I've been away from the podcast for a year due to an unplanned sabbatical. I'm back with great news and an important announcement.
10 years after launching Smallstarter Africa, we have re-launched as Activator HQ. Our mission to support entrepreneurs is the same, but our new strategic focus is to make it easier and faster for our audience to start and grow businesses in promising (but difficult) environments like Africa.
In this re-launch episode, John-Paul Iwuoha explains the rationale for the re-launch, what to expect, and some great news. He hit an ambitious weight loss goal, and welcomed a baby girl this year! 🥳🥳💃🏽
There will be many takeaways for you in this interesting episode.
Enjoy!
Check out the new website at activatorHQ.com.
It’s frustrating to run a business that feels like a leaking bucket.
That’s the situation in businesses that make money from sales, but there’s hardly anything left as profit.
In this episode of the Smallstarter Business Podcast, I explore the common suspects in these kinds of businesses.
I talk about how to look at your business data, and how to troubleshoot everything from sales, expenses, and overhead costs.
You’re going to find this quite interesting.
Happy learning!
Big companies can make great customers.
They have deep pockets. They’re less price sensitive, and they are more likely to work with you for the long term.
That’s why B2B sales can be an important growth opportunity for your business.
In this episode of the podcast, I explore the opportunities and considerations for targeting B2B customers and 5 practical tips to help you successfully land your first big client.
You’re going to learn interesting stuff!
How do you deal with the mental, psychological and emotional stresses of building a business?
Building a successful business is a marathon that takes a toll on your mind. That’s why you need endurance and coping mechanisms to support you.
In this episode of the Smallstarter Business Podcast, I explore 5 effective mental exercises that can help entrepreneurs cope with stress.
Sometimes, the problem is not the problem. It’s often the way you see the problem that’s the real problem.
You’re going to learn a lot from this!
99.99% of businesses sell a version of a product or service that already exists.
This means that if you plan to start a new business or launch a new product, you will likely be facing a crowded or competitive market.
Crowded markets can be a big advantage and a huge opportunity for newcomers. However, they also come with dangers and risks you need to watch out for.
In this episode of the Smallstarter Business Podcast, I explore the nature of crowded markets, their upsides, and their risks.
I also explore 5 specific strategies you can deploy to increase your chances of success when you enter a crowded or competitive market.
Happy learning!
Many small and mid-sized businesses are failing at customer service.
This is a big opportunity for you because improving how you serve your customers can become a strong competitive advantage for your business.
This episode is a mini-Masterclass in how you can achieve this.
You’re going to unlearn some of the misconceptions you may have about your customers, and how you can serve your customers in a way that makes them loyal, protective, and promoting of your business.
This is a really exciting episode.
Happy learning!
You cannot build a successful business on your own. You will likely need the help of employees.
But how can you tell the right kind of person to hire for your business?
How much knowledge, skill, and experience should they have?
What kind of personality should you be looking for?
In this episode of the Smallstarter Business Podcast, I discuss the 4 types of people who will likely do well as employees in your business.
Happy listening!
How can you be sure your business is in good hands while you’re away on travel, vacation, study, or just busy taking care of another business?
In this episode, I’m going to introduce you to the interesting concept of “vital signs”.
It’s an effective tactic that is used to great effect in hospitals around the world.
And there is a lot you can learn from this and apply to your business.
Remember, your ultimate achievement as an entrepreneur is to build a business that can thrive in your absence.
The lessons you’ll learn from this episode will show you how it can be done.
Happy listening!
Many young businesses fail because they run out of money.
Some of these failed businesses had great potential and may have become successful businesses if only they survived a little longer.
Fortunately, this is a fixable problem.
In this episode of the Smallstarter Business Podcast, I explore the most common reasons why young businesses fail and how you can avoid these situations.
You’re going to learn a lot from this.
Happy learning!
It’s boom time for startups around the world.
Last year alone (2021), startups on the African continent raised over $4 billion from local and international investors.
But do you really have to raise money from investors?
Or should you continue running as a self-funded business and ignore the temptations to raise money from banks and outside investors?
In this interesting episode of the Smallstarter Business Podcast, I explore the pros and cons of self-funded businesses versus investor-funded businesses.
You’re going to learn some great stuff from this.
Happy learning!
Many entrepreneurs struggle with the challenge of raising capital to start, grow and scale their businesses.
How to overcome this seemingly insurmountable obstacle?
In this episode of the Smallstarter Business Podcast, Kristin H. Wilson of Spurt! shares some interesting insights and strategies for overcoming this problem.
During this interview, we explored a range of subjects, from the power of strategic partnerships to the secret sauce for funding proposals, and the unique benefits that failure can have over success in business.
You're going to learn very valuable stuff from this.
Why does it often seem that ‘nice’ people are easily taken advantage of in business?
And does this suggest that we have to be mean, nasty and brutal to win in business?
The truth is, there are aggressive and domineering people out there who will take advantage of your “niceness”, generosity and patience.
These people could be your customers, employees, suppliers, or investors.
In this episode of the Smallstarter Business Podcast, I share my thoughts on how nice people get exploited in business and some specific ways you can handle these situations without losing your decency.
Some businesses are just deadends by design.
They may look exciting on the surface, but the reality is much worse than your eyes can see.
After investing your time, money, and efforts in them, you’re very likely to regret your decision down the road.
But what if you could identify these kinds of businesses in advance?
That’s exactly what this episode is all about.
Based on John-Paul’s experience and preferences, you will discover 6 types of businesses that are not worth your time and investment.
You’re going to learn a lot from this.
Happy listening!
Surprises and change are a constant in business.
If the ups and downs of the economy don’t shake you, your customers, employees or suppliers may disappoint or destabilize your business.
Unfortunately, you cannot plan for most of these surprises and changes before they happen.
That’s why you need to build redundancies into your business.
In this episode, you will learn how to bake redundancy into 6 key areas of your business so you can get better at surviving surprises and changes when they happen.
Happy learning!
In this interesting episode of the Smallstarter Business Podcast, Maxwell Adew of Kuueza shares his entrepreneurship story.
You will learn how he stumbled on the painful problem that gave birth to the business idea that became his company, Kuueza.
Maxwell also shares valuable advice and insights on starting a business, raising capital for business, and how to build a team of loyal and capable people to support your business.
You're going to learn a lot from this.
Happy listening!
Almost every entrepreneur wants to get to the next level of growth and success in their business.
That next level could be to raise more capital, to make more sales, to build a bigger team, or to expand into more locations and grow the business.
But for every new level, there will be new devils.
For every new level, there will be new problems, challenges, and frustrations you must learn to deal with if you want to succeed at that level.
In this episode of the podcast, I explore the wisdom of "New level, new devils," and why entrepreneurs need to be realistic about their expectations when it comes to growth and success.
You're going to learn a lot from this.
Happy listening!
Entrepreneurs love to find and chase new opportunities.
It could be a new idea, a new product, a new strategy, or a new partnership deal.
But how can you be sure that thing is really an opportunity, and not a distraction?
Many entrepreneurs get sucked into distractions that cost them a ton of time, money, sweat, and tears.
And that's why this episode of the podcast is important and timely.
In this episode, you will learn three ways to distinguish between opportunities and distractions so you can always make the best choices.
Listening to this interesting episode will save you a lot of future regrets.
Happy listening.
Growth is often on the minds of most entrepreneurs and business owners.
How can you grow and scale a business to reach more customers, make more sales, and grab more market share?
This episode of the podcast is a peek into a Mastermind Strategy Session from our exclusive Insiders community.
During this session, Kristin H. Wilson of Spurt! Shares insights on the 3 key factors for growing and scaling a business.
You’re going to learn a lot from this.
What's the best way to manage the relationship with your employees?
Is it better if they fear you, or love you?
In this interesting episode, I share my thoughts on how to handle the critical relationships with your employees.
You're going to learn the upsides and downsides of using fear and love to motivate your staff.
This is an episode that will get you thinking about your leadership style and how you manage the human resources in your business.
Growing a business is tough for many people who own or run a business.
But are there tested and trusted ways to boost the sales of your company?
In this episode, Simon Severino of Strategy Sprints shares some interesting strategies for boosting sales and growth in a business.
You're going to learn a lot from this.
