By Cheryl Powers

In a notable transaction last year, Darden Restaurants, the entity behind Olive Garden, disclosed its acquisition of Ruth's Chris Steak House for $715 million. This figure pegged the valuation at approximately one times the preceding year's annual revenue, translating to around ten times the adjusted EBITDA for 2022. While impressive for a corporation of its stature, the valuation metrics for Ruth's Chris may have been somewhat constrained by its absence of a recurring...

By Cheryl Powers

In business, bigger often seems better. We applaud companies bursting with staff and swelling their revenues year over year. But if you're steering your business toward the day you can sell it for a healthy profit, you'll need more than just piling on sales. You could be growing, sure, but not in ways that actually up your company's worth. Sometimes, this kind of growth could even hurt your value.

The Real Deal About Growth and Value

Let's get straight to the point:...

By Cheryl Powers

Creating a customer journey map for sales is an essential strategy for understanding your prospects and customers, as well as their needs, experiences, and pain points at various stages of the buying process. Your customer journey map will help you craft a more effective sales process and build a robust sales pipeline.

Here are the top 10 tips for building an effective customer journey map for sales:

1. Define Your Buyer Personas: Start by identifying and...

By Cheryl Powers

Building a high-producing sales team is vital to scaling revenue and your company's value. Getting this right and doing it quickly hinges on your ability as an owner to navigate essential questions that shape an effective sales strategy. Let's explore 25 critical questions that, when addressed thoughtfully, pave the way for assembling a sales force capable of propelling both your business growth and company value to new heights.

But before we dive into the...

By Cheryl Powers

Assembling a sales team filled with A-Players is not just an advantage; it's a necessity. For lower mid-market and mid-market business owners, the journey toward sustainable growth and profitability hinges significantly on the caliber of your sales force. But here's the catch: not all hiring processes are created equal, especially when it comes to sales. That's where a Sales-Specific Hiring Process comes into play, a game-changer that can set your business on a trajectory...

By Cheryl Powers

Thriving in your business isn't just about seizing the big opportunities; it's intricately linked to mastering the art of operational efficiency. In addition to helping you grow revenue, I want to help you see how fine-tuning your operations can significantly elevate your company's valuation, driving growth that outpaces the competition.

The Critical Role of Operational Efficiency

Operational efficiency is the backbone of your thriving company. It's about optimizing...

By Cheryl Powers

As discussed in Parts 1 and 2 of this series, understanding and leveraging customer capital has become a cornerstone for sustainable growth and competitive advantage. In this article, I delve into the quantitative realm and hope to shed light on the important data and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for measuring customer capital.

Understanding Customer Capital

As an owner, customer capital is the bedrock of your company. It includes the total value your business...

By Cheryl Powers

In Part 1 of this series, I defined customer capital as the intangible value a company gains from its customer relationships. It encompasses trust, loyalty, and the overall customer experience, which, when managed effectively, can significantly enhance your company's market valuation.

Personalization at Scale: Crafting Unique Customer Experiences

In the age of information overload, personalization is the key to capturing your customers' attention. Tailoring your products,...

By Cheryl Powers

At its core, customer capital is the value your business derives from its customer relationships. It's a facet of intellectual capital, transcending traditional business assets to include the intangible bonds your company fosters with its customers, members, and clients. 

The Role of Customer Capital in Business

Customer capital is a crucial element of your business's ecosystem, incorporating the total value derived from your company's relationships with your...

By Cheryl Powers

A Success Story from the Trenches: Breedlove & Associates' Journey

Imagine beginning a small payroll business from your home office, self-funding its growth, and then, two decades later, selling it for an astonishing six times the revenue. This is not a Silicon Valley fairy tale but the real success story of Stephanie Breedlove and her company, Breedlove & Associates. Starting in 1992, Breedlove grew her company by an average of 20% annually, focusing on a niche...