Our Daily Blog

pic of 2 people looking in different directions. artistic tryptach.
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Culture and Growth

Often, terms like “culture” and “growth” are thrown around in the business world as buzzwords. But let’s get real here; culture isn’t just a buzzword. It has solid consequences that can result in lost potential.

For example, in this article I show an example of two cultures in one membership subscription organisation trying to put together an event between the two groups.

But when rigidity overshadows flexibility, a valuable chance slips away for one of the groups.

For business leaders, this highlights the importance of trust and delegation. Are our cultural norms holding us back? Delve deeper to understand the true impact of culture on growth.

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even experts on a panel giving presentaiton fell asleep because they bored themselves
Customer Experience
George Sotiropoulos

A Panel … Of Boredom

Attended an exhibition full of visionaries, but the roundtable discussion reminded me: don’t play it safe to the point of boredom. In business marketing, avoid clichés and truly engage your audience by being genuine and innovative – and yes controversial when appropriate. That’s why it’s all about the real conversations and finding real solutions at our Owner’s table..

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Scaling the Business
George Sotiropoulos

The Networking Robot

Most people do not know how to sell and then there is the Networking Robot. He is in a class by himself. If I hadn’t experienced him in real life I would think he was a cartoon or a boogey man to scare business owners with. Alas, he is real.. and he’s looking to find you at a networking event.

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Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Who you Run with and Business Success

You become who you hang out with. It’s almost a law from the playground to the boardroom. And in any group you join.. it’s in the actions where you see the real value or lack of they provide. And time is too valuable to waste in a group that at best keeps you stuck but at worse sinks you into the swamp.

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the Howling at the Business

Watching my eldest daughter taunt my youngest until she bellowed a frightening howl that silenced a restaurant highlighted what we face in a noisy market. Lot’s of big promises and the waving of amazing rewards in front of our faces to make us want badlty what they are selling. Unfortunately, like spoiled brats everywhere, they do not have the ability to deliver on the big promise to us.

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charge of men over battle field ww1 scene
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Every Day is a Crisis…

Listening to the frustrations of an 8 figure business owner highlights that the challenges we face on the business journey are not isolated or unique to us. That we can learn and tackle them together with sound strategies and common sense solutions

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homeless guy in front of ferrari trying to sell it
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Pricing to Get the Life You Want

Your pricing speaks volumes about the value you offer and the clients you attract. Just as we’re influenced by the company we keep, businesses are defined by the customers they cater to. Join our next Owner’s Roundtable to discuss the power of pricing, growth strategies, and more

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Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

“Cajones” is no substitute for Bad Pricing

The biggest mistake I ever made in my career was the one where I underpriced myself -not due to lack of confidence but to the allure of huge commissions without a realistic diligence that the place I was going was the right option

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customers dressed as pimps in pink
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Your Pricing Says Alot About….

Your pricing communicates a great deal about how you feel about what you provide and now special it is.

If you price too cheap… your quality is called into question..

Price too high.. your grasp of reality.

But ultimately your pricing should Attract who you want to attract.

And..Repel who you do not want.

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Spartan Soliders with Modern Weapons
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Power of Pricing

Are you one of the vast majority of businesses that ignore your pricing strategy at your own peril. Discover the shocking reality Peter discovers when overlooking the most efficient way to drive up his profits.

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bull at dentist shop
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

The BS of Hourly Pay

Have you ever had a client question your price, asking ‘how long will you actually be working on that?’ It’s time to shift the focus from how long a task takes to the value of the solution provided. Join us in the coming weeks as we explore better ways to price, focusing on value, not hours.

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old sucessful happy couple
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

20-20 Business and Opportunity

Success isn’t about luck or fate, it’s about building a business that creates opportunities. Learn from those who’ve been there – who’ve built and sold businesses, and unlocked the life they’ve dreamed of. Join us at our next Owner’s Table to discover how you too can create a business that gives you the freedom to live life on your own terms.

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charge of men over battle field ww1 scene
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

The Charge of the Business Brigade

When you think of World War I, you think of armchair generals eating shrimp and sipping champagne while sending millions to their death with outdated tactics and strategies that produced only corpses. This is what most entrepreneurs face when the “experts” they hire prioritise making the sale and buying flashy cars over providing solutions that will actually bring the real results they are seeking.

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Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

A Business Life Sentence in 60 Seconds

Imagine the disappointment of having a $13.75 million deal fall through just moments before signing the agreement. Instead of a dream holiday, Mark suffered a suffocating silence from an oft disappointed spouse, and retirement plans were pushed back “another 3 years”. It’s more common than we care to admit but you can avoid such a fate..

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Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Pricing and Freedom

Just like a relaxing drive can be interrupted by an unwanted driver riding too close behind us so often our customers are disturbed when we come in fast and close demanding a new purchase or more money. Avoid that common mistake and watch your profits soar.

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car tailgaiting another
Customer Experience
George Sotiropoulos

Tailgating a Customer

Just like a relaxing drive can be interrupted by an unwanted driver riding too close behind us so often our customers are disturbed when we come in fast and close demanding a new purchase or more money. Avoid that common mistake and watch your profits soar.

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Customer Experience
George Sotiropoulos

Getting Customers as a Hassle

Spam is the gift that keeps on giving when it comes to identifying what’s wrong in today’s business. By acting opposite of the majority who employ spam or buy into the purveyors of it you will stand out and be more attractive to prospects and customers than spamists who whistle and holler

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killer clowns
Dependency on Owner
George Sotiropoulos

The Clowns Haunting Your Business

Complexity Clowns are another bane on the existance of SME owners. They come and try to sell complicated solutions that have no relevance or practicality to you and your situation by showing off corporate owners and others who were fleeced. Find the simple test you can ask them to find out who is and who is not a clown.

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showing complexity wiht a person and buildings
Scaling the Business
George Sotiropoulos

“Keep it Simple Stupid”

As Business owners we often make the mistake of thinking complexity equals quality and overpaying on complicated solutions that have no chance of success but which are sold to us magic solutions. Protect youself by going back to the basics.

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A sinister man surrouned by a python snake
Customer Experience
George Sotiropoulos

When Customers Squeeze You

PIA (Pain in the A**) Pythons – these creatures latch onto a business owner as a normal customer and then they squeeze the owners dry by immobilizing them with complaints, questions, issues so they monopolise all their time and energy until the owner pretty much loses the will to live or gives in on price and other demands. Customers are not always right and you should never have to be stuck with a Python.

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woman in modern setting sitting in the dock
Customer Experience
George Sotiropoulos

Shame Stopping Your Sale?

Shame can keep us from doing what is best for us and often lead us to disastrous paths as a character in a movie I saw recently experienced. When you speak to your customers are you identifying where they might be too embarrassed to ask for help and so making it comfortable for them to do so with you… and finally have the solutions they so desired.

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business man in dark wtih light shining behind as if knowledge but dark as in a curse.
Customer Experience
George Sotiropoulos

Your Business and a Common Curse

We are often passionate and very knowledgeable about what we provide. It’s good to know what we are doing but it can be major trap when we fall into the curse of knowledge and assume our audience knows as much as we do, or are further along the journey than they really are. Overcome this curse and see your conversions begin to skyrocket.

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Logo salesman drawn as a clown
Customer Experience
George Sotiropoulos

No One Cares About Your Logo

Snake Oil Branding Bats are a scourge for modern entrepreneurs as they manipulate and sell them worthless solutions around vanity measures that do nothing for the underlying business. Read in this article to see what one of these “rebranding” victims look like.

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boss monitoring all his employees through spyware
Dependency on Owner
George Sotiropoulos

Key Stroke Spying Your Business Away

Accountability and measuring employee performance is critical but when do you take it too far and it becomes a liability that threatens the business itself. Read this example.. based on a true story but details changed and some light literary license taken.

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roman in front of modern dressed crowd
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

He’s not the Messiah… He’s a Very Spammy Boy

False Messiahs and Slick Salemen are the expensive vampires hunting each business owners and looking to sell them the dream of a quick fix or solution regardless of whether it will work or is even appropriate. You’ll save countless hours and money in knowing how to identify and avoid the false messiahs who will do all they can to try to stick their claws in you and convert you.

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ww2 soldier in a modern office
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Key Lesson from a War Criminal

Can we learn from depraved moments in history. In fact we can. What is scary is what allowed ordinary people to become professional killers and how they rationalized it away. This Rationalisation mechanism is what we have to identify and address when it comes to our business. Because often it traps us in routines and practices that at best keep us stuck and at worst set us up for failure.

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A clown which shows the spammer is holding a business meeting
Scaling the Business
George Sotiropoulos

Help me Tailor my Business

Once again we see the finest in cold emails form people actually getting paid to deliver this crap. I’m being nice and not revealing this person’s full name and company but the email is his. And for someone whose promise is to give me tailored content…. It’s generic and plain stupid.

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Couple standing in front of a moving bus
Scaling the Business
George Sotiropoulos

Hit by a Bus or Divorced

The cliché getting hit by a bus may be in need of getting hit by a bus itself. Only 6,000+ people have bene hit by bus in 20 years. Divorce on the other hand claims nearly 50% of all marriages where there is an entrepreneur. So it makes sense not to prepare for divorce but have a business that is prepared at all times – for every opportunity or D challenge.

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Group meeting at Deck in the Palm
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Experience Trumps Knowledge

“For she is more profitable than silver, and her gain is better than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.” (Proverbs 3:14-3:15).
We’re talking about Sophia…
More specifically, the Greek word for wisdom.
And how tapping into Sophia or wisdom can transform what your business provides you.

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Van gogh painting of man and his son both chinese at an outdoor cafe with no one around.
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

A Piano Ballad, A Thriving Business, and the Legacy Left Behind

“Sing us a song, you’re the piano man…”
Hearing those lyrics took me back to a snowy Christmas Eve years ago, driving through Chicago in a blizzard to pick up my friend Don. We slid into snowbanks, laughed until we cried, and celebrated late into the night.
Years later, Don built a thriving business and a life he loved abroad. But his story has always stayed with me—and not for the reasons you might think.

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Business man looking lost sitting at a food stand in middle of desert
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Is Your Business Worth Anything?

Profitability alone doesn’t guarantee a buyer will be interested in your business. In fact, many owners don’t realise that 7 out of 10 businesses fail to sell—not because they’re unprofitable, but because they lack what buyers value most:….

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Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Does Your Business Miss You?

“I ain’t missing you at all… since you’ve been gone.”
That’s the song your business should sing when you’re away.
If your business misses you every time you step out—whether it’s for a holiday, a family event, or even a few hours—it’s a sign of trouble.

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business man on the ski slope with little snow wearing an expensive suit and sun glasses
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Planes, Trains, Automobiles and a Business that Runs Itself

A friend of mine recently jumped on a plane for his 12th trip in just nine months. He’s headed to Europe for some skiing and a bit of downtime to enjoy a hobby he’s fallen in love with.
But here’s what’s remarkable: his business doesn’t miss him.
It wasn’t always this way. Just a few years ago, he was stuck working 80-hour weeks, tethered to his desk and overwhelmed by the daily grind.
The turning point? He decided ……

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woman staring through a gaping hole in her house to a dark stormy day outside
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Do you Really Think Investors Will Pay for Brownie Points?

When you’re running a business, it’s easy to think buyers will see the value in everything you’ve built—the late nights, the sacrifices, the blood, sweat, and tears.
But buyers don’t care about brownie points.
They care about what your business can do for them. If you can’t answer that, your business could end up like Sally’s….

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George smoking a cigar and a beer after successful delegation
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Downloading the Secrets to a Valuable Business

“I know kung fu.”
That line from The Matrix always stuck with me. Imagine downloading a lifetime of knowledge—mastering martial arts, business strategies, or customer service excellence—in seconds.
While we can’t quite do that yet, what if you could save years of trial and error in your business?

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George smoking a cigar and a beer after successful delegation
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Happy Hour and the Gold Rush

Back in 1999, I took a road trip to the American River—the exact spot where James Marshall discovered gold in 1848 and kicked off the California Gold Rush.
When Marshall first found gold, the area was quiet. No crowds. No rush. Just endless opportunity for those who knew where to look.
It reminded me of our last Business Value Happy Hour.
A small group of us listened as one of our peers shared how he turned his business into a goldmine
Don’t miss the next opportunity. Find out more inside…

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