When I sat down to write the third book in my business startup series, The Small Business Growth Blueprint , I wanted to dig down into what it really takes to keep clients for life in this fast-moving digital world. You know the one, where your next competitor is a screen tap away and it’s easy for customer to move on. I did some research and also reflected on a few of my own long-standing client relationships to come up with a list of must-haves for successful client retenti

Revenue gets unpredictable when customers don’t stick around. In my new book, The Small Business Growth Blueprint , I show you how to create the follow-up, communication and value systems that keep them coming back again and again.

Most service businesses don't lose clients over one major mistake or miscommunication. They lose them gradually, when small things slip and nobody catches it in time. This week's infographic pulls straight from The Small Business Growth Blueprint and gives you five signs to watch for before a good client relationship starts to unravel. Preview the book on Amazon → https://a.co/d/0dWo9QfP

Every agent dreams of the day they can't keep up with the business coming their way. Then it actually happens and the dream starts to feel a lot like a grind. You're closing deals, showing homes, answering emails, updating the MLS and somehow you’re supposed to be constantly showing up on social too. Something has to give. Here are some tips straight out of The Real Estate Agent's Business Planner : Hire a licensed assistant. You can hand off almost anything, including tra

Most businesses don't lose customers all at once. They just kind of slink away quietly in the space between the sale and the follow-up that never comes. But it doesn't have to be that way. Here's a quick gut check right out of my new book, The Small Business Growth Blueprint: How to Grow Your Business and Turn Customers Into Lifelong Fans , the newest addition to my small business startup collection. Run through these five and be honest with yourself. If any of them hit

A lot of people want a side business but aren't sure where to start. Here's a simple filter you can use before putting time & resources into an idea.

I'm celebrating the 20th anniversary of The Real Estate Agent's Business Planner (5th edition just came out) and wanted to share one of the most asked questions I get from new agents: how much should I spend on marketing? In the book, I write about how real estate coaches typically recommend spending about 20-30% of your projected first-year income on marketing. If you're targeting $100,000 in year one, that's roughly $25,000. Sounds like a lot, right? Here's the thing:

I'm putting the finishing touches on my new book, The Business Money Blueprint: How to Find Funding, Close the Deal and Act on Your Plan and getting ready to hand it off to my copyeditor, but I wanted to share a sneak peek into the self-funding chapter. Along with the usual suspects (like your own savings, credit cards, friends & family, etc.) I dug around and found enough "options most people overlook” to fill a whole chapter. Here are five that don’t require a “yes” from a

I walked out my front door the other morning, pulled it shut behind me and there it was, hanging right on the doorknob. A door hanger with a REALTOR’s name, logo and contact info on it (plus a really cute family photo). I stood there for a second, just staring at it. I mean, I hadn't seen one of those in ages. And there was no scrolling past it, no swiping away and no algorithm deciding whether I'd view it or not. It was just hanging out there, waiting for me to find it.

I was reading Forbes Careers Newsletter the other day and this stat caught my eye: 62% of workers either already have a side hustle going or are planning to launch one. That's a lot of people out there hustling on the side, but it makes sense at a time when we can all use some extra cash and the job market is a bit shaky (on a good day). Of course, having a side hustle and running a profitable business are two very different things. One supplements your income while you keep

You ran into an old friend at the grocery store who mentioned they might downsize next year. A neighbor casually said they're thinking about moving. A past client texted asking if you're still selling. Three potential transactions just landed in your lap. Two weeks later, you can't quite remember which neighbor said what or when you last followed up with that old friend. The past client? You meant to text back. Look, prospecting is challenging enough. Add in tracking ever

Self-funding doesn't have to mean emptying your savings account. You can bootstrap your company using strategies most entrepreneurs overlook. Some are unconventional. Some require creativity. None of them require a massive bank balance or perfect credit score. Here are six: Vendor credit or payment terms. Most suppliers offer net-30, net-60 or even net-90 payment terms. Translation: you get the inventory or materials now and pay later. This keeps more cash in your pocket upf

Real estate agents are natural doers. They show up, pitch in, volunteer, help clients through stressful moves and take on more than their schedules can support. I’ve covered the industry for 25+ years, and one pattern shows up again and again. The agents who build successful businesses aren’t always the busiest ones. They’re the ones who decide early and often where their time should go and stick to it, even when distractions pile up. In practice, this usually comes down

Every so often, startup culture declares a new “right way” to become an entrepreneur. Raise venture capital, disrupt something, copy something that’s already working…the list goes on and you get the picture. Now that the pendulum is swinging again, millennials are choosing where to step off instead of hanging on for the full ride. A recent Entrepreneur article says more millennials are skipping the startup grind altogether and buying existing businesses instead. The approach

Maybe cash flow feels tight. Maybe you want to hire, buy equipment or stop putting things off. Whatever the motivation, a business loan may be your first stop. In fact, it’s where roughly 37% of business owners turned in 2024 (similar to the prior year), according to the Fed’s Small Business Credit Survey. Finding a loan can be confusing and time consuming, but the U.S. Chamber of Commerce wants to help by pointing business owners toward current loan programs and financing re

I came across a recent LendingTree article that walks buyers through the process of choosing a real estate agent. It’s written for consumers, but the takeaways can be valuable for agents if you just flip the perspective. This is important because consumer-facing advice from a leading online lender doesn’t just educate the public. It sets the rules of engagement . Agents who understand those rules can show up, communicate and position themselves for success. Flipped for a

If building or growing a business is on your agenda for 2026, there’s no need to start from zero on funding. In fact, many small business owners miss out on grant opportunities because the information feels scattered, outdated or unreliable. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has done some of the sorting for you. Its CO— platform maintains a “live list” of more than 100 grants and funding programs for small businesses. It pulls together federal, state, nonprofit and corporate oppor

A good business plan isn’t a document you just file away. It’s a tool you can use all year to guide decisions, track progress and course-correct when needed. And when goals are tied to your plan, those priorities become actionable instead of just aspirational. Here are some steps you can take right now to turn your 2026 New Year’s goals into a plan you can actually use: Start with just one or two core goals, not everything at once. Break each one of those goals down into

The start of the year provides a brief pause before the real estate market picks up again. That means it’s a great time to step back and decide how you want the year to play out. Taking time now to set direction gives you more control once things get busy. Here are nine ways to set the tone for the year ahead: Lay out your income and transaction goals for the year. Review last year’s numbers to spot patterns and gaps. Audit your 2025 lead sources and double down on the

Every new year brings a rare opportunity for a goal reset. For business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs, 2026 doesn’t need to be about doing more. It can be about doing the right things, in the right order and with intention. Here are seven steps you can take right now to set clearer priorities right out of the gate: Write down one clear, overarching business goal for the year. Define what “progress” looks like in measurable terms that you can track and act on. Id