Financially Simple

Succession planning and exit planning are terms that are often used interchangeably. However, each one is a vital aspect of business planning that works to achieve different outcomes. So, what is the difference? In this episode, I take a closer look at succession planning vs. exit planning. I also discuss their benefits, why and how business owners should use them, and when to begin planning.   This week on The Financially Simple Podcast:   (1:00) What is Succession Planning? (2:01) The Many Benefits (5:36) When Should You Begin Succession Planning (7:48) Introduction to Exit Planning (9:26) How Exit Planning Benefits Owner and Business (10:41) Facilitating a Sale Without Making an Exit   Our Favorite Quotes: "Unlike reactive hiring practices, the succession planning process is well-planned-out. It is a long-term procedure of building several internal pools of qualified candidates who are able to fill vacancies." - Justin Goodbread "Don't make the mistake of thinking you can wait until you're ready to han

Understanding your customers is a critical aspect of business. But there might be more substantial benefits than you think. When you're just starting off, it's usually necessary to take on as many clients as you can. However, as you grow, this practice could actually stunt the growth of your business. In this episode, I discuss 3 ways (metrics) to determine your ideal client and how you can use the results to supercharge your business's potential for growth. I'll also explore the individual calculations that go into each of these metrics.   This week on The Financially Simple Podcast:   (3:14) The Recency, Frequency, Monetary Value Model (5:31) Customer Lifetime Value (11:26) Customer Acquisition Cost (13:11) The CLV Over CAC Metric (16:02) How to Use the Results to Grow Your Business   Our Favorite Quotes: "Sometimes you have to say, 'No' to the good things in order to say, 'Yes' to the great things." — Justin Goodbread     About The Financially Simple Podcast   If you are looking for a podcast that speak

Business owners are just wired differently than most people. We want to do things our way and we're willing to work twice as hard to make that a possibility. I've often said we're the only people in the world who will work 80 hours per week for ourselves so that we don't have to work 40 for someone else. But it takes a special kind of person to succeed in business. You've got to be tenacious and willing to charge hell with a water pistol. Why do we enjoy such a challenging lifestyle? In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Yvonne Kinney, a business psychologist who specializes in consulting business owners. Together, we look at what makes business owners tick, how to change our thinking so we can get out of our own way, and how to prepare for life beyond business!   This week on The Financially Simple Podcast  The advantage of knowing what makes you tick (3:02) Identifying strengths and making good decisions (4:44) How a business psychologist can help keep you grounded (8:30) Using psychology to motivate

As a business owner, you must always be ready for change. Adapting and reacting to shifts in the market, technologies, consumer trends, etc., can help keep your business moving in the right direction. Sometimes, that means pivoting away from your original plan. Pivoting to a new business model or offering doesn't indicate failure. If done properly, it could be an effective strategy. In this episode, I discuss how to create a successful pivot strategy. I also explain a few important steps to take when implementing a pivot.   This week on The Financially Simple Podcast: Why you might need to pivot (1:51) Pivoting doesn't indicate failure (3:53) Take the long view (8:28) Don't neglect short-term sustainability (11:41) Listen to outside perspectives (14:31) Communication is vital (17:06) Wrap-up (20:00) Our Favorite Quotes:  "Pivoting, changing a strategy, changing a key player, changing a product line does not indicate failure. In fact, I would argue, it's the opposite." – Justin Goodbread "K

One of the greatest parts of entrepreneurship is the freedom to choose how you're going to operate your business. You can choose the type of business you want to run, what your product will be, who you're interested in helping, etc. The possibilities seem to go on and on into eternity. As long as you follow sound business principles, you're at least going to have a shot at success regardless of the type of company you own. However, many business owners overlook one model that could be the key to sustainable growth. Recurring revenue models can offer predictability and stability, helping you to scale and making your business more attractive to prospective buyers and investors. In this episode, I explore types of recurring revenue models and how they could benefit your business regardless of industry. "If you think in a constructive manner, in a creative manner, more than likely, you can fit or you can adjust or modify one of these models into your own business or to complement your current offering so that you

Mentorship is a valuable asset in the business world. It is beneficial for both the mentor and the mentee. The mentee benefits from your experience. On the other hand, you, as the mentor, get to sharpen your skills and increase your network. Perhaps you've identified a promising young talent in your company and want to help them grow. But where do you begin? What's the most effective path to accelerate their growth? How do you measure progress? And, just as important, how do you know when to end the mentor/mentee relationship?  In this episode, I discuss the ways team leadership and upskilling staff can benefit your business. Likewise, I look at the key components of mentoring an employee from identifying goals and communication to knowing when it's time to end the mentoring relationship.  "Being a mentor has allowed me to expand my skills." – Justin Goodbread  This week on The Financially Simple Podcast: The Benefits of Mentorship (1:03) How to Effectively Mentor an Employee (6:32) Set Clear Goals (10:37) W

When you own a family business, it's important to keep family discord and internal conflict out of the business. Those who can manage the family dynamics within their companies will often see them become generational businesses. But that's not always the easiest thing to do. In this episode, I'm joined by a father & son team who has made the family business work. My dear friends Chris (CEO) and Scott Snider (President) of the Exit Planning Institute have found the key to dealing with internal conflict as a family-owned business. Together, we will discuss some of the difficulties of operating generational businesses and the solutions they've found to combat them.   This week on The Financially Simple Podcast: What it's like for the second generation. (02:16) Designing the business to prevent family conflict. (03:40) Battling an "entitlement" mindset. (07:20) Protecting the family culture. (15:30) Transition of control. (20:45) Knowing when the second generation is ready. (28:15) The emotions of making an

Owning a family business is as much a part of the American dream as having a house with a front porch swing and white picket fence. It's a fine dream to have, and for many, it can be a reality. However, owning a family business is hard. You're dealing with all the usual problems business owners face while adding complex family dynamics to the mix. Things can grow even more complicated when it's time to leave the business.  In this episode, I discuss some of the pitfalls that can arise when your kids take over the family business. I look at why the three-generation rule may not be entirely accurate and explain how entitlement isn't just a problem in the younger generation. Likewise, I examine how misaligned dreams, poor planning, and even sibling rivalry could create major problems for the future of your family business. "Education helps us and, if we apply it, we can often sidestep pitfalls." – Justin Goodbread This week on The Financially Simple Podcast: The Three-Generation Rule (1:10) "Most of it is nonse

Recession is a very real part of the economic cycle. Yet, it's one that nobody really likes to talk about. Understandably, the term conjures many negative emotions. People become fearful during periods of uncertainty in the economy. But we must think differently, as business owners. Although your instinct may be to draw back and cut spending during economic uncertainty, this will likely prevent you from taking advantage of the opportunities it presents. Knowing how to weather a recession could put you and your business in a very advantageous position when the economy recovers. In this episode, I look at five ways you could take advantage of the next recession. I explain how a recession fits into the normal economic cycle and how you can access more affordable advertising, vendor pricing, and more. Join me to find out how your business could benefit from a recession. "Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful." – Warren Buffett   This week on The Financially Simple Podcast: What i

Luke Acree is the President of ReminderMedia, an organization that helps businesses generate leads, develop repeat clients, and capture referrals. Under Luke's leadership, ReminderMedia has expanded its product line to include turnkey social media management, digital magazines, email marketing, and analytics. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Longwood University and also. In addition to his responsibilities as President of ReminderMedia, Luke serves as the Vice Chairman for the Calvary Vision Church's board of directors and hosts the StayPaid podcast, a show where he, his co-host Josh Stike, and their guests give listeners actionable sales and marketing advice that will help them live a life of freedom.    Luke joins me today to discuss the pillars of building great relationships with clients. He describes who your company's raving fans are and shares the key methods to creating more of them. He explains what makes Chick-fil-A an exceptional company and how billion-dollar companie

Business owners all over the country are feeling the effects of inflation in their organizations. The longer it goes on, the harder it becomes to simply "wait it out." The truth is many business owners are facing a tough choice… continue watching their profit margins diminish until they're forced to close their doors or increase their pricing. But how can business owners raise their rates without losing customers? In this episode, I detail the necessary steps to increase your pricing without scaring away your customers. I explain the importance of quantifying your changes with real data, communicating increases with your sales team, and following up with customers after the increase has taken place. Additionally, I look at why timing is critical to successfully executing a price increase. This week on The Financially Simple Podcast: The effects of the current inflationary trend (02:35) A multi-faceted approach to determine what your price needs to be (04:45) Gauging competitor pricing (08:25) Peanut Butter

In the tough economy we're in, we frequently see fierce price wars raging between companies. Business owners are tenacious, bullheaded, and ferociously competitive people. We want to win at all costs, and all the time. But winning a price war can be dangerous—when we're not careful with our emotions, we can find ourselves trying to win a race to the bottom. So, when you see your competitors drastically driving down their product or service price, don't lower yours just yet. In this episode, I discuss how we should respond as business owners whenever we find ourselves in a price war. I explain the negative impact of lowering your prices on your business, profit margins, product or service quality, and labor power. I describe how Apple increased its product sales by creating differentiation strategies and how Chick-fil-A outpaced its competitors without lowering their prices. I also share some strategies to implement in your business when facing a possible price war and outline other alternatives to lowering th

Christopher Shea is the Chief Investment Officer at WealthSource Partners, a financial advisory firm dedicated to helping financial advisors thrive with business resources, innovative solutions, and ongoing support. Chris's diverse career in the investment management industry includes security research, portfolio construction consulting, investment product development, and portfolio management. Before joining WealthSource, he was the Co-founder of CataMetrics Management, a firm focused on providing investment advisors with an integrated investment solution. He also served as the CIO of US Wealth Management and Vice President of Goldman Sachs. Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in addition to a Chartered Financial Analyst designation. Chris joins me today to offer advice on how business owners can invest. He shares his background in investment management and describes how he became the Chief Investment Officer of WealthSource. He discusses asset clas

Business owners and leaders always set visions not only for their companies, but for products and services as well. The thing is, life happens, and not everything turns out exactly as we plan. While we leaders and managers can push through change, disruptions, or obstacles, it's not necessarily the same for teams and employees—and we're inclined to go so fast that we don't think about how the people around us perceive change and disruption.   In these circumstances, it's easy for employees to become critical. That's something we always want to avoid; when we're driving change or adapting to disruptions like a pandemic, we need to get employee buy-in to have advocates for the success of the organization.   In this episode, I outline how you can build employee buy-in, especially during times of change and disruption. I define employee buy-in and differentiate it from employees' adoption of your company's mission. I explain why adoption—of company values or product and service vision—will quickly fall apart with

Many of us business owners are like drivers: our heads are always in the future, thinking about where our companies are headed. On the other hand, many of us aren't experts in human resources and have difficulty working with groups of people with different personalities and skill sets. Still, people are an essential aspect of a company and we have to have a core group of high-performing employees aligned with the direction of the company we're driving. And, amid the Great Resignation, it has become more imperative for business owners to keep their A-level employees happy.   In this episode, I outline the different ways to make your top-performing employees happy and retain them. I discuss how voluntary turnover rates have increased since the pandemic began and describe new workforce issues and needs today's business owners face. I explain why flexible working arrangements are vital to retaining key employees. I also highlight the multigenerational impact of employee recognition and underscore how happy employ

Undoubtedly, in our lives as business owners, we will reach a point where we find ourselves considering selling our businesses. Some owners may feel like they've already achieved a certain goal while others may want to sell their business to raise funds for a new venture. Whatever the reason is, we business owners need to be prepared, and we need to take a step back and evaluate whether it's really time to exit our businesses. In this episode, I outline the factors that determine whether a business owner is ready to sell their company. I explain why many business owners feel regretful within a year of selling their businesses and discuss how you can avoid experiencing an identity crisis after exiting your business. I also describe the "trigger" events that make owners want to transition their companies and underscore why an exit plan is essential to a successful business sale. "With real estate, it's 'location, location, location.' With business exits, it's timing, timing, timing." - Justin Goodbread   This w

What do you do when you hire the wrong person into your company? One of the most difficult aspects of owning and running a business is human resources—people, and hiring them. As business owners, we spend a lot of time, money, resources, sweat, intellectual equity, and energy trying to hire the right people: we articulate and write the perfect job description and go through hours of countless interviews. So, when we realize that an employee isn't a good fit for the role, it becomes a difficult challenge for us to approach. In this episode, I discuss the steps to take when you've hired the wrong person. I explain why cultural fit is non-negotiable in your organization and outline passive and proactive approaches to identifying poor cultural fit. I describe the signs that tell you've hired the right person for the wrong role and how you can fix the issue. I also highlight how you can mitigate legal action following the termination of an employee due to poor fit or performance and underscore the importance of le

We entrepreneurs have an unbelievable propensity for optimism. When it comes to cutting ties with something familiar, we often face familiarity bias. So, when it's time to phase out a product or service, we tend to cling to it. Or because it's familiar to us, we never know the right time to innovate our product or service mix and lose out on opportunities to widen our margins. But, friends, the world of business is a world of change. The economy ebbs and flows, and consumer trends always evolve. And as things change, we business owners have to be adaptable and in constant creation mode. In this episode, I outline the factors that tell us it's time to let go of an offer in our business. I explain what the product life cycle is, the characteristics of its different stages, and the variables that impact its phases. I discuss some key considerations we must make before discontinuing a product or service. I also highlight how tracking the profitability of a product or service can help us evaluate if we should disc

Every day when I turn on the news I see the word "inflation" and never in my life have I seen this word so much. Just the other day, my wife and I went to our local grocery store and purchased bacon, but the cost has been getting increasingly expensive. It's not just food—we've seen inflation impact power bills and gasoline. Every time we turn around, it seems like inflation is rearing its ugly head. It's a nemesis: an enemy to wealth creation  As business owners, we're not just facing inflation at home. It's not just impacting our checkbooks, but our daily business operations too. As we question how we can deal with inflation, we must also consider how we can increase our profits during these times. In this episode, I discuss inflation and how your business can maintain or increase profit margins during inflationary times. I outline some actions to take to mitigate the effects of inflation on your business. I share some inflationary trends and insights from the Harvard Business Review and describe how one co

You've probably heard me preach—shout from the mountaintops, even—several times that for us to drive the values of our companies, we have to decentralize ourselves. We have to remove ourselves from the epicenter of our business—position ourselves where it can function without us. But if decentralization is crucial to the success of our companies, why do we keep returning to the fray?   In this episode, I discuss recentralization, why business owners do it, and what to do to avoid it. I share the different factors that make business owners jump back into the center of their business and explain how decentralization drives the growth of your business. I also highlight the power of business systems and standard operating procedures and underscore the importance of cultivating your company's culture.   "Don't recentralize yourself. Your team, your customers, and your business are incumbent on you decentralizing—removing yourself from the epicenter of the business." - Justin Goodbread   This week on the Financiall