Simplify Your Business & Make More Money

This year, I’ve been working hard to simplify 6+ years of work into a short, sweet, and simple framework. The work that we do at Ellevated Outcomes is deep and complex, but the power is in its simplicity.

Good strategy almost always looks simple and obvious. It does not take a thick deck of PowerPoint slides to explain.

–Good Strategy, Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt

I like to think that the smartest people in a room are those who can reduce Harvard Business Review ideas into language that anyone can understand and action. The smartest people are great simplifiers and appliers. And that’s why we’ve chosen to call this semester’s Ellevated Outcomes MBA course: Simplify Your Business & Make More Money.

And in case you’re a visual person, let me show you why…

If you have a small business, in order to be sustainable, your business must excel in product quality, exceptional service, and stand-out customer experience. It is extremely unlikely that you’ll be able to survive (let alone thrive) if this foundation isn’t totally solid.

We so often have people come to us, who want to make more money; and they think it’s all about the marketing (specifically, Instagram). And of course: marketing is important. I love (integrous) marketing!

But there are 2 pre-steps to marketing, that most people don’t realize:

1. Pricing is marketing. It’s one of the 4 Ps: the connective tissue between your product, service, and marketing.

2. If you have cracks in your Product, Service, & Pricing Foundation, you’ll leak money and time, and your business will weaken.

Many people think that this foundation is something to set when they’re launching a business, and then it’s done. But I see things so differently. Improving the foundation should be an iterative process. You should examine it deeply in years 2, 5, and 7 – then continue to refine and refresh, every year in-between and thereafter.

And that’s why I’m so emphatic about this foundational work. What you do here impacts everything that stacks on top of it. In good times and in bad. For richer or poorer : )

So I’m excited to tell you: this week, we’ll be offering a 3 day, tight and light(!) registration for the fall semester of Simplify Your Business & Make More Money.

Simplify Your Business & Make More Money is for you, if you…

• Are a solopreneur or small business owner, who’s been in business at least 1 year. We require 2 years in business for our Advisory Practice, and this course is a great head-start, if you’re thinking about working with us in 2024.

• Feel spread too thin. You’re at max capacity on time and income.
• Sell customizable products or services, especially if you find yourself saying “every project is different.”

This is an MBA-style course, meaning…

• It’s a 5-week digital class, where I’ll present researched and tested teachings by video. But here’s the difference: I like to present material that’s grounded in well-researched theory, science, and business – and actionable in the real world; I’ve adapted this content to be applied specifically to creative small businesses.
• I’ve pieced the material into 5 crisp lessons and training modules, walking you through each step methodically and practically. You will receive both the psychological and measurable outcomes, to give you precision, focus, and clarity.
• You’ll receive copies of the presentations and action-based worksheets so that you can really internalize the material: digest it, and customize it for your unique business. You’ll learn how to merge facts with feelings to put your business in its most profitable place.

The course goes live on October 3rd, and new lessons will be released each Tuesday. After the 5 weeks are over, you’ll continue to have access, to work at your own pace, review materials as you trial them IRL, and continue to fine-tune each year. Our business goes through this refresh every single year, and we think that yours should too.

You’ll walk away with answers to…

• Where should I focus my attention and what should I prioritize?

• What is the right balance between the art and science of pricing?

• Am I attracting the right customers?

The steps we’ll walk through are… make more money

1. Discover the art & science of pricing, to address the elephant in the room: money psychology.
2. Organize your facts and feelings, to clearly see the numbers (they don’t lie), then overlay your creativity, what you like to do, and with whom. After all, it’s your business; so our approach has to be customized to you.
3. Interpret the data and answer: “so what?”… so that your data has a job. Numbers have meaning (even for creatives!) when you give them a job to do.
4. Plan your priorities and price changes to make more money. Ideas are nothing without action.
5. Act –> Listen & Learn –> Adjust –> Act Again. One hit wonders aren’t sustainable. Consistency creates sustainability.

And because my love language is gifts (ha!), we have bonuses for this semester…

• Get your Data Ducks in a Row: how to collect & organize your data from Shopify, Square, or time tracking apps.
• Real Revenue Calculator: no fancy math skills required; this will do the work for you.
• “Say No to Grow” Rubric. It’s a template that puts your feelings to facts, to determine when you should reply with a generous no.

• Weekly Accountability Check-Ins to ensure you’re set up for a new 2024. Your self on January 1st will thank you.

• November 9th Coaching Call: How to Have Your Most Powerful Prospect Meeting. It’ll be the pinnacle of bringing all your work together, to make sure it works for you.

Truthfully, I’m not yet sure if I’ll be teaching this class in 2024, as there are new curricula in the works (hooray!). So if you want to ensure you have access to this foundation work, you can sign up now; and come back to it when the time is right. When you become a student, the lessons will be here waiting for you, when you’re ready. But as always, I want to make sure that you’re making the right decision for you.

If you’re craving clarity, confidence, and control of your cashflow for 2023 & 2024, I hope that you’ll consider joining me.         

Over these 5 weeks, we’re going to cover material that is deep and wide. If you’re willing to put in the work, effort, and attention with me, you will leave with clarity and the tools to make more profit.

Please watch your inbox Tuesday morning for enrollment details.