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StackSocial prices subject to change.

Tech is a vital component of just about any modern business plan, but it’s too often implemented before it’s properly assessed. I’ve been in countless forums that include someone declaring, “If you want success, you need to be using .” But in reality, tech is an extension of your business, not someone else’s paint-by-numbers guide for you to replicate what’s already been done.

To be sure, following someone else’s guidance can help reduce some of the decision-making phases in getting started, but may not be the best strategy once an enterprise or organization is established. So, I’m not here to tell you what tech to use because I believe the process of choosing the right is at once complex and unique to each user. You can and should feel good about the systems you’ve invested in.

Here are some signs that yours are no longer supporting you the way they should.

1. Spending too much time on setup and fixes

It is all too easy to find yourself putting in late nights, skipping out on events and spending less time with people you care about, and instead having frustrating sessions at the computer during which it feels like you’re banging your head against the wall. You may, in the end, only get as far as “good enough,” then call it a wrap.

The adage that “fighting with your tech is part of the business” simply isn’t true, or shouldn’t be anyway. The odd late-night session when you’re inspired can be productive, but these should conclude with a winning feeling, not a compromise.

Related: How to Choose the Right Tech for Your Startup

2. Depending on outside people to make adjustments

It’s common to get tech set-up by a friend or family member who is “really good at this.” The hitch is that’s is very easy for this to result in a situation in which someone else is running your business. Not having the confidence to dive into your own digital tools and/or having repeated stressful conversations with the help desk because your go-to person is unavailable simply won’t work.

3. Clients become aware of the problem

When you’re an entrepreneur, clients are typically pretty understanding. They know you’re wearing multiple hats and that tech can be tricky to navigate. But at the core of things, they are looking for your services, and unsupportive tools will get in the way of that — impacting your relationships. Your problems must never become their problems.

Related: Small Business Owners, Don’t Run From Technology — Embrace It. Here Are 5 Strategies to Succeed.

4. You avoid opening your own app

There are lots of reasons to dread opening an app. These can range from the color scheme being off to the UX not being intuitive — having to refer to help pages to do routine tasks, for example, or perhaps things glitch with frequency. This can’t happen with your digital services.

5. You’re not having fun

Not everyone loves tech like I do, but you should have a sense that yours is what I term “automagical.” That means you put in the work and reap the rewards—that tech supports you and that you feel empowered and not drained by it. The absence of such happy feelings means there’s a vital issue to be addressed.

Take note, though: Even if you’re experiencing any or all of the above, don’t simply run to invest in new software. Because the reality is that the right tech may not be built for you yet or that you’re not built for it. As any entrepreneur knows, it’s critical to know a target audience, and the same applies to technology: it isn’t designed for absolutely everyone, even if it has the most and best reviews.

Related: Which Software Solution Is Best for Your Business? Here’s How to Decide.

Some factors to consider while contemplating your needs:

Establish goals: The first step is clarifying your business goals and intentions, which hold a lot of power when implementing supportive software and other solutions. From monthly costs to ease of use, understanding what your unique needs are is crucial before investing in tools that can truly help (and never hinder) operations.

If you want to grow and scale, you need software that can support changes in data size/complexity — can adapt to more clients in different ways. And if your budget can’t afford solutions that scale in this way, then consider tech goals that may be more in tune with understanding transition points, and how to move to new systems in response to them.

Inventory: Once you’ve got goal clarity, go through each app you’re using and write down how it is helping to achieve them. And don’t forget to include what you hate about them, along with the subscription cost and how much effort they require. This process paints a picture of individual tool value and the current state of your tech stack. It also helps to highlight any gaps and opportunities.

Alignment: Your digital tools should “spark joy,” as professional organizer and consultant Marie Kondo would say. This doesn’t mean that they need to be 100% perfect, but fundamentally, they should make your life easier, not harder. Consider whether they can be juggled, optimized or downsized, or whether it’s time to trade in for something new.

Related: 5 Tech Tools To Impress Your Coworkers and Neighbors All Summer

If you keep to this assessment framework, you’ll work more productively, avoid stress, increase production, return to focus and simply enjoy what you do more. The right choices will reflect your values, be easy to use, will grow with you, offer a clear ROI and work well alongside other systems.

Before you say “yes” to that dream job, you better read the fine print.

Noncompetes, which stop employees from starting their own businesses in the same industry and working for a competitor for a set period after the employment ends, can be devastating, says wedding dress designer Hayley Paige Gutman.

Gutman shared her testimony with a Senate economic policy subcommittee on Monday, three-and-a-half years after the start of a noncompete legal battle with her former employer, JLM Couture, and three months after the U.S. Federal Trade Commission announced a new rule banning noncompetes.

^{Hayley Paige. Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for Runway Heroes}

Gutman was not allowed to work in wedding dress design for five years after leaving her employer because of the noncompete.

“I could start over with a new name, I could open new social media accounts and rebuild, but I could not work in my chosen craft,” Gutman said.

The FTC estimates that around one in five Americans, or about 30 million people, are under noncompetes. According to the agency, banning the agreements would add 8,500 new businesses a year and increase wages for the average employee by $524 per year.

The noncompete ban was set to take effect starting September 4, but legal challenges could delay, or even cancel, its implementation.

Related: Selena Gomez Says She Isn’t Selling Her $2 Billion Beauty Company

Opponents of the ban, however, say businesses could benefit from noncompetes because employees can’t use what they learned to start rival companies. The agreements also help protect trade secrets and retain employees for longer periods.

In her testimony, Gutman detailed how she signed an employment contract with a noncompete clause in 2011, at the age of 25, with JLM Couture. Nine years later, JLM alleged that Gutman had violated the noncompete by using the @misshayleypage social media accounts, which had more than a million followers, to promote other companies without JLM’s permission.

JLM also claimed that the company was the reason for Gutman’s social media fame, and appearances on TLC’s “Say Yes to the Dress” and “Say Yes To America” reality TV shows only happened because Kleinfeld Bridal, where “Say Yes to the Dress” is filmed, is one of JLM’s biggest clients.

“I spent every dollar I ever earned designing wedding dresses to fight for my right to do so once again,” Gutman said in her testimony, adding later, “I want to demonstrate how noncompetes operate shamelessly on a one-way highway: if we are not limiting competition among corporations, why are we limiting it among individuals?”

@sheischeval

Let a girl design a dress ?????

♬ original sound – CHEVAL | Shoe Designer

Gutman and JLM ultimately reached a settlement agreement in May that gave her the rights to the “Hayley Paige” name and social media accounts. Gutman agreed to pay JLM $263,000.

Now a small business owner, Gutman reflected on her long legal battle in a June interview with the Independent Business Podcast.

“The thing you work on works on you,” Gutman said, in response to a question about advice she would give fellow small business owners. “The obstacle is the way.”

Related: Serena Williams Launches a New Company That She’s Been Working on for 6 Years

Athletes who win a gold, silver, or bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics receive a medal, a poster, and a stuffed toy of the Olympics mascot — but no money.

Even though the International Olympic Committee doesn’t offer a financial prize for a win, some countries still offer medalists cash bonuses. On Tuesday, based on data from the National Olympic Committees, CNBC published a list of the countries that reward winning athletes and how much they receive for each medal.

Related: ‘The Olympics Are a Business’: Mark Cuban Says NBA Players Should Not Be Permitted to Play in the 2024 Summer Games

Hong Kong and Singapore are the most generous, rewarding gold medalists with over half a million dollars.

^{Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images}

The U.S. finished tenth on the list, with prizes ranging from $15,000 to $38,000.

Becoming an Olympic athlete takes a six-figure investment with no guaranteed return, salary, or federal support to cover expenses. Rick Hawn, who competed in the 2004 Olympics in judo, said his family felt the financial strain of his Olympic career.

“My parents nearly went bankrupt,” Hawn told The Huffington Post. “They put whatever they could into me and I’m the oldest of six kids.”

The Paris Olympics costs up to $21,700 in fees and membership dues, but the annual income of one in four U.S. Olympians is less than $15,000. Team USA does award nearly $2.5 million in private grants every year.

Related: Famed Broadcaster Al Michaels’ Voice Will Be AI-Generated for Summer Olympics Coverage

Here are the top five countries with the highest Olympic payouts.

Hong Kong

Gold: $768,000

Silver: $384,000

Bronze: $192,000

Singapore

Gold: $745,000

Silver: $373,000

Bronze: $186,000

Indonesia

Gold: $300,000

Silver: $150,000

Bronze: $60,000

Israel

Gold: $271,000

Silver: $216,000

Bronze: $135,000

Republic of Kazakhstan

Gold: $250,000

Silver: $150,000

Bronze: $75,000

Here’s how the U.S. pays its medalists

Gold: $38,000

Silver: $23,000

Bronze: $15,000

For the full chart, click here.

For years, most of us have believed that the key to a secure life is to land a steady job with a reputable company. Having a regular paycheck, employment benefits and a clear career path are considered the ideal safety net. This is the message society consistently instills in us, which is why we strive to earn that college degree.

However, the world is changing and the security of working a traditional job seems to be diminishing. For instance, the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in widespread job cuts across industries, with 360 tech companies laying off over 100,000 employees, as tracked by Layoffs.fyi.

Meanwhile, the availability of digital tools, online marketplaces and a vast support network that previous generations didn’t have access to make it easier for young entrepreneurs to create something for themselves. In fact, 50% of Gen Zers want to start their own businesses, according to Samsung.

These circumstances are leading more and more people to look for alternative means to earn through entrepreneurship and self-employment. The Census Bureau reported a record-high number of 5.5 million new business applications filed in 2023 while the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics shared a list of fast-growing careers that have high rates of self-employment.

Let’s explore some real-life examples of young business owners, parent entrepreneurs and side hustlers on Fud, who took the leap for self-security.

Related: 8 Reasons Why We Need Entrepreneurs Now More Than Ever

The illusion of job security

Employment is often seen as secure, but the reality is quite different. Companies frequently downsize or restructure due to various internal and external reasons, which can lead to unexpected layoffs.

Even major companies such as Google and Microsoft have made substantial job cuts this year, with some experts saying layoffs across industries are likely to continue amid economic downturns. It is alarming to see countless workers become jobless overnight, regardless of tenure.

Betting on yourself is your best bet

Given the uncertainties in conventional employment, entrepreneurship becomes your best bet for success and fulfillment. Working for yourself means you have full control of the operations and direction of your business. You get to set your own goals and schedule, make your own decisions and align the business with your values and passions.

When one of our experts and mentors on Fud, Megn, was diagnosed with a nervous system disorder, it ended her 15-year corporate journey. She then took matters into her own hands and started a business selling homemade soap bars. Her persistence and genuine interactions with the customers helped her expand the brand which now includes two owned retail stores and an Etsy shop.

Another advantage of entrepreneurship and self-employment is the ability to create multiple income streams. Instead of relying on a single paycheck from one employer, you can earn money from different clients, products or services.

Take for example, Keighly, who has left the corporate world to become a digital entrepreneur. She makes money from selling digital products, creating online courses and running multiple TikTok Shops.

The role of technology in starting your business

Starting a business used to require significant capital and resources, but that’s no longer the case. The barriers to entry are much lower, thanks to affordable technology and accessible information.

For instance, ecommerce platforms like Shopify, Amazon and Etsy allow you to set up an online store in no time. You can market your business and connect with customers globally at little to no cost through social media.

Meanwhile, tools and apps are now made more accessible and affordable for project management, accounting and customer relationship management, making your business both time- and cost-efficient.

Related: The Best Strategy to Stand Out in Today’s Competitive Market May Not Be What You Think

The rise of remote work

The recent shift towards remote work has further leveled the playing field for entrepreneurs. With the right tools and resources, you can run a business from anywhere, collaborating with team members and clients across the globe. This setup reduces overhead costs associated with maintaining a physical office, making it easier to bootstrap your business and keep expenses low.

There are also online communities, networking groups, mentorship programs and startup incubators that can help and inspire business owners like you. They offer advice, share tools and provide a sense of community, making the entrepreneurial journey less lonely.

Making your money work for you

Starting a business isn’t just about making money. It’s also about investing in yourself. Whether you’re learning new skills, building your personal brand or expanding your network, every investment you make in yourself can pay off in the long run.

As your income isn’t limited to a salary or hourly rate, your earnings can scale up based on the success of your business. A lot of entrepreneurs I have interviewed earn significantly more than they would in their previous jobs and with high prospects as their business grows.

Just like mompreneur Prenise who took a comprehensive digital marketing course and is now building her own brand while caring for eight kids at home. Meanwhile, Raine has been documenting and sharing her journey on TikTok, fostering a supportive community online.

These discussions and real-life success stories prove that entrepreneurship is no longer just a dream. Although it comes with financial risks, the ability to forge your own path and potential rewards often outweigh them.

In business, everyone has an opinion. It can be easy for founders to get swayed by the latest trends, customer chatter, or investor pressure. However, for Christian Toetzke, founder and CEO of the global fitness racing craze HYROX, staying true to his original vision has been key to the company’s explosive growth.

“You have to be very convinced about your product and the DNA of a product. And you have to stick to the game plan,” he says.

Toetzke appears this week on an episode of One Day with Jon Bier to talk about the power of persistence, the importance of retaining company equity, and other lessons he’s learned since launching his brand in 2017.

Staying the course

By any metrics, HYROX is a success. Competitors run 1 km during the races, followed by one functional workout station, repeated eight times. In 2024, 260,000 people are expected to participate in 60 global events in 65 countries. Sponsors include Red Bull, Puma and Centr.

Still, Toetzke says he’s frequently asked to tinker with the formula.

“In the last five years, I don’t know how many people told me what we have to do.”

The number one request he gets is to change the workouts, which are always the same and include the farmer’s carry, rowing, SkiErg, wall balls, burpee broad jumps, sandbag lunges, and sled push and pull. But Toetzke says he’s studied the most successful sports in the world—marathons, triathlons, golf, tennis, Olympic sports—and notes they never change the fundamental rules of the competition.

Sports are “built around principles and rules and history and heritage,” he says.

Moreover, constantly changing the competition makes it impossible to compare the results of past competitors.

“In traditional sports, you have world records, and that’s one of the strongest marking tools in the world of sports,” he says. “If someone breaks a world record in a hundred-meter run, he’s immediately a global superstar.”

Related: How One Company Transformed a Medical Device into a Mass Market Phenomenon

Being reliable

By maintaining consistency, Toetzke has built a strong brand identity for HYROX. He wants to make it the “marathon of fitness” — a gold standard event that remains consistent across locations.

He admits they still have work to do on this front. As HYROX expands globally, he personally attends events worldwide to ensure they meet brand standards. “I see one million things they did differently in Melbourne and Mexico City. And that’s what we have to change.”

He wants HYROX to be a consistent, reliable experience for participants worldwide.

“To control the brand that is exploding globally, everyone has to follow the same game plan. Everyone has to follow the brand DNA. That’s a difficult task and not easy to do because with more and more people involved, everyone has own ideas how to do it.”

Related: 40 Entrepreneurs Share Their Secrets to Staying Focused

Innovating with constraints

This is not to say that HYROX isn’t in favor of innovation. Toetzke says that HYROX continually tries to evolve and improve without changing the fundamentals of the sport.

He uses the iPhone as an example. Since its inception, there have been 42 different models with different features, but the basic look has remained the same.

In that regard, Hyrox has made significant innovations in its technology, as well as practical innovations with its equipment. Recently, they introduced sensors so that counting during the wall ball competition is done digitally, taking the onus off the judges. Through their partnership with Centr, the Official Equipment Partner of HYROX, the competition kettlebells are now designed with a unique ‘octo’ shape to allow for better weight distribution and handling during the farmer’s carry.

Taking financial risk

In an era where many startups rush to secure venture capital, often at the cost of significant ownership dilution, Toetzke calls for a more measured approach.

“My biggest advice is if you really believe in your product, try to keep as many shares as possible as long as you can,” he says. “Don’t take the quick money; take the risk.”

He warns against being the “guy who drives the whole business, who’s running all the operations, while the investors are making all the money but do nothing for the business.”

Related: How to Fund Your Business With Venture Capital

Fostering community

Another factor in HYROX’s success has been its ability to build a strong, engaged community around the brand. Toetzke says that 60 to 80 percent of the HYROX community view fitness as integral to their social life.

“You’re not just going to a gym. It’s your group of people. It’s your community, and that is now happening in every gym around the world.”

Toetzke envisions gyms becoming modern-day clubhouses, similar to golf clubs, where members form strong social bonds.

You go together to a HYROX event where you compete together, and you represent your gym,” he says. “Suddenly it’s emotional, suddenly it’s become a community.”

Founders often dream of being sold in Costco — but last year, when Costco offered to carry my beverage brand, O2 Hydration, I said no.

It was a gut-wrenching decision. I love Costco and would love to be carried in Costco, but also I knew a terrible truth: My brand just wasn’t ready yet. And if you go big before you’re ready, retail can kill you.

If you have a product that you want to sell on shelves, here are three things you absolutely need in place before saying yes to a retailer.

1. Understand Your Market and Prove Demand

Before scaling as a CPG founder, you need a deep understanding of your market and must prove demand for your product.

For my brand O2, we started our retail efforts in a single region with a single retailer, Whole Foods. We expanded to 10 Whole Foods within a year, and then we expanded to a full region. This approach allowed us to understand what worked, and then double down on that.

For example, we found that product samples drew customers in, and they were hooked once they heard our story. That’s awesome insight, but it means we had to scale accordingly. By running a slow ground game, we built a loyal customer base and secured more shelf space — and we did it store by store, and region by region.

2. Secure the Necessary Resources to Replicate

O2 was flying off shelves at Whole Foods, so we thought we were ready for prime time and agreed to launch nationally with Kroger, Publix, and Sprouts the following year.

That’s when we learned our first hard lesson about retail.

When we expanded across the country, the lack of geographic concentration diluted our efforts. We initially had success by focusing on the Midwest, where our team could actively support and promote our products. But when we went national, we couldn’t hire and train people fast enough to replicate what we were doing on a national level, and we were promptly discontinued.

Pro tip: Having a concentrated geographic focus allows you to manage and support your retail partners more effectively. It also helps in building brand recognition and customer loyalty in specific regions before expanding further. Without the right resources, you can’t support the increased demand and logistics that come with larger retail placements. This can lead to out-of-stocks, poor customer experience, and ultimately, being dropped by retailers.

3. Have the Conviction to Say “Not Yet”

When a retailer offers to carry your brand, it can feel like winning the lottery — and founders are often afraid to say no. They worry that it means closing a door.

That’s not the case. It’s perfectly appropriate to say, “Not yet.”

Retailers want brands that are set up for success, and they’re relying upon the brands to know if they’re ready. Brands must ensure that they have the necessary resources in place, in the right regions, before agreeing to retail expansion — and they also need to know what tools can get your product off the shelf.

For example: How often do you promote your product, and at what price? What off-shelf merchandising do you need to be successful, and how will you obtain it?

Retailers will not do this for you. You’re Odysseus and they’re the sirens. They see something working, and they want to push it out as fast and as wide as possible, and they’ll dangle a seductive six-to-seven figure PO in front of you to get what they want. They assume you know what’s working, have figured out how to scale it, and have secured the resources needed to do so. So if you say yes, you better know all of that!

If you don’t, then say “not yet.” The retailer will respect you for it. You just saved everyone a lot of heartache.

Retail expansion can be incredibly seductive, but it’s essential to ensure that you’re genuinely ready before taking the leap. By understanding your market, securing necessary resources, and building geographic concentration, you can set your brand up for sustainable success. Remember, saying no when you’re not ready can save your business and turn future opportunities into even bigger wins when you are.

Now you understand why I turned down Costco. I know my market well; my product sells great in many regions, and in specialty retailers nationwide. I’m building toward that national, mass-market ground game — and when I finally say yes to Costco, it’ll be because I’m confident I can make it a win for us both.

Staying ahead of the curve by managing expenses effectively is key to long-term success. The Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 + The 2024 Premium Learn to Code Certification Bundle offers a unique opportunity to gain essential coding skills and powerful development tools for just $49.99 (reg. $1,999).

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StackSocial prices subject to change.

Uncover the truth about AI in marketing and why it’s a ticking time bomb for unprepared businesses! As AI revolutionizes the marketing landscape, understanding its long-term impact is crucial.

In this video, I dive deep into the reality of AI marketing, exposing the myths and revealing strategies to stay ahead of the curve. Learn why AI might play in your favor for the next 3 years, but could spell trouble if you’re not prepared for what’s coming. Discover how to leverage AI tools effectively while developing a future-sighted approach that will keep you competitive in an AI-driven world.

Download the free ‘AI Success Kit‘ (limited time only). And you’ll also get a free chapter from Ben’s brand new book, ‘The Wolf is at The Door – How to Survive and Thrive in an AI-Driven World.’

Money can often be the barrier between being stuck where you are or breaking through to the next level. This includes having or not having a budget, using it properly, hidden revenue or even misaligned goals — all of which influence your growth trajectory. These four common secrets have helped my company elevate our clients to the next level.

1. Financial transparency for ROI

The first blindspot we often notice with new clients is not having a clear reporting connection between your tools, like ads and a CRM like HubSpot, to see which channels drive the most significant return on investment (ROI). Do you know your best-performing channels? Or your best-performing piece of sales copy? What is the most opened document that leads to a closed deal?

And we’re not just talking about marketing and sales; this applies to many connected platforms — for example, the closed-loop revenue or your ERP systems. When things are not connected, they are disjointed and siloed. You end up flying blind. Without connecting your marketing tools with your revenue tools, and with that being CRMs, finance platforms, or ERPs, to name a few, there is a disconnect, and the arms and legs end up moving in different directions.

Here’s a simple example we see all the time: If you knew that one channel drove more deals by a 75% faster conversion rate, wouldn’t you invest more time and energy in that channel than one that only had a conversion rate of 10%? Many people don’t want to share the revenue numbers within the company, but all of that information informs the other departments; without sharing these revenue numbers, your money secret is keeping it in hidden silos.

Related: I Hit $100 Million in Annual Revenue by Being More Transparent — Here Are the 3 Strategies That Helped Me Succeed

2. Strategic investment for avoiding blind spots

Another financial blindspot is not investing in marketing. We have had prospects come in with no budget and no internal marketing team, but we want to grow by 150% and spend a total of $1,000. I wish achieving growth like this was possible, but unfortunately, it’s not. The old adage that you get what you pay for, or it takes money to make money, speaks the truth. Your investment goals should match your growth goals. The amount of money invested should be measured not just by short-term, quick wins but also by looking at long-term investment to growth.

You would never measure an HR department strictly on the number of hires. However, looking at the whole picture of longevity amongst many other important KPIs, You would not use an HR department for a few months. It is something that is constant and needs care and attention. Marketing is no different — if you strictly only measure marketing by the number of leads, you are missing out on the full picture. Marketing helps push leads through nurture campaigns, creates automation, leads scoring, builds new campaigns and tests, supports sales enablement activities and many other components. A buying cycle is rarely a straight line to click and buy unless we’re discussing Amazon.

That said, everyone has budgets, margins and bumper lanes they need to stay in. I am by no means saying throw your budget to the wind, but your goal should match your budget. If you have modest growth goals, be realistic about the budget needed to get there. Set incremental micro goals but stay the course for long-term growth.

Related: You Won’t Have a Strong Budget Until You Follow These 5 Tips

3. Data-driven decisions to save money

Another money secret that costs companies is spending without the data to back it. We had a company inquire about a new website, a full blow-up, new navigation, new content, new page layouts, migration onto a new CMS, a new theme and the works. They said they had a $75,000 budget for the whole project. In theory, it sounds great, right? Willing to invest? Check. Has a budget? Check. Know what they want the end result to be? Check. But when we asked them the next question, they looked at us like we were crazy, “Do you have data that backs the changes you are looking to make?” Are you running a tool like Hotjar to see real user data behind how these proposed changes will impact your existing inquiries and the only source the sales team was currently using for leads?

The answer was no. When the heat map was overlaid, do you know what happened? Well, they were looking to build that new navigation out and replace the old one — nearly 90% of the traffic was going to two pages of their site directly from the navigation, both of which they had originally wanted to remove. In this case, it wasn’t just about having the money but also about making sure the decisions you make with the budget are informed by real data: user data, sales data, marketing data and more. The more informed you can be by closing the loop on your data, the better your end result will be.

Related: Want to Be Better at Decision Making? Here are 5 Steps to Better Data-Driven Business Decisions

4. Modern marketing channels to drive growth

What is likely costing you the most is using old-school channels without the ability to measure. Companies have spent the last decade on traditional marketing channels and are switching to digital. The company’s historical growth has relied on things like trade shows, print, postcards and online magazines. We ask what the ROI you have seen by each channel is, and rarely can they share a specific revenue number and say it is for brand awareness. Some of the budgets can be over 50 to 100 thousand dollars spent on these traditional methods, but there is no ROI attached, yet they continue them.

When the pandemic happened, we saw a massive influx in businesses shifting from once only boots on the ground to digital. The lockdown changed everything; there were no more trade shows, no more door knocking and no one picking up their mail or faxes daily. It made traditional selling channels challenging and obsolete and forced a new level of openness to try new ways to get the job done. In the example of running online magazine ads there are lots of ways to capture them, we can use UTM tracking, referral analysis or create a custom landing page for the offer and capture the leads directly. Without running them to a landing page or form, you rely only on the online publication for leads and analytics. We’ve had people show a list of just names, no emails to follow up with, or only show a random number of visitors to the page, not a single name. It’s important to know what they will provide for reporting and tracking when you publish or use traditional channels. The rule of thumb is to use connections and tools that leverage old-school methods into technology and not blindly spend on channels that cannot be measured.

Stop wasting time, energy and revenue on these blind spots. They have easy solutions, so you can avoid them and focus on growing your business!