Moving your business to the next level is both exciting and frightening. What are the steps you should take? What pitfalls should you avoid? When is the best time to scale up your business? What are your goals for scaling your business? What approaches work best? What technology can help you? Gena Lester and Chris Bell will join Cyndy McDonald to share different ideas and approaches to scaling your business, with resources and time to ask questions.

2. • 20+ years in education and college
admissions consulting
• Wall Street Journal Best-Selling
Author and Speaker
• Board Member for NCAG
• IECA, HECA, TACAC, NACAC, NCAG
• Female Entrepreneur and Ed-preneur
• Business & Marketing Coach
• Passionate about helping others
achieve their dreams
gena@educationprepcenters.com
DR. Gena Lester
Educationprepcenters.com

3. • College Counseling Professional for over 30
years: Helped start Higher Education
Consultants Association (HECA).
• UCLA instructor in College Counseling
Certificate Program
• Female Entrepreneur: founder of several
businesses and HECA.
• Member/leadership experience in NACAC,
WACAC, IECA, HECA, NCAG, and former
commissioner for AICEP
• Offering Business/Professional Coaching
cyndy@cyndymcdonald.com
Cyndy McDonald
TheCollegeCounselorsCoach.com

4. • 25+ Years in Higher Ed Administration
• Former President of College
Consultants of Colorado
• CEP and a new AICEP Commissioner
• Former HECA Communications
Committee member
• HECA, IECA, NACAC, NCAG
• Proud and purposeful solo-preneur
chris@bellcollegeconsulting.com
Chris Bell
BellCollegeConsulting.com

5. FREE RESOURCE PAGE!
Use this URL: takingitonline.com/heca
• Resource list
• Participants in session
• Invitation to facebook live event to answer questions
Example of a Call to Action

6. Why are you an
IEC?
What do you love
doing?

7. What is
The Next Level?
Defining SUCCESS
As an IEC

8. What is
The Next Level?
Defining SUCCESS
As an IEC
Is it GROWTH?
Most companies grow for four
reasons: inflation, investors, churn,
and ego
- Paul Jarvis, A Company of One

9. What is
The Next Level?
Defining SUCCESS
As an IEC

10. What is
The Next Level?
Defining SUCCESS
As an IEC
Common Theme:
Time
Efficiency
Ease

11. Think like a geek

12. Think like a geek Systems and Tools
Be “Lazy”
Build it once, re-use forever
Get it out the door

13. Think like a geek AGILE
New IEC = MVP
Sprints
Lather, Rinse, Repeat

14. Where to Start
Scaling Your
Business?
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

15. #HECA2022CO
Find Your Focus
• Prospect’s Journey
• Client’s Journey
• Consultant Journey
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC

16. Audit your current business journey
Audit current business journey.
• Use data to drive planning for future
• Make a plan for growth
Where do you want to scale?
• more clients?
• manage current clients?
Set Goals or "Rocks".
• set milestones
• monitor progress with accountability buddy
Keep Work-Life Balance in mind.
• hold to priorities

17. What is
a Lead
Magnet?
Offer something of
value in
exchange for email of
prospective client
Start a
relationship

18. Lead
Magnets
• Free consultation
• Checklist
• Audit
• Lists
• Quiz
• Newsletters
• College Data
• Financial Aid info
• Scholarship info
Effective for
IEC’s

20. Links to these and more websites
will be in resource link

21. Build scale
by
outsourcing
Application Support (client journey)
• Essay coaches
• Application managers
Administrative (consultant journey)
• Bookkeeping
• Virtual Assistant
Technology (all journey’s)
• Calendar
• Email
• College planning
Consultants (consultant journey)
• Independent contractor
• Employee
Extend Your Reach
• online classes
• crowd counseling

22. THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
• DIY Courses
• Group Coaching
• Hybrid Options
• Memberships
• Resources

24. • Parents and students are
looking for answers.
• Perfect way to introduce
yourself to families with
younger students
• Access to families who
want to DIY
• Parents whose teens are
not Highflyers
DIY COURSE

25. HYBRID COURSE
Combine
A Course with
A Live
Component

26. GROUP COURSE
This model allows you to scale
your business.
You can see more clients
without working more hours.

27. 7 & 8th Grade Parents
9th & 10th Grade Parents
11th Grade Parents
Rising Senior/Senior Parents
Parents of Athletes
Who are Membership for?

28. TEMPLATES
This
GUIDE BOOK
SOFTWARE
CURATED RESOURCES
EXCLUSIVE WORKSHEETS
RESOURCES

29. Reaching
Your
Audience?
Online Vs Offline

31. What are
your business
goals?

32. Business
Resources
Facebook
• IECs-Growing Our Business
• Tenderfoot IEC
• Independent Educational Consultants
• College Admission Counselors
Podcasts
• Online Marketing Made Easy- Amy Porterfield
• Good Girls Get Rich- Karen Yankovich
• Flipped Lifestyle- Shane & Jocelyn Sams
Youtube
• Friday Forum’s – Cyndy McDonald
Links and more resources on our resources list- go to
Takingitonline.com/heca:

33. Business
Resources
Books
• Traction: Gino Wickman
• They Ask, You Answer: Marcus Sheridan
• Book Yourself Solid: Michael Port
• Student of Colleges: Steven Antonoff
• Company of One: Paul Jarvis

34. Questions
Get Your Resources
takingitonline.com/heca

35. Thank you for
joining us today!
Chris Bell
• chris@bellcollegeconsulting.com
Gena Lester
• gena@educationprepcenters.com
Cyndy McDonald
• cyndy@cyndymcdonald.com
Learn More About
• All Stars Coaching Roundtable: Setting Up For Success in Application Season (SAS)
https://takingitonline.com/allstars
• How to Grow Your Practice Using Lead Magnets: https://www.jotform.com/build/222017040601133
• Coming soon! Group Coaching Intensive: takingitonline.com/groupcoaching