How To Grow Your Business So Fast It Feels Like Cheating

Key Concepts

• Scream Business: A business that is not working for the owner, causing stress and financial strain.
• Dream Business: A business that provides dependable income, is rewarding, energizing, and makes a difference.
• Ideal Customer: The specific type of customer who can afford and is interested in the product or service offered.
• Profit Clarity: Ultimate clarity on business numbers, including costs, expenses, pricing, sales, and profit margins.
• Effective Modern Marketing: Using websites, social media, and email effectively and consistently to drive sales and profits.

The Problem: Scream Business vs. Dream Business

The video addresses the common struggle of creative entrepreneurs who work hard but fail to achieve profitability. The speaker introduces the concept of a "scream business," defined as a business that causes stress, financial instability, and overall misery. This is contrasted with a "dream business," which provides dependable income, is rewarding, energizing, and makes a difference.

• Scream Business (Acronym):
  • Survival mode (financially and otherwise)
  • Chaotic
  • Round-the-clock work with little to show
  • Exhausting
  • Annoying
  • Miserable
• Dream Business (Acronym):
  • Dependable, reliable income
  • Rewarding (financially, creatively, emotionally)
  • Energizing
  • Abundance-generating
  • Makes a difference

The Solution: Shifting from Scream to Dream

The speaker asserts that transitioning from a scream business to a dream business is possible with the right strategies. She promotes her free "Dream Business Boot Camp" as a resource for learning these strategies.

• Dream Business Boot Camp: A free, three-day training program designed to help entrepreneurs create a profitable dream business.
• Dream Business Scorecard: An assessment tool used in the boot camp to identify areas of weakness in a business.
• Prizes: Participants in the live Dream Business Boot Camp have a chance to win over $20,000 in prizes.

Three Profitability Mistakes

The video outlines three common profitability mistakes made by small business owners:

1. Focused on the Wrong Market:
   • Many businesses fail because they haven't clearly identified their ideal customers.
   • Ideal customers are those who can afford the product/service and are genuinely interested in it.
   • Businesses can choose and redefine their ideal customer base.
2. Not Doing the Basic Math:
   • Creatives often avoid focusing on their numbers.
   • Costs and expenses are often too high, while pricing, sales, and profit margins are too low.
   • Achieving "profit clarity" (understanding the numbers) allows for adjustments to expenses and revenue.
3. Not Practicing Effective Modern Marketing:
   • Having a website, social media, and email list is not enough.
   • These tools must be used effectively and consistently to drive sales and profits.
   • Effective modern marketing is the "lifeblood" of a profitable business.

Call to Action and Final Thoughts

The speaker emphasizes that most small business owners fail not from lack of effort, but from working on the wrong things. The key is to focus on the critical few activities that generate revenue and to ignore the rest. She encourages viewers to believe in their ability to turn their businesses around and achieve profitability.

• MarieForleo.com/freeclass: A link to a free class that teaches how to avoid common mistakes that kill productivity and tank profits.
• DreamBusinessBootcamp.com: The website to register for the free Dream Business Boot Camp.
• Key takeaway: Focus on the critical few things that move the needle and generate revenue.

Conclusion

The video provides actionable advice for entrepreneurs struggling with profitability. It identifies the difference between a stressful "scream business" and a fulfilling "dream business," and offers practical steps to make the transition. The speaker highlights the importance of identifying the right market, understanding the basic math of the business, and practicing effective modern marketing. The call to action encourages viewers to take advantage of the free Dream Business Boot Camp to learn more and potentially win valuable prizes.