Author: Nick

So you have picked out a service that you want to research more and possibly offer. The customer base is growing, the competition is fragmented and the market isn’t a target for hobbyists and dreamers. Your new business must provide a service either faster, better or cheaper to carve out a slice of the pie […]

Naming your business is hard. Most web domains are taken. Here is my method for finding the best name: Hopefully you have a dual screen setup for your work computer. If you don’t you should because you can be much more productive. On one screen open your browser and go to synonym.com. On the other […]

You do not need to quit your job. Yet. Money and time are your most important assets. You need to free as much of each of these things up as you can in order to invest them in your new (side) business. Lean out. Bank your money. Sell your expensive cars. Don’t buy the overpriced […]

Customer service is a weak point of most service based businesses. Missed calls. Grumpy overworked employees or owners. Chain smoking unkept technicians. Unreliable. Over promising. Disappointing. Just answering the phone puts you ahead of most of your competitors in this space. But you can take it a step further and keep customers from even considering […]

How would you start a service business where you have to have specialized knowledge? A business like yours anyone who can drive can start. But let’s say a business like HVAC or appliance repair, traditionally people that have a lot of experience working in that area eventually decide to go solo and start a company. […]

This is an analytical approach to identifying and exploring new business opportunities. This is designed around service based businesses but the concepts can be applied to any business. In order to compete you need to have a competitive advantage in one of three areas: speed, price or quality. The goal here is to look for […]

Who is your boss? Who manages your branch? Who oversees your region? Who owns the small business you work for? Who is the most valuable person at your company or in your circle? If you could chose to be complimented by one person at your office who would it be? Think about that person. You […]

Housing is so expensive in America’s top 10 cities that only the wealthy can afford to buy a home or even rent an apartment. What factor is at play that everyone is missing? I feel very strongly about this one and I have a bit of a unique opinion. Housing is astronomically expensive because there […]

Its easy to forget that doing business is very much an emotional decision. People are way more likely to buy something from somebody or hire someone who they get a good feeling from. Don’t be a robot. Personalize your website. Personalize your emails. Make people read the “about us” section of your website and begin […]

Evenings are tough because they are not as predictable as mornings. You have social events, work emergencies, date nights etc. I manage a predictable evening most days and here is my routine: First I make a to do list for tomorrow. Everything I need to do organized from most important to least important. This clears […]