Episode Summary: Welcome to the second-ever school group recording of the NextGen Sales Leaders Community! In this unique office hours session, host Ben Reed opens the floor to his community members, diving into real-time challenges and strategies for scaling B2B businesses. From solving entrepreneurial loneliness to navigating the complexities of unit economics, team building, and systemizing operations, this candid and highly tactical session gives listeners a behind-the-scenes look at how B2B entrepreneurs are growing smarter and faster.

What You Will Learn:

• How to think about hiring for low-code/no-code roles in tech-focused B2B services.
• Frameworks for creating repeatable, scalable internal systems and SOPs.
• How to use tools like Lucidchart, Notion, and Upwork to streamline onboarding and delivery.
• The true cost of scaling service businesses and how to avoid unit economic disasters.
• Tips on transitioning from agency work to product-based revenue models like software or IP.
• The power of transparency, team culture, and hiring with vision alignment in mind.

Host: Ben Reed, host of the NextGen Sales Leaders Podcast

Episode Highlights:

[00:01:15] Solving Entrepreneurial Loneliness: Why community and connection are critical in the founder journey.

[00:05:00] Hiring for Growth: How to choose between client-facing talent vs. technical talent in low-code environments.

[00:14:45] Controlling Costs: How to create scalable internal billing for internal resources at an agency or service-based B2B business.

[00:17:20] Ben's Personal Agency Unit Economics: Live walk-through of Ben’s internal unit economics spreadsheet.

[00:28:20] Freelancers vs. Full-Time Hires: Strategic approaches on when to hire part-time vs full-time employees, testing new freelancers, and recruiting via Upwork.

[00:35:34] Hiring the ideal employee: Mental frameworks for thinking about who to hire into your business, what characteristics they should have, and how to align their career goals with your goals of scaling or running your business.

[00:41:30] Creating Redundancy and Avoiding Keyman Risk: The value of cross-training and multiple hires.

[00:50:10] From Agency to Product: Using agency cash flow to build scalable software and IP.

[00:59:00] Ideal Hires and Team Culture: What to look for in early team members and how to build long-term alignment.

[01:06:00] Pricing, Positioning, and Firing Clients: When to raise rates and how to fire clients that don't fit your future vision.

[01:13:00] The Power of Productized Services & Affiliate Revenue: How to scale beyond custom client work.

[01:22:30] Final Advice: How to validate markets and build high-margin businesses with focus and persistence.

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Follow Ben on Social:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-aaron-reed/

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