Listen to “#665 An Entrepreneur’s Roadmap for Overcoming Fears in Starting a Business” on Spreaker.
On this episode of The Small Business Radio Show…
SEGMENT 1 with Mark Zhang, starting at 0:00: There is a new movement that is washing across the business world. It’s called pro-napping and the idea is that team members should be able to take power naps every day at work. Mark Zhang is here to share his experience running a pro-napping company.
SEGMENT 2 with Ross Buhrdorf, starting at 17:15: What are the biggest challenges and fears in starting a business? Ross Buhrdorf is here to help entrepreneurs navigate rejection, asking for money, paperwork, pricing, and more.
SEGMENT 3 with Robbie Samuels, starting at 36:45: How do you launch a new offer even if you have a small list? Robbie Samuels walks us through a practical process for researching, creating, and launching a new offer to an audience that actually wants it.
Sponsored by NiceJob and Plastiq.
More on each segment below.
Segment 1: Mark Zhang is the CEO & founder of the Manta Sleep mask, a mask designed, constructed, and optimized for deepest-possible sleep in any environment. Mark launched the Manta Sleep mask by crowdfunding via Kickstarter and Indiegogo — he ended up raising $700,000+ to start the company! He is also a leader of the pro-napping movement.
1:30 – How did the pro-napping movement get started?
2:45 – How do you facilitate napping in a business environment?
4:15 – How has this affected work output and overall business success?
6:15 – What is the optimal amount of time for a power nap?
7:00 – What was the inspiration for the Manta Sleep mask?
9:00 – You ran a very successful crowdfunding campaign for Manta Sleep. Tell us about it!
12:00 – How can business owners can improve their sleep hygiene?
Segment 2: Ross Buhrdorf is the Founder & CEO of ZenBusiness. He has over 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur, technology leader and c-level executive, angel investor and board member, and has helped transform the way consumers interact with technology. Prior to ZenBusiness, Ross was CTO of HomeAway (now Vrbo), a vacation rental site.
17:15 – What does it mean to have your business online and why is this important?
20:45 – Business owners have to conquer their fear of asking for money.
22:30 – Focus your time on getting paying customers. When starting out, use 100% of your time, energy, and funds to find and know your customer.
25:00 – Fear of rejection is a big part of what entrepreneurs have to face in business.
27:00 – Tax filing and legal requirements are complicated, confusing and important to get right.
30:30 – How do entrepreneurs get started when it comes to price?
Segment 3: Robbie Samuels is an author, speaker, and business growth strategy coach recognized as a networking expert by Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Lifehacker, and Inc. Robbie is the author of “Croissants vs. Bagels: Strategic, Effective, and Inclusive Networking at Conferences” and “Small List, Big Results: Launch a Successful Offer No Matter the Size of Your Email List.”
36:45 – Is having a small email list the reason entrepreneurs struggle to find clients for a new offer?
38:30 – How do you build an audience before you create an offer?
41:45 – What do you look for from your conversations with your audience to create an offer?
43:00 – How do you price a pilot offer?
44:30 – How do you turn your research into an offer?
46:30 – How do you build trust with your offer?
47:30 – How do you determine what to charge?
50:00 – What is the difference between little “p” and big “P” problems?
Visit www.RobbieSamuels.com/barry to download The Big Results Toolkit.
