The Sweaty Startup

#161 My employees make more on unemployment than they did working for me...

Tough balancing act right now between keeping people liquid and motivating the wrong behavior.

159. Why Lead Generation is a HORRIBLE Business Model

I've seen a lot of emails and from people saying that they've figured it out: businesses have poor online presence, so they'll be the middle man to connect the customers who are searching online to the businesses that are not online. In this episode I break down why that is NOT a good business plan.

158. The Most Stressful Day of My Life

#155 Three things (aside from COVID) that could wreck our economy

I've spent the last 2 weeks talking to as many smart people as I can about the economy, what they're afraid of, and what they think will happen. Here is a breakdown.

#147 Businesses I Love #4 - Coronavirus Opportunities

When change happens entrepreneurs get windows of opportunity to add new value in new places. This is an opportunity!

#146 The 80/20 principle and how to find your most profitable work

How you chose to spend your time makes all the difference. Doing an 80/20 analysis can help you figure out what 20% of your efforts generate 80% of your results.

#145 Make 2020 your best year ever - get uncomfortable

Do the smart work that is uncomfortable and watch your life open up!

#144 How to build your own website and how to get found online with Adam from SparrowWebsites

Adam runs down his list of essential tools to get your local service business found online. From website builders to hosting to lead capturing he runs through all the tools he uses to build for his clients every day!

#143 How to be super productive - the time management golden rule

Time management is something that can make or break an entrepreneur. Nick talks about the 4 quadrants of time management and how to work on what is most important but is easy to procrastinate or ignore.

#142 How to build a web development agency - Adam Grim from Sparrow Websites

Adam tells his founding story and how he has built a web development agency that does $55k a month in revenue with 6 full time employees. He founded SparrowWebsites.com in 2016 as a 30 year old with 10k in the bank.

#141 How to start and market a power washing business

Nick answers a question from a listener about how he would market and build a power washing company.

#140 Offseason to-do list #2 - employee training videos

Standardizing the material that new employees use to get onboarded and trained is a powerful tool that you should do right now during the slow season.

#139 Offseason to-do list #1 - canned responses and email workflow

A customer in the loop is a happy customer. Set up all of your interaction in advance and spend some time thinking through how to get your message across to customers as efficiently as possible.

#138 Businesses I HATE with Jim Flannery #2 - Bar Apps and Bachelorette Parties

Nick and Jim talk about more businesses that Nick wouldn't start in if his life depended on it.

#137 Businesses I HATE with Jim Flannery - Online yoga instructing and other remote coaching

Nick and Jim dive into a few business ideas that Nick hates.

#136 Why Nick is WRONG and big ideas can lead to sustainable businesses with Jim Flannery

Jim Flannery is a founder and professor of entrepreneurship at University of Georgia in Athens GA. He gives his thoughts on big ideas and why they shouldn't be overlooked.

#135 How to start a gym and become the best version of yourself with Kieth Keppner

Coach Keppner runs a successful boxing gym in Athens GA and is also host of the Coach Keppner Show on a local radio station. In this episode he shares his story along with his principles and self help concepts that guide him towards a successful life.

#134 Buying a landscaping or detailing company - a mentoring call

We have a caller from Kansas City who is looking into purchasing a business. We talk about some of the questions to ask and what to look for!

#133 How entrepreneurs think about vehicle ownership

Its an expense. They depreciate fast. In this episode we talk about the difference in buying a 10 year old car and a brand new car. Nick shares his cost of car ownership breakdown over the past 14 years and he compares it to the numbers if he had bought new every 5 years.

#132 How dedicated should we be? Why Kevin O'Leary and Shark Tank culture is WRONG

How do we find a balance in life? The media and the hustle mentality are driving us to crazy lengths. Its about enjoying life.

#131 How wealthy do we want to get? + 2020 plans with the Sweaty Startup

What is wealth to you? What are your goals with entrepreneurship? I lay out what is important to me.

#130 Businesses I Love #3 - A pool business, closet building, pest control, damage remediation, property management

Nick and Max talk about businesses they love and how they would start them. https://sweatystartup.com/businesses-i-love/

#129 How to start a window cleaning business - concept breakdown with Nick and Max

How would I start a window cleaning business? In this episode we lay out the steps of exactly how we'd do it. https://sweatystartup.com/essential-tools/

#128 The mindset that makes an entrepreneur more likely to succeed

What makes an entrepreneur better? What sets them apart? What makes them more likely to succeed? Mindset. Nick and Max discuss it.

#127 The 10 best business books that you should read right now

Nick and Max talk about their 10 favorite business books and what they like about each. https://sweatystartup.com/booklist/

#126 The one thing that took my business from a $350k a year stressfest to a scalable business ready to grow

The shift was the moment we stopped pointing fingers and started taking the blame for things going wrong within our business. Instead of texting the employees the night before about their shift we scheduled them out a week in advance. Even if we weren't sure exactly what they'd be doing. We overemphasized their schedules and set up automated emails and texts to constantly remind them as the day approached. Instead of training them by walking around the warehouse pointing at things we spent time ...

#125 Making money is a skill

You wouldn’t expect to be able to pick up a basketball and play for an NBA team day 1. So why do we expect to start a business and get rich or make good money on day one? It’s a skill. You get better at it by PRACTICING. Making decisions. Communicating. Selling. You can read all the books you want but it just takes getting out there and doing it. Starting small and working your way up. Stop reading this and start putting yourself out there. Start something....

#124 Businesses I Love #2 - Mobile Mechanic, AirBnb Management, The Trades

Dan Nick and Max sit around and talk business once again to discuss trends and businesses they would love to start right now and how they would do it.

#123 My favorite book - Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss

This book outlines and reinforces the fact that business, negotiation and any human interaction is inherently very emotional. It’s centered around negotiation but this book has so many solid management and leadership principles. Mirroring, tactical empathy, starting with no and labeling are all phenomenal. https://sweatystartup.com/booklist/

#122 Businesses I Love #1 - Lawn Care, Christmas Lights, Mobile Locksmithing

Nick, Max and Dan get together to brainstorm business ideas and how they would launch and market a lawn care, Christmas light installation and mobile locksmithing company. This episode was a ton of fun.