Profit margin is one of the most misunderstood numbers in small business, and discounts quietly destroy it. A “10% discount” on a $100 product sounds harmless—until you look at the math. If your profit margin is 20%, you make $20 on that sale. Drop the price to $90, and you’ve just given away $10 of profit. That isn’t a 10% reduction in profit—it’s 50% of your income on that item. Scale that across a year: a business earning $80,000 in profit could see that number collapse to $40,000 simply by routinely offering “10% off.” That’s not a marketing strategy; that’s self‑inflicted erosion. Discounts rarely close more deals when your marketing, positioning, and sales process are strong. Customers buy when they perceive value, trust your expertise, and believe your solution solves their problem. Instead of cutting price, increase the perceived value—better service, clearer outcomes, stronger guarantees, or a differentiated experience. Protect your margin; it’s the lifeblood of your business. A lot of businesses don't need to sell more, they need to keep more.

He scaled his veteran owned business to 7-Figures before cutting back so it can be managed remotely from anywhere in the world. See the complete 1+ hour interview in the Live Stream Replay Class.

Launching a business is exciting, but doing it alone is risky. That’s why every entrepreneur should assemble a BAIL Team — your core group of trusted advisors: Banker, Accountant, Insurance Agent, and Lawyer. These four professionals help you protect your business, make smarter decisions, and avoid costly mistakes. If you have ever taken the Boots to Business training, then you have seen this presented before. It is one of the modules I teach all the time. Your Banker is more than someone who opens accounts. They help you understand lending options, lines of credit, merchant services, and long‑term financial strategy. Commercial bankers, SBA lenders, and credit union partners each bring different strengths. Your Accountant keeps your financial house in order. Whether it’s a bookkeeper, CPA, or tax strategist, they help you manage cash flow, stay compliant, and plan for growth. Your Insurance Agent protects everything you’re building. From general liability to workers’ comp to cyber coverage, a good agent helps you assess risk and choose the right policies — not just the cheapest ones. Your Lawyer safeguards your contracts, intellectual property, leases, and corporate structure. Business attorneys, real estate attorneys, and contract specialists each play a role. These advisors can be paid partners, trusted friends, informal mentors, board members, or even free SBA/VBOC/SCORE resources. I would also consider this community as an asset to your BAIL team. We have people with experience in all of these categories.

Navy veteran Louisiana born native in Boston since out of service married over 21 years 4 kids 2 with special needs and 2 with medical conditions. Was in the construction world for years as a truck driver with a CDL A but doctor said for me to start looking for something different so I’m looking at starting my Louisiana themed food mobile business in the MA area. Me and an army buddy were the first veteran owned food truck in MA but you know Navy vs Army we butted heads a lot. Now looking at doing alone 70% service connected and life member of DAV and I do a ton of outreach here in MA for them and looking for the next step into this business Vision.

We just launched a cohort for people interested in using the VR&E Self-Employment track to help pay start-up costs for your business. This is a VA program and you may be eligible. There are others on in this community who have received funding to purchase equipment, software, tools, inventory, etc.... They will not buy a vehicle, give cash for operating capital, or buy property/pay rent. If you are interested, reply "Interested" in the comments and you will be invited to the private cohort where you can learn more about it.