When it comes to entrepreneurism, the common narrative is all about scaling up:
Raise more money. Hire more people. Convert more customers. More, more, more.
In reality, that kind of scale is not for everyone. In fact, it seems more common these days to hear stories about entrepreneurs who chased and achieved scale, and came to deeply regret it.
One of those people is Mike Brcic. He started his mountain biking tour company Scared Rides out of pure passion. But once he scaled to a complicated business doing 7-figures in annual revenue with investors, lots of employees, and operating in over 40 countries, his passion was replaced by dread.
One of my favorite sayings on this topic if from my friend Hugh MacLeod:
Meaning scales. People don’t.
In that regard, Mike started asking asking bigger questions:
- If the purpose of an entrepreneur isn’t to scale, then what is it?
- What does it mean to live a good life?
- Can a company remain small (and profitable) forever?
These are the questions that essentially drive the creation of a 7-figure small business. Listen in to hear our discussion in the context of Mike’s evolving entrepreneurial career:
When Scale is the Opposite of Success
Down below, Kat serves up advice on improving your workflow, tax tips for your small business, Google’s move into “no code,” and how to get more done in a shorter work day (and week).
Keep going –
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unemployable: curated by kat
Create a Productivity Workflow that Works for You | Harvard Business Review
Calling all productivity nerds (or for those of you who need to revamp your workflow): This one is for you. “But you’ll get the most value from these platforms if you build a tool to your own personal specifications, especially if you have some specific frustrations or unmet needs with the tools you’re presently using.”
To Get More Done in Four Six-Hour Workdays, Do These Three Things | Fast Company
“Think about the days you’re most productive. They tend to be the days you have the shortest window to complete everything.”
All Niches Are Not Created Equal | Freelancers Union
“But a good niche is more than just a label that people apply to you. To be effective, it also requires real-world application, in terms of both finding your people and solving their problems.”
Look in the Obvious Places First | Seth’s Blog
Seth Godin has a way of packing tons of meaning into just a few sentences. This recent blog entry is no different. This advice traverses both work and life.
Curate the Ultimate Content Marketing Library With These 51 Picks | Content Marketing Institute
Looking to up your content marketing knowledge in 2020? Be sure to bookmark this mega list from Content Marketing Institute.
Google Acquires AppSheet to Bring No-Code Development to Google Cloud | TechCrunch
The no-code movement is gaining momentum, as evidenced by Google’s recent acquisition. What does this mean for creatives that don’t have coding knowledge? I suspect we’ll find out sooner rather than later.
Top 25 Small Business Tax Deductions
You likely know that most business expenditures can be written off, although there may be limits and timing. Check out the most common tax deductions for your small business.
Let me know what you think about this week’s roundup on Twitter or email me at kat@unemployable.com! Also, be sure to tune in to the latest episode of the 7-Figure Small podcast!
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