Business Brain Food

Franchising made Easy with James Corne

Is franchising the way to go with your business? Many business owners think they cannot afford to franchise or that the concept of franchising is too complex. However, franchising is a way for people to pay you to grow your business. Besides growing your business, a reason to franchise is because franchise owners are more passionate, dedicated, and effective.

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Most businesses can become a franchise, but not every business is set up to franchise. It depends on who is running the business, the type of business, and where the business is in its life cycle. And becoming a franchise does not happen overnight. You need to allocate time to take the business where you want it to go. It takes about six months from the beginning to the launch as a franchise. As a franchise, you become a consultant and serve as a mentor in your own business. You guide and facilitate success. You have to replicate what you did in your business, plus possess certain skills – you must like people and be able to lead. Podcast guest James Corne is the author of Franchising Made Easy and founder of The Franchise Institute, which has helped develop franchise systems in 200 different business sectors. It specialises in helping small to medium businesses determine if franchising is right for them or not. Almost all businesses can become a franchise. But understanding what works, doesn’t work, and avoiding mistakes in franchising allows your business to achieve success. If you’ve got a business where there is a demand, consider franchising! In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** Reasons to franchise

** How long it takes

** Determining who should franchise

** Rules whether a business can become a franchise

** Transition from owner to consultant

** Costs and pricing

** Legal aspects

** Mistakes and misconceptions

Resources mentioned in this episode:

** The Franchise Institute: www.thefranchiseinstitute.com.au

** James Corne Email: jamesc@thefranchiseinstitute.com.au

** James Corne Phone: 1300855435

** Franchising Made Easy Book: www.thefranchiseinstitute.com.au/franchising-made-easy-book

** My Podcast Reviews: mypodcastreviews.com

** Free Business Assessment: businessassessment.com.au

** Keeping the Faith: www.imdb.com/title/tt0171433

** Boat Sales App: www.boatsales.com.au/content/mobile

Subscribe on iTunes

Do you think your business should become a franchise?

Use the advice offered in this podcast to make the right decision. Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF055_Franchising_Made_Easy_with_James__Corne.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

Why Every Business Owner Needs a Virtual Assistant

Every business owner needs a virtual assistant (VA) to help with tasks that weight them down. Focus on your genius juice and take everything else off your plate! VA services are a practical, ethical, and reliable way of doing things. Get things done in a different way!

Outsourcing work through VAs frees up your time to work on other areas of your business. VAs can do tasks that are imperative to your business that you can’t do, don’t need to do, or don’t want to do. Tasks include calendar management, email management, travel arrangements, data entry, transcribing audio/video, graphic design, and social media management. There are so many questions that come to mind when hiring a virtual assistant. How does it work? How much does it cost? How do you train them? To answer all of your questions, check out Chris Ducker’s book Virtual Freedom and contact Tom Secuya. Tom Secuya manages a team of virtual assistants in the Philippines through the Carve company. Carve is an outsourcing agency that supports clients remotely and provides virtual assistance and virtual assistants. In this podcast episode, Tom shares his knowledge and experience about utilizing VAs. It can be very beneficial to your business to have a VA – it is a great return on investment! In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** Benefits of outsourcing

** Tasks performed by VAs

** Help desk and project management tools

** Why to provide quality and quick feedback

** Importance of providing VAs with training and tools

** Outsourcing internationally vs. locally

** Hiring directly vs. through an agency

** Different durations (full-time, part-time and on-demand VAs)

Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Downloadable PDF: 105 Tasks to Outsource

** Ben Fewtrell: Twitter/#bbfood

** Carve: carve.ph

** Tom Secuya Email: tom@carve.ph

** Chris Ducker: www.chrisducker.com

** Virtual Freedom: www.virtualfreedombook.com

** 2048 App: itunes.apple.com/us/app/2048/id840919914?mt=8

** Zendesk: www.zendesk.com

** Fresh Desk: www.freshdesk.com

** Voxer: www.voxer.com

** Viber: www.viber.com

** Scrum by Jeff Sutherland: www.amazon.com/Scrum-Doing-Twice-Work-Half/

Do you have a virtual assistant?

As a business owner, discover the benefits of outsourcing! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9811 5000

Direct download: BBF054_Why_Every_Business_Owner_Needs_A_Virtual_Assistant_with_Tom_Secuya.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

How to Create a Strategic Plan for Your Business

Whether you love it or hate it – you need to think about strategic business planning! Don't think of a business plan as a big, fat document that sits on a shelf collecting dust. Instead, think of it as the strategy behind what you are doing. Without strategy, you are not going to thrive. You need a strategy that drives you!

Don't get caught up in the day-to-day aspects of your business. There is always something to do and fires to put out. But you need to STOP! Put some time aside to put together your strategic business plan. Stop being reactive - become more proactive. Develop a fluid document that helps build your business. Once you have it, make sure to review it and keep it up to date. Business Coaching Manager George Zenon has coached dozens of businesses in different industries. He knows the ins and outs of what it takes to succeed in business. He discusses how to create a strategic business plan and what you need to think about. Your strategic business plan has to align your business with your goals! A strategic business plan focuses on the big picture: Where is the business heading, what direction is it going, and what does it need to achieve? Have a plan and follow it! In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** Why it is important to create a strategic business plan

** The difference between business planning and strategic business planning

** What elements to consider and include

** How to get started and the Planning Club

** To think of investors, employees, and customers

** Items to measure (key performance indicators)

** Review regularly to keep up with competition and changes in technology

** Mistakes made in strategic planning

Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Planning Club with George Zenon: actioncoachanz.com/strategyplanningsession

** Percentage Calculator App: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=info.percentagecalculator&hl=en

Do you have a strategic business plan in place?

If not, how are you going to be successful? Make sure to follow the guidance provided in this podcast to take your business to the next level. Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day! Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF053_How_to_create_a_Strategic_Plan_for_your_Business_with_George_Zenon.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

How to Grow Your Business Using Social Media

How can you grow your business using social media? You should be on social media because that’s where most of your customers are - so then you can connect with them. How do you generate leads for free on social media? You don’t. You have to make an investment: either time or money. Ben Fewtrell shares how you can use social media in your business. He developed an 8-step process to make sure you are generating sales and leads using social media.

* Press play above to listen to this weeks Podcast *

Step 1: Establish your business goals. Make sure your social media strategy aligns with your goals. Know your goals and how you are going to get there! Step 2: What are your marketing objectives? Do you want people to book an appointment, buy something, or view a Webinar? Make sure your objectives are very clear. What are you willing to invest to make your objectives happen? Step 3: Identify your ideal customers. Think about who you want to target as your audience. Create a look-alike audience in Facebook using your email database. Use LinkedIn to connect with potential customers. Step 4: Research your competition. Check out what they are doing and what is working. Then, do something in your own way that will deliver the same results. Discover their strengths and weaknesses, which will help you with your own strategy. Step 5: Choose what social media platforms to use. Start with just one, and do it well. Then you can move on to additional platforms. But don’t do more than five platforms. You don’t have the resources or time. Step 6: Decide on what type of content you will use – podcasts, blogs, videos, Webinars, etc. You can reuse and repurpose content. For example, use a podcast transcript to create a blog post. Develop a schedule because you need to be able to consistently generate worthwhile content. Content is King! Step 7: Decide on your budget and resources. You are going to have to spend some money. For example, you will have a team that handles various tasks – and you will need to pay them. Also, you will need to set aside time to regularly check your social media pages. Step 8: Decide on roles. Who will do what and when? Find the right person for the job and have the roles clearly defined. In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** How to generate leads and sales

** Why you need to invest time or money

** The importance of developing a strategy/platform

** 8-Step Process

** Social media platforms to use

Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Downloadable: 8-Step Downloadable Cheat Sheet

** Join Ben Fewtrell on: LinkedIn

** Join Ben Fewtrell on: Twitter

** Join Ben Fewtrell on: Facebook

** Statistics: Social Media Statistics Australia

** Other Podcasts: Amy Porterfield

Subscribe on iTunes

Is your Business utilising Social Media?

Does your business have a Facebook page? Are you on Twitter? LinkedIn? If not, you need to use the 8-step process to grow your business! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day! Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF052_How_to_Grow_your_Business_using_Social_Media_with_Ben_Fewtrell.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

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