Founding a business can be difficult. Between the product, paperwork, and processes, you spend a lot of time wading through administrative tasks. As the founder, you’re solely responsible for any challenges or problems that arise. Therefore, it’s no wonder that when starting a business, it can be easy to forget to scale.
We tend to focus on scaling once we’ve settled into the business. Once we’ve gained that first client, had the first product launch, or have gotten that first year under our belt, we turn our sights to bigger and better things. Some businesses scale naturally, while others explode overnight. While we always want it to happen quickly, that’s not always the case. However, what if we could incorporate scalability into our business models from the start? What if we can set our businesses up from the beginning to grow astronomically in just a few months?

Think it’s not possible? This Making Bank guest did so—six times.

On Season 6 episode 36 of the Making Bank Podcast, guest Trevor Blake shares how he has built six companies worth over $600 million in just a short period of time. He did so without the help of any employees.

A reader and writer from an early age, Trevor was always learning. He took this practice with him into adulthood, where he continues to grasp new ideas and concepts from leaders and thinkers alike. When he hit his 40s, he got into a disagreement with the CEO of his current company. This spurred him to create his own company with only $200. He grew this business using a unique model to soon sell it for over $100 million. He then replicated this practice six more times, sometimes selling, other times still running his over $100 million companies. On the Making Bank episode, he shares his unique approach to running a business: from five-hour days to intention-setting to hiring zero employees.

Five-Hour Days

Trevor’s first approach to scaling and selling a business quickly is to learn how to better manage your time as an entrepreneur. As a founder, you are the sole source of productivity for your company; if you aren’t productive, then your company won’t be. Therefore, it’s extremely important to set yourself up for success—especially replicable and sustainable success—so that carries over to your work. So, how can you make sure you’re productive each workday? How about starting off with shortening them?

Trevor has switched to working five-hour days and has found that he’s been more productive than ever. Although the stereotype is that entrepreneurs need to work 80-hour weeks to be productive, most studies on productivity have shown that the opposite is true. The results have been that the 9-5 schedule, and even the 5-9 schedule, are detrimental to work. From four-day work weeks, to intermittent focus, to shortened days, founders and thought leaders have found different and more effective approaches to the work day.

For Trevor, this looks like working 5 hours per day. However, he is productive for the whole day. When working 8-hour days, it’s almost nearly impossible to be highly productive the entire time. We lose focus, grow tired, and the quality and quantity of our work plummets. Therefore, Trevor limits to 6 hours in which he can accomplish the same tasks. This leads to a greater work-life balance, a better work production, and a healthier and happier person.

So, while being an entrepreneur can be overwhelming, Trevor advises against working yourself to the bone, which only hurts you in the long run. Try tackling the day, task-by-task, and you’ll be surprised by how much you get done.

Set Intentions

Trevor has educated himself on neuroscience and applied this to business. One of the areas of neuroscience he delved into was how setting intentions impact the brain. By a simple rephrasing of your intentions, you can start to more effectively work towards them.
As he explains, the brain cannot always tell the difference between the past, present, and future. Therefore, the language you use for your intentions can influence how your brain understands its sentiment. For example, if you say, “I will sell my company,” your brain is waiting for that to happen. You are telling yourself that that intention is something in the future, something you have not yet accomplished. However, if you tell yourself, “I have sold my company,” your brain will believe it has already happened. You will grow in your confidence, and your subconscious will guide you towards that result. In a way, you are tricking your brain into helping accomplish your goals faster and with more self-assurance. In a way, those intentions transform to something you haven’t yet reached to something you already know how to do. This will increase your chances of seeing those intentions come to fruition.

Zero Employees

Lastly, and most importantly, Trevor has built all seven of his companies without any employees. Yes, you heard that right. Of his multi-million-dollar companies, none of them have had any staff but himself. Trevor explains that through his business model, his companies run on technologies, systems and himself. By gaining knowledge in all areas of the business, Trevor has been able to better understand what he needs to hire for and what he does not. As a result, he severely cuts down on his overhead costs, which leads to a net profit of 76%. He has been able to replicate this for all seven of his businesses. When his businesses reach a point where they need employees, he sells them.

Trevor advises all entrepreneurs to gain knowledge in the different departments of their business, so that they can cut down on the upfront cost of staffing. In the beginning of a company, that money can go towards scaling, marketing and other necessities. Additionally, if you understand all your departments, you will better understand how the business runs as a whole. This knowledge allows you to outperform your competition.