Hey, Mark here with a quick update about this evergreen interview series and my other podcast, The Podcast Accelerator (https://www.markasquith.com/listen).

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

We’ve all heard that expression, haven’t we? And it’s a great saying when it comes to the benefits of education and passing on the skills that have served you well. As entrepreneurs we want to help people, solve problems and pass on our knowledge, but there are times when we have to forget this phrase and just give people the fish. Let me explain.

Let’s say you’ve been having trouble with your car and you take it in to the garage to find out the problem. The mechanic has a look, a quick tinker under the bonnet, and then he hands you an overall and a spanner. Time for you to learn a little bit about car maintenance! You wouldn’t know what to think, would you? Sometimes we just want the fish and we’re happy to pay someone with more knowledge than us to help us out.

In the world of web, design and digital, it’s easy to think that our audience will share our enthusiasm for how things work and products and services that we find innovative. However, what you might find interesting, others may not. Therefore, when thinking of building a business around something, we need to keep in mind the audience, because there’s a risk of spending time, money, and energy on something that there is no market for. The idea that you have may solve a problem, but is it a problem that people are willing to pay to have solved; does it have broad enough appeal?

We need to understand their particular pain points and which of your services that they will value. Don’t start off by giving them your tools, give them an end to end experience of how your services could make them and their customers feel. Don’t start the other way around. If they want to know more about your tools and processes, then great, that’s something that you can discuss afterwards. Always show off the very best of your business with an end to end demonstration of how your service could solve clients’ particular problems.

A great example of this approach is Apple. The whole experience, from walking into the Apple Store to using your new MacBook for the first time, is a prime example of being given the fish. You don’t need to think about which graphics card, processor or operating system you want. You simply buy the computer and turn it on. Building a new PC, on the other hand, can feel like a lesson in big game fishing that not everyone wants or needs. The vast majority of people want a computer that allows them to do what they want with the minimum of fuss.

When dealing with clients, remember that while some people want to learn how things are done, most people just want to be given the fish!

Issue Challenged in this Small Business Podcast:

Which is the right approach with clients?

Actionable Tips:

* Ask customers what they really want. Let them tell you about their problems rather than pitching to them. Most people will say your idea is great just to be nice and not to hurt your feelings. Letting them discuss their specific problems is so much more valuable because you can then set out to provide tailored solutions. Ask as many people as you can so you can to start spotted trends.
* Learn whether they are willing to pay for it. You audience may complain about a particular problem, but is it big enough of a problem for them to actually pay for it?
* Give them the fish! Don’t try and teach anyone, don’t consult them on it, just give them the solution that will solve the problem that they are experiencing. Teach them how to use the solution, make the most of the solution but not how to build the solution.



Top Quotes:

* “We pay for convenience, we pay for value: we pay to be given the fish.”
* “We find an idea and we stick on it without talking to people and we end up...

The growth of the tech startup scene over the last decade has brought the idea of the pivot to the attention of entrepreneurs worldwide. A company pivots when it moves from one business model to another. Uber, YouTube and Twitter are just a few of the big names that came about when their creators pivoted from their original ideas. The reasons behind why companies pivot are varied and unique to each original business and it can be a tough process as I have recently found out through personal experience.

If you’ve been following the podcast and my Startup Diaries, you’ll know that I’m currently on the Ignite accelerator program with Adam and our app, Cavalry. Well, Calvary has been shelved for the time being. After a lot of soul searching, it was decided that we wouldn’t be able to get the most out of the 14 week Ignite experience with a service that required us to build a double-sided marketplace, one of the toughest business models out there. This left us with three choices. Go home, create something new in the same space as Cavalry or come up with something completely new. Going home and wasting a fantastic opportunity was never on the cards and creating something new in the same space meant that some of the same issues would be still be present. Therefore, we’ve pivoted and created something new and exciting in hardly any time at all that has not only reinvigorated us but has also received great feedback from the Ignite mentors.

And that is a huge relief, because the idea of pivoting a business can be difficult to wrangle with. Firstly, it’s easy to think that you’ve somehow failed and it can be difficult discussing the pivot with others as you think they might judge. They won’t, of course, but it can be hard to quiet your own mind which is often more critical of you than anyone else in the world. A pivot is a positive reaction to something that wasn’t right. A failure might be walking headfirst into something that you knew wasn’t right, but it’s certainly not making a positive change based on new information.

It’s also easy to think of your idea that’s not working at the moment as rubbish, as something that will never work. It’s easy to think that but it’s not true. You’ve put a hell of a lot of work into that idea and it may not be right at this moment in time, but there’s no need to destroy all your hard work and bin your idea. Put your idea on a shelf and keep it ready for when the time is right. If you thought it was a good idea at some point, then it’s a good idea, wait for conditions to change.

A pivot can be tricky and it can feel a little painful, but it needn’t. It’s a sensible, positive change in direction based on validated learning and new feedback. Onwards and upwards!

Issue Challenged in this Small Business Podcast:

How can I deal emotionally with pivoting my business?

Actionable Tips:

* Don’t judge yourself or be afraid of telling people that you are pivoting. A pivot is not in any way a failure. A pivot is a change in direction based on validated learning and feedback. It’s a positive reaction and something that you should do if things aren’t right.
* Don’t destroy your idea. Perhaps the time isn’t right for your idea at the moment, but if you place it on a shelf, it will be ready for you when the time is right. Don’t destroy your idea because you can’t see it working. You may run into an opportunity or a person that give the idea new life. When that time comes, you will be ready to go.
* A pivot is a huge learning curve. Pivoting your business can give you some of the most valuable business knowledge that you will ever receive. After you’ve pivoted, take some time out to record all of your thoughts and experiences about the process. This will allow you to get everything out and realize that a pivot is in no way a failure. Secondly,

Taking out a loan can be daunting process. Whether it’s a mortgage for your first home or a new car, there are a lot of details to keep in mind when looking for the best possible financing option. When applying for a loan for your small business, it can be even more confusing. You may only need the loan for a short time or you might work alongside partners which can further complicate matters. Joining us on this episode of Excellence Expected is David Waring, who is going to offer his expertise of this very important small business topic and tell us what we should look for when considering finance and what we should avoid.

One of the main issues when small business owners start looking for a loan is that most of us don’t know the best type of financing for our businesses. There are so many different providers, all with different terms. What’s more, new financing avenues are becoming popular. Peer-to-peer lending has grown in popularity in recent years alongside the growth of the internet and this democratization of finance of seen many new providers enter the market. With so much information to consider, applying for a loan can seem like a minefield. David’s advice is to plan ahead as best you can. If you can give yourself more time to consider all of the different options, you’ll be able to do more homework on various deals and hopefully find the best financing option for your business.

You’ll also be able to make sure that your finances are in order, which can give you a better chance of getting a better deal. Of course, that’s not always possible and there are always going to be times when we are caught off-guard by life and business. Bear in mind though that the faster that you need money, the more that you will have to pay for it.

Financing can be a complicated and stressful process so David’s overarching advice is to do your research, take your time and plan ahead! You need to research the cost of the loan thoroughly so that you know the true cost of what you’re getting into. Know the payment terms and make sure that you can pay the loan back early if that’s what you want to do. Keep your financial records up-to-date and your taxes in good shape. This makes your business a much more attractive prospect to lend to. Finally, plan ahead if at all possible! Maybe you don’t need any financing right now, but perhaps you can envisage some growth or some expenses in the next six months. Get the ball rolling as the best value loans often take the longest to apply for.

Issue Challenged in this Small Business Podcast:

How can I find the best loan for my business?

About David:

David Waring is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Fit Small Business and Fit Biz Loans. He has a wealth of experience in small business management and marketing. David’s site helps more than 300,000 small business owners every month cut through all the jargon and get right to the important information. The site includes in-depth articles, reviews and how-to guides about almost every small business topic. Fit Biz Loans offers excellent advice to small business owners as well as low rate business loans.

Actionable Tips:

* Know the cost in terms of APR and total amount before taking out a loan. This is the single most important aspect to consider when it comes to small business financing. It can be easy to dive into something in times of need but you can end up tying yourself up in knots for the next decade or more!
* Make sure you have your finances in order before applying for a loan. If there is money coming into your business that is not on your tax return, then the banks or financing providers will not take it into consideration when assessing your suitability for a loan. Your taxes should be done and you should have an up to date balance sheet to show that your business is in good financial health

What processes have you got in place in your small business? If there’s just yourself or a couple of others, it might not seem like you need any. After all, you know what you’re doing and you know who you’ve been dealing with recently. But, what happens if one you is stuck at home for a few days with the flu? Will you know which clients your sick colleague has been working with? What happens if you take on more staff? Will they just learn how things work, bad habits and all, from those already there?

These questions will probably ring a bell with a lot of people out there who are running their own small business. When you think of processes, you probably think of business giants like Amazon, with their staff scurrying around the warehouse with a set route and schedule. However, processes can be a benefit to anyone in business, regardless of the size of their company. Going through each process in your day and noting down the steps can be a bit of a chore, but the benefits are massive.

Firstly, you take all of that information from your mind and get it down on paper so if you’re ill or away, anybody at your company can step in and take care of the majority of tasks.

Secondly, it shows you where your inefficiencies are and allows you to address them.

When you’re working on autopilot, you’re not conscious of how things could be improved. By focusing on the process and writing it up in a ‘user manual’ style, you are thinking about things in a new way. You’ll realize that ‘that’s just how things are’ is not actually the case.

A third great benefit of creating a ‘user manual’ type document for your business is how it can be used to help new members of staff.

Say you have a new employee – they’re young and eager but a little bit nervous about working in a new environment. Giving them the manual and explaining the importance of processes could have a great impact on them. They’ll be able to complete quite complex tasks just by following the process and their competence, and confidence, will grow.

Having a process gets a huge amount of buy-in from staff.

Joining us on this episode of Excellence Expected is Super Joe Pardo who has extensive experience of implementing, maintaining and improving processes from his time as part of his family’s multi-million dollar auto parts business.

He’s going to walk us through how he identified processes that needed to be changed, how he changed them and how he dealt with resistance from people who were less than eager to change their ways.

He’ll also be leaving us with three actionable tips that you can implement in your small business today.

Issue Challenged in this Small Business Podcast:

How can I create specific processes in my company that will help me to excel?

About Joe:

Joe Pardo is a podcaster, author, motivational speaker and business coach. His motivational Dreamers Podcast has helped countless people pursue their dreams and embrace bright futures. Prior to all of his current activities, Joe was part of his family’s multi-million dollar business and he’s going to discuss with us the things he has learned about processes and what they can do for a business.

Actionable Tips:

* Identify inefficiencies. Analyse your business and its processes and work out how you could do things better, more efficiently and more economically. You need to be frank with yourself and your staff but by changing things up, you will make things better for the business and improve the working environment.
* Be fearless, put a plan into action and make adjustments as needed. You need some courage to put a new plan in place but at the same time you need to be willing to modify it as you’re going along. Being flexible and learning from feedback will help you optimize your...

As entrepreneurs, we’re always on the lookout for additional revenue streams to bolster our main sources of income. In the early days, it may be through necessity as we’re trying to raise funds for our small businesses, but whatever stage we’re at, it’s always good to have different ways of bringing in cash. If these secondary income sources can generate revenue passively then even better! There are many ways that we can go about this and each method has its own positives, negatives and levels of relevance to our lives. Of all the possible ways to generate secondary income, perhaps one you haven’t thought of is vending machines.

I know what you might be thinking. Vending machines are big, expensive and require a lot of maintenance. That doesn’t really sound that passive. It sounds like there would be a big initial investment of money and an ongoing investment of time. Our guest on this episode of Excellence Expected, Matt Miller, says that this needn’t be the case. The big electric drink and snacks machines can be expensive and time consuming to maintain, but mechanical vending machines can be relatively cheap, low maintenance and profitable. You may have seen them vending everything from toys and temporary tattoos in arcades to travel toothbrushes and mints at motorway services.

Can there really me good margins in such simple vending machines? Well, according to Matt, there certainly can be. He has built a multimillion dollar business in the vending industry over the last nine years and he has raised millions for schools across America in the process.

On this episode of your favourite small business podcast, Matt is going to talk us through his journey and what gave him the idea to try vending for himself. He’s also going to discuss some of the basics of the industry as well as leave us with his actionable tips for how we could follow his lead and make vending a low-impact, high-profit secondary revenue stream. Not only that, but he’s also going to be giving away his e-book on the subject so you can research if vending can work for you.

Issue Challenged in this Small Business Podcast:

How can I create a secondary income from vending?

About Matt:

Matt Miller was formerly a pilot in the US Air Force but he always had dreams of starting his own business. A chance conversation about gumball machines lead him down a path he hadn’t expected and soon Matt and his company, School Spirit Vending, were at the forefront of the vending industry in his area.

Matt’s company has grown into a multimillion dollar endeavour that has helped raise millions of dollars for schools all across America. He’s with us on this episode of the number one small business podcast to talk about his journey and how vending machines can be used to create secondary revenue streams.

Actionable Tips:

* Learn about vending. There are lots of different types of vending machines so you should do some research to find the right type of vending for you.
* Start small. Take a small risk that you can afford at first. Maybe buy some used equipment to test the markets and to learn the ropes. If all goes well and you’ve proven the concept in your market, you can then spend more money on the right equipment.
* Begin prospecting immediately. Head out and work out where your locations are going to be and who you’re going to be working with. You can have your first location all lined up before you even have any equipment. Don’t get stuck in research mode.



Top Quotes:

* “I knew I was a lot better than the situation I was in so I didn’t get down on me, I got down on the situation and got busy trying to figure out how to get out of it.”
* “I was looking to a quarter to solve my problems and most people don’t see real money in a quarter.”

There may come a time when you feel it is the right time to sell your business and move on. Perhaps you’ve got a new project in mind, fancy a change of location or have some personal matters to focus on. Whatever the reason may be, you want to make sure that you are able to get the best possible return on all the hard work you’ve put in to build up the business.

Joining us on this episode of your favourite small business podcast is Ace Chapman, who has bought and sold more than 40 different businesses over the years. Ace is going to share with us what is needed to prepare a business for sale and what to do to ensure the best return for the countless hours of blood, sweat and tears that you’ve put in.

For a lot of small enterprises, the owner is the business, meaning that the success of the business is down to the personal service of the owner and the relationships that they have built with customers are key to continued success. This is great when you are growing your own business, but when you come to sell that business, it can be seen as a negative, as buyers will be wary that a lot of regular custom could fade away after the owner leaves. In order to combat this if you’re thinking of selling, it’s a good idea to productize as many of your services as possible. That’s not to say that you need to be more distant from your valued customers, but it’s good to show potential buyers that there is a system that they will be able to continue to use to give the customers the same great experience.

Taking this one step further, an operational manual that outlines all of your processes and systems is a truly valuable resource. Think of franchises. The reason that they are often expensive in the beginning is because they come with a detailed manual of how to carry out every single process in that business. With this manual, the new owners of a franchise have a much better chance of success and will make back their money in the long run as they are able to follow the steps to provide customers with the experience that they have become accustomed to. You can do the same for your business if you decide to sell. This kind of manual is still valuable if you’re not thinking of selling right now as it allows you to see your processes laid out on paper and see if there is anywhere you could improve.

It’s better to see this manual as an ongoing project rather than something to cobble together in a hurry when you want or need to sell the business. It can point you toward areas in need of improvement and instead of throwing ideas at potential buyers of how they could improve the business, you can take your time, implement improvements yourself and then be in a better position to ask for a higher price when those changes take effect.

Of course, this all depends on the reasons why you are thinking of selling up. Unfortunately in life there are always things that we can’t plan for, but if you are thinking about selling and don’t have financial or family pressures, give yourself a little time to map out your processes, implement some changes and you could see a much higher return when you come to sell.

Issue Challenged in this Small Business Podcast:

How can I prepare my business for sale?

About Ace:

Ace Chapman started out in the world of business when he bought his first business at only 19 years of age. Since then, he has bought and sold more than 40 businesses, both online and off. As well as looking after his own deals, Ace now runs his own business acquisition consultancy. He has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs either find the right deal to help them expand their business portfolios or prepare their business for sale to another party.

Ace is with us on this episode of the number one small business podcast to share his story and some fantastic tips that can help you prepare your business for...

We’ve all had those lightbulb moments, haven’t we? Maybe we’ve been in the shower, working out at the gym or sat stuck in traffic. A solution to a problem you’ve faced has come to mind, or a new and improved way of handling a process has just popped into your head. We often get wrapped up in these ideas and can’t help but fantasize about the business opportunities that they could present. But before we run off and start devoting major time and resources to these ideas, we need to make sure that there is a demand for them in the marketplace or else we could be wasting our time.

Spending time and energy on a business idea without validating it first can be easily done as people often get caught up in an idea that they’re convinced the public will respond too. Even the big boys of the business world have experienced spectacular product launch failures. However, whereas those companies have the resources to take the hit for something that nobody wants, us small business owners don’t usually have that luxury. Our investment of time, energy and money needs to be going towards something that has a chance of being successful and taking the time to validate your idea is going to help you have a much higher chance of success in the marketplace.

What’s the best way to go about validating your idea? Well, there a number of different ways you can do this depending on the size of your company and the amount you want to invest in terms of time and money. We may not be able to get a focus group or consumer research project started but with the technology at our fingertips today, there’s never been an easier, or cheaper, time to validate an idea. We can research competing products, check out how much online activity there is for certain keywords or even build a simple landing page and monitor the response it gets with some basic advertising through AdWords. Social media is also a fantastic, low-cost way of measuring how responsive people are to your idea, product or service. You can get real-time feedback from people all over the world. Information is key and we have access to a staggering amount of it!

Our guest on this episode of your favourite small business podcast, Ajay Prasad, is going to take us through his experiences of validating a business idea and share some actionable tips that will help you validate your idea with minimal costs.

Issue Challenged in this Small Business Podcast:

How can I know if there’s a demand for my product in the marketplace?

About Ajay:

Ajay Prasad is the founder and president of Global Marketing Resources, a web design and marketing agency based in California. He’s also the founder of GMR Transcription, a hugely successful web based transcription and translation service that he built from scratch after recognizing a problem and being unable to find a satisfactory solution.

Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, Ajay built up a wealth of marketing, consumer research and strategic planning experience in both the corporate and the startup fields. He’s with us on your favourite small business podcast to share his thoughts on how to find out if there is demand out there for your product or service.

Actionable Tips:

* Test the response to your idea through digital marketing. It can be as simple as putting up a landing page, using Google AdWords and monitoring the response. You can even ask for feedback from your friends and family through social media. It’s inexpensive and won’t demand too much of your time.
* Start to research competitors. Find out as much as possible about other companies who are providing similar products and services. Analyse how successful they are, who their customers are and what their unique value proposition is. If your search doesn’t turn up any similar companies, then it could be a sign that there is not a market out there.

Crowdfunding, as a concept, is something that many of us have an understanding of through platforms such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo. People around the world can check out a campaign and if they like what they see, they can help fund the project. Usually the person or team behind the campaign will offer a variety of rewards depending on the donated amount. Video games, albums, books, gadgets, TV shows and many other endeavours have been successfully funded this way, circumventing the more traditional funding routes. But there is so much more to crowdfunding than most of us realize. It’s now also a viable method of raising money for your business.

Joining us on this episode of the number one small business podcast is Anthony de Souza, who has spent the last four years helping businesses tap into the potential of crowdfunding. As Anthony explains in this episode, there are several different types of crowdfunding each with their own specific models and benefits. Perhaps the two most famous types of crowdfunding are those based on donations, such as Just Giving, and those based on rewards, such as Kickstarter.

Donation based crowdfunding is, of course, not so relevant to small business, but it’s a great way for charitable causes to raise funds and awareness. Rewards based crowdfunding is where different rewards are promised for different levels of backing. This would apply to some business with an innovative new product, but certainly not all small businesses. Perhaps the two types of crowdfunding most pertinent to small business are equity based crowdfunding and peer-to-peer lending. With equity based crowdfunding, businesses create a campaign to attract investment from outside backers who will expect equity in the business in return. The biggest platform for this type of crowdfunding in the UK is Crowdcube, which has secured more than £126 million in investments for small businesses. Peer-to-peer lending or debt based crowdfunding is used predominantly by existing business that need investment. The biggest platform for peer-to-peer lending in the UK is Funding Circle.

As well as the possibility of gaining investment in your small business, there are a couple of other important benefits to crowdfunding. Firstly, you will be able to see if your business or idea is validated by the market. Are there enough people out there who need your products or services? A crowdfunding campaign is a great way to find out the level of interest after you’ve done your initial market research. Secondly, a crowdfunding campaign can increase your brand awareness and act as a marketing strategy in its own right. A really successful campaign could even be featured in the media, further building awareness.

According to Anthony, a successful crowdfunding campaign relies on the business owner choosing the right type of crowdfunding and also selecting the right platform within that type. Some businesses that could be successful on Crowdcube perhaps would not be successful on Kickstarter, and vice versa. It’s important to choose the right approach. All successful campaigns feature a video of three minutes or less that tells the viewer your story. You should spend around 60 days on setting up your campaign because you can only launch it once and you want to make sure that everything is set up for the best chance of success. The 30 days of the campaign is important too, but the campaign is more likely to succeed if the groundwork and preparation have been put in beforehand.

Crowdfunding is only going to get bigger, so it’s certainly a financing method that many of us could find helpful for our small businesses.

Issue Challenged in this Small Business Podcast:

How can crowdfunding help my business?

About Anthony:

Anthony de Souza is an expert in the area of crowdfunding. He works as a speaker,

Maintaining a healthy cash flow is absolutely essential for a small business to survive. It sounds so strange to have to say that, but if it’s so obvious, why do so many of us get into trouble when it comes to cash flow? Why aren’t we more aware of where we stand financially? What are the issues that are affecting our cash flow?

Cash flow can be a problematic area for businesses of any size, but it can be a particularly difficult for small business owners, especially during their first couple of years. We can often get distracted by finding the clients and doing the work. This means that invoicing, accounts and so on take a back seat. We’ll get the money for that next month, we tell ourselves. And, because we’re just starting out, we justify dipping into our personal accounts as we say that’s just what entrepreneurs do in the early days. The buzz of completing a project successfully and looking for the next big client might mean we don’t start invoicing right away. We may accept a client’s longer payment terms without any negotiation just to ensure we get their business.

These are all understandable reasons why accounting gets neglected sometimes but we can quickly find ourselves in trouble if we don’t keep an eye on our finances. And, there are always going to be other issues that will crop up. Clients may take their time to pay your invoices and it can feel rude to keep chasing them up. You may have some emergency personal expenses that can’t be delayed or a larger than usual tax bill. Before you know it, you’ve got nothing to show for the many hours of hard work you’ve put in and the wolf is at the door. How can we avoid some of these issues and help our businesses thrive?

With us on this episode of your favourite small business podcast is Gary Turner, the managing director of small business cloud-based accountancy service, Xero. Gary’s been working on accountancy software for more than twenty years, so he has a wealth of experience and knowledge about what companies do well and not so well when it comes to maintaining a healthy cash flow.

As ever, our guest is going to be giving you some actionable tips that can be implemented in any small business and help you better avoid the stresses and strains that come with dwindling cash reserves.

Issue Challenged in this Small Business Podcast:

How can I stay on top of my cash flow and grow my business?

About Gary:

Gary Turner is the managing director of Xero, an innovative and beautifully designed cloud-based accounting software for small businesses. With Xero, small business owners can connect with their accounting data anytime, anywhere and on any device. In only a few short years, the company has grown to become the market leading cloud accountancy product in the UK, New Zealand and Australia.

Prior to joining Xero, Gary gained over 20 years’ experience in the accountancy software field. He’s here on this episode of your favourite small business podcast to share his expertise and tips for keeping on top of your finances as well as some of the pitfalls to avoid. 

Gary’s Actionable Tips:

* Keep on top of your accounts. Staying on top of your books and making sure they are as accurate as possible is the most important aspect of maintaining cash flow. Updating your records as frequently as possible will help you know where you stand.
* Be fair and direct with your customers. There’s no need to be too lenient or a pushover. Just be clear about your terms in the beginning. Although it can feel nerve-wracking, there’s nothing wrong with asking to be paid within a reasonable amount of time for quality work. Your customers know that for you to continue working, you need to be paid.
* Keep your accounting as simple as possible. We often use our own systems to keep track of data and financial information...

All small businesses start with an idea. We all have new ones constantly; it’s just part of the entrepreneur’s DNA. If we come across a problem, we want to be able to solve it for ourselves and anyone else out there that might be facing the same issue. But ideas are ten a penny, it’s the implementation and delivery of those ideas that grow businesses. How can we make sure an idea is worth pursuing? And how can we get it to market? These are issues that we’re going to dig into on this episode of Excellence Expected.

Before you can get your product or service to market, you need to validate the idea and the potential market. Using segmentation to identify market segments is a great way to narrow down who your ideal clients are going to be. Only after identifying the type of clients that you’re looking for can you start working out how you’re going to reach them and if doing so is going to be profitable. Let’s say you’ve identified a market segment, but you find through your research that it’s going to cost almost as much to reach clients in this segment as you would earn from them. If the margins are too slender, it may not be an idea that’s going to grow your business. Finding the right client segment is great, but you need to be able to reach them profitably.

If you’ve done your homework and determined that it is possible to reach your desired clientele in a cost effective way, you can then focus on your routes to market and how you’re going to raise awareness of your business among these potential clients. At this point, a lot of us get caught up in thinking about how our businesses are going to look. We get wrapped up in the design of websites, apps, e-mail marketing material and so on. However, as mentioned in this episode, design is just one aspect of marketing and your message has a far greater impact than the design of your marketing materials. Focus on getting the message right and you will see your marketing budget stretch a great deal further. It’s all about appealing to your desired market segment’s needs. If you can communicate why they need your product and how it may help them, they are sure to take notice!

Joining us on this episode of Excellence Expected is the co-founder and Marketing Director of inniAccounts, James Poyser. James is a digital marketing expert and he’s here on the number one small business podcast to share some insight and actionable tips that will help your business to attract more of the right kind of clients.

Issue Challenged in this Small Business Podcast:

How can I get my business to market?

About James:

James Poyser is the Sales and Marketing Director of inniAccounts. He previously worked in the IT sector and has also worked in China as a digital marketing consultant. The inniAccounts team aim to take the hassle out of accountancy for contractors, consultants and small business owners by blending an expert accountancy team with intuitive online software. The company was born in response to the some of the frustrations faced by the founders and they have created an easier way for their clients to organise their finances.

James’ Actionable Tips:

* Validate that you can reach your potential clients and do so profitably. Use segmentation to identify the right markets and ask yourself if you can actually find them and reach them in a cost effective way. Research, head to trade shows, read trade magazines, engage on social media and use AdWords to make sure that this perfect market is reachable while at the same time keeping a close eye on the costs associated with reaching them.
* Deliver a razor sharp experience. Find the segment you want to focus on and be absolutely single-minded about delivering a brilliant experience to them. You can’t be everything to everyone. Even when thinking about pricing and marketing,

We’ve all had those lightbulb moments when we think we’ve come up with the next big thing. Whether it be an app, service or product, every small business owner has, at some point, convinced themselves that their next idea is an absolute gem. Often these ideas start to fall apart as soon as you try to get something down on paper, but every once in a while, we all get that one idea that just won’t go away.

If we get an idea that doesn’t lose its early promise the more you think about it, how can you take the idea and make it into the reality of a startup? Well, on this episode of the number one small business podcast, we’re joined by Al Bentley who has taken his initial idea and created Simply Wall Street, a service aimed at making us all better investors by provided financial data in a new way.

Leaving square one can sometimes be the most difficult stage on a journey as there is so much to think about we can suffer from paralysis by analysis. Validating your idea is the obvious starting point, and Al recommends breaking down different parts of your idea and validating them in a modular way. This can help with focus and it can also tell you where your idea isn’t working so you can pivot or adapt a single feature as opposed to scrapping the whole idea.

Don’t let your great idea get bogged down in this way. Get out there and tell people about it. Make sure that the problem that you are hoping to solve is widespread enough and that there is a big enough market out there. Once you’ve done so, you can start preparing to help your idea grow in earnest.

Al is going to tell us all about his, and Simply Wall Street’s, journey from idea to startup. He will also be providing three actionable tips that can help guide you on your path.

Issue Challenged in this Small Business Podcast Episode:

How can I turn my idea into a startup?

About Al:

Al Bentley is the CEO and co-founder of an innovative new startup, Simply Wall Street. The company aims to help people become better investors through the use of detailed infographics which can be understood more easily than the typical, dry financial data that they consult before investing.

Investing in stocks can be a minefield and the amount of information out there can be overwhelming, which often leads to poor choices. Simply Wall Street provides over 10,000 infographics every day for companies listed on stock exchanges in the US, the UK and Australia.

Al’s Actionable Tips:

* Validate your idea. You have to be confident that you’ve found a genuine problem with a big potential market. Don’t worry about the solution at the beginning. You can break things down into small projects.
* Prepare your life. It’s worth making preparations to make the move to operating your own startup easier. Often startups fail because the founders haven’t adequately prepared their lives.
* Ask yourself if you really need to build it. Do you really need to build an app or a website? Or could you frame your solution in another way?



Top Quotes:

* “We believe that self-directed investing doesn’t have to be that difficult.”
* “What we aim to do is to turn people into better investors.”
* “Validation is the single most important thing you need to do. Until you’ve validated an idea you’re potentially wasting your own time.”
* “Nobody uses an app just for the user experience. You need to focus on a problem and make sure that you are providing a solution to that problem.”
* “It’s important to not be scared to share your ideas. Don’t try and keep it shrouded in secrecy and you’ll get far further by telling people about it than by trying to hide it.”
* “If you’re jumping right to the solution, you probably haven’t understood the problem.”

Putting your heart and soul into a new product or service can be one of the most exciting aspects of being an entrepreneur. Seeing your idea flourish before your eyes can be fantastic and we can all get carried away at times. It can be hard to know when to stop making improvements and endless tweaks and let it out into the world.

After the fun of getting the idea together, doing the market research, validating your potential customer base and crunching the numbers, releasing your product or service into the marketplace can feel terrifying. Not only have you spent a great deal of time, effort and money on preparing, but there will no doubt be some of your ego wrapped up in it too. What if the market research wasn’t thorough enough? What if there’s a whole load of criticism? Have I completely missed the mark? Take about stressful!

With all those questions in mind, we all want to make sure that what we take to market is perfect in every way. This can cause delays, friction with partners and wasted money and time. At some point, you are going to just have to get it out there! Only by releasing it can you gain valuable feedback from people who are using your product or service the way that it should be used. The feedback that they can provide can be invaluable to any new product as it will allow you to make constructive tweaks, not for the sake of your ego, but that will genuinely improve the product or experience for future customers.

They say you can only launch something once, and perhaps that was true in the past, but in the world of startups that we live in now, the public are used to seeing products being changed after launch to better serve the customer base. And launching once, perhaps with tweaks afterwards, is a lot better than never launching at all because something is not quite right!

With us on this episode of your favourite small business podcast is Jaime Jay. Jaime is going to take us through his experiences of launching Podcast Professors and share his tips for anyone stuck at this particular bottleneck at the moment.

Issue Challenged in this Small Business Podcast:

When do you know when your product is ready to launch?

About Jaime:

Jaime Jay is a podcaster, entrepreneur and WordPress marketing expert. When he’s not discussing the latest in online entrepreneurship on his show, Stop Riding the Pine, Jaime is hard at work sharing his experiences and expertise with the world at Podcast Professors. The site provides action plans, tutorials and advice for those new to the world of podcasting. The site also has a vibrant community of likeminded podcasters willing to help one another with their podcasting issues.

Jaime also runs Slap Shot Studios, a WordPress marketing company that provides total solutions to those in need of high quality WordPress designs, tailored content and promotion.

Actionable Tips:

* Understand that your project will need tweaks and adjustments. You can’t ignore feedback that could help the product and you need to address bugs and issues as they arise.
* Avoid paralysis by analysis. Don’t wait for your product to be perfect or you might never launch it and receive the valuable feedback that could help the product evolve.
* Get feedback from your friends and family. They will be the most honest with you and they will help you learn how to clearly explain your product to people outside your business or industry.



Top Quotes:

* “Making a change to an existing solution can be challenging because it depends on how big of a change it is. It could extend the timeline of when we want to finish something, so we do take into consideration all the enquiries and questions but we don’t act on every single one of them or else we would never be able to release a product.”

We all get those lightbulb moments from time to time. Brilliant ideas that we think could have a real impact and really go somewhere. But as we start thinking more critically, the steps needed to make that idea a reality seem daunting. We find that someone has already brought a similar idea to market, or that there are technical hurdles that we may not have the know-how to overcome. The more we think, the less promising the idea becomes. This paralysis by analysis can stop many of us capitalising on great ideas.

Often, taking the first step is all that's needed as each subsequent step feels a little easier and the realization that the idea could become reality sets in. How can we take that first step with some confidence?

Someone who knows about this from recent personal experience is Hugo Sykes. Hugo was studying towards his Master's degree in Engineering at Oxford when he came up with the Community Call Blocker, an innovative solution to the annoying, and potential dangerous, problem of nuisance callers. His lightbulb moment came after his grandparents almost became the victims of fraud through nuisance phone calls. On this episode of your favourite small business podcast, he's going to share his experience of taking the first steps after having had his initial idea.

Issue Challenged in this Small Business Podcast

When we have a great idea, how do we take the first step towards making it a reality?

About Hugo

Hugo Sykes is the inventor behind the Community Call Blocker which is a revolutionary solution to the problem of nuisance phone calls. Hugo hopes to put an end to nuisance and fraudulent phone calls once and for all.

He came up with the idea while studying towards a Master's degree in Engineering at Oxford University. His grandparents came very close to losing a great deal of money in an intricate phone scam. This lightbulb moment set Hugo on the path of entrepreneurship and his product is the most advanced of its kind on the market. The network approach used by the Community Call Blocker allows people to protect each other.

Here's here with us on this episode to share his experience of proving his concept, securing funding and bringing his product to market.

Actionable Tips

* Do your homework. Know your market and know your customers. Initial research can save time and money further down the line.
* Talk it out with trusted allies. It's easy to get wrapped up in your own enthusiasm so it's important to ask those you trust to challenge your ideas so you can work out if it they’re viable.
* Consider funding options. Don't rush into the first funding option that's presented to you. Always go into investment meetings with choice.

 Top Quotes

* "Your friends and family are the first ports of call when validating an idea."
* "You need to do some level of research. Are there similar products on the market? What do the competitors do differently?"
* "The step between prototype and finished product is where you need to go and find investment."
* "After making the prototype, the technical side of the work is over. It then becomes a case of taking it to experts in the industry, asking for feedback and searching for suitable investment."
* "Some people say you should join a company in the industry in which you want to start your own business, learn all of the information and then start your own company. We didn't do that, we jumped straight in. Our window of opportunity was limited."
* "If someone has a similar idea to you, it just proves that you can make money doing it. Competition can stop us, but it shows that there is a market."
* "You can have the best technology in the world, but if you haven’t got the distribution channels, marketing and financing behind it you aren’t going to...

It seems that almost every day we hear of the next killer app, a system or service that will revolutionise our lives and businesses. But for every Uber or Evernote, there are hundreds of others that fell by the wayside and failed to make the desired impact. If we have an idea that we think can improve how we live and do business, how can we pursue that idea without falling victim to the same pitfalls as so many others?

Our guest in this episode is Rawnet’s Adam Smith, someone who knows a great deal about creating successful products in the digital realm. With a track record for building innovative businesses, Adam knows how to make a success of those lightbulb ideas. Perhaps more importantly, he knows what to avoid.

During a product’s development we often hear of scope creep, when the primary goals of the products are expanded and expanded until the final product bears little resemblance to the original idea. In a similar vein, software and mobile apps can fall into development hell, where too many stakeholders with too many competing ideas can end up delaying or sinking a very promising concept.

The more that a product suffers from delays or a lack of focus, the more expensive its development will be and the most costly its potential failure.

When then, as small business owners, should we take the steps to create our own digital products? And what parameters should be set before embarking on such a project? How should we decide which are the essential features?

Listen to this episode of your favourite small business podcast to gain some powerful insights on this topic from a renowned expert in the field.
Issue Challenged in this Small Business Podcast Episode:
How do we know which digital products are right for our businesses? And how can we stop spending too much on the wrong ones?

About Adam:

Adam Smith is the founder and Managing Director of Rawnet, a multi-award winning digital web agency that specialises in mobile development, web app development and conversion optimization. The company also works on behalf of clients to handle all other aspects of their digital strategies.

Adam has been innovating in the digital space since the late ‘90s and prior to the founding Rawnet, he also created the world’s most successful white label online dating application, whitelabeldating.com.

Adam Actionable Tips:

* Work out feature ROIs. Each feature has a development cost and each feature that’s added can dilute the original concept. Therefore, every feature needs to pay for itself. Is this going to get any more sign ups? And is this a feature something that the end user needs or is it a merely a ‘nice-to-have’?
* Keep the proposition simple. Can you explain the product in one sentence? What’s the one thing that is does very well? If it takes you more than 30 seconds to explain, the idea is too broad and you won’t be able to market it. A nice, simple message is needed to get the attention of clients. Consumers are pulled in so many directions. If something is too complicated, they won’t spend the time looking into it.
* Be prepared to pivot. You need to be prepared to pivot, but also wary of not becoming like a headless chicken, darting in different directions at high speeds. Don’t be afraid to change tack, but learn from the user feedback and move in a direction that will help grow the business. Letting go of the original idea can be tough, but sometimes tough love is needed for success in business.

Top Quotes:

* “We couldn’t afford to think big picture. It was our own money so we needed to be lean.”
* “We’ve seen stuff that hasn’t worked so well, we’ve seen stuff flop and we’ve seen stuff explode in terms of success way beyond what any of us could have imagined.”
* “If you try and be all things to all men,

The face of customer service is changing, and customer relationships are vital. The recent boom in transparency of information, social media, and use of "big" data have created high service levels from companies. So much so, that proactive customer service is now expected, not the exception. 

Digital = customer first – without compromise!

Programmed empathy and virtual assistants can be human-like and may take over. If we are just average as humans, then computers will beat us.

Companies are investing tons of money into digital technology when it comes to customer service. Human contact will continue to decrease, which means human contact will increase in value. Therefore, businesses need to invest in both human and digital factors.

What is the differentiating point between humans and machines (says Arnold)? Make sure you are good at things that computers are not good at yet. Also, the three things that will make a difference are empathy, passion, and creativity.

Think in a different way when it comes to customer service.

* Put customers first
* Express sincere interest in customers
* The customer is always right!
* Improve your customer service rating? Impact where customers see the difference.
* Don’t just consider what the competitors are doing - don’t be just average.
* Be authentically friendly - even if you are having a bad day.

Someday, you may not recognise the difference between humans and computers when it comes to customer service. So make sure you don’t become extinct!

About Steven:
Steven is a thought leader on the transformation of customer relationships and the future of marketing. He is an expert in inspiring companies to become true customer-centric organizations in this high speed digital world.
His talks inspire companies about the smart usage of technology in the customer relationship without forgetting the human side of business. His keynotes are mind stretchers for business leaders. A very energetic and pragmatic keynote speaker, Steven shares his vision in speeches and workshops around the world.
Challenged Issue:

In this podcast, we challenge the issue of how you can become a customer relationship specialist in a digital world.

Steven’s Actionable Tips:

* Invest in human skills – that will make a significant difference in the digital world.
* Install faster and real-time customer service.
* Computers can personalise, and people make it personal.



Top Quotes:

* “The increase of technology has made it possible for companies to deliver more high-level customer service than we used to have.”
* “The challenge is to look beyond your industry and to check out what the best examples in the world are and let them be your benchmark.”
* “Everything in a customer relationship can be automated – I think we are close to that point.”
* “Do we motivate people to be good in human skills or do we hold people back to be good at them? How serious are we about those human skills?”
* “No one likes authentic unfriendliness.”
* “We will all prefer programmed empathy above real unfriendliness.”
* “Empathy, passion, creativity – but it does make a difference.”
* “A lot of companies think, ok – digital part, that’s a hard one, and the human part – that’s an easy one…but I think that’s a big misunderstanding.”

Guest Links:

* Steven Van Belleghem (http://stevenvanbelleghem.com/)
* Embracelet (http://www.embracelet.be/en/)
* InSites Consulting (http://www.insites-consulting.com)

Customer service isn't hard - it's about being genuine; a person; a human who understands the needs of other people and has a willingness to help.

The trouble is, we're all busy - right?

Well, so what.

There's no excuse for poor customer service and I'd even challenge that we should be delighting our customers every single day. Without fail

Let's dig in...

Challenged Issue:

In this podcast, we challenge the issue of customer service – how you can delight your customers every single day.

Mark’s Actionable Tips:

* Give people your time. Talk to them personally, but set respectful parameters with your time and efforts. Try not to delegate unless absolutely necessary.
* Be honest when you make a mistake. You don’t have to be the person who is infallible and never messes up. It happens. So apologize and rectify the mistake – even if the mistake is not yours.
* Involve your customers. Don’t turn people off. Instead, listen to them. Let them challenge you to make your business better!



Top Quotes:

* “People expect quality response.”
* “Things really, really get a little bit hairy if you let things get on top of you.”
* “People always will demand your attention.”
* “People are genuinely just people.”
* “That’s what it is all about – is creating friends.”
* “We all make mistakes. It is human nature.”
* “You have to shoulder that responsibility. You have to be honest.”
* “Involve your customers, treat them as friends, and even if they challenge you, acknowledge that involvement.”

Guest Links:

* Podcast Websites (https://podcastwebsites.com/)
* DMSQD (http://dmsqd.com/)

Resources:

* John Lee Dumas (http://www.entrepreneuronfire.com/)
* Business Buff Podcast (https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/business-buff-entrepreneurs/id979670013?mt=2)
* Podcast Movement (http://podcastmovement.com/)
* Excellence Expected Stitcher (http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/excellence-expected)
* Excellence Expected iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/excellence-expected-inspirational/id924421463&ls=1)

Key Timestamps:

* 0:32 Podcast Websites
* 1:28 Challenged issue
* 3:05 Initial set up and chaos
* 3:43 Maintaining service
* 5:15 Dealing with customers
* 5:29 Actionable tips

Don’t forget, the more you expect from yourself the more you WILL excel!

You know, startups aren't all about ping pong and foosball - in fact it's a pressure cooker!

We have all heard about the rapidly growing "unicorn" businesses that generate billion dollar status overnight, Über et al.

But that's just the swan on top of the water...

In fact, there are lots of ups and downs, and it takes 7-9 years to reach unicorn success. Work/life/integration – you are always working, so you need to learn how to integrate work and life.

However, it is an inspiring time for entrepreneurialism and startups, which are changing economics and the business world as we know it. Successful startups cause a disruption in the business world. They have an understanding of what’s going on in a specific domain and develop solutions to customers’ problems.

Characteristics of successful businesses and those with the potential to become billion dollar businesses:

* Idea: Focused on something that will alternate customers’ future in a major way. Look to future trends to be more successful.
* Team: Should be diverse - different skill sets, experiences, etc. Do you have people who are coachable and can work together on a team?
* Accessibility of market: Don’t focus on markets that are too small.

Characteristics of successful entrepreneurs:

* Identify a problem that they are passionate about changing
* Vision/delusion for how they want to change it
* Bold and audacious about selling their vision

If you want to do a startup business, just keep doing it until it gets done. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and push the envelope to be different.

About Michael:
Michael Baum is the Founder and CEO of FOUNDER.org, a foundation working with leading colleges, universities and research institutes around the world to advance student entrepreneurship. His entrepreneurial journey has spanned 25 years, six start-ups, five acquisitions and the IPO of Splunk (SPLK).
Michael's projects have created more than 3,000 jobs, over 150 millionaires and more than $10B in shareholder value. He is a Computer Science graduate from Drexel University and earned an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Michael is also an inventor of several patents in big data, machine learning and financial transaction management. He is still chasing big ideas with student entrepreneurs around the world.
Challenged Issue:

In this podcast, we challenge the issue of if your business is not growing quickly enough or you’re wondering what you can do to the same success seen elsewhere.

Michael’s Actionable Tips:

* Who are your customers and what are their expectations for the future? Create a new future for your customers.
* Look at how you are going about this. If it does not seem delusional, then you are probably not pushing the envelope hard enough.
* Be able to sell your desire to change the status quo. It takes practice to do it right.



Top Quotes:

* “I’m working with young innovators right out of university that have ideas to build companies that are both going to have a positive impact on the world and be able to grow pretty quickly and need the input and expertise of people like me to help them along.”
* “In the valley, it has always been driven by the possibilities of technology and people’s passions to push that envelope.”
* “People are going to try something to make a life for themselves.”
* “I’m smart. I’ve got skills. I could do something on my own.”
* “If you want to create a sizeable company, you have to focus on a sizeable market.”
* “We find that customers are really great about articulating their problems.

Investment: A buzzword that is massive right now and something that brings about a lot of opportunity. However, most people do not know much about it.

As an entrepreneur, you need to secure investments to get others to buy into your vision and dream. You need to look at investment opportunities to grow your business!

Start out with your friends and family members - borrow money from them. They are a key point to starting your business!

Then look for outside investors. They want a return on their investment. So they look for certain characteristics and traits in people. They are more interested in you than your business.

Investors are willing to help if you are:

* Passionate
* Driven
* Willing to make sacrifices
* Dedicated
* Innovative
* Smart
* Energetic

Finding investors is just one thing you need to do to scale your business. But there is so much more.

* As an entrepreneur, work hard, work long hours, and get your hands dirty. Never be afraid to learn something new. All of this leads to opportunities.
* Also, visit blogs, forums, and other outlets to communicate with like-minded people and find opportunities.
* Outsource services to save money and run your business. Invest in your own company.
* Look at businesses you can partner with.

Follow what you want to do. Don’t give up. Persevere. Plus, once you succeed, maybe you can invest in other companies!

About Mark:
Mark started MyVoucherCodes for £300 in 2006 and sold it in June 2014 as part of a £55million acquisition.
Mark grew up in Liverpool, left school at 16, did an NVQ in catering and moved to London age 18 for a job in the Claridges kitchen. While working his way up the high end kitchen chain, he seized an opportunity to run three gastropubs. The business was profitable but Mark realised that a bricks and mortar business had a glass ceiling. He fell in love with ecommerce as it is scalable and started the UKs first voucher codes from his bedroom. Year over year MyVoucherCodes.co.uk has grown dramatically and it is now a multi million pound business active in 12 countries.
Mark has also invested in more than 9 tech startups to the tune of £5million in the past 3 years including Ve Interactive, Paddle and Playlists.net.
Challenged Issue:

In this episode, we challenge the issue of when a startup is looking for funding but keeps failing and does not get investments. Therefore, we discuss how to secure those investments.

Mark’s Actionable Tips:

* Do your homework. Be an expert in your sector. Know what you are talking about when asking for money. Be confident in your abilities, knowledge, and skills.
* Think big. Don’t be afraid to project your ideas. Be realistic, but blow investors’ socks off. Show them how big the opportunity can be!
* Prove your passion and commitment. Have everything in place (vision, goals, plans, etc.) when talking with investors. 



Top Quotes:

* “For the first time, I chose what I wanted to do.”
* “Actually, I am as good as other people in different areas. I’ve just got to find out what I am good at.”
* “Like any career, you’ve got to work your way up.”
* “If you are going to be an entrepreneur and going to go on this journey, it is not a 9-to-5 and it’s not easy.”
* “I always had an entrepreneurial drive inside, but didn’t really have any opportunities to fulfill them.”
* “I had grand ambitions internally of what I wanted to achieve.”
* “I was the voucher king.”
* “Some of these companies have grown to be huge.”
* “That’s what excites me about investing.

Stop making excuses! You’ve got everything you need to start a business - full-time job or not.

But here's where the first time sidepreneur usually falls at the first hurdle: you don’t have to quit your full-time job to make your idea a reality. Keep your full-time job and develop your idea on the side until it is market-ready.

The only thing you need is to be committed to your product/idea and believe in it!

About Dennis:

Dennis is the CEO and co-founder of Orderella, a mobile ordering and payment plan for hospitality. It turns your smartphone into a mobile waiter and your nightlife companion!

Image credit: eatoutmagazine.co.uk

Challenged Issue: 

In this podcast, we challenge the issue what you need to do to start a business whilst working a full-time job? What are the three steps you need to take right now?

Dennis’s Actionable Tips:

* As quickly as possible, create a product that you can show and share.
* Keep things simple when it comes to your core product. You can add features later on.
* Scale: Secure partnership with larger brands and corporations.

Top Quotes:

* “At one point, I was kind of tired of the corporate world, and decide … you know what … I wanted to do my own business.”
* “Technology is making people’s lives incrementally easier.”
* “Nothing is stopping you.”
* “It shows the initiative. It shows the entrepreneurial spirit.”
* “You just gotta follow what you want to do.”
* “Does your idea have legs?”
* “See if people love it or hate it, and then go from there.”
* “Just do it!”
* “There are different (funding) options out there.”
* “It’s better to have a percentage of something fantastic than 100 percent of something that is not very good.”
* “Nothing will be perfect, so just start doing it. Take that first step!”

Guest Links:

* Orderella (http://www.orderella.co.uk/)
* LinkedIn (http://in.linkedin.com/pub/dennis-collet/19/610/84a) 

Resources:

* Podcast Movement (http://podcastmovement.com/)
* The Essential 14–Day Guide to Cutting Your Working Hours and Increasing Your Impact (https://www.excellence-expected.com/cwh/) 

Key Timestamps:

* 0:38 Challenged issue
* 1:00 Introduction of guest
* 2:53 On-demand services
* 4:47 Concept to fully functioning business
* 8:15 Being open to opportunities and ideas
* 10:49 Finding time
* 12:34 Telling people and getting caught
* 13:27 Benefits
* 14:30 Actionable tips
* 22:47 Focus and assigning roles
* 24:52 Recap of actionable tips
* 26:18 Guest’s links

Don’t forget, the more you expect from yourself the more you WILL excel!