⭐️ Today’s Highlights:

• 🙅 Resisting the predictable business model

• 🤖 What you need to know about AI if you work in marketing

• 🖼️ Use this tool for beautiful placeholder images

• 👀 The most successful startups all have this in common

• 🤩 How to craft a winning social media proposal

Diversify Your Revenue Streams (Seriously)

One product. One client. One channel. That’s not a business model… It's a single point of failure.

Resilient businesses have multiple revenue streams that serve different customer needs or market segments.

If you’re in eCommerce, pair your DTC store with a wholesale strategy or a retail partnership.

If you're in SaaS, offer both subscription tiers and one-time services. If you're a consultant, build digital products or host paid webinars to create passive income.

Additional revenue streams can help pad your bottom line and provide a safety net when one dries up.

Design for Flexibility, Not Efficiency

Rigid systems break. Flexible ones bend.

The smartest operators bake options into their model from the start.

• Choose vendors who offer short-term or month to month contracts.

• Hire freelancers or part-time staff where full-time isn’t critical. 

• If hiring full-time, always do a contract to hire. (We are in an employers market now) 

• Use tech stacks that scale without a total overhaul. 

Resist the urge to lock everything into long-term commitments just because it’s cheaper in the short term. Efficiency is great until it becomes a trap.

(Get access to my tech stack by founder type digital download in my Business In A Box Course!)

Get Obsessive About Margins

Revenue is vanity. Margins are real. 

When your revenue is growing but for some reason your business still seems cash poor…….You have a margin problem. 

Instead of focusing on the top line which LOOKS good, focus on the bottom which actually IS good. 

Here’s an exercise: Which business is doing better? 

Option 1: A fancy SaaS company doing $10M in revenue with $9.5M in cogs. 

Option 2: A consultant / side hustle doing $2M in revenue with $250k in expenses? 

If you answered option 2. You are correct. 

Bucket you costs into 3 areas I call the Triple N:  Nice to have, Needed, & Null. 

• Nice to have are the softwares, perks, and tools that make things just a bit easier and more efficient. 

• Needed are the required tools, people, and resources that you require to maintain day to day operations. 

• Null are things you are testing or forget about that typically require a look into your quickbooks account to figure out that you are actually paying for them. 

Keep your fixed costs low and your variable costs truly variable. Cash flow is king when the economy tightens.

Invest in Relationships, Not Just Transactions

When things get rocky, the people you’ve treated right will remember.

Founders who prioritize real relationships with customers, investors, and partners are the ones who get the callback when funding dries up or deals fall through.

The gym that paused memberships during Covid lockdowns? The SaaS team that gave clients flexible payment terms? They earned loyalty money can't buy.

Trust isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s an intangible asset on your balance sheet.

Your Action Plan

• Add at least one new revenue stream. Think adjacent, & complimentary, not random.
  

• Audit your operations for flexibility. Kill anything that locks you in.
  

• Scrub your P&L. Protect margins with your life.
  

• Invest in relationships. They’re the real safety net.

Resilience is what keeps your business standing while others scramble for lifeboats.

Prioritize it before you’re sinking.

Patty’s Picks

These are a few of my favorite finds this week. Resources that I actually use and DO NOT get PAID to share so you know they are legit. Enjoy! 

📕 Article: What 8 Skills Do Marketers Need to Use AI Effectively? In 2025, AI isn’t just a nice-to-have tool for marketers, it’s a must. Marketers who use AI to create content faster and connect with audiences more personally are staying way ahead of the game.

🛠Tool: LoremSpace: Realistic Image Placeholder Generator. Tired of generic placeholder images? LoremSpace gives you beautiful, varied placeholder photos in categories like tech, business, and more. Ideal for landing pages, client mockups, and internal project visuals.

📕Article: How Today’s Top Startups Are Winning. 2025’s most successful startups are making clarity a priority! This allows them to make quicker decisions and implement strategies more effectively. 

💡FREE Resource: How to Create a Social Media Proposal (+ Free Template). When crafting a winning social media proposal, it isn't about just listing services; it's about telling a story that shows precisely how you're going to make brands shine online. The best proposals have a clear, objective strategy. (Bonus: Free Template!)

Ready to turn your business idea into reality? Book a strategy session with me and get a clear roadmap for validating and launching your next venture. Let's make it happen!