Business Made Simple: Subscription Review

Business Made Simple is a platform that offers on-demand business courses to develop you and your team. For $275 per year, you get access to their course library. They offer “buy one gift one” on occasion, where you can purchase the access and then “gift one” to a colleague. I received Business Made Simple as a gift from a client (thanks, JB!). I found this platform to be easy to use and full of practical content - which is why I’m sharing it with you. *I am not receiving any benefits or monetary gain for sharing this information and am in no way affiliated with Business Made Simple.*

Here’s a walk-through of the platform and available courses. This is intended to help you make a decision on whether or not Business Made Simple would be a worthwhile learning experience for you! At the time of this post, there are four courses you’ll receive upon logging in:

(1) Marketing Made Simple

This course features a five-part sales funnel. Donald Miller and his team walk through the sales funnel piece by piece, pointing out common mistakes made by businesses in their marketing efforts. They warn you about what *not* to do, but they also give direction on what *to* do. You have the option to download a workbook that walks you through the action items presented throughout the course.

I really appreciated the action-oriented approach here. When I finished the course, I went straight to our website and started making changes. I put a call to action in my header. I simplified my text. I adjusted the language to better suit our target audience, the problems they have, and the solution that KORE provides. The guide given here is applicable to any and every business, and I’ve been able to apply some of their strategies to my marketing clients!

(2) Mission Statement Made Simple

This course talks about what a mission statement is (memorable) and what it isn’t (long and boring). You’ll learn about the three crucial components of a good mission statement, but beyond that, how to come up with the guiding principles for your organization. What are you trying to accomplish? What is your theme? I have to admit - I’ve always thought that mission statements were just a bunch of mumbo jumbo. Just a bunch of big words to make your organization sound professional. But, if a mission statement is done right, it can change everything. Learn how to respect the role of the mission statement, and do it right, through Mission Statement Made Simple.

(3) Enneagram Made Simple

Now this was a fun course! The Enneagram has taken the internet by storm over the last few years, but it’s much more than a fun quiz. This course is led by Ian Morgan Cron, a champion of the enneagram. I had the privilege of listening to Ian talk about the enneagram at a Business Boutique conference, and can assure you that he has a lot to teach us about how the enneagram can help our teams function more efficiently. In this course, Ian walks through each of the nine enneagram types. He defines their distinct characteristics, how they function in the workplace, how they function in relationships, and tips for self-improvement.

The insight Ian provides about how each type functions in the workplace could be extremely helpful for team building. Ian talks about the importance of self-awareness, and how the enneagram tool (while not perfect) can help us be more self-aware. For example, I am an enneagram 6 (the loyalist)! I like order, guidelines, and consistency. I am a worst-case-scenario planner and a chronic worrier. In the workplace, I have a hard time delegating and sometimes my commitment to excellence produces anxiety. Ian does a great job of explaining how our “faults” can really be strengths when we’re self-aware and able to channel our unique characteristics in productive ways.

(4) Storybrand Messaging Framework

Of the four courses mentioned here, this is the only one I haven’t yet completed! So far, so good though! This course helps you eliminate confusion in your messaging. How many times have you gone to a website and thought, “So what do they do again?” Clear messaging can be the difference between a website bounce and a conversion. I’ll be sure to share additional thoughts on this course once I complete it!

Summary

I highly recommend the Business Made Simple platform for anyone who is in the process of ironing out their business and marketing plans. The information is provided in bite-sized pieces, followed by real businesses examples. The workbooks are well-developed, the speakers are engaging, and the content will transform the way you view marketing. In addition to the four courses above, they also add additional courses as they become available. I haven’t been on the platform long enough to see new courses added (*edit: as of fall 2020, additional courses are indeed available!), but the value with the first four courses alone would be worth the yearly fee (at least, for one year). If you have any questions or want some help implementing the marketing strategies in this course, don’t hesitate to reach out to us!

Edit: As of January 2021, there is now a Business Made Simple book that was just released as well. I love that Business Made Simple helps people run a successful business without spending thousands of dollars on additional schooling, and I'm sure that this book would be a great resource for someone just starting out.

Emily Kern

Co-Founder

KORE Talents