https://corbinlinks.com/cls042
The long-overdue, money segment is here!
If you’ve been with the show for a while (thank you), or brand new (welcome!), you’ve heard a lot about clients this, business that, and productivity that.
But what about cost containment? After all, 3 ways to improve the bottom line:
1. Spend less
2. Make more
3. Make more AND spend less (which is usually an inverse relationship, and topic for another time)
We’ve talked all about the “make more” part. (No worries—I’ll be coming back to that again and again.)
Today is about the “spend less” side of the equation. Really successful businesses have a LOT coming in, and make sure it’s ALWAYS more than what’s going out.
I know, I know…we all think we know this---but the majority of new businesses, and especially startup business, operate on the “let’s stay in the red long enough to build a business, then shoot into the black.” Honestly, sometimes that DOES work. But mostly—not so much. And since we’re ALL about building a strong, well-founded business from day one, that includes strong cost management and cost containment.
So get out your virtual ledgers, notebooks, and comfy earbuds and let’s hit it!
Full show notes: https://corbinlinks.com/cls042
Sitting down with a new coaching client the other day, she asked me what I would do over or differently in my business today, if starting over from scratch.
Great question, and one that forced me to think on it quite a bit There are a couple parts to this. I got a mini-taste of this during my “business crash” phase in 2009, which I talked about in episode CLS006. That is one of the true must-listen episodes of The Corbin Links Show, as it deals with existing businesses who need to restart-get “re-profitable” and fast. (Will link to it in the show notes.)
There was a key difference back in our 2009 mini-crash: we HAD an existing business, with foundation, structure, systems, it was just severely wounded. Not quite the same as today’s scenario.
Today, I'm talking completely clean slate “do-over”. What would the new business look like? How is it different from today? What would I tell my pre-business self?
Partly, my CPI course was created for this very thing. It’s all about getting a solid, profitable business up and running quickly. BUT, each person and business situation is different, and mine would be a bit different from the current setup.
So there’s some backstory. No “What’s Been Happening” or promo segment today, I’m just going for the content.
Without further ado, let’s dive in!
Today I’m tackling another side of the virtual assistant business. And like any business—as with coaching or anything else—there’s great and not-so-great things about it. And since Tim Ferriss’ famous “4 Hour Work Week” came out, the Internet has been abuzz about virtual assistants.
But the concept goes back a LOT farther than that, pretty much to the dawn of the web itself. Many different names for it; remote worker, web guy or gal, contractor, etc. But all amounts to the same thing: someone who does work for you somewhere OTHER than your physical location.
And it seems attractive, this idea of outsourcing a lot of your tasks to virtual teams and workers. And it can be in many situations, IF you tightly manage it and are willing and able to put in the wok needed to get the right folks.
But if you’re new to working with virtual assistants, or maybe been hearing about it for years and thinking about taking the plunge, THIS is your podcast. I’ll share a few things to be aware of.
Now full disclaimer: our firm has worked with many virtual assistants in various capacities over the years. Despite the title, this is not a big negative on the VA business. I’ll share a few real world points without the internet marketing spin on it, and what our firm and many of our coaching clients have experienced in this area.
So grab a notebook and your favorite beverage (or pump up the volume if you’re running or working out) and let’s hit it!
Show notes and resources: https://corbinlinks.com/cls040
I’ve recently had a few ‘pick-my-brain’ type of requests, plus consultants asking me how they should handle it.
If you’re a coach, consultant, or any acknowledged expert—even if you’re not paid as an expert in that area—you WILL get approached by brain pickers, maybe a LOT of the time.
A brain picking request may take the form of something like:
“Hey, I’d love to get on a Skype / chat with you for a few minutes and pick your brain about XYZ.
Or, say “let’s grab coffee”, or “lunch”, or…
Some people at least are blatant about it, while others may bypass pleasantries altogether and hit you with questions.
Either way, it all amounts to the same thing: *free consulting* or coaching. But free devalues your time and resources, is disrespectful to you, and even more importantly — is not held in the same value / esteem by the person receiving it.
Right?
Sure, we’ve all heard the idea that people gain more value when there is skin in the game, be it their time, money, or both. And the same for us.
In today’s episode, we’ll tackle brain pickers head on, and share 6 common brain picker profiles, and 5 brain-picking responses you can use—right now, TODAY—to convert brain pickers to clients, or if not, save your valuable time for paying clients.
Lots to cover, so let’s roll!!!
Show notes: https://corbinlinks.com/cls039
Today, I have another special treat for you:
Priest Willis, Senior—successful entrepreneur, affiliate expert, founder of Affiliate Mission, and host of the Missions and Marketplace Podcast is in the house.
Priest has an interesting background, in some ways similar, and other ways very different from my previous guests. And he is chock full of actionable advice and strategies. Today’s interview covers the gamut topics such as:
And…and… well, check the show notes over at CorbinLinks.com/cls038 for full details. I’ll have a full list of “what you will learn” items over there.
So for now, let’s HIT IT!
Full show notes for this episode are available at