Seeing how small business owners seek advice and strategies to grow their businesses, Sean reinvented himself to teach and add more value to their lives and businesses. As important as it is to prepare tax returns and keep books, he believes that educating and giving them advice has the most impact on their success.

In today’s episode of the North Texas Business Forecast, our guest, Sean Duncan will talk about how he finds his purpose in the accounting world. He will also discuss the strategies he uses to grow his business and how he handles stress to his advantage.

Sean Duncan is the Founder and President of SMD Consulting & Accounting.

They help build and preserve life-long wealth by focusing on tax reduction, financial planning, asset preservation, and investment management through the lens of strategic tax planning. SMD Consulting & Accounting combine tax, law, wealth management, and insurance services to provide a specialized family office experience.

More importantly, Sean is a dad, a husband, a handyman, and a Star Wars fan. He wears a Storm Trooper suit of armor at a charity event, wrestles with his children, caters to his wife's needs, and basically grabs things off of high shelves for everyone.

Enjoy!

This episode is brought to you by Vouris –

 We’re Vouris – we’ve developed a powerful framework that allows early-stage startup companies to build stronger sales teams and hit their revenue targets.

 We call it the 5 Components of Sales Effectiveness:

• People
• Process
• Message
• Technology
• & Leadership

 Let us tell you exactly what to focus on to dramatically improve your results. We help early-stage startups hit their revenue goals and you are only one click away from more revenue.

https://hubs.ly/H0NK23j0

In This Episode

2:48 - The role of business in Sean's life

5:15 - Sean's playful moments that his kids thought were their worst

8:36 - How SMD Consulting and Accounting was born

16:37 - Why CPAs are one of the most disruptive careers

20:53 - How he retains talent within his organization

23:11 - Why marketing is a valuable component of any business

29:09 - The concept of a good business plan

33:04 - Sean's view of stress

34:58 - A common mistake among business owners

Favorite Quotes

"One of the things I say frequently there in individual consulting is nothing you spend money on should ever be an expense, nothing. Everything, when you look at a P and L, shouldn't be an investment. It should generate something of greater value than whatever that dollar amount is. It doesn't matter what it is." - Sean Duncan

"CPAs are frequently at the top five suicide divorce rates because tax season is brutal and the appreciation is low." - Sean Duncan

"When I've hired talented people that have choices, then it's my obligation to keep them filled. That's when the business pivoted, grew, and blossomed in a different way because you allow them the opportunity to be great." - Sean Duncan

"Consulting is teaching. It's positioning yourself to be that person that adds value." - Sean Duncan

"Growing is not always growing in sales. Sometimes growing is just growing in efficiency."  - Sean Duncan

"Stress is always going to be there. But if you're taking on that stress and you're doing something better for yourself, your family, your clients, your business, whatever it is, it doesn't feel the same." - Sean Duncan

"Clients are best served when all the professionals are working together on their behalf and building a comprehensive plan and not just their transaction in a silo." - Sean Duncan

Connect with Sean Duncan

SMD Consulting and Accounting Website   https://smdaccounting.com/

Engage with Brad Clark

LinkedIn                            https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-clark-actioncoach/

ActionCOACH Website   https://bradclark.actioncoach.com/

Growing up in an entrepreneurial family, Greg was used to the cycles of ups and downs of business. Having had his share of wins and failures in the numerous businesses he has started, Greg is a perfect example of what determination and perseverance means.

His advice to anybody wanting to be an entrepreneur:

• Get in some type of sales job

In today’s episode of the North Texas Business Forecast, our guest, Greg Johnson will talk about his entrepreneurial journey and how he landedwhere he is now. He will also provide helpful tips for managing a business in times of crisis and the benefits of marketing for your business.

Greg Johnson is the owner of healthcare lab testing facility in Plano and Frisco, Texas. It is a facility providing the Dallas area with thousands of medical lab tests direct to consumers and employers in a professional, convenient and cost-effective way.

Enjoy!

This episode is brought to you by Vouris –

 We’re Vouris – we’ve developed a powerful framework that allows early-stage startup companies to build stronger sales teams and hit their revenue targets.

 We call it the 5 Components of Sales Effectiveness:

• People
• Process
• Message
• Technology
• & Leadership

 Let us tell you exactly what to focus on to dramatically improve your results. We help early-stage startups hit their revenue goals and you are only one click away from more revenue.

https://hubs.ly/H0NK23j0

In This Episode

1:26 - Backstory of Greg Johnson

9:45 - How he dealt with challenges in both his professional and personal life

19:08 - The most effective business strategy during times of crisis

21:49 - How COVID 19 has demonstrated the value of marketing in business

26:55 - His mentality in the hiring process

30:24 - What makes Any Lab Test Now stand out from other laboratories

 Favorite Quotes

"At some point, there's nothing you can do. You can hire salespeople all day long. If you don't change your business plan to adjust to the market, you'll become obsolete. Once you've tasted failure you never want that again." - Greg Johnson

"The one thing I learned is that you're not going to have a business where everybody's happy. And so you have to be able to accept that." - Greg Johnson

"I would advise anybody that's wanting to be an entrepreneur, get in some type of sales job. There's tons of opportunity. You're gonna make tons of money. You're gonna learn skills that you're going to use no matter what you do." - Greg Johnson

"I wanted a business that wasn't a job. Everything takes effort. But at some point, if you grow, you should be able to hire a manager to run your business." - Greg Johnson

"I would advise anyone who wants to start their own business, do franchising." - Greg Johnson

"The things you don't do in a crisis when sales are bad is to minimize your hours. You don't shorten the amount of time that you're going to open." - Greg Johnson

Engage with Brad Clark

LinkedIn                            https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-clark-actioncoach/

ActionCOACH Website   https://bradclark.actioncoach.com/