Small Business Growth Strategies Workshop
- Greg Chapman
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
"Weekly Small Business Workshop" between Greg Chapman and Jonathan Perez on February 11, 2026, here is a summary of the meeting and detailed breakdowns of the topics discussed.
Overall Workshop Summary
Small Business Strategy: Greg shares his plans for a charity neighborhood garage sale in April to build community trust and local business connections.
Loan Challenges: Jonathan discusses being denied a small business loan due to "insufficient balance" despite having strong statements for the year.
Sales Efficiency: Greg advises Jonathan on separating lead generation from calling to maintain a "flow" and minimize distractions during sales efforts.
Google Sheets for Sales: Greg provides a live tutorial on using Google Sheets to create and organize lead lists, including columns for contact info, interest levels, and follow-up notes.
Community Networking: The conversation emphasizes the importance of consistent, face-to-face visits to local businesses and treating front-desk staff as valuable gatekeepers.
Persistence and Growth: The workshop concludes with the sentiment that sales is the primary job of any business owner and that current setbacks (like the loan) are opportunities for further preparation.
Topic 1: Community Marketing Events
Greg outlines a marketing strategy centered around a neighborhood garage sale planned for late April. Instead of traditional door-knocking, he aims to create a charity event that benefits a local elementary school and involves various local businesses. This approach is designed to provide genuine community benefit, potentially attracting local news coverage and creating a more welcoming introduction for his real estate services. Greg notes that in a smaller town, community events are highly valued because there are fewer entertainment options compared to large cities like San Diego. He believes bringing high-energy, "San Diego style" events to his current location will be well-received by residents.
Topic 2: Navigating Business Loan Denials
Jonathan shares his recent frustration with being denied a $10,000 business loan from his bank. Although the bank initially looked at his annual statements to approve him, they ultimately denied the loan because his account balance was insufficient to "trust" him. Greg explains that banks are often hesitant with small businesses until they reach a high revenue threshold, such as $200,000 a year. Despite the setback, Jonathan remains committed to his original goal and is continuing to save money. Greg encourages him by suggesting that this delay allows more time to put other essential business pieces in place.
Topic 3: Lead Generation and Sales Process
Greg emphasizes the importance of taking the "guesswork" out of sales by creating a structured lead list. He advises Jonathan to separate the act of finding leads from the act of calling them to avoid getting distracted and losing momentum. By spending one day building a list and another day making calls, a business owner can stay in a productive "flow". Jonathan mentions he has already started building a digital presence with a Linktree and new business cards. Greg notes that these organizational tools are vital for anyone starting their own business to ensure they are working efficiently.
Topic 4: Google Workspace Tutorial for Business Owners
During the meeting, Greg provides a screen-share tutorial to show Jonathan how to use Google Drive and Google Sheets for business operations. He explains how to organize folders for different categories like client documents, operations (insurance and taxes), and marketing. Greg demonstrates how to create a lead list template, including how to resize columns, freeze rows for easier scrolling, and use basic formulas for data tracking. He shows Jonathan how to add specific columns for tracking if a contact was interested and when the next follow-up should occur. This tool is intended to help Jonathan stay organized and professional as he scales his sales efforts.
Topic 5: The Importance of Personal Sales and Relationships
The discussion highlights that for a local business, personal visits and verbal calls are often more effective than digital outreach alone. Greg suggests using Google Maps to find businesses within a small radius and visiting them in person over a couple of hours. He stresses the importance of being friendly to "gatekeepers," such as front-desk staff, who can eventually facilitate introductions to decision-makers. Consistency is key; Greg explains that it may take five visits before a business owner is recognized and trusted. Ultimately, Greg asserts that sales is the number one job of any business owner, and without it, the business cannot survive or grow.
Watch the whole Workshop on our YouTube Channel!
Comments