Branding not only impacts prospective clients and existing clients, it impacts other influencers like strategic partners. Branding is the lifeblood of advocacy. It is reputational and can be relayed. Marketing can create transactions, but does not go anywhere near as far as branding when it comes to referrals. Introductions from advocates are a recurring revenue stream for your business and build the very fabric of your business. Transacting is like sewing without a knot at the end of the thread. Lastly, and it bears repeating, branding helps achieve stewardship, meaning your value is bought, not sold.

Do the ads drive referrals, or do they make people wonder why you still have to do advertising? Do the ads increase the awareness of professional scarcity and contrast, or do they undermine them?

Download Chapter 1 of my new book The Blue Square Method for free now at: thebluesquaremethod.com

Part of our core mantra is that service is branding. Service is marketing. If that sounds like a generic statement to toss in for the sake of it, allow us to clarify. A while back we had a consultation with a pretty substantial Advisor…

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"If you’re really thinking about selling your practice, realize that there are probably a hundred buyers that are out there right now. I’m not talking about another financial advisor. I’m not talking about somebody in your town or in your city. I’m talking about real buyers..." This is an excerpt from episode 35 of the ‘Always On with Duncan MacPherson’ podcast with guest Ted Jenkin.

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“Why should I sell my business today if I can double it over the next 10 years and sell it for a much higher price?”

This is a question many advisors ask themselves while contemplating the sale of their business.

Ted Jenkin, Serial Entrepreneur and CEO oXYGen Financial, suggests you think about “the velocity of money and stock in this short clip.

Stream the enitre episode of Always On by clicking here: https://paretosys.co/AODM_ep35

The Anatomy of an Offer with Ted Jenkin 

There is a simple mantra in business: Every business is built to be sold.

Whether you plan to exit in the next 18 months or after 10 years, it is important to know your options so you can achieve the best possible outcome.

In this episode, Duncan MacPherson talks to Ted Jenkin, CEO of oXYGen Financial, about the anatomy of a business sale. As someone who has sold a multi-million-dollar business himself, Ted has valuable insights on how to effectively navigate the sale of your business from start to end. They discuss:

• The current and future outlook of the M&A space (including private equity firms)
• Actionable steps to increase your potential valuation multiple
• How exit planning can help you de-risk your position and achieve a higher sense of purpose
• The best place to get started if you have given zero thought to selling your business
• And more

Stream the new episode of Always On by clicking here: https://paretosys.co/AODM_ep35

The congruency you display, by backing up your statements of “having a process” by actually having one, puts additional distance between you and the pack. Still, in the pursuit of balance, don’t let yourself tip too far over into the science of building a business – remember the art. It is one thing to not “go through the motions” when it comes to best practices and standard operating procedures, you also need to combine it with your calling as a professional with a purpose.

A quick tribute to Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben, here. You probably weren’t expecting another Spider-Man reference, but to paraphrase, with great knowledge comes great power and great responsibility. The lesson is simple, gather FORM knowledge and engage ALL meaningful stakeholders into the process as the relationship unfolds.

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"The reason video is the most powerful medium is because throughout the entire history of humanity, the one thing that we’ve always had is the connection to people’s faces." This is an excerpt from episode 34 of the ‘Always On with Duncan MacPherson’ podcast with guest Katie Braden.

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Attracting and sifting requires more effort than expense. Before you start any of this, get a very high up, nose-bleed view to assess your overall plan and temperament. It’s one thing to have the idea, but do you have the stomach to execute it? It can be frustrating and disappointing, initially. In your strategic planning, jump to the end in terms of what it would look like if you stopped because you were unhappy with the results, or if it took off and caused unintended bursting at the seams. It’s inevitable that it will work, but how long will it take and how much time will it consume?