Feeling isolated as an entrepreneur? Let’s change that narrative. Melinda Emerson, America’s leading small business expert and CEO of Quintessence Group, joins us on the latest episode of The Small Business Show to guide us on how entrepreneurs can thrive independently in business.
Key Takeaways
1. Emerson emphasizes the importance of not going it alone in business. She highlights the need for entrepreneurs to seek help, whether it’s through virtual assistants, hiring salespeople, joining peer mentorship groups, or getting a business coach. The key is recognizing your most valuable skills and delegating tasks that others can handle effectively.
2. She advises entrepreneurs to hire a virtual assistant for back-office tasks and then hire a salesperson to focus on revenue generation. This strategic approach ensures that entrepreneurs can free up their time for high-impact activities that drive business growth.
3. Emerson stresses the importance of choosing the right business coach—one who has a successful track record, relevant experience, and can offer tangible results within a reasonable timeframe. She warns against signing long-term coaching contracts and encourages entrepreneurs to vet potential coaches thoroughly.
4. Creating or joining an online community of like-minded entrepreneurs can provide invaluable support, guidance, and networking opportunities. Melinda’s Small Biz Lady Academy aims to offer such a community for women entrepreneurs, recognizing the unique challenges they face in balancing multiple roles.
5. As Emerson’s career progressed, she shifted her focus from revenue to impact and influence. She emphasizes the importance of helping entrepreneurs build profitable and sustainable businesses that enable them to live their dream lives. She emphasizes the significance of creating companies that generate real value and allow for personal fulfillment.
"If you are an Expert and your time is billable at two hundred fifty dollars or five hundred dollars an hour, why would you ever spend that time doing twenty or thirty dollars an hour work?" – Melinda Emerson
