Jason Linkswiler on LinkedIn: How the peanut butter approach to business is a recipe for unprofitability… (2024)

Put your business on autopilot: Here's how!Do you ever feel like your business is a bit like a rollercoaster? Well, you're not alone. Imagine owning a business that runs on its own. And you're free to focus on the tasks you excel at, sounds like a dream, right? Swamped with daily tasks?It's time to introduce systemisation into your online business.In five steps, you can start systemising today:1) Identify Repetitive Tasks: Note down all your daily tasks and processes. Everything from checking emails to sending out invoices.2) Categorise Your Systems: Decide what to automate. Which need manual intervention, and which ones can use a mix of both.3) Establish a Priority: Focus on the tasks that will have the most impact on your company’s growth. Give them a monetary amount that you believe the system will contribute to your business.4) Create a Process: This is the most crucial step. For each task, list out every step needed to do the job from start to finish. Make it detailed enough so anyone in the company can execute it.5) Track and Optimise: Track the results to see how well your systems are working. Tweak and optimise any problematic processes to gain efficiency, sales, and profits.Systemising your business is a game-changer. It’s about working smarter, not harder. What’s your experience with systemising your business? Share your tips and tricks in the comments!

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Here are 5 factors that can significantly impact your business valuation:1. Undefined Valuation Goals: Without clear targets, it's challenging to steer your business towards increasing its value. Setting specific valuation goals allows for strategic decision-making and progress measurement. 🎯2. Financial Inconsistencies: Fluctuating revenues, erratic cash flows, and inconsistent profitability can erode investor confidence and weaken your business's valuation. 💸3. Limited Scalability: Investors seek businesses with the potential for rapid growth and scalability. Failing to demonstrate scalability can hinder your ability to achieve a higher valuation. 📈4. Key Individual Dependency: Overreliance on a few key individuals, such as founders or key employees, poses a significant risk to the business and diminishes its overall value. 👩💼👨💼5. Operational Inefficiencies: Inefficient processes, outdated technology, and operational bottlenecks can hamper profitability and impede your ability to command a higher valuation. 🛑Avoiding these pitfalls is crucial for maximizing your business's valuation potential.Looking to steer clear of these valuation pitfalls? Message us now to learn more about how our Brand Accelerator Program can guide you towards maximizing the value of your business.

Is your business built to scale?Scaling a business is every entrepreneur's dream, but how do you know if your small business has what it takes to grow sustainably? Here is a sum up of what you should take into consideration:Capacity Check: Can your business handle more customers, sales, and demands without breaking a sweat? If yes, you're on the right track.Flexibility Factor: Is your business agile enough to adapt to market changes and trends? Being adaptable will help you stay ahead of the curve, and be prepared in case of a fast-changing market or a huge, impactful event (eg: a pandemic)Efficiency Expertise: Analyze how effectively your business utilizes its resources, including capital, labor, and technology, to drive productivity and minimize costs. Look for opportunities to optimize processes, leverage scalable technologies, and maximize ROI.Revenue Reliability: Do you have a steady stream of revenue you can count on? Are you able to evaluate the stability and diversity of it?Model Mastery: Does your business model support growth without major overhauls? This means, considering whether your business model incorporates elements such as recurring revenue streams, high-profit margins, or low variable costs that facilitate scalability.Operational Optimization: Are your operations running smoothly? If you can automate repetitive tasks, standardize workflows, and leverage technology to optimize efficiency and free up resources for growth initiatives, then you are gaining "scaling points.".Talent Magnetism: Is your business one day going to be a magnet for top talents? Dream big, project yourself and your business in the future, and if the answer is yes, you are on the right track, pal!

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Business Model is a buzzword in the enterprise world, but do you really know what it means?This concept refers to the documentation and development of how a business will operate. That's why it's so important for startups and for anyone who is starting a business.When starting a business, it's crucial to structure a business model, giving shape to the brand, products, services, and all day-to-day activities, so that each task is performed in the best possible way.What's a business model❓A business model is defined as the way a company creates, delivers, and secures value, in other words, it’s how you will do business.A business model is a tool that documents and defines the phases of business and allows different areas to operate as a unit.This tool must encompass all a company’s activities, affording a complete view of the business, the connection points between areas, and the points that need more attention in strategic planning.A business model must answer questions related to:💭 Value proposition: What do you sell?💭 What are your competitive advantages?💭 What innovation do you propose?💭 Target audience: Who are you selling to?💭 How: What operations will be possible?💭 Monetization: How will your business make money?⛳ Business Model vs. Business PlanThe concepts of business model and business plan are commonly confused.But it's worth knowing a little more about each because they are different in practice❗💡While a business model is a practical document that provides a broad outline of the company, a business plan is a document about the stages that make up the company.💡It's the business plan that shows whether indicators are viable for a company, helping to identify whether more investments are necessary, how long the business will take to make a profit, and what objectives can be achieved, among other points.💡This involves deep market analysis, financial analysis, developing a robust marketing plan, and defining all operational steps that must be followed by the different departments.💡In general, a business model defines what to do (which is why it comes first), while the business plan defines how to do it.

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Is your business a messy closet? Then keep reading:As an entrepreneur, it's easy to get caught up doing busy work every day without making real progress. You handle each task and crisis but never get ahead.The problem isn't your team’s work ethic - it's the lack of an effective workflow.To have an effective workflow, you need to:• Map out step-by-step processes for key functions• Clarify who owns each step• Set deadlines and track progress- Identify and fix bottlenecksA well-designed workflow provides order, efficiency, and scalability. Without it, you risk:• Wasting time on disorganized tasks• Dropped balls from unclear roles• Employee frustration and burnoutThink of your business as a complex machine. A workflow system is the mechanics that allow it to scale up smoothly.Where are things getting jammed up in your workflow? Are you ready to build the machine to grow your business big?

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Create a Business Model that works for your company! The Business Model Canvas is a strategic management tool that provides a visual framework for developing, describing, and pivoting business models. It consists of nine building blocks that help entrepreneurs and business leaders understand, design, and communicate key aspects of their business. The nine building blocks include Customer Segments, Value Propositions, Channels, Customer Relationships, Revenue Streams, Key Resources, Key Activities, Key Partnerships, and Cost Structure. Each block plays a crucial role in developing a successful business model. The Business Model Canvas is a dynamic tool that can be adapted as a business evolves, making it a valuable resource for startups and established companies. It encourages a holistic business view and fosters strategic thinking in a visual and accessible format. Investing time in creating a business model using the Business Model Canvas can provide clarity, focus, and direction for your company. Could you identify your target customers, outline your unique value proposition, and identify the critical assets, skills, and partnerships required to deliver the value proposition? Designing a Business Model is a crucial step toward the success of any business. Use the Business Model Canvas to create a model that works for you!

How Automation can help you sell your Company for higher multiples: Last week, I was talking with a new client I'm starting to work with. He was telling me his goal is to sell his business within the next 5 years. But he knows in order to sell his business, he needs a more efficient operation. He knew he needed to build a business that could run without him having to do all the work. So if your goal is to exit from the current business you're building... But your business can only function or grow with you being present in the operations... Then it's going to be difficult for you to sell your business. Keep this in mind as you build your business. And start slowly detaching yourself from the day-to-day operations. This is where automation comes into play. Automation is a cost-effective way to: • Increase your margins • Strengthen your operations • Complete the manual processes within your business And arguably the most important benefit of using automation is that your business is more scalable. Buyers are looking for companies that are scalable. Scalable operations. Scalable revenue and upside for more growth. Because it's difficult to grow a company that needs to hire a bunch of people in order to make it to the next level. So by having the automations in place for your business... You automatically have more upside for growth in the eyes of your buyers. Which means your business will be able to sell for a higher multiple.

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MIDTERM ARTICLESArticle 5:Building Business ModelA building business model refers to a company and its plan for making a profit.It identifies the product. A business focused on strategic decision-making.Creating a business model for development shouldidentify the issue you want to address, the market you'll target, the amount ofinvestment necessary, the items you'll offer, and how you'll make money. Thetwo levers that influence profitability within a specific business model arepricing and costs.Enterpreunal management in a business model is not one-size-fits-allprocess, and professional plans begin by identifying the target market,enabling the creation of a stored product, and managing an approach toconnect with that audience. Sometimes, the process and changing business refer to model innovation that will Assess company readiness for futureproduct launches by wondering about specific and operationalchallenges and documenting each need to ensure a smooth launch process.Article 6: Revenue ModelA plan for how to generate revenue and produce income from its service orproduct, including how product sales in new business Revenue models shouldnot be confused with pricing models, which are used by businesses todetermine the best price for their goods in order to maximize profits. Pricingmodels take into account the value of the products and the target audience inorder to determine the best price for what they are selling. Businesses that usepricing models are more likely to struggle because they will need help to offsetcosts. The revenue model will determine how customers will pay that pricewhen they purchase after the pricing strategy has been decided. They aidyoung, developing businesses in luring capital, hiring talent, and inspiringmanagement and personnel. If established companies wish to keep ahead ofnew trends and issues, they must constantly change their business strategies.

Type 1 and Type 2 Thinking in Building a BusinessOne of the most fulfilling aspects of building a business is the ongoing mental engagement it requires. Your mind consistently works on new approaches and solutions. This process can be divided into two essential types of thinking: Type 1 and Type 2.Type 1 ThinkingType 1 thinking is all about exploration and possibility. It involves three main aspects:Macro: This is about understanding long-term global trends and directions. The more informed you are, the better you can anticipate future needs.Resource Availability: This refers to knowing what is currently feasible given the resources at hand. It's about being grounded in reality while dreaming big.Resource Acquisition: This involves continually thinking about securing high-value, often scarce, resources to fulfill your vision.Individuals who excel at Type 1 thinking often display low conformity, leading them to unique perspectives.Type 2 ThinkingOn the other hand, Type 2 thinking is about implementation. It focuses on three core aspects:Macro: Unlike Type 1, this is about knowing where you are now and how current trends affect your immediate business operations.Resource Allocation: This deals with how best to utilize the resources you already have. The focus here is on efficiency and risk mitigation.Systems Building: This involves creating systems to make the business more efficient and scalable.Type 2 thinking requires a different mindset, one geared towards problem-solving and continual improvement.When a team combines both Type 1 and Type 2 thinkers, the potential for business growth is exponential. Each complements the other, leading to a well-rounded, successful business.I dove much deeper into these forms of thinking about your business in today's newsletter: Thinking in 3D. Check it out for a deeper dive on - types of Macro and Resource thinking- how to pull them off- thinking about the system- the types of people that excel in each!

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Where would start from, while establishing your startup In the Business Model Canvas, the starting point refers to the initial activities that lead to the creation of value for your business. It involves understanding how you acquire customers and deliver your products or services to them. The starting point can be divided into two perspectives: "pull" and "push."1. Pull Perspective: The pull perspective focuses on creating value by attracting customers and understanding their needs. It involves identifying the key customer segments you want to target and designing strategies to attract and retain them. In this approach, the goal is to create a product or service that customers actively seek out and "pull" towards themselves.Key elements in the pull perspective may include:a. Customer Segments: Identifying specific groups of customers with similar characteristics, needs, and behaviors.b. Value Proposition: Defining the unique value that your product or service offers to the customer segments and how it solves their problems or fulfills their needs.c. Channels: Determining the most effective channels to reach and engage with your customer segments, such as online platforms, physical stores, or direct sales.2. Push Perspective: The push perspective focuses on creating value by pushing your product or service into the market. It involves understanding the production, distribution, and delivery processes required to bring your offering to customers. In this approach, the goal is to efficiently manufacture and distribute your products or services to meet customer demand.Key elements in the push perspective may include:a. Key Activities: Identifying the core activities and processes required to produce, distribute, and deliver your product or service.b. Key Resources: Determining the essential resources needed to carry out your key activities, such as manufacturing facilities, technology, or human capital.c. Key Partnerships: Identifying external partners or suppliers who can contribute to your value creation process, such as suppliers, manufacturers, or logistics providers.Both perspectives, pull and push, are important in understanding how your business creates value and interacts with customers. Depending on your business model and industry, you may emphasize one perspective more than the other or find a balance between the two. The Business Model Canvas provides a framework to visualize and analyze these elements, helping you develop a comprehensive understanding of your business and its value proposition.

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