Jason Kramer on Growing Cultivize 30% YoY, Scaling to 6 Staff, Selling His First Biz, Using CRM to Uncover Hidden ROI & Boost Sales, Plus How the 15-Min Lead Response Rule Helped Skyrocket Conversions and Client Trust. (Episode 659 - Jason Kramer)

In this episode of Grow a Small Business, host Troy Trewin interviews Jason Kramer from Cultivize discusses his entrepreneurial journey, starting with a graphic design business before founding his current CRM strategy consultancy. He highlights the impressive growth of Cultivize, averaging 15 to 30% annually and expanding his team. Jason shares valuable insights into CRM strategy for nurturing leads and demonstrating marketing ROI, emphasising the importance of understanding your target audience. He also offers advice on key aspects of business growth, including hiring, the significance of work-life balance, and lessons learned from his experiences. Jason also touches upon the importance of good financial management and the "Profit First" methodology.   Why would you wait any longer to start living the lifestyle you signed up for? Balance your health, wealth, relationships and business growth. And focus your time and energy and make the most of this year. Let’s get into it by clicking here. Troy delves into our guest's startup journey, their perception of success, industry reconsideration, and the pivotal stress point during business expansion. They discuss the joys of small business growth, vital entrepreneurial habits, and strategies for team building, encompassing wins, blunders, and invaluable advice.   And a snapshot of the final five Grow A Small Business Questions: What do you think is the hardest thing in growing a small business? According to Jason Kramer, the hardest things in growing a small business are finding quality people who are reliable, dependable experts with good communication skills. He also notes that juggling all the different aspects of the business can be difficult for some, though less so for him due to his organised approach. Reflecting on his early days, Jason would advise himself to seek out those who have experience and made mistakes to learn from them and accelerate success. What's your favorite business book that has helped you the most? Jason Kramer's favourite business book is "Profit First" by Mike Michalowicz. He states that this book has significantly impacted how they manage cash flow in their business using a system of multiple bank accounts. Are there any great podcasts or online learning resources you'd recommend to help grow a small business? Jason Kramer recommends Donald C Kelly's podcast, "The Sales Evangelist", for valuable techniques and ideas. He also finds Jeff Blanto's "Sales Gravy" sometimes interesting. Additionally, Jason's company, Cultivize, offers "Profit Path", a tool with coaching and ebooks for tracking leads and marketing ROI. The "Grow Small Business Podcast" itself, hosted by Troy Trewin, who interviewed Jason, is also a relevant resource, with a past episode featuring Mike Michalowicz, author of "Profit First". What tool or resource would you recommend to grow a small business? Jason Kramer recommends The Sales Evangelist podcast by Donald C. Kelly for practical, actionable sales techniques and Sales Gravy by Jeb Blount for insightful tips on business and selling. He also highlights the importance of mixing in some non-business content for balance, like Conan O'Brien’s podcast, which he enjoys for its humor and engaging interviews​. What advice would you give yourself on day one of starting out in business? Jason Kramer’s advice to his day-one self would be: “It’s going to be a hell of a ride, unexpected but worth it.” He emphasizes the importance of learning from those who’ve gone before — seeking out people who’ve made mistakes and grown from them, so you can fast-track your own success by avoiding common pitfalls​. Book a 20-minute Growth Chat with Troy Trewin to see if you qualify for our upcoming course. Don't miss out on this opportunity to take your small business to new heights! Enjoyed the podcast? Please leave a review on iTunes or your preferred platform. Your feedback helps more small business owners discover our podcast and embark on their business growth journey.   Quotable quotes from our special Grow A Small Business podcast guest: When uncertain, seek out those who have walked the path before, learned from their mistakes, and use their experiences to accelerate your journey to success – Jason Kramer Technology alone doesn't solve problems; having the right people in place is key to effectively addressing those challenges  – Jason Kramer I believe it begins with understanding who you're helping and the problems they face – Jason Kramer