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Our Daily Blog

Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

10x Your EBITDA – A True Story

Ever feel like you are a trapped in the trenches of a price war.

You don’t have to be.

Ron Holt shows the power of standing out, scaling up and ultimately selling at a premium.

By standing out he could charge what he wanted. That funded his growth which then made him attractive for a high premium offer.

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Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Wokezis, Books and Business

Trolls beware! Don’t mess with my wife’s 20 years of experience as a teacher and senior leader in the British Curriculum.

When it comes to phonics, she has literally transformed hundreds of children from struggling readers to confident ones.

A reminder that when you’re choosing mentors or resources for your business, don’t be fooled by ideologues who preach without getting results.

Go for the real thing – those who take the time to get to know your unique situation and help you reach your goals

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Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Work, Life and Profits

Working hard is great, but don’t forget to rest and rejuvenate too! Maintaining a good work/life balance can be a key to success.

Taking regular breaks to relax and unwind can help you mentally, physically and you’re your creativity – all of which are essential for growing your business.

So take some time off, let your mind and body recover – you’ll be glad you did.

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Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Should They Trust You

People do business with those whom they like and trust. Do the following to help people feel comfortable trusting you and doing business with you.

When they trust you and you exceed their expectations, you gain repeat customers. The ones who will keep buying from you, referring you, and funding you to help your business grow.

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Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Blessed are They That…

The Sermon on the Mount is one of the most famous and influential speeches in history. And if you look at it from a “business perspective”, it’s a masterpiece in showing the power of communicating benefit and transformation. In short, how to stand out from your competition and communicate it effectively.

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Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Confused and Returned

Every try to assemble something when the instructions are pure ****. Best is EU purchases where the only instructions are in 15 different languages and they are warranty cards.
If instructions are included, often it’s written by engineers for other engineers and as useful as just telling us to ask the Cat how to put it together.

But here’s the thing.. purchases that do not get consumed get returned. So why deal with refunds because instructions are not clear. Start there and see what happens…

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Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

When Mr. Ed Crossed the Mob

Knowing your audience can be a force for good or evil.
For good so you can provide the solution that can change people’s lives into their hands.
For evil, like poor Mr Ed….

Regardless, knowing your audience makes it possible to scale your business because they are more likely to listen and buy from you.. that is if you know how and when to speak to them…

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Uncategorized
George Sotiropoulos

Win a $1 million Deal with $1 dollar Sushi Dinner?

Being successful in business is about understanding the core desires that drive your customers and providing solutions to fulfill them. We can learn a lot from two very different restaurants – one aimed at impressing clients for business deals, and another for throwing a 3 year old’s birthday – on how to create the right atmosphere, understand customer desires and price accordingly.

By doing this, you can outsmart your competitors and attract the customers you want and charge the prices you want. At the end of the day, it’s not about prices – it’s also about understanding and fulfilling customer desires.

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Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Kuro Maguri Sushi with Sliders Please

This headline is ridiculous because pairing blue fin tuna sushi with sliders doesn’t have anything wrong with it logically, but rather awkward from an emotional aesthetic point of view.

it’s about atmosphere and how it reflects some of our deepest core desires.

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Scaling the Business
George Sotiropoulos

Stand Out

Ever wonder why you go to the restaurants you do?
Do you only go because you are hungry?
If that’s the case why go out and not just deliver?
What restaurant would you take a client to win a critical project?
How about 20 3-year-old children to a birthday party?
Pick the same place? If not.. why?

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Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Discount from a Thief

Ever get a call from a company that only cares about price? it’s like a robber calling you to offer a discount on buying back what he just stole from your house.

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Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

When Budgeting is Just Plain Stupid

Budgets are necessary to control spending, but mindlessly following them is insane when it comes to scaling and growing your business beyond what the budget “allows”. You can be flexible and still grow smart as long as you look at key metrics for growth and allow them to supersede what some arbitratry budget measure says.

When and how do you balance growth while making sure you don’t go nuts on spend?

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Abstract Version of Mr. T.
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

When I Threw “Mr. T” To The Mat

Have you ever felt really intimidated by an upcoming challenge? Like time I stepped onto a wrestling mat to face “Mr T.”* in the 1980s.

But then something amazing happened: when we got into the middle of the match, I realized he wasn’t so scary after all! In fact, if it hadn’t been for me being pysched out in the beginning and gave up points for nothing, I would have won.

This experience taught me an important lesson: don’t judge a situation by its cover. You never know what lies underneath. So be confident in yourself and take that leap of faith—you may surprise yourself!

*(P.S. It wasn’t the real Mr. T just in case you were wondering…)

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artistic rendition of the 46 defense sack
Dependency on Owner
George Sotiropoulos

The 46

As I posted this article on my Linkedin profile, I saw the date 26 January. It’s a coincidence, but it’s extremely relevant (and I’ll explain shortly).

Growing up in Chicago in the 1980s we witnessed one of the best NFL defenses to ever be on a field. It caputed a whole city and people went crazy.. even waiting in hundreds of thousands in 20 below zero to welcome them back after a championships.

Why do I bring them up? Because it’s a cautionary tale. How a system that brings you to the heights can also fail you when it outlives its time.

Like in business, and the system you used to launch can now destroy the value you built ..

As for the date? 26 January 1986 was the date they won the Super Bowl..

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A triangle with lightning behind it.
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

The Triangle of Success

As a founder, especially if you were a solopreoneur, you had to do a bunch of things at once.

You had to hustle and find your customers, you had to onboard them, you had to service them, you had to bill them, and you had to collect from them all the while still trying to find new customers and working on the quality of your products and services.

And pay the bills, and deal with the government agencies, etc etc.

But when you are ready to scale and grow your business it’s best to keep in mind the Triangle of Success and the importance of being able to execute all areas simultaneously.

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Person at a Cross Roads...
Customer Experience
George Sotiropoulos

Do You Sell to Trade or Invest – Part 2

Investing in your customer relationships pays off!

Don’t get so wrapped up in making a sale that you miss the long-term benefits of providing great service and using that sale to build a relationship with the customer.

And whatever you do, don’t ‘rip them off’ or you’ll find yourself out of business before too long.

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Person at a Cross Roads...
Customer Experience
George Sotiropoulos

Do You Sell to Trade or Invest: Part 1

Are you in business to trade your product or service or invest in your customer base – as an asset to your business?
It’s investment versus transaction and sometimes, as the example from my FX days shows, it’s not so clear cut.

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Tiger climbing up a mountain and a main holding on to his back paw
Business Value

A Business Parable

A business parable of how an owner transformed a horrible culture to one that allowed him to grow the business and become free.

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Customer Experience
George Sotiropoulos

I’ll Get To It Tomorrow

Have you ever seen someone making a purchase and then changing their mind last second and leaving?

What can be more frustrating when someone is about to purchase from you, wants to purchase from you, but something is holding them back.

And what is holding them back might surprise you. But if you can figure it out, you can get the window shoppers to come in and the clients who would walk away.. take that deep breath and open your door.

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Bull sitting on toilet
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

The Value of 2023 Predictions

With the New Year, many predictions come in, but they are mostly useless. You can see how useless it is by looking at the 2022 predictions and seeing what came true and what was not only wrong, but woefully so.

Even worse is the hero celebrity worship and blindly following even how they chew gum and walk at the same time.

Of course, thinking of the new year wouldn’t be complete without thinking of the two most annoying sales pitches we’ll have to hear repeatedly in the next 12 months…

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Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Top 3 Pitfalls To Avoid When Delegating

Next week, our Master Round Table and Cigar Experience will reveal crucial strategies for reclaiming your time through smarter delegation. Ever wonder why delegating sometimes fails spectacularly? We’ll explore three common pitfalls that could be undermining your efforts and how to navigate them successfully.
Join us to uncover the subtle art of empowering your team without falling into the typical traps that could cost you more than just time.

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deliverance guy from movie in a boardroom
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Deliverance Crew in a “Mastermind?”

“I’m very selective in who I take…” Those were the first words of a pitch that led me to make a significant investment in what promised to be a groundbreaking system. The reality? A stark mismatch between promise and execution, teaching me a valuable lesson about discerning true value in business offerings.
Discover how this experience transformed our approach at Sophiall, ensuring our clients never face similar pitfalls. Click below to learn how we safeguard your business interests with our robust support system and a no-questions-asked guarantee.

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caveman using a computer
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

From the Cave to the Flip Board

Do you know what the job of your brain is?
It’s a question marketing expert Alex Manossian asked me when I told him about our delegation workshop.
And the answer was not what you expect.
But the answer clarifies how you should feel after delegation and so you know where it is working or not.
Read to find out more

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Assessment graph and pen
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

The $312K Assessment

Imagine earning what amounts to a $480 million annual salary in just one hour. This isn’t just a hypothetical scenario; it happened to Rebecca after a 60-minute business value assessment.
Initially, an offer was made to take over her small, seemingly insignificant business for free, in exchange for a good salary. Instead of accepting this undervaluation, we conducted an in-depth review of her business. In less than an hour, Rebecca discovered the true value of her business and identified strategies to enhance its worth even further.
The result? Three weeks later, the same person who undervalued her business came back with not only a 25% higher salary offer but also agreed to pay $312,000 for the business itself.
This story is a powerful reminder of knowing your business’s worth and the transformative impact of professional assessments.

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victorious business woman in the Gladiator Arena
Scaling the Business
George Sotiropoulos

Too Many of you in our Market

I was told that starting a new trading desk in an already crowded market is a lost cause. But what if the existing service providers aren’t satisfying the traders? Here I share how I successfully opened a thriving trading desk and ignored the naysayers by directly addressing unmet needs.
And I learned that from an ex-manager who dared to challenge a market dominated by one player. His approach, focusing on what traders were truly unhappy about, led to significant changes in market share and opened up new opportunities.
Explore how questioning the usual, understanding real customer frustrations, and delivering clear, targeted solutions can make a difference even in “saturated” markets.

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old sucessful happy couple
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Does Your Business Make Your Face Red?

Navigating the world of business can often feel like the early days of dating—fraught with hesitations, uncertainties, and the fear of taking the wrong step. In my latest article, I draw parallels between the fears of rejection in dating and the daunting challenges of business ownership. From embracing authenticity to building genuine connections, I share insights on overcoming these fears to not only find love but also to succeed in business. Dive into the full article to discover how embracing your true self can be the key to both personal and professional fulfillment.

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Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

One is the dangerous number you’d ever know (in your business).

Running a business can feel like a solo mission. Decisions rest on you and the results aren’t always immediate. Here’s the hard truth: relying on one big client, one main supplier, or one key employee is playing with fire. It’s a risky business move that can turn your hard work to smoke overnight.

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Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Top 10 Delegation and Networking Challenges

Meet “George Business Advisor,” the AI I’ve created to tackle the real-world issues SME owners face in delegation and networking. Curious about what George thinks are the top 5 challenges in each area? You might be surprised by his insights!
1️Trust and empowerment in delegation
2️ Building genuine, meaningful connections in networking
…and many more!
I’d love to hear your thoughts on George’s advice! (Ask me for the direct link to chat with him ).

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