From auto garage owner to becoming a hair replacement entrepreneur, Helena Gibson shares her inspiring journey.

Show notes page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/499-helena-gibson-hair-replacement-entrepreneur/

Helena is a highly successful serial entrepreneur, operating several businesses in the cosmetology and hair loss industry.

The global hair care market size was valued at over $91 billion in 2022! And the Hair Loss Treatment Products Market is expected to grow from USD 1.90 billion in 2023 to USD 2.80 billion by 2028.

Helena shares her entrepreneur journey, including her experiences in these industries, and how she developed her latest restorative hair care product.

Helena is a licensed cosmetologist with over 18 years of experience in the hair loss industry. She is a certified wig and hair replacement specialist and seamless extensions. She also has certifications for men’s hair replacement, women’s hair augmentation, and medical hair loss.

She is a serial entrepreneur, creator of the 7-Figure Salon Academy, founder of Strut Hair Solutions, founder of Unveil Restorative Hair Care, and a single mom. She is the host of The 7-Figure Salon Podcast. And she is the author of “Lead Like a Woman: Tales from the Trenches” and “Secrets to Beautiful Hair”.

Henry Lopez is the host of The How of Business podcast – helping you start, run and grow your small business. The How of Business is a top-rated podcast for small business and entrepreneurs. Find the best podcast, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com

How to price your product or service. Henry Lopez shares the fundamentals of pricing your products or services to operate a profitable small business.

Show notes page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/498-pricing-fundamentals/

Downloads available on the show notes page:

• Pricing Fundamentals for Small Business Owners
• Priceless BizNotes

How do you price your product or service to find that balance between what your target market will pay and what you need to charge to make a profit?

On this episode of The How of Business podcast for small business owners, Henry Lopez shares his approach to pricing and what he has learned from other experts about pricing for small business products and services.

Pricing Markup Calculation - 6 Steps:

1. Calculate Indirect Expenses (Overhead).
2. Calculate Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) or Cost of Sales.
3. Set Target Selling Price.
4. Calculate Break-Even Point.
5. Determine Markup.
6. Adjust Selling Price.

Henry Lopez is the host of The How of Business podcast – helping you start, run and grow your small business. The How of Business is a top-rated podcast for small business and entrepreneurs. Find the best podcast, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com

Workers' Compensation Insurance for small business owners with Kevin Ring. Understanding and managing Workers' Compensation Insurance is crucial for small business owners, balancing both employee safety and benefits, and the financial impact on a small business.

Show notes page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/497-kevin-ring-workers-compensation/

Kevin shares his expert tips and in-depth knowledge on managing Workers' Comp effectively. Kevin is the Lead Workers’ Compensation Analyst at the Institute of WorkComp Professionals (IWCP), which trains both insurance agents and employers in how to build a successful workers’ comp program.

Employers have been taught that because workers' comp is mandatory, and the policy is the same no matter who they work with, that they have no control and should just shop for the lowest price. But nothing could be further from the truth!

Kevin has reviewed and analyzed over 1,200 experience mod worksheets with clients and has served as an expert witness in litigation involving the workers' comp premium audit.

Henry Lopez is the host of The How of Business podcast – helping you start, run and grow your small business. The How of Business is a top-rated podcast for small business and entrepreneurs. Find the best podcast, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com

5 Reasons You're Causing Chaos in your small business with Henry Lopez. To avoid or fix a chaotic business environment requires multiple approaches, but perhaps nothing is more important than asking ourselves (and perhaps our partners and leaders) if we are the primary cause of the chaos.

Show notes page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/496-5-reasons-you-are-causing-chaos/

Reducing chaos and fostering a more organized and efficient environment within a small business can significantly contribute to its success and make it a significantly more enjoyable business to be a part of.

We are not referring to good chaos – as there are times when some level of chaos is to be expected. We are talking about the consistently chaotic and disorganized work environment that perhaps has become the norm for your small business.

5 Reasons You're Causing Chaos:

1 – It’s Your Identity 2 – You’re not great at delegating. 3 – You’ve created a culture of dependency and chaos. 4 – You don’t trust your team. 5 – You are Managing, not Leading

Henry Lopez is the host of The How of Business podcast – helping you start, run and grow your small business. The How of Business is a top-rated podcast for small business and entrepreneurs. Find the best podcast, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com

The process and benefits of Minority/Women-Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) Certification (starting at 11:52) to help grow your small business with Sheena Thomas.

Show notes page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/495-sheena-thomas-mwbe-certification/ 

Sheena is a 25-year supplier diversity program and diversity certification program professional. As the first Black woman Executive Director of the only two regional certification agencies in Texas, she was responsible for the certification of over 40,000 combined applicants and was the Supplier Diversity Coordinator for the nation’s largest natural gas distributor, Atmos Energy.

Minority/Women-Owned Business Enterprise Certification - a designation given to businesses that are primarily owned, managed, and controlled by individuals who are women or belong to a recognized minority group. This certification offers these businesses better access to certain public contracts, training, and financial opportunities.

Sheena launched Lengo Strategic Partners in 2016 and helps minority and women owners gain access to corporate and government contracting opportunities by securing their M/WBE certifications. Lengo Strategic Partners also supports corporate clients by developing and enhancing supplier diversity programs. She is a newly published author with her debut collaboration project, “Building Beyond the 9 to 5” a collection of stories from Black women professionals and entrepreneurs.

Minority, Women-Owned, Disadvantaged, and Small Business Enterprise Certifications offer entrepreneurs access to local, state, federal and corporate contracting opportunities.

Henry Lopez is the host of The How of Business podcast – helping you start, run and grow your small business. The How of Business is a top-rated podcast for small business and entrepreneurs. Find the best podcast, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com  

Public Relations for Small Business with Megan Bennett. Megan shares her experiences and tips for using Public Relations to promote and grow a small business.

Show notes page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/494-megan-bennett-public-relations/

Megan has been on the Light Years Ahead Public Relations team for over 20 years. She started working at Light Years Ahead just a year after college and fell so in love with public relations that she stayed on and helped build the company into what it is today.

Her expertise focuses on managing clients, engaging with top national media daily, and securing meaningful media placements. She has spearheaded and implemented countless successful PR campaigns for numerous brands and small businesses.

Megan understands what the media wants and what tactics work to obtain the most high-profile placements. When it comes to placing a story or segment for a client, she is relentless with the media, and she doesn't stop until she makes it happen!

Public Relations is affordable and makes sense for many small businesses. Megan offers a free consultation to help you determine if they can help you promote your small business through their PR services.

Henry Lopez is the host of The How of Business podcast – helping you start, run and grow your small business. The How of Business is a top-rated podcast for small business and entrepreneurs. Find the best podcast, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com  

Building vs. Buying a small business - which option may be best for you? David Barnett is back on the show to share his expertise on buying and selling small businesses.

Show notes page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/493-david-barnett-build-vs-buy/

If you are thinking about investing in a small business, you essentially have two options: build your own business from scratch - including perhaps a franchise business - or buy an existing small business. David Barnett is an expert on the topic of buying and selling small businesses, and he is back on the show to share his knowledge and experience on the topic of Build vs. Buy.

David Barnett has been working with small businesses for over 20 years.  He’s helped them grow, he’s helped entrepreneurs buy and sell them, and he’s helped people finance them. David is the author of 7 books about small business transactions and local investing. He’s the host of a YouTube channel with hundreds of videos about buying, selling, financing, and managing SMEs.

Henry Lopez is the host of The How of Business podcast – helping you start, run and grow your small business. The How of Business is a top-rated podcast for small business and entrepreneurs. Find the best podcast, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com  

How to use YouTube Ads to grow your Small Business with Aleric Heck. Aleric shares his inspirational entrepreneurial journey, and an introduction to YouTube advertisement to help you grow your small business (starting at 17:17).

Show notes page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/492-aleric-heck-youtube-ads/

Aleric is a YouTube Ads Expert and the Founder of AdOutreach. He has been on YouTube for over 12 Years, first growing a YouTube Channel to over 500,000+ Subscribers.

Over the last 7 Years, Aleric has taught thousands of entrepreneurs and business owners how to grow and scale their business using laser-targeted YouTube Ads.

Henry Lopez is the host of The How of Business podcast – helping you start, run and grow your small business. The How of Business is a top-rated podcast for small business and entrepreneurs. Find the best podcast, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com  

Listener Q&A - Small Business Operations: Henry Lopez answers listener's small business questions related to small business operations. 

Show notes page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/491-small-business-operations/

This is a special Listener Small Business Question & Answer episode! We have gathered some of the great questions our listeners have submitted related to the on-going operations of a small business through the Listener Survey, and Henry answers these questions on this episode of the How of Business podcast.

This group of questions are about the operations of a business, from what it means to create processes and procedures to hiring and retaining the best staff for your small business.

Episode Index:

[0:00] - Overview of the Components, Departments or Areas of Small Business Operations. [8:05] - What does it really mean to create Processes and procedures? Does everything have to be written down in a formal format? [21:14] - What are the Duties and Responsibilities of a Small Business CEO? [28:30] - How to hire the best talent? Where do you look and what does a small business offer to keep their talented employees?

Henry Lopez is the host of The How of Business podcast – helping you start, run and grow your small business. The How of Business is a top-rated podcast for small business and entrepreneurs. Find the best podcast, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com  

From selling guavas in a barrio in Santo Domingo as a child, to selling his startup to Mastercard in Silicon Valley, Edrizio De La Cruz shares his inspirational entrepreneur journey.

Edrizio is the author of the new book "The Underdog Founder - How to Go from Unseen to Unstoppable".

Show notes page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/490-edrizio-de-la-cruz-entrepreneurship/

Edrizio is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur and the first Latino Y-Combinator Visiting Partner. He is most known for selling FinTech startup Arcus to MasterCard, in its first Latin America acquisition.

In 2013, Edrizio founded Arcus, a payments-as-a-service platform, secured $19M in funding from Y-Combinator, Ignia, SoftBank, and Citi Ventures, and grew the company to 100+ employees and 100+ clients, including Walmart, 7-Eleven, Santander, BBVA, and Rappi, before selling the business in 2021.

"Underdog Founder" shares Edrizio De La Cruz’s improbable odyssey from selling guavas in a Dominican barrio to co-founding his startup, Arcus, in Silicon Valley. Arcus was recognized by Forbes as one of the most successful startups of 2021 and was later sold to Mastercard. This no-nonsense playbook is for the entrepreneurial dark horse, a memoir and business narrative that presents seven key principles to rise above racism, poverty, imposter syndrome, and every imaginable and unimaginable startup obstacle.

Henry Lopez is the host of The How of Business podcast – helping you start, run and grow your small business. The How of Business is a top-rated podcast for small business and entrepreneurs. Find the best podcast, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com