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New Feature: AI for Business Planning using the ...
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NEW: 360º Business Canvas Free Tool
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New Feature: AI for Business Planning using the 360° Business Canvas

We know it can take time to learn how to use AI effectively—from writing prompts to asking the right questions. Now, GrowthWheel makes this easier for you!

By uploading a 360º Business Canvas into GrowthWheel Online, you give the AI a complete big-picture view of any business, along with all the information it needs to serve you well.

Once uploaded, the system can generate three types of business documents of your choice:

  • Conversation starters – Get a list of industry specific questions to engage in deeper client conversations.

  • Potential Opportunities – Get inspiration across the 20 Focus Areas to brainstorm opportunities and decide where to focus next.

  • Market Research Ideas – Get resources and ideas to guide your client’s market research across all areas and support their future growth.

Additional business document options will be available soon.

Each uploaded file is saved as a record under the new “360º Canvas” page in the client’s GrowthPlan menu. You can also download a .docx file to edit or share.

With the 360º Business Canvas, you provide AI with the context it needs to deliver great results. This feature gives advisors a simple way to use AI in business planning—helping them work more efficiently with clients.

New update: See All Your Client Interactions in One Place

Now you have a single page with all your interactions across all clients, so you can see all your activities at a glance and get ready for your next step.

We’ve added a new “Interactions” submenu under the Network tab in GrowthWheel Online. This gives advisors a one place to keep track of all upcoming and past client sessions. No more switching between clients or digging through individual profiles—everything you need is right there!

With this recent update you can:

  • View a complete list of interactions across all your clients. Past and Future.

  • Sort and filter the list to focus on what you need—choose to display only upcoming sessions to prepare for your next meetings, or past sessions to follow up easily.

  • See key details at a glance from the table view, including client company, sharing status, duration, and who created the session.

  • For SBA reporting centers, check the type of interaction and identify any errors quickly.

We hope this release helps you streamline your day to day workflow and plan even more productively your meetings with your clients.

One page. All interactions.

In this short video, Elizabeth will show you how to use this in GrowthWheel Online:

New update: Interactions now includes: Assessment, Tools & Outcomes.

All in One Place: Create assessments, share tools and track outcomes more easily with the latest updates to the Interaction pop-up.

We know your time is precious when advising clients. That’s why we’ve made it easier to access everything you need—all in one place.

We’ve added a new Assessment section so you can quickly create a 360° Assessment during each meeting. The assessment will also appear in the client’s individual Assessment list and can be shared independently.

The Tool Suggestions section now recommends tools based on the focus areas selected in the assessment. Simply choose which tools you’d like to share with your clients.

At the bottom of the email summary, you’ll see attached tools and assessments as clickable links, making it easier to share resources—along with other meeting details.

You can also now create and track outcomes directly within any client interaction. Once shared, these outcomes will automatically appear in the email to your client.

We hope this release helps you streamline your workflow and have even more productive meetings with your clients.

In this short video, Elizabeth will show you how to use this in GrowthWheel Online:

Updated feature: 360° Assessment Pop-up With Suggested Tools

You asked for it: Now you can assess client needs and share relevant tools at the same time in GrowthWheel Online.

We’ve redesigned the 360° Assessment and linked it with the Tool Library, so you can easily work with clients on what matters most by assessing their needs and sharing tools—all within the same dialog.

The updated 360° Assessment now opens as a pop-up with sections, making it easier to navigate. We’ve also added an auto-save feature, ensuring that your updates are saved in real-time.

When you create an assessment and select a focus area—up to five areas at a time—suggested tools will now appear directly below in the new Tool Suggestions section, allowing you to quickly find decision sheets, frameworks, and articles that match your client’s needs.

You also now have a new Email section, where client details, a suggested title, and your signature will be pre-filled automatically. Any selected tools will also be included, and you can easily remove them before sending.

Lastly, we have added an Action Plan section where you can input decisions and actions for follow-up, as well as a Notes section, that you can choose to share with clients—or keep them private.

We hope this update makes it even easier to assess clients needs and share resources all in one place.


 

In this short video, you will see how to use this updated feature

NEW: 360º Business Canvas Free Tool

Understanding a whole business can be challenging. The 360º Business Canvas by GrowthWheel is designed to help entrepreneurs and business advisors get the big picture of any business. 

This tool provides a visual way to gain insights and identify blind spots when advising clients.

For example, while focusing on product development, it’s easy to miss how marketing, finances, or internal processes may be affected. This 360º view ensures that every key area is considered.

The 360º Business Canvas can be used for and by businesses of any size, industry, or stage. It covers 20 focus areas including competition, leadership, branding, and financing, and much more.

Designed for a quick overview, this tool is the initial part of the GrowthWheel’s four-step growth planning process, which also includes an assessment, goal-setting, and action planning.

Download the 360º Business Canvas for free and get a better understanding of your client’s business – and, literally be on the same page with them.

A Deeper Dive – Focusing on One Thing at a Time

With the 360° Business Canvas, you can see the big picture—or take a deep dive into each business area, one step at a time. The tool is build on the GrowthWheel Framework which cover four growth areas that every business must consider to grow or get started:

  • Business Concept

  • Organization

  • Customer Relations

  • Operations

2024 in Review: The Newest Features on GrowthWheel Online

2024 was yet another year with monthly software updates — as always based on requests from the community of GrowthWheel Certified Business Advisors.

In 2024 we released new features and services in addition to various backend features in the software. Check them out below or see them in action on GrowthWheel Online.

Release overview

New Growth Journeys: Digital Transformation & Profitability

We curated this package of Decision Sheets to help clients that are thinking about having a digital transformation on their business.

Change the Primary Advisor for clients

From time to time, clients move from one advisor to another, and you want to keep track of this on GrowthWheel Online.

Now, you can change the Primary Advisor for each client with a click.

Existing clients are recognized on Intake Forms

Avoiding duplicate clients in your CRM system has never been easier.

Clients often fill out multiple forms when requesting counseling or signing up for training sessions, leading to duplicate entries in the system.

New Training Intake Form for SBA Advisors

If you are a WBC or a SBDC reporting to the SBA, with the new training intake forms, you can now effortlessly collect client information when they register for a training session without double entry for counseling clients too.

New Service Menu with Programs Tracking + longer notes

Tracking time and client’s enrolled in a program is now available.

You can now easily track one or multiple programs that clients are enrolled in, plus track individual session time for each program on GrowthWheel CRM.

5 New OnDemand Training for Entrepreneurs in SPANISH

We’re thrilled to announce that the first five GrowthWheel OnDemand workshops are now available in Spanish.

This is an ongoing project to get all our OnDemand trainings for Entrepreneurs translated into multiple languages, starting with Spanish.

New Decision Sheets and Frameworks added to GrowthWheel Online

At GrowthWheel, we are constantly enhancing and expanding our training and tool offerings for our certified business advisors. This year, we’ve developed new workshops and tools to provide even greater support.

That's all for 2024! We will continue in 2025 with more updates from our community to help you be the best business advisors you can be.

New: OnDemand Training for Entrepreneurs in SPANISH

We’re thrilled to announce that the first GrowthWheel OnDemand workshops are now available in Spanish.

This is an exciting step in our mission to make entrepreneurial tools and training accessible to Spanish-speaking advisors and entrepreneurs worldwide.

These workshops cover the basics of any business and are designed to empower entrepreneurs using decision-making tools that comes with each workshop.

The first five (5) modules translated are:

  • Trabaja en tu red y haz que funcione para ti (Networking)

  • Envía tu mensaje de marketing a los clientes correctos (Marketing)

  • Toma el control de tu proceso de ventas (Sales & Service)

  • Utiliza los medios de comunicación para llamar la atención sobre su negocio (Communication & PR)

  • Crea una marca fuerte y auténtica para su negocio (Branding)

We’re actively working on translating more workshops to expand this offering and are happy to integrate these into your organization’s e-learning platform upon request.

Reach out to us to learn more about this exciting project, or request your own LMS filling out this form*.

*For GrowthWheel Certified Advisors and partners only.

New feature: New Service Menu with Programs Tracking + longer notes

You can now easily track one or multiple programs that clients are enrolled in, plus track individual session time for each program on GrowthWheel CRM.

We’ve added a new 'Services' menu to GrowthWheel Online, where you’ll find the submenu for 'Programs' – and if you report to the SBA. You will also see the 'Training' menu for your 888 tracking is moved to this new menu

If you head to the new Programs submenu, center managers can now create a list of programs with names and start dates. Later you will be able to add more details to programs.

Once managers have created a list of programs, advisors will be able to select a program for each interaction to do time-tracking per program. You will also be able to filter the client list by program. 

Additionally, we’ve extended the note limit for all clients to 3,000 characters. 

We hope this update helps you easily track multiple programs for clients and their sessions, as well as add more detailed notes to their profiles.

In this short video, you will see how to use this new feature

Updated feature: Existing clients are recognized on Intake Forms

Avoiding duplicate clients in your CRM system has never been easier.

Clients often fill out multiple forms when requesting counseling or signing up for training sessions, leading to duplicate entries in the system.

With this recent update to the intake forms in GrowthWheel Online, the system will recognize if users are already registered, eliminating the need for them to re-enter their information.

Clients will still be able to see their point of contact, ensuring they can easily reach out if needed.

Business Advisors will receive an email notification every time a new or existing client submits an intake form, whether it's for a counseling request or training registration.

Existing counseling clients who register using the training intake form will remain in their current client list, ensuring that counseling and training-only clients are kept separate and organized.

If a training-only client registers for counseling, they will be automatically transferred from the training menu to the pre-client tab, allowing an advisor to contact them regarding their counseling request. Advisors can reach out to clients directly after they've submitted their intake forms.

We hope this feature update will make it easier for clients to register for counseling or training without creating duplicates or having to fill out multiple intake forms.

 

In this short video, you will see how to use this new feature

New feature: New Training Intake Form for SBA Advisors

If you are a WBC or a SBDC reporting to the SBA, accurately reporting your client’s 641 information during training is essential.

With the new training intake forms, you can now effortlessly collect client information when they register for a training session.

This feature introduces a new training menu under your client list, allowing advisors to easily identify clients who have registered only for training services.

If any existing counseling clients also register using the training intake form, they will remain in the client list they currently are. This ensures that counseling clients and training-only clients are not mixed up in your client list.

Whether a training or counseling client submits a training intake form, a ‘Training’ tag will automatically be associated with their profile.

And if a training-only client registers for counseling, they will automatically be transferred from the training menu, to the pre-client tab so an advisor can contact them about their counseling request. 

We hope this update helps business advisors collect all necessary information for training clients and properly identify them on their client list.

Update: New Decision Sheets and Frameworks added to GrowthWheel Online

At GrowthWheel, we are constantly enhancing and expanding our training and tool offerings for our certified business advisors. This year, we’ve developed new workshops and tools to provide even greater support.

Below are the latest Decision Sheets and Frameworks, designed to help advisors empower their clients to make informed decisions and take action. Our newest tools include:

New Frameworks

  • Avenues to Market Expansion: Find the right focus for entering new markets.

  • Localization: Adapt a business to different market situations effectively.

  • New Market Entry: Follow the 4 pillars to serve new local or international markets successfully.

  • Business Partners: Explore 40 potential partnerships to enhance your organization.

  • Market Launch: Prepare strategically to enter a new market segment.

  • Increase Revenue: Discover 12 alternative paths to drive revenue growth.

  • Roads to Profitability: Identify 8 ways to increase revenue and reduce costs.

  • Reduce Expenses: Learn 12 alternative strategies to lower costs and boost efficiency.

New Decision Sheets

  • Channel Partners: Choose the right partners to support market access.

  • Revenue Growth: Create effective budgets to achieve more revenue.

  • Cost Reduction: Strategize how to cut costs while maintaining operational effectiveness.

These tools are part of our newest three Continued Education Workshops developed this year, for the following workshops:

  • Revenue: How to help clients increase sales

  • Profitability: How to help clients make money

  • Expansion: New Market Entry with GrowthWheel

New Frameworks and Decision Sheets
— Available in GrowthWheel Online

New feature: Change the Primary Advisor for clients

From time to time, clients move from one advisor to another, and you want to keep track of this on GrowthWheel Online.

Now, you can change the Primary Advisor for each client with a click.

You can do it from the client's profile, on the Team page under the Business Profile menu.

In the Advisor Team section, search for the advisor you want to add to this client. Now, simply click the three-dot menu and choose ‘Make Primary Advisor’.

This will automatically assign this advisor as the new primary advisor for your client.

We have also added the option to revoke access if you no longer want this advisor to see this client on their advisor list.

If you choose this option, you are revoking the advisor's permissions for these clients, so they will not be able to view or add any information.

If you are part of a network, changing the primary advisor for your clients can transfer the client from center to center, depending on which center the advisor is associated with.

We hope you find this update helpful when changing the primary advisor for your clients.

In this short video, you will see how to use this new feature

We made a User Guide PDF for you to access at any time. Download it below and learn how this new feature works:

New Growth Journeys: Digital Transformation & Profitability

The Seventh Journey: Digital Transformation

In today’s day and age, every business is a digital business with point of sale systems, inventory logs, websites and social media accounts, and online bookkeeping tools.

Rather than gritting their teeth and pushing through tasks “old school,” clients need to use software and technology to streamline their processes and save themselves time.

We curated this package of Decision Sheets to help clients that are thinking about having a digital transformation on their business:

 
 

The Eighth Journey: Selling

Profitability is the fuel that drives any business’s growth. Whether clients focus on increasing sales or on reducing costs, they need to think through their pricing, sales pipeline, and inventory management. 

We curated this package of Decision Sheets to help clients that are thinking about improving their profitabilities strategies:

 
 

In this video, Elizabeth shares more about the Growth Journeys and how to use them:

2023 in Review: The Newest Features on GrowthWheel Online

2023 was yet another year with monthly software updates — as always based on requests from the community of GrowthWheel Certified Business Advisors.

In 2023 we released 10 new features and services in addition to various backend features in the software. Check them out below or see them in action on GrowthWheel Online.

Release overview

New CRM feature: Email with Meeting Minutes Generated Automatically!

We made it easier to send meeting minutes to clients after each meeting - automatically

You might have been asking yourself if there was an easy way to put items from the 30-60-90 Action Plan into an email with a summary of the meeting.

Improved Design for Celebrating Client Outcomes!

We re-designed the Outcome feature so you – and your clients – have an even better experience when recording and celebrating small or big wins – or tracking economic impact.

Easier Client Tags with Suggestions

With this update we improved the Client Tags feature so you now have suggestions and standardized tags.

Create Outcomes directly from Ambitions

Now Ambitions can be converted to Outcomes with a click, making it faster than ever before to keep track of the client’s journey and celebrate achievements.

Introducing GrowthWheel AI 30-60-90 Days Plan

With our new GrowthWheel AI, you can now generate 30-60-90 days Action Plans – automatically. It feels like magic!

Introducing: Business Advisor Certificate (BAC)

We are launching a new GrowthWheel Professional Development Program for Business Advisors focused on interpersonal skills to become a trusted advisor!

NEXUS Implementation on GrowthWheel Online for SBA reporting

For the past 6 months, we've been working closely with SBA's NEXUS team to ensure that GrowthWheel NG is compatible and meets the new requirements.

Customize the Client invite email template to GrowthWheel Online

With our recent software update, you can now customize the email template for client invitations to GrowthWheel Online!

New trainings on GrowthWheel Academy for Certified Users

We improved our GrowthWheel Certified OnDemand Academy. With these updates you can have an even better learning experience.

New Growth Journeys: Help Clients Launch Products and Services!

As business advisors you want to help your clients the most in their growth journey.

There is a lot to take care of in a business but the real problem is not having the proper resources ready to use with clients.

So we created 8 different Growth Journeys where clients can expand their business and you can help them do so one tool at a time!

That's all for 2023! 

We will continue in 2024 with more updates from our community to help you be the best business advisors you can be.

Update: New trainings on GrowthWheel Academy for Certified Users

This month we improved our GrowthWheel Certified OnDemand Academy. With these updates you can have an even better learning experience.

Here's a quick overview:

  1. Case Studies: Newly added Case Studies, offering practical insights to enhance your advisory skills.

  2. GrowthWheel Certification Course: Explore the GrowthWheel Certification Course, now organized into modules for easier learning. Stay tuned for regular updates as we continue to enrich the content.

  3. Continued Education Workshops: Access our ongoing workshops for Certified Advisors to stay ahead in the dynamic world of advisory.

  4. Mastering the Tools: New "Mastering the Tools," courses where you can explore our variety of Decision Sheets designed to empower your advisory journey.

Discover these updates and more on our updated Certified OnDemand Academy today!