In this episode of Real Small Business with The McGraw Council, Per Angerstig joins us to share his life experiences in small business ownership and what he has learned in his career. Per is a very talented individual with a wide variety of experiences and from his experiences, Per learned a few key things that he shares with you! Join us at www.TheMcgrawCouncil.com to partake in a mentor group to implement these components into your business!

Be Passionate

As a small business owner, you should be passionate about your business – it is vital to your success! Moreover, you should be passionate about the business, not the money; the money will follow if you are good at your business. As the business owner, it is up to you to be to the most passionate individual in your organization!

Understanding the Timing of Your Success

Most small business owners overestimate how fast they will succeed in the short run but massively underestimate their projected success over an extended period of time, such as 10 years. It is important to understand this because success takes time. You can, however, enjoy great success in the long run if you stay persistent!

Get the Right People

It is imperative to the success of your business that you get the right people on your team. If you get the wrong people, not only will you identify it very quickly, but it can also destroy your culture very quickly. Get the right people on your team and it can make all the difference in your business!

In this podcast, Preston Wetherington of NiftyFifty Solutions joins us to share his small business story as well as his tips for small business owners! Thank you to our sponsors Acciva, JobFormance, McGraw Capital Partners, and Merchant Masters for making this podcast possible! Join The McGraw Council today at www.TheMcgrawCouncil.com!

Sleep

If you are to function at max capacity and efficiency as an individual, you must get sleep and rest. Yes, there are definitely seasons when you will work the extra hours, but you must be able to get sleep and stay rested as it is essential for your success.

Trust Your Team

This can be difficult for small business owners but it is vitally important to your success. If you cannot trust your team, you either need to improve your ability to delegate and trust or you have brought on the wrong team members. Regardless, learn to give your trust to those who have earned it.

Establish Relationships

Regardless of whether it is personal or professional, build your relationship network. These are real relationships with real people, and the right relationships will help you become a better individual and a better business owner. Therefore, establish strong relationships!

This is a short podcast discussing a few takeaways from our mentor groups this past week. During this week’s meetings, a few things that really stood out were the “I think” vs “I know” thought process, the importance of continuous learning, and the importance of having plans in writing. These are all important and relevant to the small business owner. If you want to join a group, simply sign up at Join The Council - The McGraw Council, Inc.! 

One of the reasons why having plans in writing resonated with me so much is because how often I see them lacking. Almost half of the small business owners I talk to don’t have a business plan in writing, only about 20% have a real marketing plan, and probably less than 15% have a true financial plan for their business. These plans are not weights holding you back but rather tools to help succeed; if you do not have them, it is imperative that you get them written ASAP. Remember, it is your responsibility as a business owner to drive your business forward, and these plans will enable you to do so.

In this podcast, small business owner Rob Kochanski in Wisconsin shares his business life story! He shares how he got into small business, what he does, and why he loves it! He also shares his tips for small business owners, so be sure to listen and hear the details! Join The McGraw Council today at www.themcgrawcouncil.comto receive all of our business support and assistance!

Surround Yourself with Good People

Surrounding yourself with good people is imperative to your success. You will learn from the people with whom you spend time, so make sure they are good people who bring you up!

Be a Reader

One way to learn something new continually is to read, and it doesn’t have to be a lot. Simply reading 10 pages a day of a new book is a great way to learn!

Be Self-Aware

You must be self-aware if you are to succeed in business. If you do not know yourself, you cannot succeed or lead other people. Self-awareness is pivotal to succeeding in business ownership, so be sure to know yourself!

Celebrate Success

Even if it’s a small success, take time to celebrate and recognize it! It doesn’t take long and it is big for your positivity! Take some time to celebrate that which you accomplish!

In this episode of Real Small Business, Leah Hoppes of Vision Force Marketing joins us to share her life story of business – why she got into small business, the highs and lows, what she does specifically, as well as her tips for small business owners which you can find below! Remember to like, comment, and share as we all unite to help small business owners achieve their American Dream! Join us today at www.TheMcgrawCouncil.com!

Setup Your Google Profile

Make sure to setup your google page as it helps your customers find you – more specifically, it increases your reach and visibility. This is particularly important if you are a local business but can be very useful for wider regions as well.

Audit Your Website

Make sure that your website is properly linked, updated, and secured – you can do some of this on your own, but you may find it beneficial to consult with your web builder. Your web builder know exactly what you mean when you say you would like to audit your website but definitely follow up on this as it will help you become more visible to your customers.

Setup Analytics Pages

Be sure to setup Google and Bing analytics for your website as this will tell you very valuable information such as which pages are viewed most, how long the average use is, where the traffic is coming from, and much, much more. This, in turn, will help you identify where business comes from as well as what you can do to improve and grow your business.

Ensure All Information Matches

Ensure that all information matches across all of your public information; if your address says “St.” rather than “Street”, make sure it is the same across all of your platforms. Even small differences like this can disrupt the major algorithms and reduce your visibility, so ensuring that all information matches is not merely dotting i’s and crossing t’s but rather ensuring you are as visible as possible.

Shane Hollas, a small business owner in Texas, shares his life story and experiences of working in and with small businesses as well as how it relates to his corporate work in the past! Shane owns a Maaco franchise as well as another small business and he shares how he built, and continues to build, those businesses as well as his three tips for small business owners! Join The McGraw Council today at www.TheMcgrawCouncil.com to achieve your American Dream!

Work “On” Your Business

Take time to be strategic and evaluate where your business is going, what drives it, and how you will react to the various external forces around you. Taking this time to be strategic is something only you can do effectively because you are the business owner, so be sure to use this time to position your business well!

Control Your Finances

Even if you have a bookkeeper, CPA, or even a CFO, know and control your finances. If you don’t know your finances, you won’t be able to control them and your business’s life depends on your ability to do so. Know and control your finances!

Know It’s a Daily Challenge

Owning and running a small business is not easy – and it never will be. Know that when you start your small business journey, you are committing to a life filled with daily challenges but, you can overcome them! Recognize the difficulties and proceed to the solutions while keep your spirits high!

In this episode of Real Small Business with The McGraw Council, Tim Nichols of 3 Million Percent joins us to share his business life story as well as his tips for small business owners! Tim shares what his path to business ownership looked like and includes some incredible background, especially as he shares the highs and lows! Join The McGraw Council at www.themcgrawcouncil.com today receive more insights, free products/services, and more!

Be Bold

Tim stresses the importance of being bold in your business – you cannot afford to stay in the comfort zone. If you truly want to grow your business and take it to the next level, you must be bold!

Build Community

Build community among your customers, prospects, and other people you meet and with whom you regularly interact. Building community is essential so you do not become isolated but also to make working with you a better experience for others which, in turn, will lead to more opportunity for you!

Never Stop Learning

No matter what, always ensure you are learning something new. When you stop learning, you miss out on various opportunities to grow and thrive. Perhaps even worse, if you stop learning, your competition will overtake you; therefore, never stop learning!

Get Coaching

View your business the same way you view athletes – even the best athletes have coaches, even the ones who are seasoned veterans. Coaches can help you see different things in different perspectives and this will help you improve and grow!

In this podcast, Susan Boles of Scale Spark joins us on our podcast as she shares her background and business expertise, ranging from military to data management to CFO services! Susan joins us from Arkansas for a very fascinating podcast! Below are her three tips for small business owners as well! Subscribe at www.themcgrawcouncil.com to get all the latest small business support!   

Know Your Numbers

Know How Your Business Supports You

Have Fun and Experiment

Doc Rannigan of Doc's Roofing in Rockwall, TX joins us to share his business experiences as well as his advice for small business owners! Join The McGraw Council today at www.themcgrawcouncil.com to receive the latest updates and advice for small business!  

H.A.L.T. Hungry, angry, lonely, or tired - if you feel any of these emotions, immediately HALT and analyze why. Doing so will help you avoid making bad decisions!  

Remember to Take Time for Yourself Just as you care for other people, you must remember to care for yourself. If you're unable to care for yourself, you will not be able to support your team, your family, your friends, or anyone else effectively. Therefore, be sure to care for yourself.  

Stay Consistent It takes time to succeed - it is very rarely achieved overnight. If you are not sticking to your plans consistently, you will never know if you are achieving them successfully.