The Fizzle Show — Heart & Hustle, Self Employment & Creative Business

http://fizzleshow.co/106 - In the last 6 episodes we revealed the 6 stage small business roadmap. A stage by stage, step by step, 10,000 foot view of building a business. They weren’t the 6 stages your business *will* go through automatically. They were the 6 stages you *want* to go through so that you and your idea are best setup for success as you define it. The roadmap was immensely well received (you'll find links to each episode below) and in this episode we cover two things: 1. We answer the 4 common questions we heard from your comments. 2. We reveal 4 updates we made to the roadmap based on your feedback. Take a listen to the episode, [subscribe in itunes](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fizzle-show-honest-online/id656726654) if you haven't and enjoy!

http://fizzleshow.co/105 - In the sixth small business roadmap stage we explore the final question: how can we grow this business beyond ourselves and into greater impact in the world and wealth in the company? We dig into the 11 steps of Scale where the goal is to hone, discover and experiment towards a more scalable and sustainable business. To put it simply, this stage is about shifting from clawing out growth one handful at a time, to a business with one of those magical hockey stick growth charts. We also finish out this episode with reflections on key takeaways and what we learned in talking through this whole roadmap. Enjoy! (PS: If you're not already, [subscribe in itunes](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fizzle-show-honest-online/id656726654) so you can get the next episode in your sleep.)

http://fizzleshow.co/104 - Now, in stage 5 of the small business roadmap, it's time to get into the nitty gritty: can this business idea of yours actually make enough money to support you in a meaningful way? This is a stage most of us are not well prepared for, typically diving in without any knowledge of the metrics, the movements or the models. That's what we break down for you into 7 steps in this conversation, taking you from "I made a dollar," to your Freedom Number™ (the amount of money you need to make your full time living from your business). You could have access to the best investors and the brightest business minds in the world. They *still* couldn't tell you if your idea's going to work with certainty. This money step is where the checks, balances and bounces prove your idea has heart enough to live on it's own or if it needs some more tweaking. Enjoy the conversation! (PS: If you're not already, [subscribe in itunes](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fizzle-show-honest-online/id656726654) so you can get the next episode like direct deposits.)

http://fizzleshow.co/103 - Stage 4, the Build stage, is a big one. As Corbett puts it: "this stage is a monster and a lot of people get stuck here." In this episode we talk you through each step so you can rise up when others start to sink. There's a lot of fun stuff here — naming, website building, social media accounts. That stuff is exciting even when it gets challenging. But built into the 9 steps of Build is also some difficult tasks that won't happen over night. Listen to this episode to get into the mindset of the big picture, avoiding the hamster wheel of building an audience forever without ever finding a way to earn a living with that audience. Enjoy! (If you're not already, [subscribe in itunes](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fizzle-show-honest-online/id656726654) so you can get the next episode in your sleep.)

http://fizzleshow.co/102 - Stage 3 of the [small business roadmap](http://fizzleshow.co/100) is one of my favorites. In fact, it's the stage most of us *start* with even though skipping over [stage 1](http://fizzleshow.co/100) and [stage 2](http://fizzleshow.co/101) can be deadly to your idea. And as we dive right in here, many of us naturally resist doing some of the most eye-opening parts of this stage. (We get into what those parts are and how to do them in this episode.) The cost of skipping over these parts is a plan that's *too* rigid and *too* isolated from the world of your customer. (Which is why our planning stage culminates in what we call a Business Sketch Template.) This is one of my favorite stages because it's where so many insights happen. Where do those insights come from? Your customers (even though they're just *potential* customers at this time). There are 5 steps to the Plan stage and in this conversation we'll walk you through each one with plenty of stories and explanations to get these ideas embedded in your process. (If you're not already, [subscribe in itunes](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fizzle-show-honest-online/id656726654) so you can get the next episode in your sleep.)

http://fizzleshow.co/101 - Stage 2 of the small business roadmap is about moving from "how can I possibly do this" to "how could I possibly not do this!?" We're talking about connection, which, in layman's terms, is nothing more than making friends with other entrepreneurs. Jim Rohn loved to say that you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. What do you think would happen to your business if you spent more time with people who were working hard on their own businesses? In this episode we discuss 7 steps you can take to build connection, complete with a few over the top (and mostly bad) Scottish accents from yours truly. Enjoy! (If you're new to the show and you're not afraid of making business fun you may want to [subscribe in itunes](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fizzle-show-honest-online/id656726654) so you can get the next episode in your sleep.)

http://fizzleshow.co/100 - It's finally time to have a plan for your bare-knuckled, bootstrapped, heart and hustle based small business. In this 6 part podcast series we walk you through the small business roadmap. These aren't 6 stages your business will go through automatically. These are the 6 stages your business *should* go through, the stages we *want* you to go through so that you and your idea are best setup for success as *you* define it. We've worked with, consulted, coached and heard from a few thousand businesses, and in all the books we've read (great books like [Lean Startup](http://theleanstartup.com/principles), [4 Steps to the Epiphany](http://www.amazon.com/dp/0989200507/?tag=thintraf-20), [$100 Startup](http://www.amazon.com/dp/0307951529/?tag=thintraf-20) and more), we haven't seen a roadmap yet that succinctly prepares indie entrepreneurs for the challenges of business building. So we put together our own. And we're working with *you* to help make it better. (See below for details.) When you know what the 6 stages are, you can identify not only where you are, but what stage is next. And that right there, that tiny sense of direction, can be the difference between a successful business and just another failed side project. In this podcast episode (and the next 5) we lay out the 6 stages as we see them, addressing the common hassles, resources and hangups for each stage. **But we need your help.** We plan on adjusting this roadmap based on your feedback, so we'll ask you a few questions on each episode because we want to hear how what we've laid out feels to you. Listen to this episode ([subscribe in itunes](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fizzle-show-honest-online/id656726654), if you haven't), and the next several as we lay out the roadmap, with goals and resources for each stage, and as you listen, try to find exactly where you are. It's our hope that this roadmap will help you identify where you are, where you're going and how to set yourself and your idea up for a home run, because, as Corbett puts it in this episode: Without a roadmap you can spin your wheels, never make progress and settle with "entrepreneurship isn't for me."

http://fizzleshow.co/99 - First of all: Christopher Walken performs the intro for the show this week. If that's not enough for you, how about this: I rolled my eyes at the idea of productivity journaling until I heard from the two experts on the show today. In this episode we explore why it's so easy to get distracted and ignore our most important work. The answer might be way easier than you think. If you want to do more work you're proud of and less bullshit, then pour yourself a cup of tea and click play. (Shawn's "I'm doing it!" story is contagious.)

http://fizzleshow.co/98 - We may have to eat our own words a bit on this one. Regardless, it's an eye-opening exploration of what makes some of the biggest blogs on the web work. If you're interested in choosing a niche (or in *not* choosing a niche), this conversation is important. I'll leave it at that. Enjoy!

http://fizzleshow.co/97 - Bonnie asks a question in this show that took us where I didn't expect we'd go. As Corbett, Barrett and I started responding to her question (which is as funny as it is important) we travelled into a conversation about choosing a *better* niche. Niche advice [grows like trees](https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=choosing%20a%20niche) in the internet business world. Here at Fizzle we talk about the "[niche please](http://fizzle.co/sparkline/find-your-niche-is-bad-advice)" mindset often. And not always in a dubious way. The [target market guide](http://fizzle.co/audience-guide) that's helped so many people is simply another method for choosing your niche... a *people* first method. Bonnie's question in this episode gets us into a situation many of us have found ourselves in and adds some real, human light to the moment where we're forced to make a decision. (I share my own moment of discovery in this episode.) Enjoy!

http://fizzleshow.co/96 - If you've ever wondered "what am I good at?" or "what should I focus on in my life?" then we've got a killer conversation for you. We received a great email from listener Tim Aton (text included below) and we spend the whole hour of this episode sharing 23 tips to uncover the best options for your life... even if you currently have no clue. I list out a bunch of the ideas below, but be sure to listen to the conversation (and subscribe for follow up episodes) because there's a lot more context for each one of these. If you're worried and frustrated and confused... you're not alone. Let's talk about what to do next. Hope this show helps you out. Enjoy!

http://fizzleshow.co/95 - We answer three questions from listeners on the show today: 1. What 3 things should a hopeful entrepreneur do right after college? - also: what's the best resources for young entrepreneurs? - as well as: how can I start finding the thing I can start my business on? 2. What should I do first: start a podcast or create a course? 3. How can I delegate menial work *without* burning employees out? We've got some great listeners and some great questions. Enjoy!

http://fizzleshow.co/94 - So many answers to current problems are in talking to your customers. That's why we make guides and courses on [defining your target market](http://fizzle.co/audience-guide) one of the first orders of business here at Fizzle. And yet, it's a weapon even successful entrepreneurs forget to use. Recently Corbett and I helped Scott Dinsmore with the design of a [new website](http://liveyourlegend.net/). The first step for me in a project like this is to figure out the heart and soul of his business. So we sent Scott off to record some interviews. I wanted to hear it from the horses' mouths. In all honesty, he set out on that task dragging his feet. *"What should I say? What do we need to get out of these?"* I gave him some guidance and forced him to dive in. When he did, when he started hearing the stories of his audience members he got hooked: > "These conversations you made me have were probably the single most important thing I did last year!" We're huge fans of talking to customers to get your next big idea or figure out how to better execute your current plan. In this episode we talk about a specific way to hear from your customers: surveys. We've conducted a massive [NPS survey](http://fizzle.co/sparkline/net-promoter-survey) with our customers recently and we wanted to share how to do something like this with your own audience. Enjoy!

http://fizzleshow.co/93 - On the show today we answer a great question from a listener who wants to bring his brick and mortar business online. What should he be thinking about? What are the common roadblocks and challenges? What are some unfair advantages brick and mortar businesses could take advantage of? Our answers to those questions on the show today. If you've got a local business you definitely want to pay attention to this one. Enjoy!

http://fizzleshow.co/92 - Buttered coffee, infographic research tips, the importance of LinkedIn profiles and what podcast to listen to next... all this and more covered on the show today. I'm curious, what are some new businesses you've fallen in love with recently? Tell me in the comments.