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Max Your Business

Max Your Business

By: Ben Fewtrell
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 It can be hard to know where to start when it comes to growing your business. You're not alone. Most entrepreneurs feel overwhelmed and don't even know where to start when it comes to growing their business.2023 Economics
Episodes
  • MYB122: Escaping the Mud Pit: How to Set SMARTER Goals for Business Growth

    MYB122: Escaping the Mud Pit: How to Set SMARTER Goals for Business Growth
    Feb 26 2026
    In this episode of the Max Your Business Podcast, hosts Ben Fewtrell and David Carlin dive into why so many business owners feel stuck in the daily grind, and exactly how to get out of it. We've all been there: you're so bogged down in the day-to-day operations (what Ben and David call the "Mud Pit") that you can't see the blue sky above. But being busy isn't the same as being productive. In this session, the guys unpack the difference between just having a wish list and setting SMARTER goals that actually stick. They share the missing ingredients that most goal-setting frameworks leave out (Emotion and Reward), why writing your goals down puts you in the top 3% of achievers, and how to build a practical "staircase" plan to bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be. If you're ready to stop reacting to your business and start driving it forward, this episode is your wake-up call to step out of the mud and get strategic. Episode Highlights: 00:00 – Welcome to the Max Your Business Podcast 01:00 – A quick look at how AI and automation are forcing better systems in business 06:12 – The "Mud Pit" Analogy: Why you can't see the opportunities when you're stuck in the operations 09:00 – Making the choice: It's not about getting out of the mud, it's about choosing not to jump in 12:50 – Introduction to the SMARTER goals framework (and why SMART isn't enough) 13:56 – The two missing letters: Why Emotion and Reward are critical for long-term success 16:22 – The Reality Check: Ensuring your capacity matches your growth goals 21:40 – The stats don't lie: Why writing your goals down is the secret to wealth 24:20 – Building the Staircase: Turning a goal into a step-by-step plan 28:43 – Your Next Steps Key Takeaways: Stay Out of the Mud Pit: You can't strategise effectively when you're neck-deep in daily tasks. You must deliberately carve out time to step away—even if it's just to a park bench—to see the bigger picture. Make Your Goals SMARTER: Standard SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely) are great, but they lack heart. Adding Emotion (your 'why') and Reward (how you'll celebrate) gives you the drive to push through hard times. Reality Checks are Crucial: It's easy to set a turnover target, but do you have the capacity to handle it? Sometimes growth requires a dip in profits first to invest in the systems and team needed to sustain it. Write It Down: It sounds simple, but studies show that the small percentage of people who actually write their goals down control the vast majority of the wealth. Build the Staircase: A goal without a plan is just a wish. You need to build the "staircase" between your current reality and your destination so you know exactly which step to take next. 🚀 Get your free SMARTER Goals Workbook at maxmyprofit.com.au/smart and start planning your best year yet. Tune in to find out how to set goals that actually happen. Don't miss this episode—and don't forget to subscribe for more practical insights every week.
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    29 mins
  • MYB121: Is Email Your Biggest Time Thief? Practical Ways to Reclaim Your Day

    MYB121: Is Email Your Biggest Time Thief? Practical Ways to Reclaim Your Day
    Feb 19 2026
    In this episode of the In this episode of the Max Your Business Podcast, hosts Ben Fewtrell and David Carlin tackle one of the biggest "time thieves" in modern business: the dreaded email inbox. If you're the type of business owner who gets anxiety seeing that little red notification bubble climb into the hundreds (or thousands), this episode is a must-listen. Ben and David unpack why email has morphed from a productivity tool into a massive distraction, costing the average person over two hours a day. They share their personal systems for achieving "Inbox Zero," the power of being proactive rather than reactive, and practical automations you can set up today to filter the noise. Whether you're a Trello user, an Outlook devotee, or just someone looking to get their sanity back, this episode is packed with actionable tips to help you communicate more efficiently. Episode Highlights: 00:00 – Welcome to the Max Your Business Podcast 01:41 – A brief history lesson: When did email actually become a thing? 04:36 – The "Inbox Zero" philosophy and dealing with notification anxiety 09:23 – Ben's morning routine: The "4 D" principle (Delete, Defer, Delegate, Do) 11:09 – Why turning off notifications might be the best productivity hack you ever implement 14:28 – The shocking stats: How much time (and money) email is actually costing you 16:16 – Stop being the troubleshooter: Training your team not to email you with every problem 20:48 – A practical guide to setting up Rules and Folders to automate your sorting 26:00 – The "Segmentation Strategy": Using specific email addresses for travel, subscriptions, and accounts 30:04 – Your Next Steps: How to get the free email organisation guide Key Takeaways: The 4 D's of Management: When processing email, make a quick decision: Delete it, Defer it (to a task manager like Trello), Delegate it to a team member, or Do it immediately if it takes less than 60 seconds. Be Proactive, Not Reactive: Checking email first thing in the morning or responding instantly to every "ding" puts you in a reactive state. Schedule specific times to check your inbox so you stay in control of your day. Automate with Rules: Don't manually sort every message. Set up rules in your email client to automatically file newsletters, bills, and non-urgent notifications into specific folders you can check later. Segment Your Inboxes: Consider creating separate email addresses (e.g., travel@ or subscriptions@) to keep your primary inbox clear of noise and marketing spam. Calculate the Opportunity Cost: Spending 5 hours a week sorting emails isn't just annoying—it could be costing your business hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost productive time over the long run. 🚀 Get your free Email Organisation Guide at maxmyprofit.com.au/email and stop chasing your tail. Tune in to discover how to finally tame the email beast. Don't miss this episode—and don't forget to subscribe for more practical insights every week.
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    35 mins
  • MYB120: Turnover is Vanity: The Real Financial Numbers You Need to Track

    MYB120: Turnover is Vanity: The Real Financial Numbers You Need to Track
    Feb 12 2026
    In this episode of the Max Your Business Podcast, hosts Ben Fewtrell and David Carlin dive into the financial metrics that actually matter. While many business owners focus on turnover or the current bank balance, those numbers alone can often be misleading. Ben and David explain why "turnover is vanity, profit is sanity" and unpack the specific KPIs that give you true visibility over your business. From understanding your break-even point to managing the "cash gap," this episode covers the essential data you need to stop playing "darts in the dark" and start making educated decisions. If you want to move from just operating a business to truly running one, you need to know your numbers. Episode Highlights: 00:00 – Welcome to the Max Your Business Podcast 03:41 – The "darts in the dark" analogy: why you need visibility 07:47 – Turnover is vanity, profit is sanity 08:50 – The three levers you can pull to increase net profit 17:33 – Why Gross Margin is one of the most important numbers to track 18:43 – Understanding your Break Even point (and why it's exciting) 22:42 – Profit is theory, cash is reality: The Cash Gap explained 33:30 – Measuring conversion rates beyond just the sale 37:25 – The invisible numbers: calculating the cost of doing nothing 40:20 – Why measuring capacity is crucial for growth 44:40 – Your Next Steps Key Takeaways: Visibility is Key: Running a business without knowing your numbers is like playing darts in the dark. You need data to make informed decisions. Turnover vs Profit: High turnover doesn't mean a healthy business. Focus on what is left over, not just what comes in. The Three Levers: To increase net profit, you can only really do three things: increase sales, increase gross margin, or reduce expenses. Know Your Break Even: This isn't just about covering costs. It is the point where every dollar earned afterwards contributes directly to your bottom line. Mind the Cash Gap: Profit appears on a P&L, but cash is what pays the bills. A cash flow forecast is essential to ensure you don't run out of money while waiting to get paid. Operator vs Owner: An operator works in the business. An owner runs the business by looking at the numbers and making strategic adjustments. 🚀 Get your free KPI download with 63 examples at maxmyprofit.com.au/kpi and start measuring what matters. Tune in to learn which numbers you should be tracking. Don't miss this episode, and don't forget to subscribe for more practical insights every week.
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    48 mins
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