Big Goals, Big Fires
Download MP3Hello, and welcome to the Service Based Business Society podcast. I am your host, Tiffany Ann Botcher. On our weekly episodes, we will dig into everything you need to know about scaling your service based business without losing sleep. With my experience in creating over 7 figures per month and a passion for marketing, finance, and automation, this show will provide tangible tips and techniques for scaling your business. Let's get started.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:Hello, and welcome back to another episode. Today is the final episode of season four. I honestly cannot believe how quickly this season has gone by, which is what really kicks off our episode, talking about how being a business owner often can be a bit like being the head janitor for your business or the lead firefighter. We often as business owners deal with whatever is the biggest fire. And I have this conversation with so many business owners day after day in so many different meetings where people are ultimately dealing with whatever is going on in that moment, whether it is tax season and you have ignored your taxes all year.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:Hint. It's tax season. And if you've been ignoring your bookkeeper and your accountant, now is the time to get back to them. But the number of clients that we have that ignore us for months and then suddenly are like, hey. Oh my gosh.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:Can we get this done today? Guys, when I tell you this is a super, super common entrepreneur problem, it almost actually plays into who an entrepreneur is. Entrepreneurs are resourceful. Entrepreneurs always get it done in the end. Keyword there in the end.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:I remember when I was in school, I was the deadline person. So, I mean, even well before that. So super funny story. Let's go way back. In high school, I rode horses really competitively.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:This was a huge part of my life. And part of that entire process, I attended and was part of something called pony club. It just makes it sound first of all, there's a lesson in branding. Pony club just doesn't it's not something you wanna share later. When we think of, like, horses and equestrian, pony club just doesn't do it.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:When you're, like, a little kid, pony club sounds fun. But, like, as you start to get bigger, like, now I don't sit here and say, like, oh, I was in the pony club. It just, like, has, like, not a great vibe. Lesson quick lesson, little digression there in marketing. Anyway, so part of the pony club was as you get older, you learn how to teach and coach and guide.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:There's a whole system for testing. One of the most amazing things about the program that to this day, I think has influenced my life dramatically is that we were actually, you know, part of this testing was really being able to deal with high pressure situations, be able to speak to people of authority from a young age. So part of the testing, obviously, would go and, like, do your riding component, but there was always a horsemanship component and there was a test. So the examiners from like, we're talking like six, seven years old would be like asking you questions, asking you to demo things. It was a one on one situation.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:And so I think that now as you go up, there's a by the time you're at the upper levels, there's like a panel of examiners. You know, it's it really feels like there's there's the life skills here should not be underestimated. And so, you know, I interviewing, being able to pick up the phone. I actually sat on the junior executive board, part of the morning club. And I remember part of my role was back in the day being the person who would, like, phone on the old fashioned telephone and remind people of the upcoming executive meeting plan, other things for, you know, the junior executive, etcetera.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:So many life skills here. So many life skills. I think that some of those skills are often skipped in today's generation. Even asking my own kids to make a phone call. I I often ask them to do this because it's it's a skill that they don't know.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:That how many people's kids don't even know that you put the phone next to your head and they just stop on speaker? These are some of the things that, you know, if you just just don't do anymore. So I'm going somewhere with this. Part of being you know, growing up to this program was teaching, guiding, mentoring. And one of the first things that I did, I'm gonna age myself here, is I invested in things like label makers, a pawn pilot.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:One year I bought a puppy with a lot of my earnings, but, you know, I was a kid, so it all be it can't all be all the organization things. But, you know, there's this element of organization and preparation. You go through school. You have very specific deadlines. You know that, you know, spelling tests are on Thursday.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:You know that your reading homework has to be done by Friday. Then you get into the real world. And I actually and I think I've mentioned it on a previous episode. I think the real world conditioned me to be a last minute person. I'm not a procrastinator by nature.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:I'm not a last minute person by nature. I enjoy being ready. I was the person who would always pack the suitcase days in advance. Not anymore. I now deal with whatever is the biggest fire, and I see this across the board with entrepreneurs.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:We've talked about it, you know, ignoring your data, putting your head down, grinding, and not really realizing even what's going on in your business. We've talked about skipping, missing things altogether because it wasn't the biggest fire. I often argue that we as business owners think that many things are essential that are not. And so often our biggest fire must really be evaluated. Is it the biggest fire?
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:Is it actually a fire? Really have to evaluate those things on a case by case basis. But what I will say is once you've evaluated what are your items, what are your priorities, chances are you have more fires than you have time. If you don't, I would argue you're not pushing yourself hard enough, that you're not taking on enough, that while you enjoy comfort, everyone enjoys being comfortable, and I definitely am at the more extreme end, and I'm not advocating for that because it comes with less stress. It comes with pieces.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:But I will say that my motto is be obsessed or be average, and I live by that every day. I am obsessed at being the best in all parts of my life, not just business. I want to be the best mom I can be. I want to be the best wife I can be. I want to, you know, be the person who bakes the cookies, not buys the cookies.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:And every time I regret doing that because they never look how I want. But in my mind, I go to I can do that. But it means that we collect things. We collect projects, tasks, fires. It means that I struggle to sit still, that I'm always looking for that next thing.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:I don't necessarily understand the mentality that isn't that. It's not my jam. I have one child who isn't that same personality who really is still like, well, but that's good enough. Right? And I don't I don't understand that mindset, and I work at it because I know that that's okay.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:There's nothing wrong with that. It's just different. But as entrepreneurs who people who who decide they want to start something, they want to lead it, they want to grow it, they want to revolutionize some part of the industry world that they're in, that's a big mission. That is absolutely a giant mission. One that should not be underestimated.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:One that is a little bit crazy and chaotic. It means that sometimes the list of fires is long. It means sometimes unexpected things come up. It means that every once in a while, you're gonna have to do whatever it takes to get it done. Sometimes it's hard to to get out of that kind of crisis management mode.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:But is it really unreasonable to expect that to be the case while you're out there changing things, revolutionizing the industry, doing big thing. I think that there comes a certain piece that comes with accepting where within reason. I feel like the podcast this season, as we wrap up the end of season four, I really I really realize how often we talk about the, like, it's this, but not too much that. And it's maybe that, but not too much. And I think that that really is business.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:That really is ultimately kind of life is it's, you know, deserves okay within reason. Candy is okay within reason. Crisis management, most of the time, is within reason. Ultimately, that really is, I think it's been highlighted this season, it's kind of that, like, yin and yang of life and business. And so number one, expecting that crisis management and chaos in your business is gonna go away, I feel like it's unrealistic.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:I don't think that you can do big things in any part of life without some kind of discomfort. You know, you you look at that Olympic gymnasts, and you look at, you know, or ballerinas and you look at their feet and you realize that, hey, like, it looks beautiful and amazing and whatever and all of these things, but, like, it's hard on your body. Doing big things in business is hard on your brain. And so will there be chaos? Yes.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:Will you at one point build out of chaos? I mean, sort of. You'll add in additional layers of management that they will be employed to manage chaos for you. But, you know, interestingly enough, I don't know that a business owner will ever ultimately completely be chaos free. And you might say to me, and that's like, yes.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:You can. You can build systems. You can build processes. You can do these things. Here's why I disagree with that unpopular opinion.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:Doing big things means that things are gonna happen. So maybe you had a business and you were carrying on right now doing amazing things, and all of a sudden, tariffs. You have a tariff problem. I would say the car industry in Canada, you got like whatever, is currently going, Oh my gosh, we were doing great things. We were coming along.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:We had good processes. We had good systems. And bam, tariffs. You know, there is an external environment that goes with running your business. And unfortunately, you cannot control external things.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:So there will always be an element of chaos. Maybe you have an amazing management team. Maybe that allows you to spend six months of the year on a beach somewhere living that life. Perhaps now you can't spend six months on that same beach because of a change in political climate. Perhaps that person who runs your business falls ill.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:They get sick. They quit. They wanna go start their own business. But if while you're sitting on that beach cruising, you obviously can see a business that you absolutely know that you wanna purchase. You wanna add to your thing.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:Well, bring on the chaos. Perhaps you decide that at the eleventh hour before a big software renewal, suddenly, you know what? I found another software that could perhaps do a better job at half the price. My other software renewal is an annual renewal. I I recently spoke to someone that that a decision that had to be made in about thirty six hours could save them $300,000 over the next three years.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:They were currently on vacation when that decision came in. Dollars 300,036 hours. Are you going to put down your margarita to make that decision? Because I feel like I would. And I don't think that anyone who is truly trying to revolutionize anything, who wants to be amazing, who wants to do big things, I don't think any of those people would not put down their margarita and say, hey.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:It's time to do business. It's it's the way that it is constructed. Those who want or are attracted to entrepreneurial life are typically going to be, you know, dealing with those kinds of things. I have some time off coming up. I've talked about it a couple episodes ago.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:Were talking about my upcoming trip to Disney. So my my daughter is competing in Disney World. She does all star cheer. She has for many, many years, and they made they they made they made it. They're going to summit in Disney.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:Super exciting. Probably not the time I would typically go and have vacation. First of all, it's, like, right at the end of tax season. Right at the very end of tax season. So close to the end of tax season that, like, vacation, appreciated.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:But, like, it's right like, overlaps the last two days of tax season. Well, I know that entrepreneurial type people who we typically work with, they love to run it till the wire. These are the people that are like, I'll get it to you. I'll get it to you. I'll get it to you.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:They're dealing with their other big fire. Their taxes are not the biggest fire until suddenly they are. And so, like, guys, I need I need your tax stuff. Like, you will not make the deadline if you are too late. And so, like, those are the conversations that we're we're we're prepping and planning for and whatnot.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:If you're one of our clients listening to this podcast, please know April 28 midnight, that is our tax deadline. Yes. I know that's not the actual tax deadline, but that is if you are doing taxes with us, April 28 at midnight is your deadline. And you may say, Tiffany, why are you giving a deadline in, like, in midnight terms? Because that is the audience we serve.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:That is the group of people I choose to do business with who will send me something at 11:55 and say, Tiffany, you're going get this done. Right? And so, yes, I'm going to get it done. But don't send it to me after 11:55. And don't send me anything, like, half done at 11:55.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:You know, I there's some caveats here, but here's the thing. It's like, that's that's the group of people that I choose to work with. Because the excitement, the passion, the, you know, ability and drive to change industries is excites me. That is you know, people ask me often, what is the niche you serve? You know, for the Americans, what is the niche you serve?
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:What is you know? And I always say it's actually not the industry. It is the type of business owner. It is the type of people that we serve, not so much the industry because ultimately, you know, a lot of people say, oh, you really that's the message I heard over and over and over again when I started my business. You need to pick one.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:You need to pick an industry. You need to serve an industry. And while I agree at times, that may be actually easier because people also say you have to, you know, basically package your services. You have to make it super scalable. You have to be able to do the same thing over and over and over and over again.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:Would that be easier in a specific industry? I mean, maybe. I think in marketing, perhaps more than what I do on the accounting side. On the the marketing side, I will agree that choosing a specific industry may make that more, you know, easily digestible because you're doing less research because you understand the industry better. But here's the thing.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:For most of our services across three different companies that we that we have, ultimately, whether your team goes and change the toilet, offers legal services, does a massage, take some photos, is a professional organizer, you know, dietitian, all of these different service based industries, being a contractor, corporate, like, all of these different things, it doesn't really matter. I'm not assisting you in how to do any of those items. I am assuming that if you're here to revolutionize an industry and do big things, that you know how to do the things when you get to your client. I'm here to look at the data, the structure. I'll provide the tax, accounting, strategy, data, marketing, all these types of things.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:So those are the pieces that I knew. I don't I don't need to know how to give the massage, change the toilet, do the professional organizing. That's not the piece that ties us together. My unpopular opinion on that is you don't depending on your offer, you don't necessarily need to niche down. Now I said, again, the yin and the yang, it depends on your industry.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:It's very hard to be good at all the things, so it depends on what you're offering. Your marketing, when it applies and reaches out to everyone, really reaches out to no one. So, you know, oftentimes when I'm talking to prospective clients or clients and I say, okay. So who are we marketing to? Well, everyone.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:That is the hardest group to market to. That is the hardest group to reach. But it doesn't always have to be one specific you know, how have we decided to reach out to to to connect with people? Well, I want to connect with people who are doing big things. Our podcast content is tailored to people who wanna do big things.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:Our marketing across all companies, people who wanna do big things. We're actually the soft launch of our latest company. Super exciting. I honestly haven't really promoted it anywhere. So here we are talking about on the podcast, doing big things.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:So as we started into tax season this year, I realized that we wanted to mix things up a little. So our typical brand, packed profit, is very business to business. We launched tax services in a big way this year. And when we started building out marketing campaigns, doing things, I realized I actually did not I I wanted to do more business to consumer marketing. So we've got business to business, b to b, b to c business to consumer marketing.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:And I wanted on the tax side to be able to do more business to consumer marketing. All of our businesses are are business to business. We don't really do any business to consumer style for our own group. And so I thought, you know what? I really I I I've wanted to review a lot of these campaigns for others.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:I I'd love to be able to try out new technique strategies on our own stuff, and it excites me to try new challenges, doing big things. And so I decided, you know what? I really wanted to have a brand, have a business, have a marketing strategy that went along with business to consumer. So we started the process of launching a new business to consumer tax brand. Now, this is where that kind of biggest fire chaos did we need to do that in order to have a successful tax season?
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:Absolutely not. Have we actually started utilizing that brand? No. No. But does it have a name?
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:Yes. Does it have a domain? Yes. Does it have a logo now? Yes.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:What was next? Did I want to, in that moment, spend a crazy amount of hours launching this brand this tax season? Yes. That is my that is my personality. Let's do big things.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:Could we have done it? Yes. Were there other fires that were bigger? Yes. So do we have these other items?
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:Are they in the shadows? Are they ready to go? Absolutely. But here's where I decided we can utilize this in the biggest way we can. Well, during our documentation paperwork process for the current tax season, we we are using that name and that for for some brand recognition for those clients for next year.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:Number two, we launched a website enough. It's basic. It's one page. We launched a website enough because if you this is your this is your secret tip. If you have a domain with a web page on it that has your business address, phone number, brand, etcetera, and you register that for Google Search Console, you register that domain with Google Analytics.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:When you go to get your Google Business profile, you can, not always, but you can get instant verification. If anyone has gone through the process of trying to get a Google Business profile verified, it is difficult at times, more difficult than it ever used to be. So me looking for that instant Google verification was like, hey, if we get a one page website up, we get Google Search Console done, we get Google Analytics. Guys, this took me, you know, a couple of, you know, couple of of thought sessions, got the team going. I mean, I think in total, it probably took about two hours to get all of it done and up.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:We got instant Google Business Profile verification. Why was this step so important to me? Why was this the fire I choke? Google Business Profile. Tiffany, I'm like, it's out of everything.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:Is that is that what matters? Here's why. At the end of our tax process this time with each client, we can request a Google review on the new, what will be used next season business Google Business profile. So why is that important? Well, because next season, when I'm now actively using that brand name, actively marketing it, now a Google review.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:Having those first Google reviews can really help, especially in any kind of tax industry. Trust is important. Google reviews are important. So did we launch the full brand this year? No.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:Do I wish that we could have? Sure. But you know what? I probably would have needed to have the idea a few weeks earlier. We dealing with some other giant projects and increase were we doing big things in so many places already?
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:Absolutely. We were. So do we have a logo and a brand and a domain and concept that I absolutely love and can't wait to use next year? Will we have Google reviews to do it with? Yes.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:So, you know, sometimes deciding what are the biggest fires, deciding sometimes, hey. As much as I my initial thought was, let's build this brand out. Let's do it. I was like ready to, like, let's get the flyers organized. Let's get this b to b b to c marketing going.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:Let's do this. Had a whole list. I was like, well, let's just hit pause on that. So will it be a very successful tax season this year? Yes.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:Absolutely. Super exciting. And is my goal to get some new Google reviews on the new business profile in line for next year? Yes. So realize now that if you're doing big things, chaos comes with.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:And as much as I would love to say that you can system and process your way out of chaos, I don't believe that to be true. I think you can system and process your way into efficient, optimized, profitable operations. I just think that if you're doing big things that you have to realize that chaos comes with it. And ultimately, if you wanna be an entrepreneur, revolutionizing anything, your life, the lives of those around you, industries, it it comes with some some chaos, some discomfort. And, honestly, most times, you'll probably thrive on it.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:I I hate to say we almost enjoy that element of it, but there's a lot of science that goes into people saying, like, those who live or grew up in that kind of, like, crisis type dealing with big product, like, that you almost get used to it. Those that grew up dealing with, you know, chaos that you almost get used to it, and it's like you thrive on it, and it's part of who you are. So now if you're a business owner and you're like, I absolutely don't like chaos. I absolutely don't want any of what you just talked about. That's okay.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:I'm not saying you can't do it without it. I'm just saying that I don't know how to do it without it, and I honestly wouldn't want to. I would never want to get to the point where I'm like, I have a crazy idea. I don't like crazy. I don't like chaos.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:Better luck next time. Because you know what? I know that that something like coming up with this new brand, super exciting brand announcement coming soon, talked about on the podcast first. I know that we will do crazy incredible things with that next year. I can't wait.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:I'm so excited about it. I also know that we did the required steps this year just to just enough that we've set ourselves up for success next year. So, guys, I cannot believe this is the last episode of season four. To be honest, I still can't believe that we have four seasons of a podcast. And when I tell you that we're just getting started and that we have already started developing, planning, prepping for season five, we have.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:Because, well, that isn't the biggest fire. Guys, I can't believe it. This is the end of season four, and we are going to be officially on hiatus until September. Our September launch date will be announced on all of our social platforms. You can go follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:You can reach out to us on those platforms if you have an idea for a future guest or question. Next season, we will be featuring more of our listener questions. So go ahead, Take your question in the queue. We are happy to answer them as well as have some of our incredible guests answer these questions as well. Our guest lineup for season five, crazy to say, our season five guest list is currently in the planning phase.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:So if you know someone that would be the perfect guest for our podcast, please reach out on social media, or you can reach out via email. I want us to say thank you so much for tuning in for four incredible seasons. We are just getting started. Season five planning is well underway. It has been an incredible journey, and I cannot thank our listeners enough.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:This season, we did move to some new social media platforms. We have our new Instagram profile and our LinkedIn profile. Please go give us a follow. You can like and share our content as well as send us a DM. So during our hiatus, you can catch up on our content on YouTube.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:Please share our content with a fellow entrepreneur. Thank you so much, and go and do big things, incredible things, revolutionize your life, industries, and we will check-in in September. We're all out of time for today, but the fun doesn't stop here. Make sure to subscribe to the Service Based Business Society podcast on your preferred podcast app. If you're hanging out over on YouTube, search for Tiffany Ann Bottcher.
Tiffany-Ann Bottcher:Your likes, shares, and reviews really do help the show. Until next time, have a great week.
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