Our Daily Blog

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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Picture of Two Dogs.. espree and maya. espree was smart white shephers.. maya is cute but dumb bichon poodle mix.
Scaling the Business
George Sotiropoulos

A Tale of Two Dogs Part 1

Ever consider dogs and what they can teach us about growing a business? And no, I’m not talking about going on the rug… or being so excited to see you as you walk in the office that they want to jump on your leg.

It’s about team.. it’s about fit..

and it’s about your freedom to grow your business without being stuck inside.

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Dependency on Owner
George Sotiropoulos

Home Run Delegation Part 2

It is easy to convince business owners about the value of delegation and mentoring. Showing them and training them how to do it is the challenge.
We do it by setting the correct example, imparting the beliefs, and passing the knowledge on to others patiently.
Set high expectations and be clear about what needs to be done and provide adequate support.
Do these and you gain a freedom and a business that is much more valuable than you can possibly imagine.

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cartoon of bal player running the bases
Dependency on Owner
George Sotiropoulos

Home Run Delegation Part 1

Fun story from my childhood about mentoring. I’m mentioning it because there are some lessons in there that you can apply when delegating.

Many of us delegate by throwing the cat into the deep pool and letting it swim technique… and of course the cat drowns…

There is a better way.. and many of us have already experienced it in our lives as I did in this instance… and it’s lessons we can pass on..

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Person running on hamster wheel
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

3 Ways to Transform Your Experience of Owning a Business

We all want to live our lives and not be at the mercy of a boss, but owning a business and working for yourself often means having no free time. It feels like you’re always working, with obligations that take up your whole day from morning until night – even when you’re at home!

There is an easier way!

With these three steps, owning a business becomes more enjoyable, as we free up our time and build wealth on top of everything else…

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picasso type picture with one person trying to hear what other is saying
Customer Experience
George Sotiropoulos

Don’t Bother, I Can’t Hear You

Have you ever tried to explain yourself to someone who is hard of hearing and refuses to do anything about it? Do your customers feel that way when they speak with you?

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Owner walking home late at night
Dependency on Owner
George Sotiropoulos

5 Things That Really Suck When You’re The Big Boss

As a business owner, you wear a lot of hats. You’re the CEO, the CFO, the janitor, and everything in between. It’s a lot of work, and it can be frustrating at times. Here are the most common 5 frustrations I hear—and the solution that solves them all…

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rocket representing your business taking off in a sea of ruins representing touch economic times
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Invest in Service when the Economy Gets Tough

When the economy takes a turn for the worse, business owners’ first instinct is to cut costs. They’ll slash prices, fire staff, and skimp on quality to try and preserve their profits.
They think they can keep profits the same even with lower revenue by reducing costs and slashing prices to increase volume.
In almost every case, they’re wrong.

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waiter in tuxedo serving dog food
Customer Experience
George Sotiropoulos

Why Feed Your Customers Dog Food?

Too many companies nowadays treat customer service as an expense, not the investment it is. They’ll roll out the red carpet for you when they’re trying to sell you something, but once you’re a customer, they couldn’t care less about you.

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Dependency on Owner
George Sotiropoulos

Does Leaving Your Business For A Day Feel Like Leaving It With 17-Year-Old Party-Hungry Teenagers?

How do you go from Risky Business to a Business where you don’t have to be there every hour of the day?
As a business owner or CEO, you can’t be everywhere at once. You have to trust that your employees will do their jobs and not party like it’s 1999 (or 2022). But how do you make the leap from risky business to hands-off business? Here are four tips to get you started.

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Scaling the Business
George Sotiropoulos

How to Scale a Business on a Limited Budget

Do you hate turning away customers because you are just too busy to handle the ones you have? Would you like to scale but have a budget that is too tight to do so?

Some quick basic steps can help you start scaling and generate the cash flow you need to make the necessary investments to really take your business to the next level.

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Scaling the Business
George Sotiropoulos

Grow or Stretched too Thin?

Do you ever feel like you’re being pulled in a million different directions? That you can’t possibly take on any new business because you’re already stretched too thin?

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Customer Experience
George Sotiropoulos

Are you Advertising ..to Drive Away your Customers?

It’s so easy to chase the latest shiny object. This includes using “powerful” marketing and persuasion principles, but doing it the wrong way. Basically, you need to deliver what you promise…

Don’t catfish your customers…

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Customer Experience
George Sotiropoulos

Cost of Cheap Service

Cheap Customer Service doesn’t save you money.. It costs you current and future earnings at multiples much higher than the small margin you save by shortchanging the most important facet of your business.

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Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

The Discipline to Grow and Sell a Business

Building and selling a business requires two types of discipline: 1) Focusing on your niche to build an independent, scalable and successful company, and 2) Focusing your actions and decisions on those that build the most valuable and least risky asset. The type of asset a future buyer would pay the highest money to acquire.

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Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Its Easy to Neglect Your Best Customers

Curious how a favourite family beach spot lost its charm? A single change made all the difference. It’s a powerful reminder of how subtle shifts can impact whether your best customers stay or abandon you. It doesn’t even have to be something you did wrong.. but rather something you stopped doing that you did before. Check out how small actions can keep your customers engaged or send them to your competitors.

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Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

You Go as High as the Company You Keep

Ever wondered if your business relationships are holding you back? You might be attracting the wrong crowd without even realizing it. Are those free promotions and networking groups actually draining your energy and time? Discover the hidden traps and how to invest your efforts wisely to attract the right customers. Curious about the secret to confidently charging what you’re worth? Click to unveil the surprising insights…

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guy sitting alone at a bar
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Bad English Lead Generation

When reaching out to attract leads for your business are you doing so by planting a big sign on you head and asking people to kick you because you look like a Jack ***?
Instead find out what the people you want to attract really need and want.. and then effectively communicate it.
It’s the topic of our upcoming 5 steps to stop competing on price series coming up.

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guy in white shirt surrouned by women in red
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

What Makes You Stand Out

How well are you standing out versus your competition? Do your customers see you as unique and superior and someone to whom they want to give their business – repeatedly? Find out by two simple questions you can ask them…

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busy woman who missed a bus
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Stop Doing What I Don’t Want to Do

A line from Romans and a couple of wake up calls in my personal health has clarified in my head when I stand in my own way. It also helped a client get out of his way and achieve phenomenal results in just 18 months. Find out more.

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Trump pose after assassination attempt
Customer Experience
George Sotiropoulos

An Assassin and Your Business

“….Politics is Knowing when to pull the trigger” is the end of a quote from GodFather 3 in regards to finance but I’d argue it applies to business in general. In this case I show how a potential assassination can be leveraged in such a way that only Trump benefits and that is no accident. When you can follow an approach popularised by Ben Settle to build a world for your audience and customers.. you can have them do all sorts of things for you and enthusiastically too.

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Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

The Beam in Your Business Eye

Do you know the one mistake almost everyone makes, even when they’re aware of it?

I recently had a conversation with a top copywriter who revealed a surprising truth that affects us all.

Curious about what it is and why we keep falling short despite knowing it?

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Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Delusions and your Bottom Line

My friend’s father, suffering from Alzheimer’s, was gripped by delusions, convinced of an impossible affair. This heartbreaking scenario made me reflect on the delusions in my business and career that cost me millions. From trusting untrustworthy people to believing toxic environments would change. How did I finally break free from these costly illusions? The answer can be surprisingly simple.

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