are the side benefits of a particular type of job, and are there any technological, or techniques, or ways that you’re slightly different. By doing that you can make the job more interesting and other aspects of the job interesting.”

Gould says, family farms can get into different lines of business by building on the strengths and interests of all family members.

He says, If your good at building relationships you may struggle with the details, and vice versa.

“Understanding the blind spot of a business and correcting that area, we have learned can impact your business by 10 to 30 per cent, and add to it’s growth and efficiency just by correcting that blind spot.”

He says, it’s worth while to evaluate your business and fix the blind spots.

Want success in seven steps? This guy wrote the book Carl Gould started 7 Stage Advisors to teach secrets of successful companies

Carl Gould is the founder and president of Butler-based 7 Stage Advisors. – (PHOTO BY AARON HOUSTON)

In 1996, Carl Gould was running a construction company that was successful — but wasn’t his passion. Then he crossed paths with a professional business coach. And everything changed.

Working with Eric Leaman, the two came up with a new vision for the company, called “Hang up the hammer.”

“I wanted to go from being an operator to more of a businessman that could build systems and operations so the business could run without me,” Gould said. “I felt my business was running me; I wasn’t running it. I realized, going through his process, that there was a whole side of my business I was doing at nights and on the weekends to keep pace.”

As Gould began using the advice from Leaman and others, he was able to not only transform his company, but prepare it for sale, which he did in 2004.

Gould was so successful — and, more importantly, so passionate — about transforming his company, he decided to help others do the same.

So, in 2002, he founded 7 Stage Advisors, a Butler-based company that helps businesses identify their weaknesses and develop processes to address them.

Gould and his 7,000 certified coaches — operating on a freelance basis — have worked in 35 countries with businesses of all sizes.

“What I learned was that you need a business coach for every area of your business that you are frustrated with,” he said. “If you think of any area that you’re frustrated with, and really dissect why you’re frustrated, you’ll realize you don’t have a good system for that part of the business.”

His passion for business development became evident when he accidently realized he’d been writing a methodology. It wasn’t something he’d started with an end goal in mind, but these were the ideas that were naturally occupying his spare time as he wrote down his experiences at the end of the day.

It took another coach to help him realize what he had.

“When I was studying to be an organizational turnaround consultant, the guy who had the company offered to buy the methodology,” he said. “He said, ‘You should publish that. If you don’t publish it, sell it to me, because I know what to do with it.’”

Steps to success
According to professional business coach and President of 7 Stage Advisors Carl Gould, every business experiences seven “predictable stages” as it works toward achieving its full potential. Gould developed an outline of these seven stages after growing two of his own companies and working with others early on in his coaching career.
The seven stages:

1.  Strategic Planning
   “A dream is born”
2. Specialty “An expert is born”
3. Synergy “A structure is born”
4. Systems “A machine is born”
5. Sustainability “A scalable business is born”
6. Salability “An asset is born”
7. Succession A legacy is born”

Those methodologies, based on his education and experience, became the basis for his first book, “The 7 Stages of Small Business Success,” which determines a correlation between business practices and owner personalities.

“When you’re a coach, you do behavioral assessments like DiSC and Myers-Briggs,” Gould said. “It just so happened that I had two meetings, back-to-back, with business owners, where they described the strengths and weaknesses of their business. And, in the same conversation, they told me what they believe their personal strengths and personal weaknesses are.

“The correlation that I made was that the personality of a business will mirror the personality of its owner.”

Gould took this insight and applied it to his seven stages of business development. He said the key is to help companies discover what the personality of their business is, what stage in the process it is currently in and the discrepancies between where the business’s personality is and where it needs to be for that particular stage.

“Based on that code, we can tell them the exact roadmap to get there,” he said.

According to Gould, he’s able to determine this with two questions:

“Are you more task-oriented or people-oriented?”

“Are you more fast-paced and outgoing or slow-paced and reserved?”

“The intersection of those two questions tells me your personality profile,” Gould said. “There’s a corresponding business function to every personality profile, so where your personality has blind spots, your business will have blind spots.

“In that blind spot, we’ve learned over time, 10 to 30 percent growth in your business is just sitting there untapped.”

Gould has co-authored six books. His latest, written with Caryn Kopp, is titled “Biz Dev Done Right.”

“The way we tackle (business development) in the book is to say it’s ‘new business from new customers,’” he said.

“You can build a business by getting more business from current customers, which we talk about in the book, but this is how to get new business from new customers.”

Gould hasn’t just worked with early stage entrepreneurs starting their business. He also has worked around the world with Fortune 500 companies in industries including pharmaceutical and manufacturing.

Generally, Gould says, the process is the same, no matter how big the company.

“Even big businesses are just divisions of smaller businesses,” he said. “You get on a plane and they say, ‘On behalf of our 90,000 employees,’ but there’s not 90,000 employees on that plane. There’s six. And that plane, when it takes off, that’s a $500,000 business for that three hours.

“If that flight runs right, then it’s a good reflection on the 90,000 (employees), but there’s no 90,000 anywhere.”

Watermelon in the garden hose, with Carl Gould.

The 7 Stages of Small-Business Success with Carl Gould – Episode 37

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHz3Nxe15Ac

Carl Gould is an entrepreneur and business growth expert. Carl has built three multi-million dollar businesses by the age of 40, has mentored the launch of over 5,000 businesses and has trained and certified over 7,000 business coaches in 35 countries.   Why should you be ‘obnoxious’? To give you a little bit of a background, Carl became very, very good at listening to customer complaints about the industry he was in. He also leveraged himself in such a way where he was constantly adding value (by doing the exact opposite of what his customers hated), and his pricing reflected that.   In fact, his pricing was obnoxious. It was so obnoxious that a potential client vented to him about how ridiculous his pricing was… and then he handed him a check. Carl was confused at first, but after thinking about it, the client wasn’t actually mad at Carl.   The client was mad at all of the other contractors who had failed to meet his expectations and he was hoping Carl was different. The client was willing to pay what he paid (although he wasn’t happy about it) because of Carl’s high-quality services. Carl listened to his client and was able to address his most painful concerns right away. He added obnoxious value, and with that came an obnoxious price.   In your obnoxious offers/services, you also want to establish a nonlinear benefit for your clients. Ask yourself, “What can I bring to my clientele that has nothing to do with my service?” Create a path for your company so that your best clients can actually be treated like your best clients.   Interview Links: 7stageadvisors.com Carl on LinkedIn   Resources: Scaling Up for Business Growth Workshops: Take the first step to mastering the Rockefeller Habits by attending one of our workshops. Scaling Up Website Gazelles Website Bill on YouTube   TWEETABLES:   “My fundamental premise is to get as obnoxious as possible, not just in price, but also in value.”   “The reason why I was hired was I addressed the top-of-mind concerns of the client.”   “Have you, as a company, created a path for your best clients to really be your best clients?”   Did you enjoy today’s episode? If so, then head over to iTunes, and leave a review. It helps other entrepreneurs discover the Scaling Up Business Podcast, so they can also benefit from the knowledge shared in these podcasts.   Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It…And Why the Rest Don’t, is the best-selling book by Verne Harnish and the team at Gazelles, on how the fastest growing companies succeed, where so many others fail. My name is Bill Gallagher, host of the Scaling Up Business Podcast and a leading business coach with Gazelles.   We help leadership teams to get the 4 Decisions around People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash right so that they can Scale Up successfully and beat the odds of business growth success. Our 4 Decisions are all part of the Rockefeller Habits 2.0 (from the original best-selling business book, Masterin

Carl Gould is a business growth expert, mentor and entrepreneur. He built three multi-million dollar businesses by age 40, has mentored the launch of over 5,000 businesses, and has trained and certified over 7,000 business coaches in 35 countries. Carl has written 3 best-selling books on business strategy and growth (Blueprint for Success, The 7 Stages of Small Business Success, and most recently Biz Dev Done Right). Gould regularly appeared on the home improvement reality TV show “ThisHouseToo”, and each week he co-hosts “Quit and Get Rich” on iHeart® radio. He is the MC for EO Nerve, and Facilitator of Breakthrough the Barriers and the Firewalk Experience. Carl is married with three children and is a member of EO New Jersey. Resources Carl Gould (official site) 7 Stage Advisors Biz Dev Done Right (book) The 7 Stages of Small-Business Success: From Startup to Seven Figures in Three Years or Less (book)

Today’s guest really exemplifies living the personal profitability lifestyle. Carl Gould started three, million dollar plus businesses – all before the age of 40. I didn’t make a mistake, either – Carl really did create his own personal profitability to the tune of millions, and in this episode he shares his story with us.

Consulting Success Podcast –

During the time when coaching and consulting wasn’t as easy as it is today, Carl Gould didn’t offer any excuses for the lack of progress. Instead he continued through and his experiences during those challenging days are now the biggest factors that set him apart from other coaches. Carl transitioned from construction to consulting and realized he was missing opportunities in areas he had no expertise in. His solution was to start consulting as a team. Carl shares that when you are building your bench of superstars, the key is to develop the right culture where everyone has the same vision and values.

Millennials may not have all the experience that their parents have, but they have already figured out that traditional career options are no longer safe (or exciting). This is the reason why more and more of them are thinking of becoming creators of their own future by getting involved in business activities. The good news is that technology and the current state of the market have made this task much simpler than before, not to mention the numerous consultancy firms that are available to help guide them in the process of setting up their own business. This kind of service is available across all manner of industries; it is common for those at the helm of contractor businesses to seek advice from those with experience and in-depth knowledge of the inner workings in that particular line of business so that they may absorb it themselves and move towards success. Consultancy for HVAC specialists is even on offer so owning a business is even possible for those who just want to learn a trade. Trying to wrap your head around a particular industry is not something you have to do alone; there are people out there happy to impart their knowledge and insight to newcomers and startups.

Thousands of millennials are becoming entrepreneurs every year. They have realized that entrepreneurship brings many benefits that are especially important to this generation – like the opportunity to become your own boss, the flexibility, the chance to become someone, to earn more and many other benefits. But, let’s be clear – being an entrepreneur is not always a smooth sail and a high percentage of startups cease to exist after a year or two. This is the reason why every millennial should stick to some tips and advice that can help them succeed.

Keep learning
Many millennials believe that they have figured out everything. Being self-confident is an excellent thing, but being overly confident can create more harm than good and this is exactly why many millennials fail as entrepreneurs. Keep in mind that even if you have finished college, this doesn’t mean that your time for learning new things has stopped. You need to be prepared to learn new things all the time and you need to do this fast because the things are changing. Luckily, we have access to the Internet and we have computers and mobile devices close to us. Some statistics shows that more than 90% of millennials use their smartphones to access the Internet almost on a daily basis. (1) This is a simple way to stay in touch with the latest news and trends and to learn new things.

Networking
Some people say that millennials are a little bit selfish and alienated from their peers. We know that it is hard to tell whether this claim is true or not, but one thing is for sure – entrepreneur millennials must be prepared to create new connections, use and strengthen their existing connections and learn how to communicate in the right way. Once again, you can use the latest technology to speed up this process. There are specialized social media networks like LinkedIn that can help you a lot. (2) In addition, you should also attend events, trade fairs and other special occasions where you can meet new people and potential partners/clients.

Effectiveness and efficiency can exist together
This is a common dilemma between millennial entrepreneurs – should they focus on effectiveness or efficiency. The truth is that these things can (and should) exist together. We all need extra time, but we should also remember that the most efficient way is not always the most effective way of finishing things.

Finally, don’t forget that as a millennial entrepreneur, you should always stay eager and curious. Keep creating, keep introducing innovations and keep learning and you will succeed!

(1) http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/10/29/smartphones-saturation-millennials-pew-research/74805506/
(2) http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/millennials-on-linkedin-infographic/639859

Have you ever tried to hire a PR company and been frustrated by the customary warning that they can’t guarantee results? I recently had a debate with a marketing friend over whether it is principled to guarantee someone press.

My position: We’re interested in press, but the idea of paying a monthly retainer and possibly not getting anything out of it? Not only is that a tough sell that doesn’t inspire a ton of enthusiasm, it demonstrates a lack of responsibility for the process and outcome.

Her position: PR reps are quick to tell you they can’t guarantee placement because they have no control over the journalists. How can they guarantee something that is out of their control?

In theory, I get it. In practice, I think it’s taking the easy way out. And I have been dying to meet the PR company that will put its money where its mouth is and guarantee-that would be a brand with serious moxie.

Here’s my thinking:

If you can make an audacious claim that nobody else has the guts to make, you are instantly differentiating yourself from the competition. In fact, you are addressing one of the main challenges clients have when hiring a PR company.

And because you are separating yourself so clearly, you are now in a ‘category of one’. You stand out from the competition-actually, you have essentially eliminated the competition! And that is the end goal of branding.

Once you are in a category of one and you have eliminated the competition, you are able to charge more than your competitors. When you offer something nobody else offers, you are able to command a premium price. Another valuable reason for great branding.

But you can’t just guarantee any result to any client, you need to make sure you are guaranteeing results to the right clients with the right caveats.

A principled guarantee is possible if you qualify prospects with integrity

We have all heard that it’s important to qualify prospects. This usually relates to maximizing your sales efforts: Qualify a prospect before you engage in a back-and-forth to ensure the individual actually (1) needs what you are selling, (2) has the authority to make the decision, and (3) has the funds available to purchase.

But there is a different kind of qualifying that I don’t hear about much. It’s the most important qualifying you can do when you’re building your brand reputation (which is always!).

Qualify clients to make sure they are in the position to get the maximum result from what you have to offer.

When you guarantee something-whether it’s press, sales, ROI, or a breakthrough experience-you are putting your money where your mouth is. You are saying that you believe in your ability to deliver results so much that if you can’t do it, you don’t want to keep someone’s money.

And when you are ready to put your money where your mouth is, you’re going to be a lot more careful about who you take on as clients. In the PR example, you’re not going to take on a client who isn’t a good candidate for press because you don’t want to gamble on a bad bet. Why waste your time with a client when you know there is a good chance you might not be able to deliver? You’re incentivized to take only those clients for whom you can knock it out of the park.

Am I suggesting everyone start promising audacious guarantees? Not exactly: It certainly doesn’t make sense for every business model (including my own, but I am still trying to figure out how to make it work).

I am suggesting that you operate as though you are guaranteeing results. The result will be a solid brand reputation. If you have the chutzpah to tell a potential client who wants to hire you that you don’t think it’s a good fit because you just aren’t confident that they are in the best position to get the best results from you, you elevate yourself to a level of integrity matched by few.

The bottom-line benefit

Having the guts to stand behind your abilities in an audacious way will close more clients, but do this only if you know you can back it up! Financially, attracting more clients at a high price increases your profit margin, and with increased margins and increased sales you will make more money. This is why the guarantee works: You are essentially acting as your own insurance policy against potential failed guarantees when you have to give the money back.

Carl Gould, a business growth expert once told me of a tutoring company he worked with that employed what he calls the Obnoxious Offer. They made the bold claim that if the students did the work, they were guaranteed a 1-grade improvement within the semester or their money back. And while the guarantee sounds impossible to claim- it relies on the student’s ability to follow a rigorous program- the company was confident that if they did all the work they really would see these kinds of results. In fact it doesn’t even sounds that audacious if the caveat is that the kid needs to do all the work!

Well, the results were staggering. Because of this claim, the company increased their price from $2,000 to $2,700 per student, but even with the increase they ended up closing 300% more customers. And the parents were all diligent about making sure their kids took the course seriously and did the work- they were incentivized to make sure their kids did the work so that if they didn’t get the 1-grade improvement they could get their significant payment back.

In the end only 1 family received a refund that first season, and only because the tutoring company had run out of tutors due to the high demand of the guarantee program! And, even more exciting, its customers were even happier than they had been previously. They were all getting significant results, and they loved it! The need for tutors and tutor programs is still in high demand, so perhaps if you’re wanting to start your own tutoring programs you could look at starting your own business or even becoming part of a franchise, read more into a website like Https://www.huntingtonfranchise.com/steps-to-open-tutoring-franchise/ to learn about how to apply for your own tutoring franchise opportunity!

Okay, but how does that relate to other industries?

Let’s take this example back to the PR company. I asked my friend, “What are the chances that a highly skilled PR agency, with a good client with a good story and all the necessary resources and time to pitch that story, would not get the clients any valuable placement?”

Her answer? Almost never. In that situation it would be a fluke not to get results.

Then the number can work in this case too, but only if you qualify your clients. Sure, a small percentage of clients might get refunded for larger causes outside of anyone’s control. But the result overall would be far more positive than negative. The financial benefits of being so audacious far outweigh the infrequent instance where you might have to refund a client.

In addition, if you worked your hardest for someone, and because of something out of your control you couldn’t get anypress (we are assuming high-quality press here, as previously agreed upon with the client) and you refunded all their money, they would probably become one of your biggest fans and advocates. I bet the client would even come back to you in the future and recommend you to everyone. Because who does that?!

Present reality versus future payoff

Lots of people are having a hard enough time just finding clients, and if someone wants to pay them, they don’t think it’s their responsibility to tell them whether they should. But I think qualifying prospects as your ideal clients-that is, you would like to work with them, they have the money, and they are also in the exact position to get the highest value that you have to offer-is what is going to build you the powerful, profitable, admirable brand that is going to carry you to success in the long run.

Yes, you may miss out on some fast cash now, but the returns will be multiplied in time when you have a level of integrity in your brand that demonstrates your ability and desire to deliver only platinum-level results with everything that you do. If your actions communicate that creating the highest value is moreimportant than sales, everyone will win over the long term.

Brand equity is defined as “the commercial value that derives from consumer perception of the brand name of a particular product or service, rather than from the product or service itself.” When you’re a huge corporate company, that equity comes from consistency of message, visual branding, and all interactions with the brand and quality of products.

But when you are a small business selling your services, that brand equity is in large part your reputation. Why not build a bold, powerful reputation by demonstrating just how important it is for you to knock it out of the park with every single client?When pre-qualifying your prospects, focus on whether they are ideal candidates to benefit from your value rather than whether they have the need and the money, and your brand will be something people will talk about for a long time.

A farmer doesn’t get into the business because they have aspirations of being a bookkeeper.

But the paperwork necessary in running a farm shouldn’t be neglected, said business consultant Carl Gould.

“If that part of the business is not handled well, that becomes their sole focus and it becomes what consumes them,” Gould said after his address to farmers at TechTour LIVE, a farm business seminar hosted on Tuesday in Brandon.

“They can’t even enjoy the very reason they got into their farm because cash flow isn’t there.”

Gould, a New Jersey-based entrepreneur who built three multimillion-dollar businesses by the age of 40, has made a career of mentoring thousands of businesses, including heavyweights such as Walmart, IBM?and the United States Army. He was at Keystone Centre for yesterday’s event that used various lead generation systems for financial seminars to find prospective farmers to fill the seminar floor.

Gould’s speech focused on helping a farmer secure a legacy business.

He encouraged the people in the room to talk about succession sooner rather than later.

“You have a certain idea in your mind, but I promise you your kids, your family members, your heirs, your heir apparents, they might have slightly different ideas,”?Gould said.

He relayed a story from decades ago of a farmer’s oldest son expressing his willingness to take over the family business. The dad was trying to please each of his three sons, so he took his time reaching a decision.

But as he wavered, his son bought a farm three hours away.

“His dad was crushed,” Gould said. “Not only did he not have his son who was probably the best manager, most mature business-wise ready to run the farm, but now his son decided to build a family three or four hours away.”

He encourages farmers to provide a sense of ownership to the next generation, if they want them invested in the operation.

If a farmer handles the financial aspect of the business well, “they can buy a neighbouring farm and put son or daughter in charge of that farm, or that crop, or that service, so they can run a part of the business,”?Gould said in an interview. “That’s how they can expand and create a dynasty.”

Farmers should re-evaluate their whole business, considering the purpose of their work and how society can benefit.

He shrugs off any suggestion this thought process is overthinking things.

“It’s not just farming to the whole rest of the world,”?Gould told the audience, “and it sure as hell is not just farming to you when you have a bad weather year and your whole year got wiped out.”

Gould recommends farmers tell a compelling narrative that’s enticing to potential customers and employees alike.

One of his clients, a dairy farmer from upstate New York, was dismayed by a new neighbour who preached their milk was organic, while the milk he produced was every bit as environmentally friendly.

The difference, Gould told him, is he wasn’t telling his story properly.

While he is complaining, “they’re marketing and differentiating themselves and selling more milk at a higher price at a higher margin.”

While he spoke, the farmer was looking out at the property of his new neighbours, who were not home.

“They’re on vacation,”?Gould added, “and you’re working 16 hours a day, seven days a week – that’s the difference.”

TechTour LIVE?continues this week, with stops in Saskatoon, Red Deer and Lethbridge. The tour is a joint partnership of RealAgriculture and Dow AgroSciences.

By: Ian Froese

Carl Gould is a business growth expert, mentor, and entrepreneur. He built three multi-million dollar businesses before turning 40, has mentored the launch of over 5000 businesses, and has trained and certified over 7000 business coaches in 35 countries. Carl has written 3 bestselling books on business strategy and growth.

Quotes To Remember:

“In the beginning, you just have to be very persistent and persuasive.”

“You have to master the art of letting go and delegating to other people.”

“Most entrepreneurs started a business either because of a dream or because of an argument.”

“You have to become that person where it’s not much about the product anymore, it’s about the process.”

What You’ll Learn:

• Critical skills that business owners need to master
• Growth hacks for expanding businesses
• Actions and strategies you should be implementing to your team

Starting and running a business requires many things and having certain skills is definitely one of the things that you should put your focus on in this 2017. Lack of skills is one of the main reasons why people are not making progress in their careers. Skill gaps often lead to lower customer satisfaction, delays in product presentation and many other problems. The same goes for those running a business. The good news is that acquiring skills today is much simpler than 10 or 50 years ago. Namely, you can now learn a wide range of skills online. There is no doubt that this practice is convenient, flexible, provides comfort and lets people get a new perspective on business. The following is a short list of 6 skills everyone can learn online for a productive and profitable 2017.

1. Statistical data analysis
This might sound like something very complicated, but once you start learning it online, you will see that you were wrong. Besides business owners, students can benefit from acquiring this skill too. There are many software solutions for this type of analysis and it is up to you master these programs. In this way, you can make better market shares predictions, analyze profit tendencies and do other things that will improve productivity.

2. Web design
Now here’s another skill that is great for business. As you are probably aware, almost every modern business is looking for a way to be presented online and websites are still the most wanted form of presentation on the World Wide Web. There are many websites that provide online courses and tutorials that can help you become a good web designer.

3. Fashion design
This might not be the favorite choice for everyone, but the truth is that this skill can help you make this year more profitable and more productive. Clothes are one of the basic items in the lives of almost every individual. This means that people will always buy clothes. Use online videos found on video sharing website and websites where you can get step-by-step guides related to fashion design and how to draw the perfect piece of clothing.

4. Business research
Business research is a broad term which usually involves things like researching a few businesses in one industry or researching the structure of a business for investments or presentation. If you conduct some research you will notice that there are many online articles and videos related to business research that can help you.

5. Make-up skill
Did you know that this is one of the fastest growing businesses today? If you are prepared to start a new business, you might take this skill into account. Obviously, the best way to master this skill is to watch videos and to visit websites that have articles with many how-to images.

6. Run a blog
Finally, it’s a smart move to master the art of creating and running a blog. With the help of a blog, you can showcase your work and skills and establish yourself as an authority. Choose the form of your blog and the things you share on this blog wisely.

Follow these timeless tips for acquiring useful skills over the Internet for a successful 2017.

(1) https://hbr.org/2012/02/how-employers-can-help-solve-t
(2) http://justcreative.com/2015/07/02/10-best-free-online-courses-for-web-designers/

Medium or midsized businesses are usually small businesses that have expanded and grown over time. Unlike most small businesses, they need to hire new people to help them run business operations smoothly. An increase in employment means more effort needs to be made to keep track of data regarding employees. For example, processes like payroll are difficult to calculate manually without making mistakes or taking up crucial time with so many employees to think of. Accordingly, growing businesses need to take up the help of a system like cloudpay.net to manage payroll online, with no stress for business owners. Along with taking advantage of systems like these, business owners need to keep track on the type of people they’re employing. While it is true that managers and business owners can find employees, it’s also true that it takes more effort and time to find motivated employees. Having motivated employees onboard is very important for any medium business especially for the ones that want to optimize their productivity and grow. In case you are managing a medium business, and you want to know how to find motivated employees, keep reading because we have some great suggestions.

But first, it is no secret that the recruitment process has undergone some major changes in recent years. For example, due to federal regulations and safety concerns, some industries now include drug testing as part of their pre-employment screening processes. You can learn more about pre-employment drug screening tests such as the popular 12 panel drug test by heading to the Countrywide Testing website.

So, what else can be done to make sure that your hiring processes are a success?

1. Use a headhunter
This is one of the simplest solutions you have to find highly motivated employees. Of course, using a professional scout/headhunter will cost you, but this is an investment that promises great returns. In addition, don’t forget that you can save time in this way. There are many individual headhunters and staffing agencies that can help you. Remember to use reliable providers that have strict recruiting processes.

2. Referrals
As an owner or a manager of a medium business, you probably have many professional relationships. You have business partners and many employees and you can use them to find motivated employees. In addition, you can also use the help of your relatives and friends for this purpose. According to some statistics, 4 out of 10 hires are based on referrals. A few studies have shown that employees that have found a job in this way, are more enthusiastic compared to others. Especially if an employee referral program is in place for the employee that referred the new hire, as well as the referee (the new hire). This can greatly increase the chance of referrals and the morale of these employees.

3. Networking
Here’s another method that you can use to identify and hire motivated employees. Keep in mind that there are two ways in which you can use networking for this purpose.

First of all, you can use offline networking. For instance, attend a local networking event where you can participate in interactions with possible candidates. This is a good option for those who want to limit the time spent on interviews. By being part of events like this, you can also check their behavior. Even if you don’t find a suitable candidate, you can use these newly acquired connections to get referrals.

The other networking option is online networking. The best part of this kind of networking for finding employees is the fact that you can search for employees that are not related only to your specific area. In addition, you can use many different tools for this search. For instance, many people are using social media platforms especially LinkedIn for this purpose. You can also use forums, discussion boards, and specialized websites.

4. Create a special referral program
Many medium businesses have used employee referral programs to get motivated employees. With this program, you can encourage existing employees to find new team members.

As we have already mentioned, the importance of motivated employees in medium and other types of businesses is great. That’s why you must do your homework before hiring someone.

(1) https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/impact-employee-motivation-performance-productivity-anar-nesibov/
(2) https://theundercoverrecruiter.com/infographic-employee-referrals-hire/

Carl Gould is a business growth expert, mentor and entrepreneur. He built three multi-million dollar businesses by age 40, has mentored the launch of over 5,000 businesses, and has trained and certified over 7,000 business coaches in 35 countries. Carl has written 3 best-selling books on business strategy and growth (Blueprint for Success, The 7 Stages of Small Business Success, and most recently Biz Dev Done Right). Gould regularly appeared on the home improvement reality TV show “ThisHouseToo”, and each week he co-hosts “Quit and Get Rich” on iHeart® radio. He is the MC for EO Nerve, and Facilitator of Breakthrough the Barriers and the Firewalk Experience. Carl is married with three children and is a member of EO New Jersey.   Connect with Carl: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Carl.L.Gould Twitter: @carlgould LinkedIn: in/carlgould   Gift: Free Business Analysis with 5 Different Strategies to Grow Your Business Directions: 1. Go to https://carlgould.com or http://7stageadvisors.com 2. Go to Contact Us Page 3. Enter your Contact Information 4. Type “Free Business Analysis from Peak Performers Podcast Listener” in the field 5. Click Submit   PEAK PERFORMANCE NATION A community dedicated to raising your game to the next level by learning how to Execute at the highest level and eliminating the obstacles that keep you from being the leader you were born to be. Join group here:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/PeakPerformanceNation/   SPONSORS & FREE OFFERS Audible – Free Audio Book & 30 Day Trial  Blue Apron –  $30 Off Your First Order   Acuity Scheduling – Stop Wasting Time Setting Up Meetings Peak Accountability – http://www.thorconklin.com/accountability/ Thank you once again for listening Please follow us on: Facebook: Thor Conklin    Twitter: @ThorConklin Website: http://www.thorconklin.com   ThorConklin.com Thor Conklin Media Peak Performers Podcast Peak Performance Nation    #1 Podcast on how to get things done.  Learn from Peak Performers in all areas of life and Business.  Do you know what to do but can’t figure out why you are not executing what you already know?   If so, this Podcast will give you the tools, strategies and psychology to not only break through the choke point but to truly become a Peak Performer.   Thor will be sharing his tools and strategies as well as interviewing inspiring Peak Performers that are Entrepreneur’s, Professional Athletes, Business leaders, Military, Technology guru’s, Health and Fitness masters, Relationships Experts as well as Music & Entertainment superstars.   Mission and Purpose – To engage, educate, entertain and inspire listeners to excel in any area of life through mastering the science of execution and Peak Performance.  You will learn the necessary road map, strategies, tools and psychology to win this game…

Carl Gould started 3 multi-million dollar companies by age 40, wrote 3 best-selling books on business strategy and growth, mentored the launch of 5000 companies and certified over 7000 coaches in 35 countries. He is the co-host of Quit and Get Rich on iHeart radio and today he is our Modern Leader. 

Dave Mabell, Lethbridge Herald

Farming remains a Western Canadian way of life, with family farms passed down from one generation to the next.

Now there’s an opportunity to transform those businesses from “legacy” status to “dynasty.”

That was the message from writer and motivational speaker Carl Gould, to a crowd of southern Alberta producers during a seminar Friday.

To keep their businesses profitable and growing, he said, producers must think long term – “not just to the next seeding season.”

Whenever possible, he says, growers should seek to diversify their revenue sources through such initiatives as investing in other companies, buying stock, creating serious retirement funds – as well as diversifying their crops.

In an interview, Gould cited climate change and warnings of possible drought as additional reasons why producers must prepare for change. As summers on the Prairies grow warmer, crops that do well in the south could be grown farther north. But if water becomes scarce, new approaches to production may be required.

Gould pointed to grape producers in France who stoppedirrigating their vines as drought loomed ahead, then successfully marketed their crops as superior to the frequently sprinkled grapes grown by their competitors.

Another limiting factor could be the limited number of people who want a career in agri-business.

“Most jobs are not that glamorous,” whether they’re on a farm, in industry or elsewhere, Gould observed. But there are benefits attached, and successful producers may be able to enjoy extended time away in return for their long hours of planting and harvesting.

By learning to share the work – getting more family members involved, for example – he said the responsibilities can become more manageable.

Author of a series of books on business strategy, leadership and sustainable growth, Gould has also created a business mentoring organization operating in many nations, and has trained or accredited more than 7,000 business coaches and mentors over the last 15 years. His presentations in the U.S., Canada and abroad are booked by leaders in a number of industries in addition to agri-business.

During the four-stop tour, he said, he learned more Canadian farm operations remain a family business – with some tracing their roots to the earliest days of agriculture in their area.

While many long-term producers work hard to keep up with new concepts or processes Gould said younger members of his audiences pay close attention.

“The under 40-year-olds are very enthusiastic about the new technologies.”

Other speakers included Nick Bontis on “information bombardment,” Bryce Eger on the implications of mergers between large ag-related companies, and Tom Wolf along with Jason Deveau on “sprayer myths.”