Connecting the Dots | Small Business Edition

Ryan McKinney
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Weekly

**Connecting the Dots: The Small Business Edition** is the podcast for business owners who know something isn’t working but may not yet see what’s really causing it. This podcast helps business owners uncover what’s really driving the problems in their business. Hosted by business coach Ryan McKinney, each episode connects the dots between sales, leadership, operations, team performance, profitability, and growth. Expect practical ideas, real-world lessons, and expert conversations designed to help you get organized, gain traction, cut waste, increase profits, and build a stronger business.

Episodes

  1. 3d ago

    CTD 007 | Profitable & Broke?

    A business can look profitable on paper and still leave its owner feeling broke. In this episode of Connecting the Dots | Small Business Edition, Ryan McKinney explains why growing companies can generate strong revenue while continually struggling with cash flow. Profit and cash are not the same thing, and misunderstanding the difference can lead to unnecessary debt, missed payroll stress, poor purchasing decisions, and an owner who never feels financially secure. Ryan breaks down the practical financial disciplines that help business owners understand where their money is going, anticipate cash shortages, protect their margins, and make better decisions before a problem becomes an emergency. You’ll learn: Why profitable businesses still experience cash-flow problems The difference between revenue, profit, and available cash How payment timing and startup costs affect cash flow Why every contract should be evaluated for its true margin How cash-flow forecasting gives owners time to respond When a line of credit can help and when it becomes dangerous Why buying more does not automatically make a company more profitable How better financial visibility creates a healthier, more sustainable businessIf your company is growing but the bank account never seems to reflect the work being done, this episode will help you identify what may actually be happening and what to do next. The goal is not simply to generate more revenue. It is to build a business that is organized, consistently profitable, financially resilient, and capable of rewarding the owner who built it. Resources & Next Steps Build your business operating system with Ninety using Ryan’s affiliate link:https://themccsolution.com/ninety Book a Discovery Call:https://themccsolution.com/disco Ready for a deeper review of your business? Book a VIP Business Breakthrough Deep Dive:https://themccsolution.com/deep-dive Get Ryan’s book, Connecting the Dots: How to Create Your Clear Path to Profit:https://themccsolution.com/book/order Learn more about McKinney Coaching & Consulting:https://themccsolution.com Connecting the Dots | Small Business Edition helps established business owners connect the relationships between cash flow, profitability, leadership, sales, operations, people, and sustainable growth. #SmallBusiness #CashFlow #BusinessProfitability #BusinessFinance #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #FinancialManagement #BusinessCoaching #ProfitMargin #CashFlowForecasting

  2. Oct 12

    006 CTD | Exit Planning - James Gorzynski

    Most business owners spend years building a company without knowing what it is worth, whether it is actually sellable, or what would happen if they needed to step away. Ryan McKinney talks with James Gorzynski, CEPA, business broker and Certified Exit Planner, about preparing a business for a successful transition. They discuss the difference between exit planning and simply listing a business for sale, why many profitable companies remain difficult to sell, how buyers evaluate risk, and the financial records, systems, leadership, and recurring revenue that can strengthen a company’s value. James also explains why owners should begin planning years before a potential sale, the range of exit options available beyond selling to a third party, and how working backward from your desired outcome can help you build a stronger, more transferable business today. Connect With James James Gorzynski on LinkedInCertified Exit PlannersJames at NewLeaf BrokerageNewLeaf Business BrokerageJames brings more than 17 years of accounting, tax, and financial-strategy experience to exit planning, valuation, brokerage, and due diligence. Certified Exit Planners identifies him as its Certified Exit Planner, while NewLeaf Brokerage lists him as a business broker. Want some help with your business? Discovery Call — $149Exploratory Deep Dive — $500

  3. Oct 7

    005 The Profit Leak With Your Name On It

    What if the biggest profit leak in your business isn’t your pricing, your marketing, or your expenses? What if it’s you? In this episode of Connecting the Dots | Small Business Edition, Ryan McKinney breaks down one of the most expensive problems growing business owners face: the business becoming too dependent on the owner. When every important decision, customer issue, sale, problem, and approval still runs through you, growth eventually gets expensive. Your time becomes the constraint, your team stops taking ownership, and profit begins leaking in places that can be difficult to see. In this episode, you’ll learn how to recognize where owner dependency is costing you money, why working harder usually makes the problem worse, and what has to change if you want to build a business that can grow without requiring more and more of you. Because the goal isn’t simply to grow revenue. It’s to get organized, make more money, and get your time back. RESOURCES & NEXT STEPS Build your business operating system with Ninety:https://themccsolution.com/ninety Book a Discovery Call:https://themccsolution.com/disco Ready for a deeper look at your business? Book a Business Breakthrough Deep Dive:https://themccsolution.com/deep-dive Learn more about McKinney Coaching & Consulting:https://themccsolution.com

  4. Sep 21

    004 | The Free Hour That's Costing You Everything

    What if the reason you are not closing more sales is not your pitch, your leads, or your marketing? It may be that you are giving your most valuable time away to anyone who asks. In this episode of Connecting the Dots: Small Business Edition, business coach Ryan McKinney shares the story of “Dana,” the owner of a $2 million smart home installation company. Dana was completing 18 free in-home consultations every month, exhausting herself and stretching her team thin. Yet only three of those consultations became customers. Her problem was not a lack of leads. It was a lack of qualified leads. After adding a simple 10-minute screening call and charging $99 for an in-home consultation, Dana’s consultation volume dropped from 18 appointments to seven. But her closed sales doubled from three to six. Fewer appointments. More customers. A healthier calendar. In this episode, you will learn: • Why more leads can amplify a broken sales funnel• How free consultations attract researchers and price shoppers• How to qualify leads without becoming aggressive or “salesy”• Why charging even a small fee changes the client relationship• The hidden opportunity cost of serving the wrong prospects• How to distinguish productive activity from “busyness for significance”• Practical ways to protect your time, energy, and money• How to improve your sales process while doing fewer consultations Ryan also shares examples from other service-based businesses that escaped the free-estimate trap by introducing better lead qualification and a modest consultation fee. The core lesson is simple: If you do not put a value on your time, the market will set its value for you, usually at zero. If your calendar is full but your business is not moving forward, this episode will help you identify what is consuming your time without producing meaningful results. Take the free Business Health Assessment and discover where your business may be leaking time, energy, and profit: https://themccsolution.com/go Learn more about Ryan McKinney, McKinney Coaching & Consulting, the Connecting the Dots book, and business coaching for small business owners at: https://themccsolution.com

  5. Sep 14

    More Leads Won't Fix a Broken Offer

    What if getting more customers would actually make your business worse? Ryan shares the story of a landscaping business owner who thought he needed more leads, until the math revealed the real problem: he was barely making money on the work he already had. Learn how pricing, discounting, custom quoting, and weak margins can turn growth into a dangerous trap.

  6. Sep 7

    Stop Selling Your Time: What Your Clients Are Actually Buying

    Why do interested prospects sometimes disappear after a great consultation? The problem may not be your price, marketing, or sales skills. You may simply be selling the wrong thing. Ryan shares how one service business stopped selling sessions and started selling outcomes, dramatically improving how prospects understood the value. Plus, three questions to help you evaluate your own offer.

  7. Aug 31

    Nobody Takes Ownership: Hey, It's Me. I'm the Problem. It's Me.

    Your team won't take ownership. Or will they? Ryan follows the clues inside a growing company where every decision keeps finding its way back to the owner. What looks like an accountability problem turns out to be something very different: dependency. Learn how business owners accidentally become their company's biggest bottleneck and one simple question that can start shifting ownership back to your team.

  • 7 Episodes

About

**Connecting the Dots: The Small Business Edition** is the podcast for business owners who know something isn’t working but may not yet see what’s really causing it. This podcast helps business owners uncover what’s really driving the problems in their business. Hosted by business coach Ryan McKinney, each episode connects the dots between sales, leadership, operations, team performance, profitability, and growth. Expect practical ideas, real-world lessons, and expert conversations designed to help you get organized, gain traction, cut waste, increase profits, and build a stronger business.

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