AmiSights: Financing the Future For Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs MultiFunding

In this week's edition of the AmiSights Podcast, we talk to Chris Hutchinson, CEO of Trebuchet Group, an organizational consulting firm focused on helping leaders achieve great accomplishments through creating great teams.

“I started this organization to enable the best within people; not in a fuzzy, rosy, unicorns and butterflies way,” he said. “When we can trust each other and work together really effectively, leaders can show up in a way that helps people get clarity and be able to do the right things, we can do anything.”

The main topics of today's episode will be:


How Chris was able to have an entrepreneurial experience in the Air Force before entering the corporate world and then starting his own company. 


How open communication and understanding has allowed him to successfully work with his wife.


How he prepared his staff to run the company when he went on a four-month sabbatical.



Connect with Chris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rippleleader/
Check out Trebuchet Group: https://www.trebuchetgroup.com/
Check out Ripple Leader: https://www.rippleleader.com/
Recorded on 3/13/24

In this week's edition of the AmiSights Podcast, we talk to Karan Shah, Owner/Director of Ivy Experience, a company that prepares students for their collegiate futures through test prep, tutoring and essay consulting.


Karan sheds light on the impact of online learning on the tutoring industry, particularly in areas with limited access to such resources.

“In Philadelphia, New York, LA Chicago, there's a lot of college prep options, but if you go to some more rural areas, there just aren't, right? There aren't many options. There might be one tutor available and they can only handle so many kids, right? So it's really open, the internet has opened up different markets to us that weren't previously open to us before.”

The main topics of today's episode will the benefits and challenges of online learning, particularly in the context of tutoring, and how the internet has transformed the tutoring industry. Karan will also share how having other resources in the beginning allowed Karan’s company to grow slowly without outside financing. Karan will also explain having different, yet complementary, skills from your business partner is beneficial for your company’s success.

Connect with Karan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karan-shah-467075b6/
Check out Ivy Experience: https://myivyexperience.com/
Recorded on 3/12/24

In this week's edition of the AmiSights Podcast, we talk to Sejal Lakhani-Bhatt, CEO of TechWerxe, a managed service provider for businesses. She discusses common misconceptions about IT services and offers valuable insights into how businesses can stay ahead in an increasingly digital landscape.

“So here's the other thing. Small, medium businesses, one in four, right? One in four gets breached. It's that simple, one in four gets breached. It's not that it hasn't happened to you.It has already happened, and you may not know about it. It will happen, and one of two things will happen if it happens. It'll get blocked because you've got the right solutions in place, or it'll get in. But it will happen. And people don't realize that.”

The main topics of today's episode will be navigating the myths surrounding IT services for safeguarding your business against potential breaches. Sejal will also tell us why it is up to the business owner to make sure a disaster recovery plan is working before disaster strikes. We will also discuss why it is critical to understand that IT is a necessity, not a luxury.

In this week's edition of the AmiSights Podcast, we talk to Ben Smith, founder and president of TriTech Services Group, a company he formed in 2021 to acquire and grow small businesses. He explains why he left the corporate world after around 25 years to become his own boss.

“I no longer wanted to allow somebody else to dictate my story or what I was going to do,” he said. “I really wanted to take more control of my life, what I was doing and the quality of life that I was having.”

The main topics of today's episode will be the similarities between being a solo entrepreneur and having employees. We also chat about why you shouldn't hire just to hire somebody, hire the right person. Ben will also share the importance of giving back and mentoring young entrepreneurs.


Connect with Ben: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminsmithttsg/
Recorded on 3/11/24

In this week's edition of the AmiSights Podcast, we talk to Kevin Nolan, founder and CEO of Nolan Painting and partner of Nolan Consulting Group. In his new book, “Organizational Muscle,” Kevin explains how running a marathon in all 50 states has helped him with the ups and downs of running his own business. 
“Have an operating system. All companies that get to any kind of success level in size have an operating system. It’s their own. It ends up being their own… Like I said, everybody knows what the operating system is. It’s got to be predictable; it’s got to be aligned with the mission, vision, and values. But you need an operating system. But it should be your own ultimately.”

The main topics of today's episode will be why entrepreneurs should be focusing on continuous improvement and disrupting their own business before somebody else does. We will also discuss why entrepreneurs need to surround themselves with smart people who can provide information about the business within moments or an hour or two. Kevin will also share why entrepreneurs should get several different perspectives and then implement the ones that work.


Connect with Kevin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinjnolan1/
Check out Nolan Painting: https://www.nolanpainting.com/

Check out the Nolan Consulting Group: https://www.nolancg.com/
Check out Organizational Muscle: https://organizationalmuscle.com/

Recorded on 2/12/24

In this week's edition of the AmiSights Podcast, we talk to Chris Burkhard, CEO of Placers, a company that provides custom workforce solutions. A fourth-generation entrepreneur, Burkhard explains how his desire to be his own boss came early in life.

“You could say it was a family calling, but when we had Sunday dinner, my dad would say to me and my two sisters, ‘you have more control over your life if you’re your own boss; don't give that up and don't work for somebody else,’” he said.

The main topics of today's episode will be how outsourcing and third-party services are drivers in the U.S. economy. Chris will share how his staffing business actually initially grew during the pandemic due to his concentration on contract jobs, many of which were in essential industries. We will also discuss how winning awards isn’t necessarily a sign of a healthy business.


Connect with Chris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisburkhard/
Check out Chris's book "Opposite The Crowd": https://www.amazon.com/Opposite-Crowd-Want-Must-Know/dp/B0C9S8B1CF
Check out Placers: https://myplacers.com/

Recorded on 2/6/2024