What if Sacramento was nationally known as a Tier 1 region for entrepreneurs to start and grow companies?  As the HaneyBiz team launches the Sacramento Growth Factory (SGF), I sat down with Rick Spencer from our Leadership Team to discuss how SGF provides founders with a customized growth program designed to achieve tangible high priority milestones.  Every engagement is fueled by the hands-on support from our seasoned team combined with expertise from our committed network of vendors, advisors, corporations, government agencies and investors.  There is no question that our region has seen progress to support entrepreneurs. Unfortunately, the feedback we receive from the entrepreneurs who I have invested into directly is that they continue to struggle to connect with capital and customers in the region. In this episode, you will hear our thoughts on how business and community leaders will need to support entrepreneurs so that our region can create meaningful opportunities for this generation and generations to come.  If this episode inspires you to be part of the movement, and you believe, like me, that entrepreneurs are the answer to our future, message me so we can join forces to support building truly great companies in our region.

What if you didn't have your health? How much would you fight and sacrifice to win back your health? Would you be willing to start a new company? In this week’s podcast, I sit down with a Danielle Gormley the founder and CEO of Hello Puddin'. She created this product out of her own necessity stemming from many years of medical ailments that no doctor could help her with. What started out as creating a delicious food that fit into her new diet turned into the creation of a full on food company taking on the biggest breakfast brands in the world. Dani shares her experiences from creating the product to taking it to the farmers market for the first time and now breaking into the retail and online space. Hear how someone is breaking into one of the most competitive industries there is.  Please SHARE, REVIEW, COMMENT and REPOST to help more entrepreneurs overcome the obstacles in their way and unleash their full potential.

Rick and I are back for the fourth and final chapter of my entrepreneurial journey. In this final episode we will be talking about the importance of have a strong inner circle and how to attract the right people into yours. My inner circle helps overcome fear, doubt, and uncertainty in this crazy world of entrepreneurship. I don't think I would have been able to accomplish half of what I've done if I did not have the right people around me. They help me feel a little less afraid.  How are we supposed to attract these people into our lives though? Rick and I talk about the three things you can do as an entrepreneur to have the rock stars out there take notice, buy into your dream, and will run through any brick wall with you to make it a reality. 

In this webinar, we review most recent guidance (June 23, 2020) and highlight notable changes from the SBA with regards to the PPP Loan Program and specifically on the requirements for applying for loan forgiveness.

I have always been a big dreamer. From the time I was a kid to this very day. I remember laying in bed talking to my younger brother almost every night about the day we would have the 10,000 sq ft house, circular driveway, and all the toys to go with it.  Today in part 3 of my entrepreneurial journey Rick Spencer is diving into the BIG dream I am trying to make come true today. If a dream is not big enough I am simply not motivated enough to make it a reality. And let me tell you, this one is even big for me. I have never been more motivated to make a dream come true. 

Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg are all entrepreneurs that changed the world with their inventions. Have you heard of the entrepreneur that is in the process of changing the world right now and will soon be added to that list?  In this week’s podcast I sit down with the most interviewed entrepreneur in America right now, Trevor Milton the Founder and Chief Executive Chairman of Nikola Corporation. We talk about the mindset it takes to be a successful entrepreneur and how Nikola is changing the world with electric and hydrogen powered vehicles.  Trevor started Nikola in the basement of his house, and it is now valued over $30 Billion. He shares what it takes in order to take a company from startup to IPO. If there is one entrepreneur that you would want to learn from right now it is this man. 

How do you learn to lead a business? There are more books, classes and podcasts than I can count that offer to answer this question. For me, it took painful business mistakes to find my ability and voice to lead. In this week’s podcast, episode 2 of a series where I am interviewed, I share my personal story on how I scaled a video surveillance company from 25 to 200 Million in annual revenue. Most importantly, I relive the mistakes, like how I lost a star performer and other team members to a competitor by managing from the press box. I also offer perspective on how entrepreneurs and business leaders can learn from my story. Whether you are looking to be the best leader possible, or just want a more intimate look into my story, I hope my mistakes can be your lessons. If you do learn something, don’t forget to pay it forward by sharing, liking and subscribing. If we can learn from your mistakes, post your story in the comments. Who knows, you could be my next guest to help others on their leadership journey.

Legion AVS, a full service event and video production house, and valued HaneyBiz partner shares how they've been impacted by and responded to COVID-19.  Learn more about how their pivot to producing differentiated virtual events has successfully leveraged their core skill sets to provide value to their clients and keep them busy throughout the crisis.

The tables have been turned and I have found myself in the hot seat. This is the first of a four part series where my teammate Rick Spencer, HaneyBiz's Vice President, sits down to get the full story of my entrepreneurial journey.  We go from my first entrepreneurial venture when I was a boy to vision/mission we are trying to make a reality today and everything in between. This four part series will be jammed packed full of lessons that I have learned from starting, scaling, and selling different businesses throughout my life. This first part starts with the lessons that I learned on the baseball and football field that I have carried with me into everything I do. We then dive into the lessons that I learned during my paper route as a kid, the most important lesson I learned when working for my family business (it involves me breaking a $1000 refrigerator), and finally what I learned from making a pivot from video stores to video surveillance distribution.  These lessons that I learned early on in life have shaped me into the entrepreneur I am today and have been a major reason for the successes I have had. What are the most important lessons you learned early in your life that you still carry with you today?

UPDATE AS OF JUNE 4th:  As a result of the Congressional bill that has now passed the Senate, the information in this webinar is no longer up to date. Please stay tuned.  We will be hosting an additional webinar shortly to review the changes and walk through new requirements and recommendations.  You can check in at www.haneybiz.com/ppp-forgiveness for additional updates and to register for the webinar. In this webinar, the 2nd in a 3 part series in partnership with Suncrest Bank, the HaneyBiz team walks through how to complete the SBA PPP Loan Forgiveness application.    We've assembled a series of webinars in partnership with Suncrest Bank (this is the recording of the second one), online tools, and FAQs to help you navigate the process.  Or, if you'd rather just get back to running your business, we have a team of experts who can handle it all for you. - For more information and to use our free PPP forgiveness assessment tool check out our website: www.HaneyBiz.com

I sit down with Brandon Brown the founder and CEO of GRIN to talk about how he is leading his team through this crisis. What steps he is taking to make sure that he is able to come out of this on the other side stronger and positioned to thrive.  We also talk about Save Small, Sacramento which is a fundraising effort to help small businesses in Sacramento that are unable to operate during this shut down. This is the Power of With in full affect! 

You’ve secured your PPP loan and funds have hit your account. Congratulations!  NOW WHAT? The SBA has yet to release final guidance on reporting requirements for forgiveness (as of May 4th).  In the meantime, you likely feel a sense of urgency to make time sensitive decisions and take action in order to maximize the benefit of these funds for your business.  We're here for you. We've assembled a series of webinars (this is the recording of the first one), online tools, and FAQs to help you navigate the process.  Or, if you'd rather just get back to running your business, we have a team of experts who can handle it all for you. - For more information and to use our free PPP forgiveness assessment tool check out our website: www.HaneyBiz.com

With revenues decimated by this crisis, many small business owners are having to employ new strategies to survive. In this webinar, we cover financial and strategic steps you can take to improve your business balance sheet and cash flows in the short term, including a process to model multiple scenarios for revenue and expense performance.

Building a community is one thing, but how can you build a community that looks to you as a leader during times like this?   Rob Williams, the host of RAD Radio, has built one of the most loyal communities in the Sacramento region. He has developed a connection with his audience that keeps them coming back day in and day out. They are now looking to him during this time of crisis for not only entertainment, but for support and information.   I sat down with him, yes more than 6ft away, to find out how he built his audience during 9/11 by leaving his phone lines open so that people could call in and share, and how he is supporting today's audience in a similar way. We also talk about how he is leading his team through the uncertainty and what he thinks the future holds for programs like his. Please SHARE, REVIEW, COMMENT and REPOST to help more entrepreneurs overcome the obstacles in their way and unleash their full potential.

 What you will learn on this episode:  1) The challenges small businesses are facing trying to secure the PPP and similar loans.  2) Will the government put more money into relief loans and when.  3) What will business look like as we come out of this  4) How Sacramento can recover faster than other parts of our country  We had Amanda Blackwood, the CEO & President of the Sac Metro Chamber, on our Daily Webinar Series 3 weeks ago when we were only a week into shelter in place. We are now a month into shelter in place and everything has changed more times than we can keep track. Good thing Amanda and her team have boots on the ground and are working diligently to get us the most up to date information, so we can make better decisions moving forward. 

 We have Mike Rizzo, the Chief Banking Officer for Five Star Bank, back with us to talk about the most recent updates to the payroll protection program. He shares his thoughts on when more money will be made available through the government, why banks have stopped accepting applications, and what everyone can do to be prepared for the next round of funding. 

As CEOs and leaders we always have to get communication right, but during a crisis it is absolutely crucial! Saying the wrong thing internally, or externally during a crisis could create a whole new set of issues we don't need.  To help us navigate through this time of uncertainty we are talked with an expert in this area, the Founder of MarketSharePR, Krista Bernasconi. Krista and her team have helped countless companies navigate through crisis and come out on the other side stronger. So, learn how you should be communication internally and externally during this time of crisis. 

This isn't the first big crisis (or even pandemic) that Nora O'Brien and her team at Connect Consulting have helped to navigate companies through.  We are so lucky she joined up to share her knowledge and expertise with you.  Her message: This is a “marathon” not a sprint” and there's a lot to be done in order to not only protect our businesses but to take care of ourselves and our teams. We talked about: WHO Pandemic Phases and key action steps for your business, staff, and community for each pandemic phase Business Continuity Tips on how to survive COVID-19 and thrive post pandemic  How to develop an incident command system to guide your business’ COVID-19 Response and Recovery efforts AND, she's made the generous offer to the Haney Biz community for their Pandemic Planning Guide and free 30 minute consultation.  So, join us on the webinar to get details!

Our friends and partners Legion AVS have felt the affects of the COVID crisis first hand. They are an event and live production company and they lost almost half a million dollars in future revenue in a matter of days. What did they do? They did what any good entrepreneur doess when their back is against the wall, they innovated. They've become experts in interactive, multimedia VIRTUAL events.  They can transition your in person events and program online (beyond just a zoom call) to create an entertaining and engaging experience for your communities during quarantine - and beyond

As business owners we need to put processes/systems into place so as we scale we don’t lose the quality of our product/service while rapidly ramping up the quantity. In order for us to make the best decisions quickly during this time of rapid growth our communication needs to be better than ever. The communication we have with our leadership team, with our employees, and with our customers/suppliers. In this episode, I sit down with Charmaine Magale and Yvette Rincon, two of the four founders of one of my portfolio companies, Legado Whiskey. All four founders are either employed full time elsewhere, or are running another business(es). Most people struggle with starting and growing a business with 100% of their time and focus, so how have these four women been able to get this company off the ground only being part time? Charmaine and Yvette share how they have accomplished this by creating communication systems and processes. These processes have allowed them to make their meetings more efficient, productive, and are laying a strong foundation for when they are ready to scale. We also talk about the brand they are building, how they are building it, and why their brand is so much more than a bottle of whiskey. I put my investor hat on and you will get an inside look at what types of questions an investor would ask a company raising money. - What you will learn in this episode: Yvette and Charmaine share why they brought on two additional founders when starting Legado Whiskey.  (04:32) Yvette and Charmaine talk about how they divide up the roles and responsibilities between the four founders. (06:32) They share how they are able to manage their time between full time jobs, a family, all while growing their startup (09:51) Charmaine talks about the communication rhythms and processes they’ve put in place that allows all 4 founders to make the decisions they need to make in order to grow the company. All while working full time or running other businesses.  (11:56) Charmaine and Yvette share what Legado means, what the brand stands for, and how these are their differentiator in a saturated market. (20:03) Mark puts his investor hat on and starts asking questions about the next round of fundraising they are about to start. (32:11) - Please SHARE, REVIEW, COMMENT and REPOST to help more entrepreneurs overcome the obstacles in their way and unleash their full potential.

Barry Broome, President & CEO of the Greater Sacramento Economic Council, and Wayen Wiley, the City Planner for the City of Roseville, joined us to share more about resources available in the region to support small businesses through the crisis and get their perspective on how our overall regional economy is doing today and how it’s poised for recovery. 

Without question, small businesses have been gut punched by COVID-19.  Thankfully, the SBA, federal government and other resources have quickly mobilized to provide some meaningful financial support.  We are lucky to have with us Carrie Ellinwood from the SBAs Sacramento office and Mike Rizzo the Chief Banking Officer from Five Star Bank to provide us with the latest updates on resources available, where to find them, how to apply, etc...

 What are your rights and obligations when it comes to contracts during this crisis? Stoel Rives shares their knowledge and expertise about Force Majeure and how it might apply to you and your business. 

The landscape is shifting hourly when it comes to potential regulations and resources as they pertain to employers / employees during this crisis. Kim Silvers and Stacey Sommerhauser from the SilversHR team joined us to talk about the new laws that were recently passed due to these extreme circumstances during the COVID-19 crisis. They walk through the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (EFMLA), Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSL), the tax credits that go along with these new requirements, and the resources that are available to employers to help them navigate through these new regulations. The last thing we need during this time of crisis is a law suit on our hands because we did not take the time to understand the new laws and regulations that are being passed.  On top of that Kim dive's into the top 10 people-related mistakes she sees CEOs make during a time of crisis. There are many things that we cannot control during these times, but how we act and the decisions we make are one of those things. 

During this time of crisis you and your team may be working from home, revenues may be slashed in half...but if you operate out of a leased office, payments are still due. How can you maintain space, honor your contracts, preserve credit and survive? Greg Aguirre from Capital Rivers Commercial joins us tomorrow with his tenant preparedness plan that offers very specific and effective steps to help small businesses tackle this situation. 

Craig Hettrich, the President of The Hettrich Group, talks about some very simple concepts that business owners can do now to adapt their strategy in challenging times.  Craig's main message is FOCUS ....on your best customers with your top tier skill and how you can adapt your strategy to help your best customers face their issues and challenges...along with the Leadership style required  In challenging times ...many business owners try to diversify what they are offering in the pursuit of holding on to revenue...if this ties into their top tier skill then yes by all means but if they are just fair to good at the proposed additional offering then it is going to be tough sledding and a drag on precious current resources ....when they should be focusing more on and sharpening and adapting their top tier skill... strategy and value proposition to their best customers - Here are the basics...and 5 key take aways 1) Focus on your top tier skill (what you do better than almost anyone in your space) Are you clear on your top tier skill?  Believe it or not many companies are not.  I have a process for teams to gain clarity around that. 2) Focus your sales, marketing and service on your Best Customers.  Do you have Core/Ideal customer profile(s) that are based on your top tier skill?  I have a process for teams to gain clarity around that 3) Adapt your strategy to increase your differentiation, retain your best customers and set the foundation to grow.   Spend some time walking in your Core/Ideal customer's shoes ...what are their biggest issues and challenges right NOW...in their industry with their customers ...and will you have to adapt your strategy and offerings to add value in helping them overcome these issues and challenges.   Any adaption of strategy should tie back to your top tier skill as a company.  My thinking is that this adaption of your strategy may well add your differentiation and strengthen the competitiveness of your strategy ....and help with retention of your best customers as well as help your convert new customers. 4) Utilize strong Interpersonal Skills to lead your team - I will talk about the best practice way to lead your teams...e.g. time to lead your team with strong Interpersonal Skills...self aware, team aware, culture aware etc 5) Don't do this alone!!!   CEO Peer Groups AND the help of a CEO level Executive Coach and Strategic Advisor (yes I do this so it is an indirect plug)

As business owners, we run into many obstacles.  Adding family to the mix can create a few more obstacles to overcome. I have heard countless horror stories about family businesses that fail because they don’t separate work from the family.  For instance, many hire, or even worse, pass on the company to a family member just because they’re family.   And because family members have different dreams for the future of the business, there is often conflict in decision making. How can you avoid these problems? Raley’s is a family owned and operated business celebrating their 85th year of business and is in their third generation of family ownership. Only 12% of family businesses make it to this point. So, I asked Mike Teel, the chief visionary officer of Raley’s, to help me answer these questions for you.  Raley’s and the Teel family  have not been immune to the common problems that family businesses face, but they have acted and responded to these issues in a way most don’t even think about.  Mike talks about how he left the company after college in order to develop the skills necessary to earn a leadership role one day, instead of having it handed to them. When all five family members, who were board members, did not see eye to eye on the future of the company they brought in a trusted third party to facilitate how to move forward with both the family’s and company’s best interest in mind.  Mike shares other stories of how his family has been able to solve the problems they have faced as a family business. It takes this kind of outside thinking to grow a family business that not only stays in the family, but also is able to keep the company mission a higher priority than the family’s wants and desires. This is the type of thinking it takes to build a family business that defies the odds and continues on for generations.  What you will learn in this episode:  Mike gives family business operations tips and strategies and shares the challenges he faces running a third generation family business with 12,000 employees and 2+ Billion Dollars in revenue (4:39) Mike shares why he left the family owned business the first time and why that was beneficial to him eventually leading the family business management. (8:36) Mike talks about family business operations management and how tough it is to lead family members to a position of leadership and the trait they need to have in order to do so. (17:50) Mike shares how important having a trusted third party to help facilitate major decisions around how the family should move forward with the business is to the future success of the company. (21:02) Mike talks about how he and his family successfully navigated the potentially turbulent waters of creating a family business operating agreement and buying out all of his sisters in order to have control of the company. (24:31)  Mike talks about how in order for a family business to succeed the needs/goals of the family and the owner have to be tied to the company's needs and goals and not personal. (29:04) Mike shares his belief on how powerful attaching an unattainable just cause to the purpose/mission of the business is. (33:06) Mike shares how the family business, Raley's, is innovating to address the need for improved convenience in the fast changing technological market place. (47:13) Please SHARE, REVIEW, COMMENT and REPOST to help more entrepreneurs overcome the obstacles in their way and unleash their full potential.

 The most important part of keeping our businesses going, and maybe even thriving at some point through this COVID crisis, or any crisis for that matter, is our people. If we don't have the right people really don't have anything, we're building our company. For today's webinar we are joined by the founder of Hire Education Consulting Group Katie McConnell Olsen and her colleague, Natasha Scott. They will be talking about how to find your competitive advantage during the COVID 19 crisis.  They provide insights on how small and midsize businesses can find competitive advantage in hiring, optimizing downtime, and having a strong employer brand. 

 There's so much noise and so much distraction about what things to do during this crisis. How could you really be laser focused when it comes to financial planning and your accounting solutions?  So we try to make it as easy as possible, literally the ABCs of crisis response. And so today we're going to talk about accuracy. What we mean there are your financials and your Documents building and how you'll build your financial plan. We'll go through some real examples there. And then how you can leverage the Haney biz community and this team that we'll be talking today to help you execute on your plan. 

Sacramento Metro Chamber CEO, Amanda Blackwood and her team have been integral in a highly coordinated effort between local businesses, elected officials, and state and federal agencies to provide information about and access to emergency resources for our small businesses and non-profits.  The headlines from our conversation with her: SBA Disaster Loan Program -- CA is one of the first states to receive funds.  They are making application and qualification as easy as possible so -- Get in the pipeline - APPLY NOW.  They are funding loans of up to $2M. Keep calm and use your resources: There are resources rapidly coming online to support small business owners and their employees.  Take advantage of them as soon as you can. Check back regularly: The situation is changing rapidly.  So, continue to check in and follow up.  What you didn’t qualify for yesterday, you may qualify for tomorrow. Or, there may be new resources available. Take care of yourself and others:  Local coordination has been inspiring and effective.  If we keep committed to taking good care of ourselves and others, we will get through this together and emerge stronger! Additional resources to bookmark: Online Hub of Resources: https://rapidresponse.metrochamber.org/ Online Survey: https://rapidresponse.metrochamber.org/employers/ SBA Disaster Loans: https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/ Virtual Town Hall: https://youtu.be/lvaJxnBTfvE EDD: Unemployment claims / Layoff claims With almost universal business disruption on hand, what actions can and should entrepreneurs and small business be taking? You don't have to figure this out alone. - On behalf of HaneyBiz, I would like to invite you to a daily webinar series featuring experts from our community who will provide actionable guidance on everything from applying for emergency loans to getting tech set up for remote workers to HR policies. We will be going live every day at 2pm to talk to a specific expert, or a panel of experts. You can join us on the live webinar via Zoom and ask any questions you may have for our team, or the expert panel. If you are unable to join us for the live session we will be recording and posting these sessions on our podcast (Itunes & Spotify) and our YouTube channel. For a schedule of topics and experts, please visit our website. www.Haneybiz.com

It is becoming very difficult for small businesses to operate with more and more counties and cities moving towards shelter in place. Especially if we don’t have our team prepared to work remotely. Luckily our friends at Executech have a solution they want to share with you. They will be sharing how to setup and manage a remote workforce. They will talk about the tech, tools, people, and security necessary in order to implement a remote workforce in very little time.  The stay at home measures that are being put into place don’t have to be a reason for your business to stop. Our friends and trusted partners are here to help you get back up and running during these times of uncertainty. - With almost universal business disruption on hand, what actions can and should entrepreneurs and small business be taking? You don't have to figure this out alone. On behalf of HaneyBiz, I would like to invite you to a daily webinar series featuring experts from our community who will provide actionable guidance on everything from applying for emergency loans to getting tech set up for remote workers to HR policies. We will be going live every day at 2pm to talk to a specific expert, or a panel of experts. You can join us on the live webinar via Zoom and ask any questions you may have for our team, or the expert panel. If you are unable to join us for the live session we will be recording and posting these sessions on our podcast (Itunes & Spotify) and our YouTube channel. For a schedule of topics and experts, please visit our website. www.Haneybiz.com

Isn’t it frustrating when you pour your heart and soul into content for your customers and all you hear is crickets?? There is so much noise on social media. How are we supposed to grab the attention of our customers? Yell louder and longer than everyone else? Spend thousands of dollars on ads?  To help me answer these questions and more, I invited three time Emmy Award winning journalist, Kellie DeMarco to join me on the show. After 20+ years as a journalist/news anchor, and at the top of her game, she decided to take the leap and start her own business. She is now taking her wealth of knowledge and expertise and is helping small businesses share their stories in a way that moves people to action. I asked her to share her secrets with us on how to craft a story that captures hearts and makes hands reach for wallets. I am fired up to share this with you because she drops some real value in this episode! She shares how local news still has a purpose for small businesses and how to get your story covered, tips and tricks on how to get over nervousness and show up like a champ on video, and uses HaneyBiz as an example of how to tell a compelling story.  Some of the most iconic brands in history have become that way because of their storytelling; brand storytelling coca cola, brand storytelling nike. These brands have a brand storytelling strategy that allows their customers to feel a part of something more than just their products.  Storytelling is one of the oldest forms of communication and has successfully captured audiences for thousands of years. So, instead of adding to the noise let’s learn to tell a story that can capture the hearts of our audience.  What you will learn on this episode: Kellie shares the emotions she is feeling from giving up her security, quitting her full time job, and jumping into her entrepreneurial venture (3:15) Kellie shares the key steps that you need to take in order to have the best chance of the media covering your story. (7:01) Kellie talks about the companies that still benefit from local media coverage and how to craft a story that gives you the best chance of getting covered.  (08:22) Kellie talks about the power of a personal brand and how it can help grow your business. (15:14) Kellie uses Mark and HaneyBiz as a guinea pig for brand storytelling examples on how to craft the most compelling brand storytelling to their audience (17:47) How to create compelling brand storytelling video and brand storytelling youtube when you’re on a budget. (22:12) Kellie puts her coaching hat and and shares how to best show up on video. (24:25) Serving your customers and providing value, value, and more value on social media will generate more sales than asking for the sale. (31:21)  Please SHARE, REVIEW, COMMENT and REPOST to help more entrepreneurs overcome the obstacles in their way and unleash their full potential.

When is the right time to scale and how the heck do I do it? Have you ever seen a company that is scaling rapidly? It looks like they are killin’ it, nothing can stop them, and then all of a sudden they go out of business… It makes me wonder, were they growing too fast? Did they try to go to market too early, or too late? Did they not push fast and hard enough to get over the hump? To help me shed some light on the practice and pitfalls of scaling companies,  I reached out to two gentlemen from TeleMed2U, a Sacramento med-tech company poised for rapid growth. Javeed, the co-founder and Chief Medical Officer, has been in the trenches for 9 years building the company’s foundation. AJ Patel, the new CEO, was recently recruited because of his success in scaling Walgreens.  In this episode we will learn what it took to build a foundation that can sustain rapid growth, the most important lessons learned from building that foundation, what makes them ready to scale, and how they are going to do it.  Before throwing fuel on the fire, make sure you have built a foundation that will support rapid growth. Don’t be one of those companies that shines bright and burns out quickly.  What you will learn in this episode: Javeed shares the problem that they are solving at TeleMed2U and how that specific problem has helped them build a strong foundation. (3:59) AJ shares the foundational components needed in order to scale rapidly the right way. (8:02) Javeed shares the lessons they learned from 9 years of building a foundation to rapidly scale. (13:05) Why TeleMed2U is ready to scale rapidly and how they are going to do it. (17:05) AJ explains that by having their foundational cost structure set, every opportunity that provides incremental margin won’t require more costs. (19:32) AJ shares how TeleMed2U will scale, when they will build and when they will buy. (24:47) What AJ did as the CEO in order to prepare himself and his team to start scaling. (33:17) The sales culture that it took to build the foundation that the sales culture that will need to be implemented in order to scaling up a business rapidly. (38:19) AJ shares what the most important thing to TeleMed2U is when they start scaling. (40:44) Please SHARE, REVIEW, COMMENT and REPOST to help more entrepreneurs overcome the obstacles in their way and unleash their full potential.

How a local utility company is driving global innovation and fueling entrepreneurs… SMUD, the 6th largest community owned utility company in the country, like other large corporations at some point in their life cycle, are facing the innovator's dilemma. Their industry is in the process of being disrupted and if they do nothing they could find themselves out of business. Sound familiar? Think Blockbuster, Radio Shack, Circuit City and many other companies that refused to change with the times.  Arlen Orchard, the CEO of SMUD, recognizes they are in the process of being disrupted and is taking action to make this an opportunity for SMUD, entrepreneurs, and the entire Sacramento Region. SMUD is leading the drive, with the help of countless partners, for the creation of the California Mobility Center.  Arlen Orchard, SMUD's CEO, joined me on the podcast to talk about how this initiative was born, why it matters for this region, and why SMUD, a large, community owned organization is investing so heavily in leading and funding this effort. What energized me the most about our discussion is how the California Mobility Center has put entrepreneurs at the center of their effort – with plans to foster innovation through assets like prototyping facilities, a trained workforce, and an investment fund. Entrepreneurs are the answer…they solve the world’s biggest problems like the future of mobility and clean transportation…and with the region’s key resources so significantly aligning to attract, support and amplify entrepreneurial efforts, I believe anything is possible! What you will learn listening to this episode: Utility companies are being disrupted. They are becoming two sides of the same coin and will be the fuel provider for the future of transportation (2:54) Arlen shares shares how SMUD is leading the charge on the public/private consortium California Mobility Center and the fund that will stand alongside it. (6:41) Arlen talks about the future of transportation and e mobility future and how the California Mobility Center will be a part of that future. (7:55) The California Mobility Center is meant to speed of the commercialization of e-Mobility technology. (10:38) Arlen shares the entrepreneurial opportunities that will arise from the California Mobility Center. (20:59) Arlen talks ecosystem building and how sacramento can be the international hub of innovation that funds and commercializes new future mobility technologies. (25:57) Arlen walks us through the journey of a cohort company that will go through the California Mobility Center. (35:21)  What the next two years looks like for the California Mobility Center and what that means for sacramento california. (38:12) Please SHARE, REVIEW, COMMENT and REPOST to help more entrepreneurs overcome the obstacles in their way and unleash their full potential.

Why do 95% of us run out of gas, air, and time? As entrepreneurs it is way too easy to focus 100% of our time on our business. Who has time to worry about nutrition, fitness, and social connections when we are trying to do everything possible to stay in business, or build something that will change the world?  My good friend Jack Crawford, the Founding General Partner of Impact Venture Capital, shares why he believes these things are extremely important. Jack found himself at a point in life when he was spread way too thin, was putting off family time to put out “fires,” and was not making the impact in his business he knew he was capable of.  So, Jack decided to take action and has been researching, testing, and building tools/techniques in order to create the life and business he wants. He calls it his “strategic plan for life.” His strategic plan for life has helped him become laser focused on what’s most important in life and as a result, he is now taking massive steps to achieving his big hairy audacious goals.  In this episode Jack shares all of the research he has gathered, the tools/techniques he uses regularly, and how he actually implemented all of this into his and his family’s lives.  Taking the time to focus on the most important pieces of your life outside your business will help you become more successful than you think, and it’s a lot more fun! Show Notes: Jack explains that blue zones are areas in which people live the most happy/fulfilled lives and what makes up a blue zone. (12:40)  Where does your brain look for achievement? Focus on your goals and ignore the rest. Train your brain to look for achievement that is meaningful to you. (19:40) Jack shares his morning routine and why it is so important in order to achieve your goals and work and life balance. (24:10) Jack shares why he believes 95% of entrepreneurs run out of gas, run out of air, and run out of time. (28:45) People who experience tragedy usually have an enhanced perspective on life. Jack has been able to manufacture and maintain an enhanced perspective on life by implementing his strategic plan for life. (34:15) Stop trying to do everything. Focus on your goals not others and clean up your to do list by asking what you can defer and what you can delegate. Work life balance tips. (40:15) Jack shares how to accomplish work life balance by leveraging your time (49:45) The tools that Jack uses to build his strategic plan for life to focus on your goals and maintain work life balance. (58:15) Please SHARE, REVIEW, COMMENT and REPOST to help more entrepreneurs overcome the obstacles in their way and unleash their full potential.

Are you building an ivory tower kind of culture, or a culture where everyone matters? Nobody builds a truly great company alone, especially entrepreneurs who are trying to change the world. So, in order to achieve our big hairy audacious goals we need to surround ourselves with the people that will run through a brick wall with us. In order to attract and retain these rock stars we have to build a strong company culture that our team members will go ALL IN on! The question is, what does that winning culture look like and how do we create one? In order to answer this question I brought on a man that created one of the best company cultures in the Sacramento area, Dale Carlsen. Dale is the founder of Sleep Train Mattress Center. Dale built up Sleep Train to over 1600 employees, over $500 Million in revenue, gave his employees 25% of the company through an ESOP, and eventually sold to Mattress Firm which was a $117 Million payoff for his employees.  Dale’s father gave him advice that he has lived by and that he attributes to the success of Sleep Train: surround yourself with great people, treat them well, and make everybody successful. And that is exactly what Dale did.  Dale shares how he was able to build a strong culture following his father’s advice - What you will learn on this episode;  (14:25) Why creating a company culture where everyone matters helps make big strategic decisions is important. (16:35) How much transparency a company should have to build organizational culture. (17:45) How he created a culture of ownership and eventually made his employees owners - which led to an 800% growth over 5 years. (19:30) How creating a corporate culture that gave back to their community brought in more customers and more importantly it increased employee retention. (34:05) Be careful of building an ivory tower culture. Create a work culture where everyone is the same and no one is more important. (37:55) Nobody buys into top down culture. Creating the mission/vision/values from the ground up with your team is step number 1 to development strong company culture. (40:25) Creating an organizational culture and leadership that celebrates successes allows the CEO and executive team to get to know their employees even better and strengthen their relationships.   Dale shares how he DID all of the above throughout our conversation. I could not be more excited to share his wisdom with all of you on how to build a strong company culture.  Please SHARE, REVIEW, COMMENT and REPOST to help more entrepreneurs overcome the obstacles in their way and unleash their full potential.

Raising Capital? Are you prepared for another full time job?  Entrepreneurs, especially those who are raising capital for the first time, often underestimate the time, energy, and commitment required.  In reality, raising money is a second full time job and can be a big distraction to running/growing the business.  In addition to daily operations, you will need to make the time to: create your pitch deck, craft your pitch, research potential investors, build relationships with potential investors, pitch to investors, refine your pitch/pitch deck, follow up with investors, attend networking events to meet more investors… It can take anywhere from a few months to a couple of years to raise a round of funding and during this time investors still want to see growth. How can you do all of this while still moving the needle with your company? To help me answer that question I sat down with Jared Story, the CEO of Parse Pay, and Anthony Romano, the CEO of eScreen Logic. These two entrepreneurs have been successful in raising capital while continuing to grow their businesses in the process.  They share with us what it is really like to be in the trenches running their company while simultaneously raising capital. In this episode you will learn; how much time is actually spent fundraising vs leading their team, the emotions that are felt during this process, the systems/processes they implemented, and the most important pieces needed to be successful. So, before you start raising money to fund that idea that will change the world, make sure you are fully prepared and know what to really expect. Please SHARE, REVIEW, COMMENT and REPOST to help more entrepreneurs overcome the obstacles in their way and unleash their full potential.

How do you know that your clients will pay for the product you’re developing? Entrepreneurs are some of the most ambitious people on the planet. When we have an idea that we think will change the world, or solve a problem for a niche market, it can be easy to press full speed ahead and build what WE think the market needs. But, how do we know that the market will actually pay for what we are building? Too many times I see entrepreneurs building what they believe is the “perfect” product that will “fly” off the shelves without ever talking to their customers. The only way to truly know what your customers want and more importantly, what they will pay for, is to ask them. There is no better time to do this than when you are developing your product.  Kyle Cobb, CFO of Advanced Farm Technologies and his team are a fantastic example of how to do this the right way.  As a result, they are the first company to bring a robotic strawberry picker to the market.  Kyle and his team have spent countless hours building relationships with their customers – farmers – spending time in the trenches to truly understand their biggest pain points and concerns with robots picking strawberries.  Before they even thought about building a robot that rolled down the fields, they had to solve the farmer’s biggest concern, a gripper that wouldn’t ruin the strawberries. They went through 50 iterations of a gripper before they developed one that picked strawberries as well, if not better, than humans.  After solving one problem at a time, getting feedback from their customers the whole way, they are on the verge of deploying the first ever commercial fleet of robotic strawberry pickers. Listen to our conversation to learn how Kyle and his team made sure they had the right product market fit, how they made strategic partnerships to help them develop their product, and how they properly used the capital they raised.  So, before you fully develop the “perfect” product that will solve all your customers problems, get in the trenches with them. Please SHARE, REVIEW, COMMENT and REPOST to help more entrepreneurs overcome the obstacles in their way and unleash their full potential.

How do investors value companies? This is one of the most frequently asked questions I get from entrepreneurs and also one of the toughest. It can be especially challenging for earlier stage companies that do not have a financial history they can use to back up the story they are telling investors. For me, the number one thing I look at when I invest into early stage companies is the CEO. Is the CEO a rock star? Can the CEO make the molecules move and rally people behind their vision? Does the CEO the top three qualities I look for: commitment, humility, and authenticity. If they check these boxes, then I take a look at their company to see if will be a worthy investment.  To help me better answer this question I brought in two of my buddies who happen to be experts on this topic: Curt Rocca, the founding partner at DCA Capital, and Lokesh Sikaria, the founding partner of Moneta Ventures. They have incredible track records as investors and we are going to find out how they value companies and pick the winners.  On this episode you will learn investors methodologies for valuing a company, the different factors that affect the valuation of your company, and an inside look at what investors think when they look at potential investments.  Valuation is extremely important to get right if you want to get an investment. Learn from two guys that look at hundreds of deals every year.

Put Your Money Where Your Town Is! 62% of all new job creation is because of small businesses/entrepreneurs. It’s safe to say that entrepreneurs are catalysts driving economic growth and transforming the communities we live in. So, why aren’t more people looking to invest into the entrepreneurs in their hometown? Local small businesses sponsor our kids little league teams, create jobs, pay taxes and often contribute in other ways to make our community a better place for everyone. I love my hometown and I want it to be the best possible place for my grandkids to grow up. This is why I only invest in companies that are based in the Sacramento region.  I invited my VP of Investments, Ian DeWeerdt to talk about our local investment work. Ian recently joined the HaneyBiz team to apply his expertise to investing in and supporting Sacramento entrepreneurs. On this episode you will learn more about what we are doing here at HaneyBiz. We talk about the types of companies we are looking to invest into, how we are helping entrepreneurs achieve their dreams, and how we are looking to concentrate wealth for entrepreneurs. Do you love your hometown and want to invest in its future? Watch this episode about how investing in your local entrepreneurs can do that!

There has never been a better time to build a business selling online courses. Scaling a traditional service-based business can be extremely difficult - you trade time for money and can only serve a finite number of clients. Matt Aitchison, 7 figure real estate investor and host of top 25 itunes podcast, Millionaire Mindcast, solved this problem by creating The Rich Life Academy.   The Rich Life Academy is an online education platform that was created when Matt could no longer sit down with all of the people that wanted to learn from him about real estate investing.  On this episode you will learn when to start an online education platform, the fastest and easiest way to start one, the different types of courses you can offer, and how to build an online community.  Do you have knowledge or expertise that you want to share with your community – then check this out! Please SHARE, REVIEW, COMMENT and REPOST to help more entrepreneurs overcome the obstacles in their way and unleash their full potential.

Is a business accelerator right for me? Startup Accelerators, like Techstars and Ycombinator, have become very popular in the past 5 years. Being able to tap into the knowledge of those who have been there done that when launching and growing a business can be the difference between success and failure. Chris Peacock is the CEO of Aquaoso, a startup that recently went through the Techstars accelerator in Denver, Colorado. Chris and half of his team moved to Colorado to participate in the three month program while the other half of his team continued daily operations of the business. I sat down with Chris to talk about his and his team’s experience going through a business accelerator program. Chris shares that it was a tough decision to take half of his team away from the business to work on strategy, but worth it! He believes him and his team learned a years worth of lessons in those three months and his company is prepared to scale at a much faster rate. On this episode you will learn what type of business benefits most from business accelerators, what to expect when going through one of these programs, and how accelerator’s prepare you and your company to scale at a very rapid rate. Growing a startup is not easy. If you are looking to drive growth as quickly as possible, then an accelerator program might be the best way to set yourself up for success. Find out from this interview whether or not this is the right route for you. - Aquaoso is a water risk and research tech company. Their platform works with lenders to understand the water risk for the agricultural industry. For more information about Aquaoso check out their website: https://aquaoso.com/ -  Mark Haney is a serial entrepreneur that has experience growing companies worth hundreds of millions of dollars. He is currently the CDO and founder of HaneyBiz, a business services platform that helps entrepreneurs be entrepreneurs. HaneyBiz offers outsourced accounting, digital marketing, HR, and investment opportunities.  -  Instagram: http://instagram.com/themarkhaney  Facebook: www.facebook.com/themarkhaney  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markehaney  Website: http://haneybiz.com  Audio Boom: https://audioboom.com/channels/5005273  Twitter: http://twitter.com/themarkhaney

I hope you all had a Christmas Jail kind of christmas!! This is a special throwback show to when the show was Entrepreneurs Unlimited and it was a live radio talk show. Marcus Haney and Tom Sisneros were my two co-hosts and we talk about the true meaning of Christmas. I also tell my Christmas jail story, the story of my favorite Christmas as a child.  You will see a familiar face as I sit down and interview Greg Connolly of Trifecta nutrition for the first time. This is just before his company took off on a rocket ship. I also sit down with Shane Anderson to hear the story of the time he was kidnapped in Mexico and was able to escape. I hope you all are enjoying this time with your family and had a Christmas Jail kind of Christmas. 

Sometimes, we just don’t know what we don’t know when growing a business, especially in areas like HR compliance.  Nothing can bring a small business to its knees faster than being caught out of compliance. My guest, Kim Silvers, the President of Silvers HR, has forgotten more about HR/staying compliant than most of us will ever know. Kim and I talk about HR best practices that will keep you out of the courtroom and growing your business. One of the biggest topics right now is the new AB-5 law, independent contractors vs. employees, that passed here in California. She breaks down what every business owner needs to know about this law and how to avoid being sued by the IRS. We also talk about a few other topics that can be a problem for businesses if they are not taken seriously; sexual harassment in the workplace, wage and hour laws, and finding top talent during a time of low unemployment. How are you going to make adjustments to this new law? How will you grow your company with less independent contractors? -  Silvers HR is a full service outsourced human resources company that helps entrepreneurs stay compliant while growing their business. If you would like more information about their services and how they can help you, check out their website. https://www.silvershr.com/ -  Subscribe to my channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCom_1MPt3p3YP8nJOa0eiKQ  -  Mark Haney is a serial entrepreneur that has experience growing companies worth hundreds of millions of dollars. He is currently the CDO and founder of HaneyBiz, a business services platform that helps entrepreneurs be entrepreneurs. HaneyBiz offers outsourced accounting, digital marketing, HR, and investment opportunities.  -  Instagram: http://instagram.com/themarkhaney  Facebook: www.facebook.com/themarkhaney  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markehaney  Website: http://haneybiz.com  Audio Boom: https://audioboom.com/channels/5005273  Twitter: http://twitter.com/themarkhaney 

Did you know that 80% of cybersecurity breaches are caused by our login credentials being compromised? 3.3 billion credentials are stolen every year and small businesses can be held liable for the damage. If you are not using Multi Factor Authentication, you will want to tune in to this segment and learn more about the solution my guests have built. In today’s digital world it has never been more important to have strict cybersecurity, especially as a small business. I sit down with Heath and Bert Spencer with Traitware to talk about cybersecurity, IP, and how they are leading the way with passwordless login. #tech #cybersecurity #passwordless -  Subscribe to my channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCom_1MPt3p3YP8nJOa0eiKQ  -  Mark Haney is a serial entrepreneur that has experience growing companies worth hundreds of millions of dollars. He is currently the CDO and founder of HaneyBiz, a business services platform that helps entrepreneurs be entrepreneurs. HaneyBiz offers outsourced accounting, digital marketing, HR, and investment opportunities.  -  Instagram: http://instagram.com/themarkhaney  Facebook: www.facebook.com/themarkhaney  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markehaney  Website: http://haneybiz.com  Audio Boom: https://audioboom.com/channels/5005273  Twitter: http://twitter.com/themarkhaney 

I always say the best way to learn is by jumping in and scraping your knees and the second best way to learn is from those who have been there, done that. I sit down with a man has forgotten more about entrepreneurship than most of us have learned, Roger Akers. On episode 155 Roger Akers and I talk all about small business growth. Roger has not only successfully built and exited his own company, but has helped many others do so as an angel investor. We take a deep dive into how to grow a business, how to manage a business, and how/when to create a board of directors/advisory board. -  As an angel investor, Roger has helped many companies with business growth, business growth management, and how to grow a small business. Roger’s understanding of stages of business growth, stages of business development, and the business life cycle has been instrumental in helping multiple companies to successful exits.   #smallbusinessgrowth #entrepreneur #startup -  Subscribe to my channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCom_1MPt3p3YP8nJOa0eiKQ  -  Mark Haney is a serial entrepreneur that has experience growing companies worth hundreds of millions of dollars. He is currently the CDO and founder of HaneyBiz, a business services platform that helps entrepreneurs be entrepreneurs. HaneyBiz offers outsourced accounting, digital marketing, HR, and investment opportunities.  -  Instagram: http://instagram.com/themarkhaney  Facebook: www.facebook.com/themarkhaney  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markehaney  Website: http://haneybiz.com  Audio Boom: https://audioboom.com/channels/5005273  Twitter: http://twitter.com/themarkhaney 

On episode 154, I sit down with serial entrepreneur and crypto trading expert, Robert Beadles. Robert has built several companies in the crypto world. Robert provides us with insight into where crypto/bitcoin is and where it is going. We talk about how crypto is slowly becoming accepted, the advantages to using it as a business owner, and the role it will have in society in the future.  What are your thoughts on crypto and its future?  #crypto #cryptocurrency #bitcoin  -  If you want to learn more about crypto you can check out Robert Beadles YouTube channel all about crypto. https://www.youtube.com/cryptobeadles  -  Robert Beadles is a serial entrepreneur in the crypto/lockchain space. He talks about crypto trading strategies and crypto trading for beginners. He has started and founded the following compnaies. If you want more information click the link to the website. Co-Founder of Monarch Blockchain Corporation - https://monarchwallet.com/  CEO of Splash Factory - https://splashfactory.com/  Crypto Beadles - https://cryptobeadles.com/  -  Subscribe to my channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCom_1MPt3p3YP8nJOa0eiKQ  -  Mark Haney is a serial entrepreneur that has experience growing companies worth hundreds of millions of dollars. He is currently the CDO and founder of HaneyBiz, a business services platform that helps entrepreneurs be entrepreneurs. HaneyBiz offers outsourced accounting, digital marketing, HR, and investment opportunities.  -  Instagram: http://instagram.com/themarkhaney  Facebook: www.facebook.com/themarkhaney  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markehaney  Website: http://haneybiz.com  Audio Boom: https://audioboom.com/channels/5005273  Twitter: http://twitter.com/themarkhaney 

 On episode 153 I sit down with the President & CEO of Tipsy Putt, Brandon Robinson. Brandon is the licensee of Flat Stick Pub and opened his first location in the Sacramento DOCO. This is not Brandon's first brick and mortar business as the founder of Skin Body Soul Medspa. So, we dive straight into what you need to know about commercial lease agreements and Tenant Improvements when starting a brick and mortar business. Brandon shares his experiences where he got trapped in his lease on two different occasions and how you can avoid falling into these traps when starting your business. Don't make the same expensive mistakes that Brandon made and be sure to check out our conversation. - #startup #expert #advice - At 16:05 Brandon and I talk about how important location is for commercial property when running a brick and mortar business. Brandon makes an important point that by choosing a commercial space for rent with higher foot traffic may be more expensive, but choosing a commercial property for rent that is cheaper and less foot traffic you will be spending that money on marketing to get people to your business. At 22:15 Brandon shares his experience with commercial lease and business lease. As a startup you have to be cautious and cognizant of what is in your contract. His startup stories about being trapped in two different leases can be avoided by know your long term goal and hiring the right people to make sure all your contracts have your best interest in mind. - Flat Stick Pub is a drink-o-tainment business that has indoor mini golf, a full bar, and a full restaurant. If you would like more information about Flat Stick Pub, check out their website. https://www.tipsyputt.com/flatstickdoco - Subscribe to my channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCom_1MPt3p3YP8nJOa0eiKQ - Mark Haney is a serial entrepreneur that has experience growing companies worth hundreds of millions of dollars. He is currently the CDO and founder of HaneyBiz, a business services platform that helps entrepreneurs be entrepreneurs. HaneyBiz offers outsourced accounting, digital marketing, HR, and investment opportunities. - Instagram: http://instagram.com/themarkhaney Facebook: www.facebook.com/themarkhaney LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markehaney Website: http://haneybiz.com Audio Boom: https://audioboom.com/channels/5005273 Twitter: http://twitter.com/themarkhaney