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The Small Business School Podcast

Ready to leave the small business struggle behind? The “School for Small Business” podcast supports small business owners in scaling a business that is profitable, purposeful, and doesn’t leave you burnt out. No matter whether you run your business online or you own a brick-and-mortar, you can expect our world class experts to support you with mindset, tactics, and everything in between so you can have the business you dreamed of. Based on our lived experience, we know that small business CAN be easy and we are here to show you how.The “School for Small Business” is hosted by Staci Millard, a CPA by trade with over 15 years of experience seeing the behind the scenes of thousands of small businesses. After growing and selling her first 7 figure business, Staci has been on the ground running - mentoring small businesses and working to increase success rates. Staci strongly believes you don’t need to have gone to business school to be successful so you can expect nothing but simple, impactful advice. Tune in each Tuesday for a new 30 minute or less episode of nothing but valuable advice to help you grow your small business. We are so excited for you to be on this journey with us!

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The Small Business School Podcast

Why “More For Less” Will Break Your Business

November 20, 2025 • Staci Millard • Episode 354

Welcome back to Small Business School! In this episode, I get real about one of the biggest traps service-based business owners fall into: competing on price and service. It might work when you’re just starting out, but it becomes a fast track to burnout, razor-thin margins, and a business that can’t scale. I walk through why this model stops working, what really happens behind the scenes, and how to shift into pricing and delivery that actually support long-term growth.

Key topics covered:

Why “more for less” works in startup mode but becomes dangerous during scale-up
How underpricing slowly erodes your margins, your team capacity, and your quality of service
What happens when your clients expect more while you’re earning less
The four things to compete on instead of price: clarity, results, experience, and integrity
Real world examples—from accounting to daycares—of how pricing models impact sustainability
How tech and systems can support a “more for less” feel without sacrificing margin

At the end of the day, sustainable business isn’t about being the cheapest—it’s about being the clearest, the most consistent, and the most confident in the value you bring.

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.

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