120. What to Cut From Your Budget (And What Not To)

120. What to Cut From Your Budget (And What Not To)

SUMMARY: Most business owners chase more sales without ever looking at what they're already spending. In this episode, Aaron and Terryn break down where small businesses leak money without realizing it, from forgotten software subscriptions to mismanaged time and underused incentive programs. They share practical ways to audit your spending, free up cash, and decide what's actually worth keeping. They also talk through where outsourcing makes sense, and where it can quietly hurt your customer experience. Grab the free tools mentioned in this episode: audit your team's time with the Gap Analyzer at gapanalyzer.com [https://gapanalyzer.com], get help setting up your finance framework at finance.thecollabteam.com [https://finance.thecollabteam.com], or download the free incentive matrix at incentive.opsexpertsacademy.com. [https://incentive.opsexpertsacademy.com] Minute By Minute: 00:00 Introduction and Celebration of Success 02:52 The Importance of Cutting Costs 05:53 Identifying Unused Subscriptions and Technology 08:55 Auditing Time and Resources 11:58 Promoting from Within vs. Hiring Externally| 14:48 Incentivizing Cost Savings 18:00 What Not to Cut: Customer-Facing Roles

119. The Prescription Every Entrepreneur Needs

Summary:In this episode of the Ops Experts Club podcast, Aaron Hovivian and Terryn Turner discuss the "prescription" every entrepreneur needs: consistent systems. They unpack how shiny object syndrome, constant new ideas, and sudden shifts in priorities can create chaos for teams, especially when entrepreneurs are moving faster than their people can process. Instead of leaving teams overwhelmed by half-finished projects and changing direction, Aaron and Terryn explain why a clear operating system helps businesses stay focused, accountable, and scalable. The conversation also explores tools like Ultimate 10 meetings, visionary-integrator meetings, scorecards, rocks, and issue tracking as practical ways to turn entrepreneurial energy into real traction. Aaron and Terryn explain why consistency may not feel exciting to visionaries, but it is often the foundation that allows a business to grow without burning out the team. Whether you are leading a fast-growing company or supporting a visionary entrepreneur, this episode offers a clear reminder that sustainable growth comes from strong systems, steady execution, and foundations that can scale. To access the ops traction resources mentioned in the episode, visit: https://thecollabteam.com/ops-traction [https://thecollabteam.com/ops-traction] Minute-by-Minute: 00:00 Introduction and Excitement for Ted Lasso 01:59 The Entrepreneur's Prescription: Addressing Shiny Object Syndrome 04:15 The Importance of Consistent Systems 08:25 Triage Pain Points in Business 12:09 Building Foundations for Sustainable Growth 18:49 Conclusion and Resources for Entrepreneurs

118. Build the Process Before You Hire

Summary: In this episode of the Ops Experts Club podcast, Aaron Hovivian and Terryn Turner talk through the importance of SOPs, recruiting, delegation, and building roles with clarity before hiring. They explain why businesses often feel pressure to hire quickly when things are on fire, but without clear standard operating procedures, org chart planning, and role expectations, new hires can end up walking into confusion instead of structure. The conversation highlights how SOPs help businesses become more repeatable, trainable, and scalable. Aaron and Terryn also discuss how AI can support SOP creation, as long as business owners proofread, simplify, and keep processes consistent. They explore how SOPs connect to delegate-and-elevate exercises, hiring decisions, overseas support, quality control, and future org chart planning. Whether you are preparing to hire, trying to remove tasks from overloaded team members, or building better systems for scale, this episode offers practical insight into creating processes that help your business grow without slowing down. To download the SOP template mentioned in the episode, visit: https://sop.opsexpertsacademy.com/ [https://sop.opsexpertsacademy.com/] Minute-by-Minute: 00:00 Introduction to Ops Experts Club and Personal Insights 02:03 The Importance of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in Recruiting 07:32 Leveraging AI for SOP Creation and Management 11:03 Evaluating Roles and Responsibilities in the Org Chart 14:28 Future Planning and Organizational Growth

117. Are You Asking the Right Questions?

Summary: In this episode of the Ops Experts Club podcast, Aaron Hovivian and Terryn Turner discuss the importance of evaluating your team, auditing workflows, and asking the right operational questions before automatically assuming growth requires more hiring. Using examples from real businesses and clients, they explore how fast-moving companies can slowly drift into inefficient habits, outdated systems, and unnecessary labor costs simply because nobody has stopped to reassess how people are spending their time. From labor allocation and profitability to workflow optimization and operational blind spots, the conversation highlights why regular business audits are essential for sustainable growth. Aaron and Terryn also dive into the growing role of AI and automation inside operations. They share practical examples of how businesses are using automations, AI tools, APIs, and custom workflows to eliminate repetitive tasks, improve reporting, streamline customer management, and elevate team performance. Whether you're running an online business, managing a growing team, or simply feeling overwhelmed by operational complexity, this episode offers actionable insights on how to identify inefficiencies, better utilize your people, and create systems that scale more effectively. Want to evaluate your own operations and identify gaps in your business? Check out the free Gap Quiz or learn more about the full Gap Analyzer process at GapAnalyzer.com [https://www.gapanalyzer.com/] Minute-by-Minute: 00:00 Introduction to the Ops Experts Club 01:31 Evaluating Your People: The Importance of Asking Questions 04:52 Leveraging AI for Efficiency 09:04 Innovative Solutions: Streamlining Processes 14:00 Auditing Performance: The Role of Gap Analyzer 16:38 Conclusion and Key Takeaways

116. Stop Blindly Paying Invoices

Summary: In this episode of the Ops Experts Club podcast, Aaron Hovivian and Terryn Turner unpack one of the most overlooked areas in business operations: vendor payments, contract management, and approval systems. They dive into the dangers of blindly paying invoices without proper checks and balances, sharing real examples of businesses that were unknowingly exposed to duplicate billing, disorganized contracts, and financial inefficiencies. From contract repositories and approval workflows to task management systems and AI-powered organization, the conversation breaks down practical ways operators can protect growing businesses from costly mistakes. Aaron and Terryn also explore the important role operations leaders play between finance, bookkeeping, HR, and leadership teams. They discuss why visionary entrepreneurs often need structured operational support, how trust and accountability are built within approval systems, and why organized documentation becomes critical as companies scale. Whether you're running a small online business or managing a fast-growing team, this episode offers actionable systems and operational insights to help you tighten up your backend processes and create better financial oversight. To learn more about operational audits, bookkeeping systems, and financial process support, visit Finance.TheCollabTeam.com [https://finance.thecollabteam.com/book-keeping] Minute by Minute 00:00 Welcome to Ops Experts Club 01:20 The Importance of Systems in Online Business 02:16 Managing Contracts and Payments 04:57 Organizing Contracts and Approvals 09:15 Creating a Contract Repository 11:06 Approval Processes in Finance 14:40 Managing HR and Contractor Agreements