Small Business Secrets

6h 55mIntermediate2015-03-31

Authors

Dave Crenshaw

Author and Leadership Coach specializing in productive leadership

Course details

Are you thinking about starting a small business, freelancing, or turning a hobby into a full-time job? Or perhaps you're already running your own business and need some inspiration to take it to the next level. Join small business coach Dave Crenshaw for two short lessons that reveal the secrets of running a successful small business. This series covers topics such as getting started, writing a business plan, determining your most valuable product or service, hiring people, managing processes, documenting systems, bootstrapping, seeking funding, accounting, controlling costs and profit margins, marketing, creating culture, and more.

Skills covered

Small Business ManagementLegacy SeriesSmall Business and Entrepreneurship

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Welcome

1. Finding Your Most Valuable Customers

02 - Discovering your most valuable customers
03 - Increasing business with MVCs

2. Setting Fees and Prices

04 - Setting prices for services and products
05 - Knowing when to raise or lower prices

3. Solving Problems

06 - Identifying areas for improvement
07 - Solving problems with the SAM Cycle

4. Working with Family and Friends

08 - Establishing guidelines with family and friends
09 - Managing family and friends

5. Creating a Business Plan

10 - Exploring the elements of a simple plan
11 - Reviewing and using a single-page business plan

6. Starting a Hobby Business

12 - Considering the leap from passion to business
13 - Making the transition to full-time business owner

7. Discovering Your Most Valuable Service or Product

14 - Finding your most valuable service or product
15 - Dropping your least valuable service or product

8. Bootstrapping Your Business

16 - Launching a business with little or no money
17 - Operating on a shoestring budget

9. Creating Culture

18 - Determining your company vision
19 - Building company values

10. Getting Organized

20 - Managing your time
21 - Tracking expenses and receipts

11. Marketing with Social Media

22 - Deciding on your channels
23 - Crafting a multi-platform message

12. Business Entities and Compensation

24 - Business Entities and Compensation
25 - Determining your pay as owner

13. Small Business Accounting

26 - Understanding small business accounting
27 - Reading a financial report (P&L and Balance Sheet)

14. Finding Your Marketing Message

28 - Refining your message
29 - Testing and tracking performance

15. Documenting Business Systems

30 - Leveraging documentation to increase efficiency
31 - Creating single-page documentation

16. Balancing Work and Life

32 - Focusing both at home and at work
33 - Rewarding yourself along the way

17. Increasing Sales in Your Business

34 - Understanding the role of sales in small business success
35 - Developing your sales system

18. Testing Whether You Have an Idea or a Business

36 - Separating ideas from viable business opportunities
37 - Testing your business concept

19. Hiring Service Providers

38 - Finding the right tasks to outsource
39 - Selecting and hiring vendors

20. Hiring Employees

40 - Crafting a job and pay range
41 - Interviewing candidates

21. Motivating Employees

42 - Discovering what truly motivates people
43 - Developing people and paths

22. Seeking Capital

44 - Crafting your pitch
45 - Finding funding opportunities

23. Working With Difficult Customers

46 - Working through complaints
47 - Helping customers who aren't right for your business

24. Letting Employees Go

48 - Determining when to part ways
49 - Making a smooth transition

25. Generating New Sales Leads

50 - Generating sales leads offline
51 - Generating sales leads online

26. Maintaining Focus as a Business Owner

52 - Staying productive each day
53 - Avoiding opportunity traps

27. Thinking Like An Entrepreneur

54 - Adopting an attitude of abundance
55 - Getting rich your own way

28. Dealing with Competition in Business

56 - Viewing your competitors productively
57 - Making the most of business competition

29. Avoiding Blind Spots

58 - Using the entrepreneur's mirror
59 - Getting guidance outside of your business

30. Creating a Customer Experience

60 - Seeing your business through your customer's eyes
61 - Using the five senses to create an experience

31. Networking for Small Business

62 - Understanding the power of networking
63 - Making the most of networking opportunities

32. Building Accountability into your Small Business Culture

64 - Understanding the basics of accountability in small business
65 - Correcting employees when needed

33. Dealing with Business Failures

66 - Embracing the challenge of entrepreneurship
67 - Moving past business failures

34. Improving Sales Systems

68 - Working with scripts to improve sales
69 - Utilizing best practices to close more deals

35. Giving Back

70 - Understanding why charitable causes are critical for business
71 - Determining which cause is right for your business

36. Setting Goals for Small Business

72 - Simplifying the goal-setting process
73 - Measuring your success

37. Channeling Your Motivation

74 - Why you deserve success
75 - Maintaining confidence as a business owner

38. Building a Small Business Exit Strategy

76 - The importance of an exit strategy
77 - Exit strategy options

39. Building Customer Loyalty

78 - The role of customer loyalty
79 - Building a customer loyalty strategy

40. Building Employee Loyalty

80 - Understanding the role of employee loyalty
81 - Building an Employee Loyalty Strategy

41. Structuring a Small Business

82 - Building a basic organization chart
83 - Avoiding common small-business-structure mistakes

42. Branding Your Small Business

84 - Crafting your company story
85 - Getting publicity with the authority ladder

43. Dispelling Big-Business Illusions

86 - Filtering the big-business perspective
87 - Competing with big businesses

44. Understanding if Entrepreneurship Is Right for You

88 - Avoiding common pitfalls of entrepreneurship
89 - Assessing your entrepreneurial readiness

45. Managing Remote Employees

90 - Understanding the costs and benefits of a remote workforce
91 - Leading from a distance

46. Crowdfunding Your Business

92 - Understanding crowdfunding
93 - Using best crowdfunding practices

47. Cultivating Entrepreneurial Curiosity

94 - Asking yourself powerful questions
95 - Enlisting employees and customers in innovation

48. Growing into a Mature Business

96 - Considering future leadership needs
97 - Putting it all together