Building To Scale

Why are you in business? We know the mark of a successful business is to make a profit, but beyond that, why are you really in business?

Dan Sullivan outlines 4 freedoms of being an entrepreneur and the 4th freedom is a "freedom of purpose". In Dan's word's ...

This entrepreneurial company you've created is not just a job or a career; it's actually a vehicle to all sorts of things that relate to your fundamental values and ideals in life. This allows you to have a tremendous sense of purpose for being on this planet.In our last episode, Jeff Arnold has built a successful, growing insurance practice. That practice though serves as his vehicle for missions outreach - his true purpose.

Today on the podcast, Jeff Chastain, Business Transformation Coach with Admentus, continues the conversation about systemizing a business, specifically focus on the 2nd "P" - Purpose.

https://youtu.be/8AUaypi8Z1I

What is the purpose of your business?

Why does the purpose of your business matter to your team?

For questions or more information, reach out to Jeff at https://www.admentus.com/gain-clarity/ (https://www.admentus.com/gain-clarity/). He is happy to chat with business owners that are simply trying to take that next leap forward in their business.

For Jeff Arnold, founder of RightSure Insurance Group, stewardship and making the world a better place is top priority. Perhaps it was his upbringing as a son in a long line of preachers (his father, grandfather, great-grandfather); his company is built around the culture of giving back at the city, state, national and global levels.

In this episode, Arnold discusses his views on philanthropy, as well as the ways in which RightSure stands out in a crowded insurance market, and how metrics are the key to any successful business.

Arnold has been called a thought leader and global ambassador for the insurance industry. He writes and speaks on insurtechs, agency acquisitions, and helps consumers understand how technology is infused into their products.

RightSure is known for leading with technology and facilitating a positive, tech-forward workplace. Founded 13 years ago, RightSure earned recognition as a Top Insurance Technology Workplace for 2020 by Insurance Business America (IBA) and also made the Insurance Journal’s list of the 2020 Best Independent Insurance Agencies to Work For.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm61OXNtoRYandt=3s

Key Takeaway: Knowing what numbers are important (not just financial numbers, but metrics of all sorts) and then using them as a guide to get where you want to go is key to growing a business. Additionally, having a successful business that you’re passionate about is often seen as an end, but instead can be the means to serve a higher purpose and make the world a better place.

Lessons Learned:

What gets measured gets done.

Know the difference between Tension and Conflict (one is necessary for the organization to grow and one is destructive).

“Light yourself on fire with passion and people will come from miles to watch you burn.”

For More Information:

RightSure Insurance Group: http://www.rightsure.com/ (http://www.rightsure.com/)

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rightsure-insurance-group/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/rightsure-insurance-group/)

Jeff Arnold: https://www.jeffarnold.com/ (https://www.jeffarnold.com/)

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjefferyarnold/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjefferyarnold/)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rjefferyarnold/ (https://www.facebook.com/rjefferyarnold/)

In Jim Collins Book, Good to Great, he states ...

"When we began the research project, we expected to find that the first step in taking a company from good to great would be to set a new direction, a new vision and strategy for the company, and then to get people committed and aligned behind that new direction."

Instead, he found the complete opposite in that great companies and leaders first focused on getting the right people on the bus and the wrong people off the bus.

With all of the business leaders we have worked with over the years, the fires that they currently are dealing with always have a "people" issue involved.

Today on the podcast, Jeff Chastain, Business Transformation Coach with Admentus, continues our segment from last week in talking about systemizing a business and specifically focus on the people aspect.

Right people, right seats is a great concept, but how do you quantify your team and know who the A players are?

For that matter, what is an A player?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5IUI6mHG38

For questions or more information, reach out to Jeff at https://www.admentus.com/gain-clarity/ (https://www.admentus.com/gain-clarity/). He is happy to chat with business owners that are simply trying to take that next leap forward in their business.

Entrepreneur Tim Angelillo's passion is to be of service to consumers, clients, partners, and other tenacious entrepreneurs by sharing his story and solutions that can be applied to companies large and small.

Angelillo is the founder of Sourced Craft Cocktails, a delivery service that brings the craft cocktail experience to homes and offices. In this lively episode, he describes how he discovered untapped potential in the alcohol distribution industry - a system that hasn’t changed in nearly 90 years.

Having navigated unprecedented growth of his business during the pandemic, Angelillo shares the mindset he believes was crucial in the company’s success, his secret to avoiding regrets in business, as well as discussing his philosophy of helping others whenever possible.

A self-described “late bloomer” as an entrepreneur, Angelillo has 15+ years of experience running divisions of publicly traded companies like Yahoo! and Time Warner as well as founding and leading three start-up businesses in Austin, TX.

His experiences include positions such as Global Business Leader overseeing Yahoo! Sports and the Y! Commerce divisions as well as Executive Director where he oversaw $100 Million of Sports Illustrated licensing, properties, and retail business units. Lessons learned in these roles allow Tim to share detailed insights on how to apply an entrepreneurial drive and marketing, sales, technology, and management skills both inside global companies and the tech start-up world.

https://youtu.be/HgW0O3BzIrA

Key Takeaway: Having a "north star” and employees that share your mission is imperative to success and growth in business. It is human nature to want to succeed, so it is important to set goals before one begins. This avoids the temptation of moving the goalposts closer and allows one to accurately evaluate success in terms of “win or learn” rather than “win or lose”.

Lessons Learned:

It will not be easy! Know what you are getting yourself into and commit! People are your most important asset, always. Surround yourself with colleagues looking to accomplish the same goal. Don't try to do it on your own.

Adapt - With the constantly shifting environment caused by the COVID 19 pandemic, business leaders of both small and large companies are living in a daily pivot. This moment in time took us from the normal "how do you" Google it and ramped it up to an always-on, teach ourselves reality.

As my grandmother always said: "If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again!" Success is not a straight line and the learnings of failure are the most important lessons to get us to the right win.

For More Information:

Sourced Craft Cocktails: http://sourcedcraftcocktails.com/ (http://sourcedcraftcocktails.com/)

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sourced-craft-cocktails/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/sourced-craft-cocktails/)

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-angelillo-942564172/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-angelillo-942564172/)

If you were to build a McDonald's at the same intersection of "Joe's Craft Burger House", it would be a very safe bet that the McDonald's would be the last one standing. Why?

If you look at the statistics, an entrepreneurial business has less than a 10% chance of survival. On the flip side, a franchise business has greater than a 90% success rate. Why are these two business models so radically different - especially in the scenario above where they are serving the same type of customer?

In today's episode, we take a brief detour from our great guest interviews and let our host and founder take the microphone for a few minutes to delve into what it means to systematize a business and how doing so is key to the long term success of the business.

In this episode, Jeff breaks down the four keys to a solid business system, showing that if you having each of these keys in place the results are more profits - the key itself to growth, scaling, and a solid return for your investments.

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

For more information, reach out to Jeff at https://www.admentus.com/gain-clarity/ (https://www.admentus.com/gain-clarity/). He is happy to chat with business owners that are simply trying to take that next leap forward in their business.

With more than 50 years of financial leadership experience in a broad range of industries, Charles J. Read has a depth of knowledge to share, especially when it comes to outsourcing. As founder of GetPayroll and an expert in helping others navigate the complicated and ever-changing laws regarding taxes and payroll, Read stresses that when it comes to many aspects of business, one can’t afford NOT to outsource.

According to Read, there’s wisdom in knowing your own knowledge gaps as well as your expertise. “The time [outsourcing] frees up to allow you to work on your business is so critically important,” he says.

In this episode, Read also discusses the value in keeping laser-focused on your area of expertise, especially when it’s highly specialized. Wanting to add services for clients can be alluring, but it is crucial to keep up with industry changes and continue to do one thing exceptionally well, rather than offering several things at which you can only be average.

Charles J Read is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), U.S Tax Court Practitioner ( USTCP), member of Internal Revenue Service Advisory Council (IRSAC) and the Founder of GetPayroll. Mr. Read’s companies have provided full-service payroll services, payroll tax services, and other payroll-related services since 1991.

Read is an accomplished senior executive and entrepreneur and the author of four books, including his latest, The Payroll Book. For a free copy, visit http://ThePayrollBook.com (ThePayrollBook.com) and use the coupon code: PODCAST.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLD5JcyfDcQ

Key Takeaway: It is imperative to recognize your knowledge gaps and when a task or an aspect of your business should be outsourced. Delegating will not only help you focus on your expertise, but will also free up the crucial time needed to work on your business, rather than in your business.

Lessons Learned:

Discipline is necessary in all actions or else you will fail

Know your numbers. I am CPA so its easy for me but it is vital for anyone looking to scale

There no traffic jam on the extra mile. Take pride in your work and go the extra mile

For More Information:

Get Payroll: https://getpayroll.com/ (https://getpayroll.com/)

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/getpayroll/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/getpayroll/)

Twitter: https://twitter.com/getpayroll/ (http://twitter.com/getpayroll/)

Facebook: https://facebook.com/getpayroll/ (http://facebook.com/getpayroll/)

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-j-read-cpa/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-j-read-cpa/)

Get your FREE copy of The Payroll Book: http://www.thepayrollbook.com (www.thepayrollbook.com) (Use coupon code: PODCAST)

Entrepreneurs can sometimes strangle their companies when they aren’t willing to get out of their own way and delegate to others. In this episode of the Building to Scale Podcast, Erin Young, founder of Slide UX, talks about learning this valuable lesson. She shares how when she stopped trying to do it all and handed tasks over to capable employees, she was more available to help her employees do their best work, while the clients they serve received better service.

Young founded Slide UX in 2012, and since 2016, it’s been named one of the world's top five UX agencies. The company helps product leaders understand what users actually need and identify the right features, content, look and feel, and interaction of the design. Slide UX helps clients move from ideas to documentation so that a development team can build a great experience.

Slide UX also establishes UI design systems that scale by continuously refining unique, fast-paced methods that help clients establish great user experiences while cultivating good UX fundamentals, setting them up to succeed beyond the project.

Programs at Slide UX integrate business strategy, user research, UI design, and cross-functional collaboration to create great product experiences as they work with leaders to untangle their project's complexities and facilitate helpful conversations.

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

Key Takeaway: The longer a business owner waits to delegate tasks to their capable employees, the more entangled they become and the harder it is to extract themselves. Additionally, customizing solutions to customer’s problems is unnecessary. It is much more efficient to have one process to create the solution to clients’ problems. Plus, it allows for complete clarity for the client when it comes to expected deliverables.

Lessons Learned:

1. Simplify: Everything is a lot easier when distilled down to its core essence.

2. Document: Have processes in place so that consistent results can be delivered.

3. Refine - Have a proven process that can be improved upon rather than trying to customize for each customer.

For More Information:

Website: https://slideux.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/slide-ux/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/slideux

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SlideUX

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinlynnyoung/

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/erinlynnyoung

Paul Daniels has always been a strong problem solver with the innate ability to connect dots that others couldn’t, also known as “peripheral thinking”. It wasn’t until the age of 40 when he was diagnosed with dyslexia, that he discovered his disorder was actually responsible for many of his greatest strengths - ones that studies show will be most needed in the future workforce.

While dyslexics innately have the peripheral thinking skills that are prized in business, these skills can also be taught. Daniels writes, “I help my clients learn and deploy super-skills, found innately in only 15% of the population, to find and execute existing solutions in new and creative ways. In my spare, spare time I deliver keynote speeches on ‘Powerful Solutions from the Periphery.’”

Daniels is also Chief Revenue Officer at Intelligent Contacts, a company that solves one of the biggest challenges facing the ARM, RCM, and Healthcare industries - growing accounts receivable and a widening gap in effective communications. In this episode, he discusses the company’s core values, and the importance in becoming the values, rather than only striving for them.

Key Takeaway: Peripheral thinking, or the ability to solve problems creatively, is a highly valuable business skill. Though it exists innately in only 15% of the population, this way of thinking can be learned. The problems solved with peripheral thinking are transferable across industries, because all businesses and organizations exist with one common goal: to serve.

Lessons Learned:

- People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.

- There are more available solutions than there are challenges.

- If you want to go fast - go alone. If you want to go far - go together.

For More Information:

- Website: https://www.IntelligentContacts.com

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/intelligent-contacts

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pauldanielsjr

Guest Denise Cagan has been managing a remote team for a decade - long before remote work was a necessity.

An entrepreneur for the past 25 years, Cagan started her first business in 2001 where she wore many hats: marketing, human resources, office manager, chief financial officer, and scheduler. After 10 years of ownership, she sold that business and started her current endeavor. What began as a sole proprietorship evolved into DCA Virtual Business Support, a company that provides outsourcing solutions.

Cagan has learned many lessons as she transitioned from a sole proprietor to a business owner with employees, perhaps the most important being that proper accounting, bookkeeping, and payroll services are a must.

Key Takeaway: Business owners need to delegate to grow, but don’t always feel comfortable doing so, because they have an aversion to taking time to train, or because they don’t have written standard operating procedures that they can hand off to someone. This creates the perception that it’s just easier to do something themselves than delegate. Instead, business owners need to focus on the time that will be gained long-term as they work to delegate tasks to people who know what needs to be done and have the ability to do it well.

Lessons Learned:

Use a coach or advisor to help you get laser-focused. If this coach or advisor doesn't focus on financials then you also need someone who can help you forecast and tie that to actionable goals.

Outsource, and start with outsourcing in the areas that could have liability or compliance issues such as a bookkeeper, tax accountant, and payroll company.

Creating written procedures is key, and will help in delegating, which in turn leads to long-term savings of time and often results in more efficient ways of accomplishing tasks.

For More Information:

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisecagan

Website: https://dcavirtual.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/10813504

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DCAVirtual

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dcavirtual

Bryan Clayton is CEO and cofounder of GreenPal - an online marketplace that connects homeowners with Local lawn care professionals. GreenPal has been called the “Uber for lawn care” by Entrepreneur magazine and has over 200,000 active users completing thousands of transactions per day.

Before starting GreenPal, Bryan founded Peachtree Inc. one of the largest landscaping companies in the state of Tennessee growing it to over $10 million a year in annual revenue before it was acquired by Lusa holdings in 2013. Bryan‘s interest and expertise are related to entrepreneurialism, small business growth, marketing and bootstrapping businesses from zero revenue to profitability and exit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZjx0-hWBNk

Key Takeaway: Building and sustaining a successful business requires the right balance between patience and ambition. Big-name companies like Uber or HP did not appear on scene overnight. Most were the second or third venture for their founders and took years to build. At the same time, you must have the ambition and the grind to keep moving forward as simply sitting back and being patient will not make things happen either.

Lessons Learned:

Balance Patience with Ambition – Building a business is rarely (never) an overnight success and requires the right balance of both patience and ambition.

Hire the Best (Part-Time) – It is better to hire a professional for five hours a week than to hire somebody that does not know what they are doing for 40 hours a week.

Listen to Your Customers – Ask and listen to your customers regularly when it comes to your product or service … or else you will soon have none.

For More Information:

GreenPal @ http://yourgreenpal.com/ (http://yourgreenpal.com/)

LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/greenpal/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/greenpal/)

Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/495779490484818/ (https://www.facebook.com/495779490484818/)

Twitter @ https://www.twitter.com/YourGreenPal/ (https://www.twitter.com/YourGreenPal/)

LinkedIn @ https://linkedin.com/in/bryan-clayton (http://linkedin.com/in/bryan-clayton)

Twitter @ https://twitter.com/bryanmclayton (https://twitter.com/bryanmclayton)