Hey Small Business School! In this seventh episode of The Boardroom series we're diving into the C-suite world, these are top executives that drive strategic decisions in your business. This episode is all about putting on your CEO hat and exploring the key roles that make up the C-suite in order to help you gain high-level perspective to propel your business forward!

Topics Covered:

• The roles within the C-suite, from the CEO to the CFO, COO, CIO, CMO, and beyond, learn how each contributes to the overall success of your business.
• Why taking on the mindset of a CEO is essential for stepping back from day-to-day operations and focusing on strategic direction and improvement.
• The responsibilities of key C-suite roles, such as the COO's focus on operations, the CFO's role in financial management and strategy, and the CMO's responsibilities in branding and marketing.

Weekly Challenge: Carve out time to step into each of these C-suite roles and strategically assess your business's performance in each area! Each time you go back, dig deeper and even start to delegate different tasks to yourself as if you were a fortune 500 company. Some questions you can be asking yourself in each role are:

COO - What are your systems in place, how do things work?
CFO - How is the money flowing through your business?
CMO - What is your brand known for? How do you want people to experience you?

What got you here won’t get you to the next level, you need to intentionally put on these C-suite hates to gain the executive perspective. DM with any questions you have, I'm here to help you succeed!

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.

The School for Small Business Podcast is a proud member of the Female Alliance Media.

To learn more about Female Alliance Media and how they are elevating female voices or how they can support your show, visit femalealliancemedia.ca.

Head over to my website https://www.stacimillard.com/ to grab your FREE copy of my Profit Playbook and receive 30 innovative ways you can add more profit to your business AND the first step towards implementing these ideas in your business!

Welcome back to Small Business School! Today I'm joined by Ainsley Barreto! Ansley is a Business & Wealth Coach and the founder of The Thriving Business. With a passion for helping coaches & impact driven entrepreneurs, Ansley is dedicated to seeing others thrive in a work/life balance that aligns with their values. Her methods combine Manifestation, Mindset, and Marketing, offering a unique approach to achieving 7-figure dreams effortlessly. Join us as we discuss the ever-changing landscape of small business ownership and developing a mindset for entrepreneurial success!

Topics Covered:

• Ainsley's diverse background in marketing, travel agency ownership, and coaching.
• The impact of mindset and setting boundaries in entrepreneurship.
• Adapting to changes in the marketing landscape and the importance of continuous learning.
• Aligning business goals with personal values for sustainable success.

Feeling out of alignment with your business? Connect with Ansley on Instagram or through her free resources to see how she can help you build a thriving business!

Ansley’s Links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachansleythrives/
Free 7-figure blueprint workshop: http://thethrivingbusiness.com/7-figure-blueprint
Free Wealth Success Call with Ansley: http://thethrivingbusiness.com/contact

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.

The School for Small Business Podcast is a proud member of the Female Alliance Media.

To learn more about Female Alliance Media and how they are elevating female voices or how they can support your show, visit femalealliancemedia.ca.

Head over to my website https://www.stacimillard.com/ to grab your FREE copy of my Profit Playbook and receive 30 innovative ways you can add more profit to your business AND the first step towards implementing these ideas in your business!

Welcome back to Small Business School! I recently found myself frustrated by the increasing trend of products requiring subscriptions for full functionality, from fitness trackers to alarm clocks. But as annoying as it may be as a consumer, as a business, there's a whole other side to this story that's worth exploring. So let's dive in!

Topics Covered:

• How annoying it is when products are initially advertised at one price, only to find out they need a subscription for full access, leading to unexpected costs.
• The advantages of recurring revenue models from a business perspective, providing stability, predictability, and opportunities for reinvestment and innovation.
• The importance of offering value to customers that justifies subscription fees, balancing the need for recurring revenue with customer satisfaction and loyalty.

With the rise of subscriptions it is so important to find the right balance between providing value and generating recurring revenue! Reach out and let me know how you are navigating this!

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.

The School for Small Business Podcast is a proud member of the Female Alliance Media.

To learn more about Female Alliance Media and how they are elevating female voices or how they can support your show, visit femalealliancemedia.ca.

Head over to my website https://www.stacimillard.com/ to grab your FREE copy of my Profit Playbook and receive 30 innovative ways you can add more profit to your business AND the first step towards implementing these ideas in your business!

Welcome back to Small Business School! I'm thrilled to bring you the sixth episode of The Boardroom series today. In this series we are giving you a CEO level workshop to get you out of working IN your business so you can start working ON your business. Today we are expanding on episode 5 and diving into some key CEO level numbers that will give you a deeper understanding of your business's financial performance. So let's jump right in!

Topics Covered:

• How to calculate Gross Margin and why it's crucial for assessing your business's profitability.
• The significance of Profit Margin as a measure of your business's overall profitability and why aiming for at least 10% profit is essential.
• Understand the concept of Breakeven and why knowing this number is vital for financial planning and decision-making.
• Customer acquisition cost and revenue per square foot. 
• Why having an ROI mindset is crucial for maximizing the impact of your investments.

Weekly Challenge: Dig into these numbers yourself! What can you learn from your Gross Margin, Profit Margin and Breakeven point?

I am here to help you! Have more questions about your numbers or what they mean for your business? Please reach out, I love helping you reach your goals!

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.

The School for Small Business Podcast is a proud member of the Female Alliance Media.

To learn more about Female Alliance Media and how they are elevating female voices or how they can support your show, visit femalealliancemedia.ca.

Head over to my website https://www.stacimillard.com/ to grab your FREE copy of my Profit Playbook and receive 30 innovative ways you can add more profit to your business AND the first step towards implementing these ideas in your business!

Hey Small Business School! I am so excited for today’s episode because I am sitting down with Emily Baillie, a digital marketing strategist and AI trainer with a passion for helping Canadian businesses and nonprofits to grow. Emily provides marketing strategy advisory services and leads custom-tailored AI, social media and communications workshops. During our conversation Emily shares her expertise in leveraging AI tools to enhance your marketing strategies. This episode is about helping you stay ahead of the curve in this rapidly evolving landscape!

Topics Covered:

• The role of AI in revolutionizing marketing strategies for small businesses.
• Practical tips for integrating AI tools like ChatGPT, DALL·E, and Sora into marketing efforts.
• The significance of refining your prompts and understanding AI capabilities to maximize effectiveness.
• Considerations for data privacy, accuracy, and human oversight when utilizing AI in marketing.

AI is reshaping marketing practices for small businesses. Take over AI, don’t let AI takeover for you! Connect with Emily and dive in the transformative power of AI to harness it as a personal assistant to help your business grow!

Emily’s Links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachansleythrives/
Compass Content Website: https://www.compasscontent.ca/
Compass Content AI Training: https://www.compasscontent.ca/ai-training

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.

The School for Small Business Podcast is a proud member of the Female Alliance Media.

To learn more about Female Alliance Media and how they are elevating female voices or how they can support your show, visit femalealliancemedia.ca.

Head over to my website https://www.stacimillard.com/ to grab your FREE copy of my Profit Playbook and receive 30 innovative ways you can add more profit to your business AND the first step towards implementing these ideas in your business!

Hey there Small Business School! After years of observing countless businesses, I've noticed one crucial factor that sets successful entrepreneurs apart: the ability to understand customers' needs and how your business helps meet those needs. Connecting the dots for your customers helps them understand the value you offer in words they understand. In this episode I want to offer practical advice on developing this skill set, so let's get started!

Topics Covered:

• The importance of connecting with customers.
• Understanding customer needs and communicating how your business can help.
• Examples of businesses succeeding or struggling based on their ability to connect with customers.
• Practical advice for developing the skill of connecting with customers, including understanding emotional intelligence, active listening, and gaining confidence.
• The impact of effectively connecting with customers on business success and industry recognition.

How you communicate your business to customers is a cornerstone of your business, and it’s not something you can outsource! Know how to share your value and teach your team to do the same!

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.

The School for Small Business Podcast is a proud member of the Female Alliance Media.

To learn more about Female Alliance Media and how they are elevating female voices or how they can support your show, visit femalealliancemedia.ca.

Head over to my website https://www.stacimillard.com/ to grab your FREE copy of my Profit Playbook and receive 30 innovative ways you can add more profit to your business AND the first step towards implementing these ideas in your business!

Welcome back to Small Business School! Today's episode is another installment of our Boardrooms series, focusing on understanding the financial side of your business through the three profit levers. I'm here to guide you through building your financial muscle, and ultimately boosting your profitability. So grab your notepad and let's jump into some actionable steps you can take today!

Topics Covered:

• The Three Profit Levers: revenue, cost of sales, and fixed costs as the key components influencing your profitability.
• Understanding Overhead Expenses: Delve into fixed costs such as rent, utilities, administrative staff, and their impact on your business's financial health.
• Cost of Sales and Revenue: Learn how expenses directly linked to selling your product or service and your pricing strategy affect your bottom line.
• Learn actionable steps to increase profitability by brainstorming options within each profit lever and understanding their implications.

Weekly Challenge: Identify and breakdown each of your three profit levers. How much are you spending/making in each? Look at what different options you have to adjust each of these levers, what control to increase profitability do you have? This could be increasing pricing, cutting less profitable services, increasing sales through marketing, and more!

As always, I am here to help, send me a DM on Instagram if you have any questions and continue to tune into The Boardroom for more actionable steps to transform your small business!

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.

The School for Small Business Podcast is a proud member of the Female Alliance Media.

To learn more about Female Alliance Media and how they are elevating female voices or how they can support your show, visit femalealliancemedia.ca.

Head over to my website https://www.stacimillard.com/ to grab your FREE copy of my Profit Playbook and receive 30 innovative ways you can add more profit to your business AND the first step towards implementing these ideas in your business!

Welcome back to Small Business School! In this episode, I am joined by Sigute Zitikyte, a certified business coach and author of "Multi Passionate." She also writes a weekly column called “The Friday Newsletter”, which helps ambitious professionals find their voice, build a career off the beaten path, and finally embrace their multi-passionate selves. Sigute has consulted for hundreds of online business owners and helped launch and grow multiple 7-figure businesses, including Dharma Coaching Institute and Mindvalley Coach, as well as numerous creative projects for visionaries, including bestselling books and podcasts in the personal transformation space. I am so excited to dive into a conversation with her today on 

Topics Covered:

• Treating your career as a portfolio and being strategic about investments in different opportunities.
• Branding beyond attracting clients, emphasizing the value of building relationships for future partnership opportunities.
• Identifying the right platforms for engagement in your business. Could you benefit from a bigger LinkedIn presence? 
• Crafting authentic content aligned with personal values.
• Shifting your brand identity, particularly for those interested in venturing into speaking engagements or other new projects. ​​
• The importance of clarity, mission, and presenting yourself as an easy ‘yes’ for potential opportunities.

Create your movement with strategic branding, investment in authentic marketing, and embracing your multi-passionate nature. Check out Sigute’s book ‘Multi-Passionate’ and reach out to her on Instagram!

Sigute’s Links:
Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sigutezitikyte/
Website: https://sigutezitikyte.com/
The Friday Newsletter: http://thefridaynewsletter.com
Order ‘Multi-Passionate’: https://sigutezitikyte.com/book

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.

The School for Small Business Podcast is a proud member of the Female Alliance Media.

To learn more about Female Alliance Media and how they are elevating female voices or how they can support your show, visit femalealliancemedia.ca.

Head over to my website https://www.stacimillard.com/ to grab your FREE copy of my Profit Playbook and receive 30 innovative ways you can add more profit to your business AND the first step towards implementing these ideas in your business!

Welcome to Small Business School! I'm thrilled that you're here and investing time in your business growth journey. In today's episode, we're diving into the crucial role of financial stability for your small businesses and tackling the idea of doing less to make more. Is this strategy right for your business? Let's get into it!

Topics Covered:

• The benefits and risks of a do less to make more strategy.
• The importance of leveraging financial data to drive business growth.
• Establishing a foundation of financial stability to support you and your team.
• Overcoming common misconceptions about the cost of professional accounting services.
• Tailored solutions for businesses of all sizes.

This episode was brought to you by Thrive Accounting, where we're passionate about helping entrepreneurs move from surviving to thriving!

Have questions from this episode or want to get to the next level in your business, please reach out, our mission is to help Small Business owners like you!

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.

The School for Small Business Podcast is a proud member of the Female Alliance Media.

To learn more about Female Alliance Media and how they are elevating female voices or how they can support your show, visit femalealliancemedia.ca.

Head over to my website https://www.stacimillard.com/ to grab your FREE copy of my Profit Playbook and receive 30 innovative ways you can add more profit to your business AND the first step towards implementing these ideas in your business!

Welcome back to Small Business School! Today’s episode is a little bit different because I am joined by an extra special guest, my daughter, Madison! Together we talk about what entrepreneurship looks like to her and our family-owned business, ‘Love Powered Co.’ Get ready for a heartwarming chat with the youngest entrepreneur I know!

Topics Covered:

• Madison's experience running a bracelet business.
• The entrepreneurial journey, from idea generation to sales.
• Our family-owned business ‘Love Powered Co.’ and its mission of spreading positivity with Affirmations, Mindfulness & Gratitude for your Littles and you!
• The importance of caring for customers and making a positive impact in business

Business can seem scary and complicated but when you break it down it’s really simple, and it can be our way of changing the world, just listen to Madison!

Love Powered Co. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovepoweredco/

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.

The School for Small Business Podcast is a proud member of the Female Alliance Media.

To learn more about Female Alliance Media and how they are elevating female voices or how they can support your show, visit femalealliancemedia.ca.

Head over to my website https://www.stacimillard.com/ to grab your FREE copy of my Profit Playbook and receive 30 innovative ways you can add more profit to your business AND the first step towards implementing these ideas in your business!