Business Brain – The Entrepreneurs’ Podcast

For Small Businesses, making the sale is only half the battle. How we handle things after the sale is crucial to developing customer loyalty and encouraging repeat buyers. Today on the Small Business Show, your hosts Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton discuss four after-sale situations where you have a chance to impress your customer, build that loyalty and earn their repeat business for life. We take a deep dive into each of these four after-sale factors: CommunicationShipping and PackagingReturnsWarranty Claims Join us and hear how you can turn each of these after-sale situations into opportunities to impress your customers by putting a smile on their faces and turning a potential negative situation into a positive experience. We wrap up the show with another installment of Small Business Therapy where it’s Dave’s turn to talk about some of the issues he is having implementing video into his companies workflow. Listen in, then visit the Small Business Support Group to share your thoughts, ask questions and connect with other Small Business owners! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #233 for Wednesday, July 24, 2019 00:00:53 Intro: The Power of “No” vs. FOMO! 00:03:35 Today: after the sale opportunities 00:04:23 SPONSOR: TextExpander.com/podcast gets you 20% off your first year 00:07:06 Hidden opportunities in customer contact 00:08:10 Opportunity: Post-sale emails Klaviyo.com 00:16:56 SPONSOR: go.co – Get online with your .CO domain today. Register for just $5 and get 3 months of website builder and hosting services FREE at go.co/sbs. 00:18:49 Opportunity: Shipping and Packaging Spend some time with your box Sticker Giant NewEgg.com’s Boxes 00:24:34 Challenge: Digital businesses, what can you send to your customers? 00:26:52 Pitch the incentive! 00:28:57 Opportunity: Returns and Warranties “Set policy and procedure based upon your best customer” 00:33:53 [email protected] 00:34:08 Small Business Therapy: Dave and his videos. 00:37:49 SBS 233 Outtro businessshow.co/reviews The post Building Customer Loyalty and Repeat Buyers – Small Business Show 233 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

One of the most challenging times when developing a new product or service or when starting a new business is when you are close to being ready to launch. You are at the 80-90% completion point, but you just want to make a few changes, add another feature, run one more test.  This is the point where things can go terribly wrong. That feature you want to add, that change you want to make, that test you want to run, those things can derail the entire process and stop you from succeeding.  On this episode of the Small Business Show, your hosts Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean share tips and techniques for powering through this “last mile” to deliver an MVP by not letting yourself get derailed by perfection. Join us and discover what has worked for us, then come share what has worked for you on the Small Business Support Group! Chapters/Timestamp: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #232 for Wednesday, July 17, 2019 00:01:03 Beware Customer Tunnel-Vision SaneBox 00:06:44 SPONSOR: Linode. Instantly deploy and manage an SSD server in the Linode Cloud. Get a server running in seconds with your choice of Linux distro, resources, and choice of 10 node locations. Visit Linode.com/SBS and use promo code sbs2019 to start with a $20 credit. 00:08:37 Minimum Viable Product: Powering Through the Last Mile 00:09:30 Perfect is the enemy of good 00:10:43 Embracing the fear of change Embrace iteration 00:15:44 Define the MVP and Define future versions The “Wouldn’t It Be Great If” board 00:20:55 Fostering a culture of change 00:22:19 SPONSOR: The Alternative Board. TAB is a group of business owners & experts in your area that you can turn to for advice. Visit TheAlternativeBoard.com/SBS and get the “25 Timeless Principles of Exceptional Businesses” e-book free! 00:24:02 SPONSOR: go.co – Get online with your .CO domain today. Register for just $5 and get 3 months of website builder and hosting services FREE at go.co/sbs. 00:25:16 Stagnation of Perfection 00:26:19 Managing the risk of launching imperfection 00:29:03 Plan for a soft launch 00:29:50 Communicate humility 00:31:14 Humility lets you take more risk 00:33:06 “We’re building decks, we’re not building a piano” 00:34:34 Accept sunk costs Beware the Nirvana fallacy 00:35:30 Shannon’s Current Status 00:40:33 SBS 232 Outtro The post Delivering a Minimally Viable Product – Small Business Show 232 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Are you maxing out rewards programs for hotels, airlines and credit card companies for your Small Business? You should be and today on the Small Business Show we share a few examples of why you’re missing out on some big benefits if you ignore these programs. Join your hosts Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton for another episode of tips, advice, and strategies to help your Small Business. After our discussion of rewards programs, we share a concept of using an independent third party to vet potential business partners. This novel concept could save you headaches down the road. We then jump into the topic of creating a sexual harassment policy to protect your employees as well as your business. Listen in to learn about what constitutes sexual harassment, how to implement an anti-harassment policy that includes a clear communication path to report problems and to enforce violations. These topics and much more today on episode 231 of the Small Business Show. Enjoy the show, then visit the Small Business Support Group to continue the discussion, ask questions and share your own experiences. Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #231 for Wednesday, July 10, 2019 00:01:09 On deck today: Rewards Programs, Vetting Potential Partners, and Sexual Harassment 00:02:12 SPONSOR: TextExpander.com/podcast gets you 20% off your first year 00:04:00 Pro Tip: Join rewards programs. 00:10:36 SPONSOR: go.co – Get online with your .CO domain today. Register for just $5 and get 3 months of website builder and hosting services FREE at go.co/sbs. 00:12:03 Have a potential partner’s finances reviewed confidentially BottomLine Personal Working Agreement 00:17:47 [email protected] 00:18:19 Question: Ronnie-Protecting Your Business Against Sexual Harassment 00:18:55 SPONSOR: The Alternative Board. TAB is a group of business owners & experts in your area that you can turn to for advice. Visit TheAlternativeBoard.com/SBS to apply for free today and find out if there’s a board seat available in your area! 00:20:47 Answer: Ronnie-Protecting Your Business Against Sexual Harassment EOC: Facts about Sexual Harassment EOC: Q&A about Sexual Harassment Template for Sexual Harassment Policy Important: Procedure for how to make a complaint Be aware of the “creepiness” factor Have a strong communication system available in your company State Laws for Sexual Harassment Policies Sexual Harassment Insurance Policy Sexual Harassment Training Online courses and training for you and employees – about $30 per person. Could be the best money you’ll ever spend 00:37:54 SBS 231 Outtro Leave us a review! The post Rewards Programs, Vetting Potential Partners, and Sexual Harassment – Small Business Show 231 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Continuing with our series on subscription-based businesses, we’ve been fortunate to meet some very smart folks that have started or transitioned to a subscription model for their product or service. This week, we get to learn from a founder that created a business to help others succeed in the software and subscription market. Paddle was Co-Founded in 2012 by Christian Owens and we’re thrilled to have him with us today to learn about Paddle and his own journey as a Founder. Join your hosts Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton as they learn how Christian started his first company at 14 where he learned about connecting with others in the business community for help and how to leverage his youth to get support. Listen in to hear how Christian and his Co-Founder Harrison Rose created Paddle to solve the back-end headaches that subscription services can cause. Everything from licensing and bug reports to payment management can be handled by Paddle. There’s some great tips and advice that you don’t want to miss on this episode of the Small Business Show. Enjoy the show, then click over to the Small Business Support Group to continue the discussion! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #230 for Wednesday, July 3, 2019 00:01:02 Christian Owens from Paddle Paddle.com 00:02:50 Gotta make an invoice! 00:04:56 Started with MacBundleBox and met everyone in the Mac space 00:06:53 Learning at your own speed vs. someone else’s 00:08:35 Leveraging the power of being young 00:10:08 SPONSOR: go.co – Get online with your .CO domain today. Register for just $5 and get 3 months of website builder and hosting services FREE at go.co/sbs. 00:11:17 SPONSOR: TextExpander.com/podcast gets you 20% off your first year 00:12:30 Looking at Paddle Paddle Co-founder Harrison Rose 00:16:20 Reinventing your business for larger customers 00:19:22 Ask for Advice, Get Money 00:23:20 Hire people that are better than you 00:24:54 I want to be my first customer 00:26:44 A partnership that makes sense Oleksandr Kosovan from MacPaw and DevMate  00:31:20 Growing too quickly … surprise! Kickstarter for Macaw, the Code-Savvy Web Design Tool Macaw.co 00:34:36 Managing your employees… and their expectations 00:38:50 Have patience and ask for help! 00:40:52 SBS 230 Outtro Paddle.com Chistian Owens on Instagram  The post Interview with Christian Owens Co-Founder of Paddle – Small Business Show 230 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Developing positive habits and minimizing negative habits is important for you AND for your employees. By breaking down our larger goals into small tasks and habits, we can shift the focus away from willpower and motivation to small steps, habits that lead us down the path to our ultimate goal of world domination. “Habits​ ​are​ ​the​ ​underlying​ ​driving​ ​force​ ​of​ ​either​ ​success​ ​or​ ​failure—and​ ​greatness or​ ​mediocrity.” On this episode of the Small Business Show your hosts Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton use the “Stack” metaphor to see how we can create positive habits, while burying negative ones. And remember, you can use these tactics to help yourself, as well as your employees or contractors. Habits impact your entire organization – think about how customer service issues are resolved at your company. Surely there are good and bad habits involved in that process? We delve into why we fall into habits, why rewards are the key to changing bad habits and promoting positive habits to the top of your stack. Make a habit of listening each week for all this and more! Then, join us on the Small Business Support Group to share your stories and ask questions. If you enjoy the show each week, please take a moment to leave a review for us. It only takes a few minutes and it really helps. Thanks! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #229 for Wednesday, June 26, 2019 00:00:59 New website feedback to [email protected] 00:01:33 Polling you to tell us what you like 00:02:15 You’re allowed to be terrible! 00:04:59 Solving Grammar Problems Grammarly Pro tip: Read it aloud 00:08:26 Break down your goals into habits 00:09:50 “Habits​ ​are​ ​the​ ​underlying​ ​driving​ ​force​ ​of​ ​either​ ​success​ ​or​ ​failure—and​ ​greatness or​ ​mediocrity.” 00:10:53 Be actively aware of your habits 00:14:04 Watch the gossip The Four Agreements 00:17:56 SPONSOR: CLEAR. CLEAR is the absolute BEST way to get through airport security. It works great with Pre-Check too! Get two months free at ClearMe.com/Business using code BUSINESS now. 00:20:30 SPONSOR: Linode. Instantly deploy and manage an SSD server in the Linode Cloud. Get a server running in seconds with your choice of Linux distro, resources, and choice of 10 node locations. Visit Linode.com/SBS and use promo code sbs2019 to start with a $20 credit. 00:22:50 Make a habit list 00:26:10 Want time to start a business? Cancel your Netflix 00:29:19 Change the temptation 00:30:41 Work on one habit at a time Small Business Show – Inner Judge 00:33:00 Give yourself permission to fail 00:34:21 SBS 229 Outtro SBS Reviews The post Creating a Habit Stack – Small Business Show 229 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Are Podcasts a good marketing tool for your Small Business? Can you connect with your customers on a different level by hosting your own Podcast and if so, how do you get started? Join us today on this episode of the Small Business Show to find out about this topic and more. Podcasts are increasingly popular. Over 51% of the US population has listened to a Podcast and 31% of the population have listened to a Podcast in the last month. 62 million people listen to Podcasts each week. One of the key aspects of Podcast success is the niche audience. There are over 750,000 Podcasts out there with most covering very specific topics. You know we believe that the riches are in the niches. A Podcast is a new way to connect with your existing and potential customers – not everyone has time to read your blog posts, and not everyone is following you on social media. Join us today and hear your hosts Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton discuss how to get started, what topics to discuss and much more. Listen in and then join us at the Small Business Show support group to ask questions and to share your own tips. Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #228 for Wednesday, June 19, 2019 00:01:35 Beginner’s Mind Edison’s Podcast Research Tom Webster at Edison Research 00:03:27 The Business of Podcasting vs. Adding Podcasting to Your Business 00:05:39 Podcasting, a new way to connect with your existing audience 00:07:26 A co-host as a consistency partner 00:10:02 Your podcast adds authenticity to your business 00:12:09 Share your stories 00:13:51 Wrangle your schedule with seasons 00:15:12 SPONSOR: The Alternative Board. TAB is a group of business owners & experts in your area that you can turn to for advice. Visit TheAlternativeBoard.com/SBS to apply for free today and find out if there’s a board seat available in your area! 00:17:08 SPONSOR: TextExpander.com/podcast gets you 20% off your first year 00:18:42 Talk about your history and your team 00:20:55 Shannon-On-The-Spot Rebound on Poshmark 00:23:19 Make sure to do video 00:24:35 Just get started! 00:25:31 Podcasting is your safe place 00:27:06 Please leave us a review! businessshow.co/review 00:27:55 GG 228 Outtro Links mentioned in this episode:  How to Start a PodcastPodcasting for BeginnersAn Insiders Guide to PodcastingThe post Using a Podcast as a Marketing Tool – Small Business Show 228 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

We constantly talk about maximizing our time on the Small Business Show and how using our time wisely is one of the key aspects of being successful as a Small Business owner. Automating processes and using tools to manage repetitive actions is part of a system to increase your productivity each day. Today, we get a chance to talk with Greg Scown, Co-Founder of Smile, creators of life-changing and time-saving software applications like PDFpen and TextExpander. You’ll recognize TextExpander as a frequent sponsor of the show and software that both of your hosts use daily.  Join Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton as we try not to geek-out over one of our favorite pieces of software and focus on the business story of Smile and how they have found success by focusing on the productivity niche while transitioning one of their core products to a subscription model. There are some great lessons about communication, customer service and authenticity in Greg and Smiles story. Listen in and then visit the Small Business Support Group to ask questions or share your own story. Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #227 for Wednesday, June 12, 2019 00:01:17 Greg Scown from Smile 00:02:13 The Apps Came First! 00:03:27 PageSender Fax Software ships in April 2002 00:04:06 Meeting Philip Gower and DiscLabel 00:05:14 PDFpen: The Riches are in The Niches 00:06:53 Stick with your goal 00:07:40 Accepting and Letting Go of an Eroding Product 00:08:45 Be Honest with Your Customers 00:09:23 TextExpander goes to a Subscription Model 00:14:08 The Business case of Subscriptions 00:15:21 When you see change coming, go there first 00:16:09 SPONSOR: Linode. Instantly deploy and manage an SSD server in the Linode Cloud. Get a server running in seconds with your choice of Linux distro, resources, and choice of 10 node locations. Visit Linode.com/SBS and use promo code sbs2019 to start with a $20 credit. 00:18:50 SPONSOR: The Alternative Board. TAB is a group of business owners & experts in your area that you can turn to for advice. Visit TheAlternativeBoard.com/SBS to apply for free today and find out if if there’s a board seat available in your area! 00:20:09 Sustainability 00:20:42 Best mistake: Over-committing to yourself 00:24:16 Be less diverse: don’t hire jerks 00:25:17 Podcast sponsorships to build a business 00:26:51 Ask your customers “Where did you hear about us?” 00:28:03 “Generally our Experiments run Six to Twelve Months” 00:29:45 “Love and Respect Your Customers and They Will Love and Respect You Back” 00:30:16 SBS 227 Outtro SmileSoftware.com @SmileSoftware The post Interview with Greg Scown of Smile Software – Small Business Show 227 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

What’s in a name? Everything when it comes to your company or brand! As founders, owners, and stewards of Small Businesses, we all know how important your company or brand name is. Joining us today on the Small Business Show, Mike Pile, Founder of Uppercase Branding discusses his own business as well as sharing tips and methods for coming up with great names. Mike discusses how prioritizing tasks and projects when you are the boss can be one of the most challenging adjustments after leaving a corporate job, along with being sure to disconnect at the end of the day to keep your creative juices flowing. We then move on to discussing how Uppercase got its start and what marketing methods worked the best for them. You might be surprised to hear what traditional methods produced the best results. Later on the show, we spend time talking about how to come up with a great name for your business or brand with some examples of good and bad. Listen in to your co-hosts Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean and then post your comments and questions to our Small Business Support Group on Facebook! (Original broadcast date: March 15, 2017) Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #226 for Wednesday, June 5, 2019 00:00:25 SPONSOR: TextExpander.com/podcast gets you 20% off your first year 00:01:50 An Interview with Mike Pyle, Founder of Uppercase Branding Mike Pile from Uppercase Branding joins us today “Verbal Identity Consultancy” Pulling out stories from companies Prioritizing tasks and projects Being your own boss: scary and liberating Disconnecting to keep your creativity flowing Marketing YOUR B2B Marketing business – using existing connections A gift in the mail “Brainstorming is a waste of time” Strategy and discovery “A great name won’t help a bad business model” A bad name can be a distraction Vetting your name is just as valuable as creating one Norman Awards – Great new brand names. “Adwash” – Samsung. Not so good: “Scion” – Hotels Set a big stretch goal 00:33:41 SBS 226 Outtro The post Branding and Naming Strategies with Mike Pile of Uppercase Branding – Small Business Show 226 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Using persuasion techniques when working with customers and your employees can help everyone get the results they want. Specifically, using Pacing and Leading can help you build empathy and create a connection between people that then allows you to achieve a positive outcome. “Pacing builds trust because people see you as being the same as them. After pacing, a persuader can then lead, and the subject will be comfortable following.” – Scott Adams Join us today on the Small Business Show to hear your hosts Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean discuss using Pacing in a positive fashion to achieve positive results with customers, employees, and vendors. You’ll learn what Pacing and Leading is and why it’s an important tool to add to your Small Business Toolbox. Hear real-world examples to get your negotiations on the same side of the table, how Pacing is part of the Two Tokens method of resolving customer service problems and much more. Listen in to this episode, then share your own story at the Small Business Support Group! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #225 for Wednesday, May 29, 2019 00:01:00 Fake it ‘Til You Make It 00:02:51 Rooting for Success 00:05:24 “Pacing Builds Trust” 00:07:07 Pacing with Commonalities 00:10:08 Verbal Cues Build Credibility 00:11:52 Pacing to build trust is ok because you’re trustworthy 00:15:06 Creating Circular Process 00:16:35 SPONSOR: Linode. Instantly deploy and manage an SSD server in the Linode Cloud. Get a server running in seconds with your choice of Linux distro, resources, and choice of 10 node locations. Visit Linode.com/SBS and use promo code sbs2019 to start with a $20 credit. 00:19:19 Jean-Louis Gassee’s Two Tokens of Customer Service 00:23:03 The long-term is circular 00:24:35 Invoke empathy – “I know how frustrating this can be” 00:25:13 Rehearse Your Small Talk 00:29:00 Ask Questions First! 00:31:27 Connections are the key to success 00:31:52 SBS 225 Outtro The post Positive Influence by Pacing and Leading – Small Business Show 225 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Being proactive when communicating with your customers helps to build trust and credibility. What happens when your customers find out about bad news before you tell them? Join your hosts Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton for this episode of the Small Business Show to hear a great example of what NOT to do when things go wrong. Dave shares his experience with poor communication that literally stopped a company from being able to do business in his local area. And of course, Shannon adds to the tale with his own experience with this business, but from an entirely different perspective. Oh, and it involves beer, which is always a good thing. We then jump into a discussion about the right and wrong way to try to promote tie-in sales of, let’s just say, somewhat related businesses. You’ll hear why considering your demographic for one service before you try to promote a different product to that audience is critical to success, along with some other tips about growing your customer base. There’s a lot more to learn and we couldn’t think of a better way to allocate 32-minutes of time for your ears. We also want to hear from YOU! Contact us and comment at the Small Business Support Group. Thanks for listening! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #224 for Wednesday, May 22, 2019 00:01:05 Learning Languages and Instruments 00:03:00 CAPTCHA and RE-CAPTCHA 00:04:41 Hopsy’s Reaction to DICOM’s Shutdown 00:11:00 Beware your own optimism! 00:11:51 Contact Your Customers Order Beer from The-Sub 00:17:09 Desperation or Disconnect? 00:19:12 SPONSOR: TextExpander.com/podcast gets you 20% off your first year 00:21:54 SPONSOR: The Alternative Board. TAB is a group of business owners & experts in your area that you can turn to for advice. Visit TheAlternativeBoard.com/SBS to apply for free today and find out if if there’s a board seat available in your area! 00:23:57 The New York Times vs. The Daily Podcast and Subscriptions [email protected] 00:29:45 Creative Engagement Solutions How I Built This 00:31:44 You Can Learn from Everything and Everyone 00:32:26 SBS 224 Outtro The post Communicating with Customers and Cross Promoting – Small Business Show 224 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

We all have an inner judge that can help us or hold us back. Our subconscious mind is constantly absorbing information and playing it back to us, sometimes reminding us of our successes, but often replaying our failures and sabotaging our success.  Can we focus the power of our subconscious to help us succeed? Damn right we can. With some practice and consistent exercises, we can tune our inner judge to constantly propel ourselves towards success, instead of holding us back.  Join us today on the Small Business Show where you’ll hear from two experts at programming their subconscious to help them live the Charmed Life off successful Small Business Owners. Your hosts, Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean believe strongly in the power of programming ourselves for success and of creating our own reality each day to attract the “luck” that is so essential to achieving what we want.  First up, we will discuss: Our definition of the subconscious – What is it and why are we talking about it?Why you need to get friendly with it – Friend or Foe, you get to chooseThe Moist Robot theory – Create the program that you want After the break, we jump into tips and tricks for Changing Your Mind: Mastering our memory of mistakes – Learn from and move on. Yes, Coach!Back to our childhood to use the “I’m rubber and you’re glue” conceptIt’s a 24/7 commitment – Shannon’s “change the lyrics” storyGive yourself permission to dream – visualize where you want to be, who you want to beDismiss the Vampires in your life and attract other positive influencesUsing Audio to change your programming Success creates more success – create your Success List – no matter how small Listen in for these tips and much more. Then share your own story at the Small Business Support Group! Text Chapters/Timestamps 00:00:00 Small Business Show #223 for Wednesday, May 15, 2019 00:01:00 It’s that Junior College Tour Time of Year Naviance 00:02:23 Managing Your Inner Judge 00:04:37 It’s a system, not a goal! 00:05:55 Triangulating your subconscious 00:07:47 Send the message: I’ve already succeeded! Start the day with three things: [Variable task] Visit Linkedin. Follow 1,000 new followers. 00:11:05 My first success of the day is getting out of bed when I want to. Write your Success List 00:13:21 Programming your Moist Robot 00:15:10 SPONSOR: Linode. Instantly deploy and manage an SSD server in the Linode Cloud. Get a server running in seconds with your choice of Linux distro, resources, and choice of 10 node locations. Visit Linode.com/SBS and use promo code sbs2019 to start with a $20 credit. 00:17:39 SPONSOR: The Alternative Board. TAB is a group of business owners & experts in your area that you can turn to for advice. Visit TheAlternativeBoard.com/SBS to apply for free today and find out if if there’s a board seat available in your area! 00:19:18 Monica Shah in SBS 219 – The fear of the unknown can convince you you’re not worthy 00:22:20 Mastering your mistake memory 00:23:15 Finding your rock bottom – Get Scared 00:28:27 Identify and compartmentalize the vampires 00:31:22 “Change the lyrics” to your life’s song 00:33:49 Give yourself permission to dream of the person you want to be What would your business look like at twice its size? Ten times its size? 00:37:45 The power of audio 00:39:06 SBS 223 Outtro The post Focusing Your Subconscious to help you succeed – Small Business Show 223 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

There’s a procrastinator in all of us. When it comes to Small Business, putting things off can create problems, but it can also create opportunities. Join us today for episode 222 of the Small Business Show to hear how you can overcome this natural tendency and take advantage of the opportunities it creates. Join your hosts Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean – two experts at procrastination and how to turn it into an advantage in your Small Business life as we take a deep dive into why we all put things off and how many of us miss the opportunities it can present. First up, we discuss why we procrastinate: Lack of instant gratificationSeems overwhelmingMay cause a negative outcomeUnpleasant to deal with – firing an employee for exampleEasily distracted: Squirrel! Then we jump into ways to manage procrastination. Mix things up – spend time on the stuff you don’t want to do, interspersed with things that get you excited, motivate you, etc.. – Plan your day around this concept. Don’t create the monster To-Do list – it can overwhelm you. Use the To-Did list concept to motivate you throughout the day and to recognize what you did accomplish.Break down tasks into smaller chunks – easier to think about and accomplish – especially if it’s a negative.Unplug – focus on the task at hand – put your phone down, go DND. Set a timer.Don’t overcommit your time.Think about when you are most productive? Early morning, late at night – use that power accordingly.Use tools to help – software tools, sonic-boom alarm clock, timers.Form habits – do something new for 30+ days and you’ll create a new habit.Create a work environment – home office, closed door, work hours. We wrap up the show with a discussion of how procrastination by others can create a business opportunity for you. Dave shares the story of starting Backbeat Media to handle tasks that other publishers had put off and Shannon discusses creating a business to handle inventory that large retailers neglect and let pile up. How about you? Share your stories of overcoming procrastination and what methods work for you at the Small Business Support Group. Thanks for joining us again this week! Text Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #222 for Wednesday, May 8, 2019 00:01:22 The symbiosis of different desires “If we accepted a student body made up entirely of class presidents, nothing would ever get done on campus” -UChicago College Tour 00:06:29 Procrastination 00:09:24 Overcoming your inner procrastinator 00:13:00 The optimist procrastinates! 00:14:40 To-do list (and to-did list!) BusyCal 00:18:00 Use calculus every day 00:20:21 Time is warped 00:22:06 SPONSOR: TextExpander.com/podcast gets you 20% off your first year 00:25:06 The podcast system 00:26:56 The accountability partner No one ever said, “man, I wish I waited longer to do that!” 00:29:53 Learn your time schedule SonicBoom Alarm Clock Bob LeVitus and the Pomodoro Method 00:32:00 Take small steps with your system 00:32:22 Procrastination Creates Opportunity 00:34:30 Where’s your junk? 00:37:59 SBS 222 Outtro It’s National Small Business Week Paypal Small Business MONTH PayPal4Business on Twitter The post Overcoming and Finding Opportunities in Procrastination – The Small Business Show 222 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Marketing your business online, whether on search engines or social media can be challenging. There are so many platforms, where do you focus most of your energy? How do you measure results and what tactics have the biggest impact with a limited marketing budget? Today on the Small Business Show, we’re going to answer those questions and more as we’re joined by Kirk La Sala, digital marketing expert from Tanglefree. Join us today for an in-depth dive on digital marketing, along with insights from Kirk and your hosts Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton from their own experiences with marketing Small Businesses online. You’ll hear the story of how Kirk developed his Talent Stack over 15-years by running his own businesses, as well as managing online marketing for other companies. Kirk shares a number of valuable tips that will help any Small Business owner plan and improve their digital marketing. We discuss applications of Pull Marketing using keywords on search engines or Push Marketing using social media and which method you should be using, or mixing together, as well as using a Pick Chart to help focus where your attention should be to have the biggest impact on your success. You’ll hear why setting up your analytics correctly at the start of any digital marketing program is key to success and how email marketing should be an important part of your program. There’s a wealth of information on this episode that you don’t want to miss. Listen in, then join us at the Small Business Support Group to ask questions and share your own stories. Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #221 for Wednesday, May 1, 2019 00:01:55 Kirk La Sala from Tanglefree Waterfowl From the archives: SBS Interview with Tanglefree Waterfowl 00:02:59 I had money for three months and $100 for beer! 00:04:37 Affiliate Marketing to the Rescue 00:08:18 The Only Way to Scale a Service Business is by Hiring People 00:10:40 The importance of early adoption 00:11:47 “Out of Necessity I had to learn…” 00:16:00 Add to your talent stack 00:17:55 Are you selling something people are already looking for? 00:21:30 Chart your objectives based on impact and time https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pick_chart 00:24:02 Starting Look at Mommy 00:28:27 Supportive employers 00:31:13 Shift from wholesale to direct to consumer with Tanglefree 00:34:59 Next level: Mixing Pull and Push 00:36:30 Email Marketing isn’t Dead 00:39:40 Create an editorial calendar 00:44:23 Set up your Analytics and Look for Unexploited Channels 00:46:59 SBS 221 Outtro The post Interview with Kirk La Sala – Digital Marketing Expert – Small Business Show 221 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Continuing our series of shows about Coaching and Mentoring, today we’re joined by Chris Prefontaine, Founder of Smart Real Estate Coach. Chris and his family have been in the Real Estate business for over 25 years and after building 100’s homes and buying and selling over 80 million in properties, Chris decided it was time to share his expertise with others.  Join your hosts Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton today for this episode of the Small Business Show to hear how a drop in the market caused Chris to expand his Revenue Stack and add the Smart Real Estate Coach services to his business. You’ll hear Chris’ best practices for working with family, and how creating new systems for training and guidance are the next steps for Chris’ business. You’ll also learn why becoming an authority in your niche is critically important for long term success, how managing expectations are key to customer success and much more. Listen in to hear Chris’ journey and how he has created success with Smart Real Estate Coach, then join us at the Small Business Support Group to discuss the show, ask questions and share your own story. Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #220 for Wednesday, April 24, 2019 00:01:01 Chris Prefontaine from Smart Real Estate Coach 00:02:49 Not a transition, an addition! 00:04:40 You can join the information business 00:05:52 The organic evolution of a family business 00:07:22 “Nothing negative or challenging comes home” 00:08:24 Match all decisions with your corporate values and mission 00:08:53 Helping your Customers Manage their Expectations 00:12:48 Who are your customers? 00:13:58 SPONSOR: The Alternative Board. TAB is a group of business owners & experts in your area that you can turn to for advice. Visit TheAlternativeBoard.com/SBS and get the “25 Timeless Principles of Exceptional Businesses” e-book free! 00:15:50 SPONSOR: TextExpander.com/podcast gets you 20% off your first year 00:18:00 Maintain your focus 00:19:17 Total Automation to Manage Your Business Flow 00:21:30 Learn from your customers 00:23:34 Don’t be afraid to Fish in a Different Pond 00:25:01 Let a Big Mistake Fuel your Drive to Build a Business 00:27:29 Empathy can help build Trust Real Estate On Your Terms – go to FreeSRECBook.com and mention SBS to get it free! Principles from Ray Dalio 00:29:22 Building Marketplace Authority The Smart Real Estate Coach Podcast 00:31:01 Success Leaves Clues 00:32:15 SBS 220 Outtro Smart Real Estate Coach free Webinar FreeSRECBook.com The post Interview with Chris Prefontaine of Smart Real Estate Coach – Small Business Show 220 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Starting a business, creating revenue streams and building wealth are topics we discuss on the Small Business Show every week. It can often seem like a daunting task: what to start first, where to focus your energy and how to develop a system based approach to achieve what you want. Sometimes having a coach provide you with guidance is just what you need. Today, we’re joined by Monica Shah, founder of Revenue Breakthrough, a coaching and training resource that helps their clients breakthrough many of the obstacles they face to achieve success. Monica shares her own story of powering through bleak times to achieve success, how she learned that finding a good business coach was critical and how it led to her starting Revenue Breakthrough. After 15-years of coaching, mentoring and helping people achieve success, Monica has some powerful tips to share. Don’t miss this episode of the Small Business Show. Listen and then join us at the Small Business Support Group to comment, ask more questions and join the discussion. Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #219 for Wednesday, April 17, 201900:00:52 Monica Shah from Revenue BreakthroughFocusing on Marketing and Sales to help Entrepreneurs make more money00:05:55 Rock Bottom: Sitting on the floor of the NYC Subway00:08:57 The metaphorical 100 steps00:10:33 Find a coach that lets you be you00:11:21 Look to be challenged00:14:04 SPONSOR: The Alternative Board. TAB is a group of business owners & experts in your area that you can turn to for advice. Visit TheAlternativeBoard.com/SBS and get the “25 Timeless Principles of Exceptional Businesses” e-book free!00:16:30 The awkward money conversation00:18:12 Money fears00:21:15 Getting comfortable with fear00:22:48 Own the stage. Command the stage.00:27:10 Who am I waiting for before I make money?00:30:43 Speaking as marketing00:32:21 Sponsoring as lead generation00:32:45 Webinars00:33:39 How visible can you be? 00:34:39 The 90-Day RuleRevenueBreakthrough.com/MarketingCalendar00:36:37 The more you do, the more you will fail00:40:36 Create time to save money00:42:10 SBS 219 OuttroFind Monica Shah at RevenueBreakthrough.com [email protected] on Instagram The post Interview with Monica Shah, Founder of Revenue Breakthrough – Small Business Show 219 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

If you’re a Soloprenuer, there’s no one to delegate to. But, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be delegating tasks outside of your core competency. Join us today for this episode of the Small Business Show as we discuss methods to use outsourcing to delegate so you can win the 10/1000 battle. We discuss outsourcing resources, how to be selective when choosing a contractor and much more. Your hosts Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton then jump into a discussion about dispute resolutions with 50/50 partners. Shannon offers us a method of assigning votes and how to find an independent voice that can represent the business’s best interests, vs you or your partners. Then it’s on to the topic of Boomerang Employees. These are employees that leave your business for one reason or another, then want to come back. Should you re-hire? What questions do you need to ask yourself (and the employee) before you consider re-hiring? What message does re-hiring send to your other employees and customers? If you do decide to re-hire, should you put that person back in the same position? Does their salary change? Listen in to find out our thoughts on these employee issues and more. After the show, come share your own experiences, questions and thoughts at the Small Business Support Group. Thanks for listening to this episode of the Small Business Show! Chapters/Timestamps 00:00:00 Small Business Show #218 for Wednesday, April 10, 201900:01:38 The hardest thing I do everyday00:04:44 “We try to be as inefficient as possible”00:09:26 Dispute resolution in 50/50 Business Partnerships SPONSOR: TextExpander.com/podcast gets you 20% off your first year 00:23:00 Scott-The idea of outsourcing as delegatingFiverrUpworkGuru.com00:28:20 Boomerang Employees – Rehiring someone that used to work for you00:31:51 Why did the employee leave? Address the split.00:32:58 (Re-)Define the (new) position. 00:37:28 Boomerang can send a positive message00:38:39 Does the pay scale change?00:40:13 Intentionally retrain.00:42:28 Avoid old habits00:45:07 Be Self-Aware00:46:35 Allow yourself to over-analyze00:48:37 SBS 218 Outtro The post Delegating by Outsourcing, Dispute Resolution, a​​n​d Boomerang Employees – Small Business Show 218 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Having the fortitude to power through adversity is one of the keys to Small Business success. Every guest we’ve had on the Small Business Show has a story (usually more than one) about how getting through rough times has made them a better business owner. What strategies work best when things are not going right? How do you keep your focus on other parts of your business when dealing with big problems? Join your hosts, Dave Hamilton, and Shannon Jean, as they welcome back Bryan O’Connell of Meras Water Solutions to share tips and strategies for getting through tough times. It’s been three years since Bryan first came on the Small Business Show to discuss handling massive growth at Meras in a short timeframe and how they implemented systems and ramped up staffing to keep things on track. We’re thrilled to have him back on again to share his experiences with what to do when things go wrong. Join us for this episode of the Small Business Show, then visit the Support Group to join the conversation! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #217 for Wednesday, April 3, 201900:01:10 Bryan O’Connell of Meras Water Solutions Bryan O’Connell on Small Business Show in 201600:02:58 Lots of local customers00:04:58 Facing adversity00:06:54 Self-assessment is one of the hardest things to do00:09:12 Breaking Down a 50/50 Partnership00:14:42 The crazier situation gets crazier00:17:00 “Things are never as good or as bad as they seem”00:19:12 “We’re Still Keeping Score”00:23:01 Find an Advice GroupAlliance of CEOsVistage00:27:27 Find a mission you can be excited about00:30:55 Be genuine, be empathetic00:33:13 Don’t forget that business is an exchange of money00:36:27 The Two-Headed Monster00:37:27 Small Business Show 217 OuttroMeras.comBryan O’Connell from Meras on LinkedIn The post Overcoming Adversity – Bryan O’Connell from Meras Water Solutions – Small Business Show 217 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

We had a great response to our last episode and the concept of keeping a To-Did list. Lots of emails, questions, and comments in the Small Business Support Group. A number of comments were made about the importance of tracking what you DIDN’T do – a To-Didn’t list, if you will. On this episode of the Small Business Show, we will expand on that topic and discuss the importance of prioritizing your own time, delegating when you can and outsourcing when you need to. Join your hosts Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton as we start the show by discussing why Customer Service matters, no matter what business you are in, and why becoming a mentor, on any scale can inspire you to greater things. We then jump into the deep dive on how to Prioritize your time, delegating and outsourcing. Listen in and then come join the discussion on the Small Business Support Group! Chapters/Timestamps 00:00:00 Small Business Show #216 for Wednesday, March 27, 201900:01:32 Programming your moist robot00:02:57 Fortune Cookie: Failure is the Path of Least Persistence00:05:22 Become a mentor00:07:54 Dentists are Terrible at Customer Service00:14:22 SPONSOR: Abby Connect. Get $95 off your first bill at AbbyConnect.com/sbs 00:16:57 SPONSOR: TextExpander.com/podcast gets you 20% off your first year00:19:47 Comment in the Small Business Support Group … and email to [email protected]!00:20:12 Do it, Delegate it, or Outsource it?00:21:32 Make a list!00:24:06 Use Goals to Build Systems00:24:40 Take names.00:25:54 Don’t only focus on revenue00:27:02 Ask others for their solutions00:27:42 Interruptions are opportunities00:30:31 Set realistic deadlines00:31:11 Give yourself permission to unplug00:32:39 Delegating – Look at the names you took00:37:44 SBS 216 Outtro The post Prioritizing, Delegating and Outsourcing – Small Business Show 216 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

On this episode of the Small Business Show, your hosts Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean discuss how to build a reward system for volunteers or interns at your Small Business, managing your time and making connections at events and using a twist on the to-do list to see how your day went. Dave returns from SXSW with stories and tips on connecting with people by creating your own serendipity and going out of your way to meet people, even if it’s just for a brief moment. We discuss the enormous contribution that volunteers make at SXSW and how to apply that concept to your Small Business. After a word from our awesome sponsors at Care/of and Abby Connect, we learn about the To-Did list. Shannon is not a fan of structured to-do and time management systems like GTD and others. It just doesn’t work for him and it takes too much time to manage the information on these lists. On the other hand, at the end of the day, it’s important to see how productive you were, or how much you didn’t get done. The concept of the To-Did list is simple: keep a loose list, or set reminders to keep you focused on important tasks. Then, as you move into other tasks or unexpected interruptions throughout the day, record those on your list. Write down (digital or old school pad of paper) what you achieved that day. Check in hourly and be sure you are on task. Listen in for more details about the To-Did list concept and why it can be a powerful tool to help create success, create your own reality and ultimately help you to live the Charmed Life of a successful Small Business owner. Chapters/Timestamps 00:00:00 Small Business Show #215 for Wednesday, March 20, 2019 00:01:30 Traveling and TripIt Pro 00:03:27 Trade shows as Vacations SXSW The Shot Show SEMA Auto Show 00:06:42 Creating Your Own Serendipity 00:09:53 Cultivating Volunteers 00:12:49 Who Let The Dogs Out Movie 00:14:36 Applause for SXSW volunteers 00:16:42 The motivation of volunteers 00:19:26 SPONSOR: Care/of. For 50% off your first month of personalized Care/of vitamins, go to TakeCareOf.com and enter code SBS50. 00:23:12 SPONSOR: Abby Connect. Get $95 off your first bill at AbbyConnect.com/sbs 00:25:26 To-Did List – Reviewing your day The Success List [email protected] 00:35:20 Conduct a Symphony of Action 00:37:08 SBS 215  The post What’s on Your To-Did List? Small Business Show 215 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Being the owner of a single small business is challenging in itself. Owning multiple, successful businesses that you remotely manage and eventually selling them is something to be proud of. Today we’re joined by a longtime friend and business colleague, Joseph Stewart, former owner the Mac Outlet in Colorado and Felt Pool and Billiards. Listen in to this episode of the Small Business Show to find out how Joseph managed both companies from another state and how being a remote business owner forced him to develop better systems and processes for success. You’ll learn about the importance of the work you do each day by asking yourself: Is this $10 per hour work or $1000 per hour work? Your hosts Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton learn how Joseph used the cash flow from his businesses to purchase the building they were operating in and how being a landlord eventually led him to start his second company at the same location. We then jump into a discussion about preparing your business to sell and whether you should be meeting with a business broker or handling things on your own. Joseph went the DIY route and all that prep work to develop stand-alone systems and processes for the businesses to succeed paid off. Join us for another Small Business Show for all this and much more. Then head over to the Small Business Support Group to join the discussion! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #214 for Wednesday, March 13, 201900:01:06 Joseph Stewart Former BadAss and Owner at Felt and Mac Outlet00:02:27 Tenant Turns into a Business Acquisition00:05:32 Real estate as an investment00:08:24 Read the Four-Hour Workweek move to San Diego00:11:40 Finding the Sweet Spot of Micro-Managing00:13:12 Find a manager that can see your vision00:14:25 Make sure the customer’s have exceptional experiences00:15:55 SPONSOR: TextExpander.com/podcast gets you 20% off your first year00:17:37 SPONSOR: Abby Connect. Get $95 off your first bill at AbbyConnect.com/sbs 00:19:29 Structuring your trust scenarios00:20:20 Never forget about FileMaker!00:21:01 Know your Fundamentals00:22:15 Recognizing change00:25:31 Distance is an opportunity00:28:00 DIY Business SellingBizBuySell.com00:30:15 Now what?00:32:15 Keep your eye on the ball during the sales process00:34:05 Mistake: Don’t be a cheapskate with your employees00:37:48 Track 15 minute increments, and apply an hourly rate to each00:39:30 Pretend you’re going to be an absentee owner00:40:51 SBS 214 Outtro The post Remote Small Business Management – Interview with Joseph Stewart – Small Business Show 214 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

If you’re selling products, logistics is a critical part of the equation and being logistics-smart can mean the difference between making a profit or losing money on a product. Should you be handling your own shipments, using Amazon’s fulfillment services or perhaps a 3rd Party Fulfillment company to get your orders out? We discuss those options and much more on today’s show. Joining us today to discuss these topics is Kelan Raph, a logistics expert and President of Optimum Supply Chain Listen in as your hosts Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton discuss and learn about the challenges of getting your products to your customers in a timely manner while keeping your costs low and errors to a minimum. You’ll learn about the latest Amazon FBA changes that have caught some sellers by surprise and how you can minimize your reliance on FBA by using a 3rd Party Logistics company to handle your product fulfillment. Join us today to learn about optimizing your product delivery and then join the conversation at the Small Business Support Group! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #213 for Wednesday, March 6, 201900:01:04 Kelan Raph, President Optimum Supply ChainKelan on Small Business Show 6200:02:12 Start at DHL while finishing MBA, then… Create a Business!00:04:59 What problem are you solving?00:05:34 Upcoming Changes to the Fulfilled By Amazon Program00:09:01 Is FBA still a good solution?00:11:02 FBA’s stumbles … create FBA competitors!00:14:08 SPONSOR: Molekule. Air purification reinvented. For $75 off your first order visit Molekule.com and at checkout enter code: SBS 00:16:20 SPONSOR: Keeps. To receive your first month of treatment for free, go to Keeps.com/SBS 00:18:40 Distributed Inventory can Save You Money00:22:02 Grand Canal and Optimum“Freight fees are often what kill you the most”00:26:11 Are you a broker or an advisor? Which do you want to be?00:29:12 The Challenge of Awareness00:31:15 Raising Marketing Money00:33:17 With VC, Be Aware of Actual Profits00:34:35 Keeps Your Eyes on Your Customer00:37:18 Knowing customer expectations1P vs 3P00:40:06 SBS 213 OuttroKelan Raph on LinkedInOptimum Supply ChainAmazon FBA or 3PL? The post Interview with Kelan Raph of Optimum Supply Chain – Small Business Show 213 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Have you added a recurring income stream to your Small Business? Are you selling subscriptions, service plans or other passive income as part of your business model? Creating a recurring income stream is a powerful way to increase profits as well as creating a more lasting relationship with your customers.  What are some typical recurring income streams? Service plansSubscriptions – physical products or contentMembershipsAffiliate revenue RetainersOnline CoursesRecurring upgradesDonations Service plans – if you are selling a product that may require service to keep it functioning, you should be selling extended warranties and service plans. Sell your own plan or sell a third party plan (Square Trade) – but sell something that adds value to your product line. Subscriptions – can you add a subscription model to your business? Think about your product or service offerings and your current pricing – is there a monthly or annual subscription model that you could offer? Think Netflix – use the automatic recurring model to normalize your monthly revenue. You can be selling physical products with an automatic delivery schedule or services that renew each month. Memberships – does your website offer a members only area with valuable content? Can you offer discounted prices for your services to paying members? Look at the movie business – you see both theatre chains and independent companies really pushing memberships. Affiliate revenue – do you generate good traffic on your company website? Create an affiliate account with affiliate aggregators like Commission Junction, Amazon or others to create recurring revenue.  Retainers – Do you offer services that your customers may want quick access to your attention or expertise? Charging a monthly retainer can be a great way to monetize this Online Courses – Can you create an online course related to your business? I’m sure you can. Think about all your own knowledge or your employees and consider creating an online course that you can monetize. Most of you are experts in something – people will pay for value – think about sharing your knowledge – entice with some free content and some paid. Recurring Upgrades – do you sell a product that has an upgrade cycle? Are newer models coming out frequently that have features your customers want? What about a program that allows them to automatically upgrade on a regular basis? Apple and companies like Verizon do it with phones, can you use that model and apply it to your products? Donations – is your Small Business a cause or non-profit? Are you using the Paypal donate button on your website or Patreon to setup recurring donations? You should be. We would love to hear how you are using Recurring Income streams to grow your business and keep connecting with your customers. Share your story at the Small Business Support Group 00:00:00 Small Business Show #212 for Wednesday, February 27, 201900:01:55 Recurring Revenue, Mailbox Money, 00:02:44 Safe by HUB600:03:56 Recurring revenue is relationship-based00:05:01 Third-party warranty companies00:07:34 SubscriptionsSmile’s Transition to Subscriptions00:11:59 SPONSOR: TextExpander.com/podcast gets you 20% off your first year00:14:08 SPONSOR: Abby Connect. Get $95 off your first bill at AbbyConnect.com/sbs00:16:34 Memberships00:19:28 Costco’s profits? Membership value!00:21:17 Use recurring revenue to stop selling to your customers00:26:58 Additional Content for Subscribers00:29:39 Thinking about Donations as Membership00:33:26 Recurring upgrades00:35:08 SBS 212 Outtro The post Adding Recurring Revenue to your Small Business – Small Business Show 212 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

We all aspire to greatness. Marketers have used this urge to be a better person, to own the best thing, to achieve the most and to be unique to create iconic brands that we all recognize. Just what is aspirational marketing and is there a way to use to in your Small Business? Aspirational marketing involves striving in a long-lasting and meaningful way to achieve or become something in particular. This urge for something better or unique is so strong that people will make terrible financial decisions to be seen driving a particular brand of car, wearing a particular brand of clothing, carrying a particular brand of handbag.  Think gym memberships in January – they are selling an aspirational story of what you COULD become, if only you will signup for a membership. Think fashion shows by companies like Chanel, Gucci or Victoria Secret – they are trying to drive customers to their brand and stores that aspire to look something like they see on the runway – even if that’s impossible.  Recently your hosts Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton been thinking a lot about aspirational marketing and how Small Businesses might use some of these tactics to engage with our customers on a deeper, emotional level, to attract new customers and ultimately increase our sales. Join us today for this episode of the Small Business Show to discuss how Aspirational Marketing can help your business. After the show, join us on the Small Business Support Group to share your story. Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #211 for Wednesday, February 20, 201900:00:57 Send in your feedback: [email protected]:01:50 What is Aspirational Marketing? 00:05:23 Show people something they won’t buy00:07:37 SPONSOR: Abby Connect. Get $95 off your first bill at AbbyConnect.com/sbs00:10:26 SPONSOR: ExpressVPN – Take back your Internet privacy TODAY and find out how you can get 3 months free, go to ExpressVPN.com/SBS.00:12:34 Analyze your company’s product or serviceWhat can your customer achieve with your product or service?How can your customer create a better self with your product or service?How does your product or service make your customer feel unique?How can your product or service make your customer feel smarter?How can you product or service make your customer feel healthier?00:14:31 The feeling of empowerment00:16:25 Don’t sweat the scratches and dings00:20:00 Sell the experience00:22:37 The value of artificial scarcity00:24:28 If you’re the product, make yourself scarce!00:26:42 Let your customers own a piece of your aspiration00:29:12 The Yeti Cooler Aspiration00:31:04 SBS 211 Outtro The post What is Aspirational Marketing and How Can You Use it in Your Small Business? – Small Business Show 211 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

We often talk about travel being one of the huge benefits of owning a Small Business. Being able to expand your world with travel is certainly a big part of living the Charmed Life of a Small Business owner. Today, we get a chance to talk with someone who’s been on the other side of that equation, running travel and lifestyle related businesses. Gilbert Gauteraux has started, built and managed several travel and lifestyle businesses including JustLuxe.com and his latest venture, HotelsVillasDirect.com. Gilbert has had some significant corporate experience, as well as starting and running his own Small Businesses, so we get a chance to dig deep into the pros and cons of each type of experience to get the show started. Listen in and you’ll hear how HotelVillasDirect uses content creation to add value to their customers (both B2B and consumers) while driving leads to their website. You’ll also learn how the online travel market works, the multiple layers of information needed to close a sale and why it’s important for a hotel to be in control of the customer service experience directly. Gilbert also spends time talking about leveraging the customer relationship in as many ways as possible and the challenges of educating investors and partners about what their business model really is, versus the perception of how the market operates. Join us today for this episode of the Small Business Show with your hosts Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton. There’s some great insights from this episode that will help any Small Business owner. After the show, join us at the Small Business Support Group to ask questions, make comments and share your own Small Business story. Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #210 for Wednesday, February 13, 201900:00:58 Gilbert Gautereaux from JustLuxe.com and HotelsVillasDirect.comRob Gautereaux from JustLuxe on Small Business ShowRGM Alliance00:05:07 Working on your own vs. Working for someone else00:05:57 Taking notes in the middle of the night00:08:09 Starting HotelsVillasDirect00:12:49 Prioritizing the Customer Service Relationship“One Throat to Choke”00:16:49 SPONSOR: Abby Connect. Get $95 off your first bill at AbbyConnect.com/sbs 00:19:00 SPONSOR: TextExpander.com/podcast gets you 20% off your first year00:21:14 Content Creation to Acquire CustomersSojoun BlvdHVD Marketing Inc. – Lead generation platform and travel publishing group00:27:05 Three Pillars: Custom Content, Search Engine, Digital Solution00:29:16 Content for Conversions00:31:07 Making noise is difficult, focus on your business model00:33:14 Try to leverage your customers in as many ways as possible00:36:15 SBS 210 [email protected] The post Interview with Gilbert Gautereaux of HotelsVillasDirect.com – Small Business Show 210 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

The only constant in business is change. Every Small Business goes through various cycles in its lifetime and you’ll need to learn to adjust your management style, your activities and your attitude to match whatever cycle your are in. How many cycles will you encounter? It really depends on the type of business you are running, but on this episode of the Small Business Show, we’ll be focusing primarily on 5 different cycles. Launch – Implementation – ActionGrowthPeakMaturityDecline Listen and and you’ll learn why adapting your management style and anticipating the next business cycle is critically important for your success as a Small Business Owner. Your hosts Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean have owned businesses that have gone through all of these cycles; from the excitement of the Launch, all the way to the misery of decline. During each cycle, there are adjustments to be made and actions to be taken that will steer your business in the right direction. Learn from our mistakes and successes and mix in your own experience to keep your Small Business growing. Join us for all this and much more on this episode, then visit the Small Business Support Group to share your own tips and to join in on the conversation! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #209 for Wednesday, February 6, 201900:01:20 The Disaster version vs. the Planning Version00:03:09 Constant Change is Here to Stay00:04:10 Don’t Ignore Decline00:06:27 There is no Idea Cycle!00:07:26 It takes action to open the gate00:09:49 Get on the same page, then dispense with the internal paperwork00:11:41 Suddenly… viability!00:13:28 Have an operations person00:14:59 SPONSOR: ExpressVPN – Take back your Internet privacy TODAY and find out how you can get 3 months free, go to ExpressVPN.com/SBS.00:17:35 Don’t fall in love with the numbers!00:18:31 Cash FLOW is King00:21:48 Grow for ONLY good reasons00:22:41 Working IN the business vs. ON the business00:24:39 Expand Your Revenue Stack at Your Peak00:27:07 Your margins are my opportunities00:28:22 Jumping back in!00:29:56 What does maturity look like?00:31:35 Did you embrace change? Let us know at [email protected] <https://businessshow.co/facebook>00:31:48 Options in decline: merge, sell, re-partner, close?00:34:27 Nothing lasts forever, even the bad stuff!00:37:40 Just Start!00:39:51 SBS 209 Outtro The post Adapting to Business Cycles – Small Business Show 209 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Chances are, you’ll be attending a Conference or Trade Show related to your Small Business at some point. How do you maximize your time and have the best possible experience from attending a Conference or Trade Show? Join us for episode 208 of the Small Business Show to find out! Your hosts Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean have attended, reported on and exhibited at hundreds of Conferences and Trade Shows. From small events with just a few hundred people to the Consumer Electronics Show with hundreds of thousands of attendees. Each of these events requires planning and purpose to be sure you get the best result out of your attendance. Listen in and you’ll hear about the importance of researching the event so you’ll be confident and comfortable, how building trust with existing and new contacts is critically important and why hanging out in conference hallways can be a great way to make connections. We discuss the importance of listening more than talking, planning meetings before the show while also keeping some flex time available for what may come up and why connecting in the evening could be the best part of the event. Join us for all this and much more in this episode of the Small Business Show! After the show, click over to the Small Business Support Group to share your own tips. Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #208 for Wednesday, January 30, 201900:00:58 The cycles of business and weather00:02:58 The Trade Show/Conference Episode00:03:50 How can you be comfortable and confident at the show?00:06:15 Proper planning00:07:56 Goal: building trust00:10:22 The Hallway Track00:11:56 Listen to People00:13:59 On-the-fly Juggling00:15:53 SPONSOR: Abby Connect. Get $95 off your first bill at AbbyConnect.com/sbs 00:18:31 SPONSOR: TextExpander.com/podcast gets you 20% off your first year 00:20:36 Most of the business happens after the show floor ends00:28:59 Manage your body!00:30:31 Eat no meals alone00:33:21 Managing business cards00:37:26 GG 208 Outtro The post Attending Conferences and Trade Shows Like a Pro – Small Business Show 208 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

When starting a Small Business, there’s a few different ways to go. You can start from scratch on your own, work with a partner to create something new, buy an existing business or purchase a franchise. We’ve talked about the first 3 many times on the show, but not much about buying a franchise, or franchising your own business. Today we’re going to get educated in the franchise business model by Nick D’Agnillo of Nexus Property Management. Join your hosts Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean to learn how Nick gained experience as a Real Estate investor to start Nexus Property Management, with a plan to create a business he could franchise. You’ll learn how to get startup information from your future competitors, why up-front and transparent pricing can be a competitive advantage and just how many hurdles are in front of you if you are considering franchising your Small Business. You’ll also learn the steps required to turn your business into a franchise – from hiring a consultant to analyze your business, to the detailed Franchise Disclosure Document. Nick also shares what costs you will incur and how much money you need to set aside to complete the franchising process. Listen in for all this and much more, then visit us at the Small Business Support Group to join the discussion and share your own franchising experiences. Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #207 for Wednesday, January 23, 201900:01:19 Today’s Guest: Nick D’Agnillo from Nexus Property Management on Franchising00:04:07 Get the secrets from your future competitors… Just Ask!00:05:45 Franchising Plan from Day OneThe E-Myth00:07:36 The Dreaded FDD00:09:58 The price of starting a Franchising business00:11:30 Is your business franchisable to begin with? 00:13:13 What makes a successful franchisee?00:15:29 SPONSOR: Abby Connect. Get $95 off your first bill at AbbyConnect.com/sbs or calling 833-ABBY-WOW 00:17:29 SPONSOR: ExpressVPN – Take back your Internet privacy TODAY and find out how you can get 3 months free, go to ExpressVPN.com/SBS.00:20:00 Price Transparency00:21:51 What are Rent4U and Nvest?00:26:37 Nexus’s Property Investment Calculator00:30:00 Mistake: Hiring for Skills not Attitude00:33:03 “No, that would be doing a disservice to all of my clients.”00:34:32 SBS 207 OuttroNexusPropertyManagement.com888-Nexus-5-5Nick@NexusPropertyManagement.com The post Interview with Nick D’Agnillo of Nexus Property Management – Small Business Show episode 207 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

We’re fortunate to discover so many diverse skill sets with all of the Small Business owners we get to meet on the Small Business Show. This week we are joined by Nick Zadrozny, founder and CEO of One More Cloud. We’re excited to have Nick as a guest today so he can educate us about One More Cloud, their products and services and about his Small Business story. Join us today to hear how Nick and his team created One More Cloud in 2009 to be one of the first companies to offer an Infrastructure as a Service. Nick discusses his years of programming and website programming experience and how a sticky note on his desk, labeled “Build Passive Revenue!” was the impetus to start One More Cloud. Listen in and hear about Nick’s 10-year journey, moving from Engineer to Manager and then to the leadership position of CEO and how he has adjusted to the various roles and requirements of a fast growing business. Nick talks about the power of having a group of like-minded peers, such as a CEO Coaching Group to share the details of your business with that can offer advice and criticism of all different aspects of your business, as well as your own actions as CEO. There’s much more to hear on this episode that you don’t want to miss! After the show, join us at the Small Business Support Group to ask questions, comment and share your own story. Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #206 for Wednesday, January 16, 201900:01:04 Featured Guest: Nick Zadrozny, One More Cloud00:05:30 Infrastructure as a Service00:06:28 “Build Passive Revenue”00:09:13 Learn what to say “Yes” to00:09:55 SPONSOR: Abby Connect. Get $95 off your first bill at AbbyConnect.com/sbs or calling 833-ABBY-WOW00:12:57 SPONSOR: TextExpander. If you’re on a team, TextExpander will change your life, leaving more time for what you do best. Visit TextExpander.com/podcast to learn more.00:15:06 There’s a marketplace for everything00:18:03 Finding the right customers00:17:13 Role Shift from Technician to ManagerCoaching Group with Other CEOs00:21:51 Managing the Entrepreneurial Mindset00:27:35 Showing value to customers00:30:30 Challenges running a Search Engine00:34:23 “You need to pursue your success elsewhere”00:38:34 Find your own “Mental Floss” Opportunities00:41:07 SBS 206 OuttroOne More Cloud at omc.ioNick Zadrozny at twitter.com/nz_ The post Interview with Nick Zadrozny of One More Cloud – Small Business Show Episode 206 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Are you a confident Small Business owner? Has showing that confidence helped build your business? Join your hosts Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton today on episode 205 of the Small Business Show to hear learn how your own confidence can inspire confidence in your employees and your customers – leading to more sales and success! You’ll hear why “Praising yourself (and your Small Business) daringly” is a proven marketing technique that you should become comfortable using. When you communicate your expertise and display confidence, most people will believe you and they will tend to confirm that impression in their minds. We discuss a number of methods to use to create the confidence in yourself and your Small Business to attract success including the controversial use of “directional truths”, promoting past successes and how you overcame adversity even if it was caused by your own mistakes and how talking about big goals can convince potential customers that you’re already there. Listen in for all this and much more, then join us at the Small Business Support Group to join the conversation, ask questions and share your own confidence story. 00:00:00 Small Business Show #205 for Wednesday, January 9, 201900:01:18 The benefits of attending CES00:04:31 Trade shows are valuable!00:05:10 The Confidence Episode00:05:48 Confidence vs. CompetenceSammy Hagar says it best!00:06:30 Step one: Say you’re the best; Step two: become the best!00:09:39 People are impressed more by confidence00:11:13 SPONSOR: ExpressVPN – ExpressVPN.com/SBS gets you 3 months free with your 1-year subscription00:14:38 Promote previous successes 00:15:57 Tell “directional” truths“Thousands of customers…”“Multi-million dollar business…”“Dozens of employees…”00:18:58 Promote brand name customers and big deals00:22:13 Talk about how you’ve overcome mistakes00:23:29 Talk about your goals00:24:38 Know your cash numbers, even if they suck!00:30:11 SBS 205 Outtro The post Confidence is a Key Factor in Success – Small Business Show 205 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Join us this week as your hosts Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean discuss resolutions for your Small Business, how being productive is a great motivator to propel you forward and how focusing on efficiency can start your New Year off strong. We then jump into a discussion of using Debt as a Catalyst to massively positive cash flow. Dave explains this concept while Shannon tries to poke holes in the idea but then gets on board. The debt discussion leads us to a talk about not knowing what you’re capable of until you are forced to act and how a crisis can be a powerful change agent for you and your company. Listen in and then join the discussion at the Small Business Support Group! 00:00:00 Small Business Show #204 for Wednesday, January 2, 2019 00:02:05 The benefits of feeling productive 00:03:17 Resolutions: Intentional change, Prioritizing Efficiency 00:06:40 Managing Your Staffing Equation 00:08:59 Using Debt as a Catalyst to massively-positive cashflow 00:14:05 Competition is a catalyst, too 00:15:20 Learning your own capabilities 00:20:20 Lack of Crisis Creates Complacency 00:23:09 SBS 203 Outtro Email us: [email protected] Next week: Confidence The post Small Business Cashflow, Crisis and Efficiency – Small Business Show 204 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

This week, while Dave and Shannon enjoying spending time with their family and friends for the Christmas holiday, we revisit one of our favorite episodes with Paul Downs, author of Boss Life and Small Business contributor to the New York Times and Forbes. This was a very special episode. If you missed it, you’re going to learn a tremendous amount. If you’ve heard it before like we have, listening to it again as we did during our editing is definitely worth your time. How prepared are you for the challenges of running your small business? What energizes you to make it through tough times and just how transparent are you (and should you be) to your employees and everyone else that you discuss your business with?  If you felt like your business was about to shut down, could you imagine reaching out to the New York Times with an offer to share the experience with thousands of people? Paul Downs thought it would make for a good story and he wrote for the NYTimes.com for 4-years before writing a “year in the life of my business” book: Boss Life. You’ve never read a business book like Boss Life. The book quickly joined our list of “must reads” for all current and potential business owners. The work is the most honest and transparent business book that we have ever read and we encourage all of you to read it. Today, Paul Downs joins Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean on the Small Business Show where they dig deeper into Paul’s story, into Boss Life and into the work ethic that has kept Paul in business for over 30-years. The post Paul Downs author of Boss Life – Revisiting a Favorite. Small Business Show episode 203 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

If you’re a Small Business owner, chances are you like things to be done a certain way – that may be why you don’t work for someone else, doing things their way. This is a powerful trait that can push you to succeed – but, it can also turn you into a micromanager when it comes to your employees, contractors and partners. So, how do you avoid being a micromanager while at the same time being sure things are getting done and that people are embracing change and not getting stagnant? Let’s figure it out together on this episode of the Small Business Show. Join Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean as they discuss their own micromanaging issues and how they have worked hard to overcome them with tactics like up-front communication, planned check-ins and perhaps most importantly, using persuasion to nudge things along in the direction that you want, while protecting the autonomy of your employees, contractors and partners. During the discussion, we come up with ways to promote change and avoid getting stuck at a “comfort level” for your team along with ways to foster change as a foundational part of your business. Join us for this and much more on this episode of the Small Business Show, then come share your story at the Small Business Support Group. Thanks for listening! 00:00:00 Small Business Show #202 for Wednesday, December 19, 2018 00:02:56 Working your own way 00:03:54 Creating Perpetual Change 00:07:01 Set check-in/adaptation points “You’re going to get bored if we don’t change it” 00:09:02 Why is micromanaging so bad? “I’ll back up every decision you make, but I reserve the right to critique them with you” 00:13:34 Delegate the work, and set Clearly-defined Checkpoints Fostering Autonomy 00:15:45 Don’t get comfortable 00:18:21 Use the illusion of choice to foster buy-in 00:20:23 Have that removed! 00:23:07 Treat people the way they need to be treated, not the way you need to be treated 00:24:03 Embrace change, reward risks 00:25:48 Eradicate the Resistors! 00:30:03 SBS 202 Outtro The post Stop Micromanaging and Start Persuading – Small Business Show 202 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Most of us create businesses to support our lifestyle, but there’s some people that live a lifestyle that seems to lend itself to starting businesses. Today we’re going to talk to Jeff Anderlite, a serial business owner that has travelled the world, in what looks like to us, like a pursuit of living a “non-boring” life. Along the way, Jeff has started a hostel in Nicaragua, a Spice company, a clothing brand and naturally, a business to help other businesses succeed. We’re sure you are as eager as we are to hear the backstory here… Join us and you’ll hear Jeff talk about starting his first business when he was in High School, how he knew early on in his life that in order to be true to himself, he would need to create and be an Entrepreneur and how his experiences working with different partners has taught him so much. You’ll hear about Jeff’s travels around the world and how he has combined his love of travel with marketing for his apparel business, Baja Llama and how his latest business, Ignite360 is helping other companies with their marketing and growth. After you hear the show, click over to Baja Llama and use coupon code Bajallama30 to take 30% anything through Dec 31, 2018. Listen in and then come talk with us at the Small Business Support Group!   00:00:00 Small Business Show #201 for Wednesday, December 12, 2018 00:00:56 Jeff Anderlite, Journeyman Businessman 00:03:06 Creating Rockets and Electric Erasers 00:03:45 Started with Bottle Buddy 00:05:40 “Weird Stuff” Sells 00:08:33 Be true to yourself 00:11:28 Selling vs. Stopping 00:12:56 SPONSOR: Visit TextExpander.com/podcast for 20% off your first year. 00:15:11 Baja Llama … Travel funding turned into a business? 00:17:35 Business partners need to have the same ideology and vision 00:20:11 Write it down! 00:25:48 Know who you are and what your actions communicate 00:28:46 Ignite360 00:31:56 Read, Listen, Learn & Take a step back and process 00:33:18 SBS 201 Outtro [email protected] The post Interview with Jeff Anderlite of Baja Llama and Ignite360 – Small Business Show 201 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Join us today for the 200th episode of the *Award Winning* Small Business Show! We’re thrilled to have been ranked as the #1 Small Business Podcast by Feedspot for 2018 and we couldn’t have done it without our listeners. Your Co-Hosts Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean thank you! Today we are focusing on Collaboration – why it’s important for you personally, your Small Business, your partners and employees. You’ll hear why Collaboration is good for your own well being, allows you to share your knowledge with other people and learn from specialists in other fields. We discuss the power of bringing together different viewpoints and experiences to help come up with and refine ideas, to offer suggestions, make changes and corrections in a two-way flow of knowledge that will dramatically improve your output. Collaboration also helps keep you accountable because it’s easy to let yourself down, but much more difficult to let other people down. Shannon discusses the concept of Collaboration as a tool to bring together different business concepts and to apply ideas from a completely different product or service to your own Small Business – sometimes a completely different take on things can be the differentiator that you need for success. There’s a few more tips about why Collaboration matters so much before we jump into ways to get yourself and your team to Collaborate. We’ve got a one-word solution for your team that you don’t want to miss. Join us today and then visit the Small Business Support Group to Collaborate with other Small Business owners.   00:00:00 Small Business Show #200 for Wednesday, December 5, 2018 00:01:23 A major award: Top Feedspot Small Business Podcast 00:03:11 Collaboration is good for the soul 00:07:37 You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know 00:10:19 It’s much easier to let yourself down than it is a partner How I Built This Method Co-Founders Episode 00:14:02 “I never thought of that!” 00:20:28 How does a completely different business solve this problem? The Purple Cow Crack pie 00:25:33 Create a safe environment for ideas 00:27:50 Leverage Serendipity Jay Gentile and BoosterBots on Small Business Show And now… Peak Social Apps 00:31:57 Be OK with both Yes and No 00:35:49 Food is Collaboration 00:39:16 The value of Flex Time and Recognition Move employees around 00:41:32 SBS 200 Outtro The post Why Collaboration is the Key to Personal and Small Business Success – Small Business Show 200 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Technology changes quickly and one of the problems we all deal with is finding a home for your old laptop, phone or tablet when you upgrade. How many of us have an old iPhone in a drawer or MacBook sitting on a shelf somewhere? Today we get a chance to learn more about the business opportunity that this situation creates with our guest Brian Burke, owner of SellYourMac.com You’ll hear the story about how not getting the job of his dreams pushed Brian into creating the company of his dreams. Join us today for episode 199 of the Small Business Show and then join the conversation on the Small Business Support Group!     Chapters: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #199 for Wednesday, November 28, 2018 00:00:55 Brian Burke from SellYourMac 00:02:40 Didn’t get the job I wanted out of college 00:04:20 Didn’t have enough product to sell! 00:04:41 Selling convenience first 00:06:40 Rely on yourself as your backup plan 00:09:32 Where else to sell your Mac? 00:10:56 SPONSOR: Visit TextExpander.com/podcast for 20% off your first year. 00:12:31 SPONSOR: Go to LinkedIn.com/SBS and get $50 OFF toward your first job post! 00:14:30 Buy where you want to sell 00:17:35 Let eBay do half your marketing for you 00:19:03 Managing your SEO from the core of your website 00:20:05 Managing by learning your people Culture Index 00:22:19 Beware the fraudsters 00:25:21 The (in)efficiencies of addressing fraud 00:27:42 Unintentional fraud 00:29:10 Never happy with current size. Always Be Growing. 00:30:14 Be prepared to work. 00:31:59 SBS 199 Outtro The post Interview with Brian Burke Founder of SellYourMac – Small Business Show 199 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

We hope you are enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends! That’s what Dave and Shannon are doing this week, so we bring you one of our favorite interviews from last year with Gurjit Sing and Kevin Chou from the Gentleman’s Garage, a Turo based Small Business that focuses on renting exotic cars. Enjoy the show and we will be back with you next week! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #198 for Wednesday, November 21, 2018 00:01:22 Small Business Show #141 October 18, 2017 00:02:58 Gurjit Singh & Kevin Chou – Using Turo as a Small Business platform 00:05:03 It all starts with two Mustangs … and a BMW 00:05:42 Turo covered the repair! Shift – online car buying and selling 00:06:53 Beware the damage claims 00:08:04 Think about how people will drive your vehicles 00:09:15 Turo manages the risk 00:10:03 Turo valet service 00:10:37 Each car makes 2-3x monthly payment 00:12:48 The logistics of management 00:14:51 One-way fee 00:15:58 With affluent customers, you’re managing an experience 00:18:34 If you’re going to rent it out, don’t buy new! Certified Pre-Owned works very well for Turo 00:21:40 Managing the fleet – new cars, selling cars, registrations 00:22:55 The bankers slow you down! 00:26:03 Did making it a business ruin your hobby? 00:27:01 “The cars are still a thrill to drive” Converting to a membership business 00:29:02 Visit Gurjit and Kevin’s The Gentleman’s Garage on Turo… and Facebook 00:30:15 SBS 141 Outtro The post Small Business Show 198 – From the Archives: Gentleman’s Garage on Turo interview appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Let’s face it, not every decision you’ll make for your Small Business is going to be a good one. What can you do to avoid bad decisions in the first place and how can you quickly recover from the ones that slip through? Join us today on episode 197 of the Small Business Show where your hosts share their own bad decisions and tips for minimizing yours! Bad decisions can hurt your Small Business, kill your cashflow or destroy your reputation. The first step we discuss on today’s show to minimize the destructiveness of bad decisions is making sure you have enough information to make an informed decision. Shannon uses an example from his super-bad decision to get into the TV business of how not having enough info in hand should have stopped him from make that decision. We then move onto to a discussion about timeliness and being sure you don’t get suckered in to a “limited time offer” situation, being sure that the data you are using is not out of date, not letting your emotions obscure the facts and the pitfall of being overly optimistic and letting best-case scenarios obscure reality. You’ll also hear us talk about Dave’s “Fallacy of Sunk Costs” and not letting invested money and time obscure your ability to make good decisions about projects, not letting so-called experts change your gut instincts about a decision. Join us for all this and more and then share your own story at the Small Business Support Group! 00:00:00 Small Business Show #197 for Wednesday, November 14, 2018 00:01:41 Good decision: Nearly 200 Episodes of SBS! 00:03:01 SPONSOR: Visit TextExpander.com/podcast for 20% off your first year. 00:05:38 Bad Decisions can devastate your business. 00:07:38 Shannon’s “no-manifest” story 00:09:53 The confidence conundrum 00:11:35 The most expensive TV on the planet! 00:13:23 Next time you can walk away. 00:16:42 Watch the things that slow you down 00:18:25 Don’t be afraid of saying no. 00:20:30 Get current info! 00:21:23 SPONSOR: Visit TryHopsy.com/SBS to get the SUB home draft machine, 2 mini-kegs of beer (equivalent to 2 six packs), 2 Hopsy glasses and free membership in the monthly beer Club for $99. 00:26:26 Don’t look for the best case scenario 00:27:48 Avoid complacency 00:28:56 Consider opportunity cost 00:29:32 Acceptable risk 00:33:18 Acknowledge confirmation bias 00:36:57 SBS 197 Outtro The post Bad Decisions in your Business – How to Avoid and Recover – Small Business Show 197 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

From time to time we discuss the tools we use to run our own Small Businesses and why we couldn’t live without them. Join us today for our second installment of Tools for Small Businesses to hear from your hosts Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton about their favorite business products. We start out with a detailed discussion of Trello and how Dave’s team uses it for managing content creation on the MacObserver. while Shannon uses the Kanban style of project management that Trello visualizes to manage various projects throughout difference businesses. Then it’s on to Google Hangouts and how bringing your team together on video is a powerful way to keep everyone focused and connected. The next set of tools comes from the good folks at Iwascoding with their GarageSale and GaragePay products – both essential tools for managing listing and product sales on eBay along with cashflow and reporting via Paypal. Dave jumps in with his recommendation of Arlo Cameras and the Synergy Surveillance Station and then we’re on to some common sense tools like mini-breaks during your day and giant manilla envelopes to deal with the inevitable inflow of paperwork you need to hang onto for your Small Business. Evernote rounds out our software list of essential tools along with a couple of other Podcasts you should be listening to and we wrap up the show with a call to always be carrying a pocket knife. Listen in and share your own tools at the Small Business Support Group! 00:00:00 Small Business Show #196 for Wednesday, November 7, 2018 Tools and Small Business Tips mentioned on SBS 172 00:02:36 Trello 00:06:18 Google Hangouts 00:08:33 GarageSale for managing eBay listings 00:11:16 GaragePay to manage your PayPal transactions 00:15:01 SPONSOR: Care/of. For 25% off your first month of personalized Care/of vitamins, visit TakeCareOf.com and enter code SBS. 00:18:56 Arlo Cameras 00:22:15 Synology Surveillance Station 00:23:37 Mini-breaks 00:24:53 Big manila envelopes 00:29:53 Evernote 00:32:15 Podcasts: How I Built This, Coffee with Scott Adams 00:35:19 Get a good pocket life: Gerber Paraframe 00:38:27 SBS 172 The post Small Business Tools for Success – Small Business Show 196 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

We love answering listener questions. Not only does it make us feel much smarter than we actually are, it also allows us to connect with our listeners and help them solve problems. Send your questions to be featured on the Small Business Show! On this episode, we hear from Louis with a question about setting up his website, selecting a domain name and getting help with both. We then talk about some options for your office software and how to keep older PC hardware running strong with alternative operating systems. Carol then asks for help with a lawsuit caused by a dog being hurt at her boarding business. We discuss lawyers, insurance options and the best way to proceed to minimize the impact on her Small Business. Then we’re on to a question from Jacob about options for selling his Small Business. His partner wants to pay a large up front fee to a business broker and Jacob is not as comfortable with that option. Be sure to see the show notes for links to previous episodes where we discuss these situations in detail. There’s some great interviews with Small Business Owners about solving these types of problems. Join your co-hosts Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean as they answer these questions and more on this episode of the Small Business Show. 00:00:00 Small Business Show #195 for Wednesday, October 31, 2018 00:02:17 [email protected] 00:02:22 Louis-Setting up a business domain GoDaddy NameCheap SmugMug WordPress BlueHost.com – One stop shop for domain registration, email, wordpress hosting Fiverr.com Upwork.com Guru.com 00:13:20 Use LibreOffice instead of MSOffice OpenOffice 00:18:05 Consider Ubuntu or Elementary.io to breathe new life into old computing hardware 00:22:22 SPONSOR: New Square Payroll App – Everything you can do on a desktop you can do in the app. Visit Square.com/Go/SBS for More 00:24:13 SPONSOR: Go to LinkedIn.com/SBS and get $50 OFF toward your first job post! 00:26:55 Carol-I’ve been sued, what do I do? What to do when your small business has been sued – SBS 145 00:34:22 Jacob-What do you guys think about business brokers? Selling your Small Business – Interview with Abbi Vakil – SBS 128 Thinking of selling your small business – SBS 127 Interview with Bob Grewal of Seapoint Business Advisors – SBS 61 SCORE 00:40:37 Domain ownership matters! 00:44:49 SBS 195 Outtro The post Listener Questions: Domains, Lawsuits and Selling Your Business – Small Business Show 195 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Change is coming for you and your Small Business! How you manage change and how you integrate change into your company culture is an important part of your long term success. Join us today for episode 194 of the Small Business Show as we take a deep dive into welcoming and benefiting from change. We start the show with a discussion about SCORE Mentoring and your co-host Dave Hamilton’s decision to connect with his local SCORE representatives to discuss changes in his business and how having an accountability partner can dramatically increase your productivity. Then, it’s on to tips for using small changes in your personal life to get you comfortable with larger changes that are inevitable and eventually heading your way. Shannon’s premise is that these small changes help to “re-wire” your brain so you welcome larger changes and use them in a productive manner. Once you find yourself embracing change, it’s time to work on your Small Business! You’ll hear how to make change part of your Small Business story, how to use casual comments and frequent actions to get your employees used to and ready for change and how to use the Two Week Trial method to introduce changes in your business. We wrap up the show with a discussion of the new Small Business Show mailing list and why you should subscribe. Join us, then click over to the Small Business Support Group to share your story, ask questions and more. 00:00:00 Small Business Show #194 for Wednesday, October 24, 2018 00:01:46 Constant Change is here to Stay Small Business Show Episode 70 – Change! 00:02:41 SCORE Mentoring for Change! 00:08:15 Accountability matters! 00:09:26 SPONSOR: New Square Payroll App – Everything you can do on a desktop you can do in the app. Visit Square.com/Go/SBS for More 00:11:15 SPONSOR: Visit TextExpander.com/podcast for 20% off your first year. 00:13:28 Tweak your systems to accept change that happens 00:14:37 Complacency kills 00:15:03 Small change conditions you! Change the side of your bed Change seats at the dinner table Take a different route to the office 00:17:49 Dave faces the Comscore Gestapo 00:20:52 Get yourself comfortable with change first 00:21:44 Make change part of your company’s story Manage to your audience 00:24:02 The casual mentions of change “What side project would you like to work on here?” “Your job is going to change all the time.” “What do you want your next job to be?” 00:28:20 Try out change for two weeks! 00:32:32 Lose the past. Consider sunk costs! 00:34:06 Change is coming! 00:34:25 Change at SBS: Small Business Show Mailing List 00:35:20 SBS 194 Outtro The post Embracing Change for Small Business Success – Small Business Show 194 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

How important is creating content to share with your existing and potential customers to your Small Business success? And what are some of the keys to being successful with a content marketing plan? Join us today for episode 193 of the Small Business Show to hear how your co-hosts Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton have used relevant and timely content in their businesses to connect with followers, drive new business and keep in touch with their existing customers. We jump right into what we believe is one of the most important aspects of getting the biggest impact with content marketing: consistency. Creating a plan and sticking to a publishing schedule will make your content marketing exponentially more successful than just posting random content every now and again. You’ll hear more tips and real-world examples about tapping into your employees expertise, why newsletters and mailing lists are so powerful and why being authentic and sharing your personal stories are ways to fast track your success. Listen in for these topics and much more, then come join us at the Small Business Support Group to share your tips and comments. Cheers! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #193 for Wednesday, October 17, 2018 00:01:13 Content requires a Commitment to Consistency 00:02:49 Every business is in the Content Business SBS Interview with Ben Schroeder from Santa Barbara Cider 00:05:27 Use content to highlight – and share – your expertise SBS Interview with Cowboy Crickets Small Dog Electronics 00:07:40 Tap your team’s expertise 00:09:57 Use the Newsletter 00:12:50 Later is now! $Later = NOW() 00:15:22 SPONSOR: Timing, for anyone billing their hours. Visit timingapp.com/smallbusiness 00:18:15 SPONSOR: Gusto is refreshingly easy payroll, benefits, and HR for the modern small business. Visit Gusto.com/SBS for a free, 3-month trial. 00:20:11 Be authentic! 00:21:21 Share your personal brand 00:23:55 Balance your requests for information with shared value 00:26:47 Be honest about the perceived value of your content 00:28:10 “We lied” 00:29:14 Workshop: Start an email list Shannon: Creates the content Dave: Creates the form, Links the engine 00:34:39 Always be Creating! 00:35:20 SBS 193 Outtro The post Small Business Content Creation and Marketing – Small Business Show Episode 193 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Ever thought of starting a Small Business from your hobby? We often hear about home beer brewers taking the leap and launching a company built around their love of beer, but what about Cider makers? Join us today as we talk with Ben Schroeder, founder of Santa Barbara Cider! Many of us follow our interests and passion from hobbies to Small Business owner. Ben Schroeder spent 7-years perfecting his different cider flavors in his garage before opening the Santa Barbara Cider taproom with his sister, Twilight and close friend Niklas. Today they create over 60 flavors with 12 rotating taps at any one time. Ben shares how he made steady, methodical steps to get the business off the ground and to grow it to where it is today, serving a large community at their tap room and expanding into other local venues. Listen in and you’ll hear about the importance of creating an experience your customers will love, how asking for help can get people on your side and how starting with your neighbors is the key to getting final approval when applying for a federal liquor license. There’s a lot of great tips on this episode of the Small Business Show. Listen in, then ask your questions and comment at the Small Business Support Group. Cheers! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #192 for Wednesday, October 10, 2018 00:00:44 Interview with Ben Schroeder from Santa Barbara Cider 00:01:29 Celiac disease points small business to Cider! 00:02:57 “This is great, where did you buy it?” 00:05:14 So many small steps and eventually it’s a business 00:07:02 How many hours means “full time” for this business? 00:07:41 Create an experience 00:09:33 Marching band supplies lead to Cider 00:10:53 Only 100 gallons per year 00:12:05 “Hey I need some help” 00:13:27 Are your neighbors comfortable with what you’re doing? 00:14:57 Time to distribute! 00:18:23 SPONSOR: Visit TextExpander.com/podcast for 20% off your first year. 00:20:31 SPONSOR: Gusto is refreshingly easy payroll, benefits, and HR for the modern small business. Visit Gusto.com/SBS for a free, 3-month trial. 00:22:07 Social media? Be social! 00:24:06 Relational not Transactional 00:24:59 Mistakes: Rushing, Doing too Much, or Completely Distracted 00:27:44 Find Santa Barbara Cider on Instagram or Facebook or at sbcider.com The post Interview with Santa Barbara Cider Founder Ben Schroeder – Small Business Show 192 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

What’s the best way to handle conflict when things go wrong with a customer, partner or employee? Join your hosts Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton for this episode of the Small Business Show to hear about their experiences in managing, resolving and de-escalating conflicts that will inevitably try to ruin your day. One of the cornerstones of most conflicts is the misunderstanding of the intention of one or both parties. You’ll learn about methods to be sure your good intentions are interpreted correctly and when sometimes you or your employees will just have to pickup the phone to clear the air. Next, we jump into a discussion about how to make written correspondence (email, text, chat) show empathy and how creating templated responses can help you set the correct tone you want your customer service department to use when solving conflict. Then it’s on to a discussion about your sense of justice and why it has no place when trying to resolve conflicts with your customers! You’ll hear us discuss the power of apology (even when you’re not at fault), how to train instruct your team that these are just business decisions and not personal battles and how the Two Token Concept of Customer Service is critically important for success. Join us today, then ask questions or share your Small Business story at the Small Business Support Group! Chapters/Timestamps 00:00:00 Small Business Show #191 for Wednesday, October 3, 2018 00:01:07 Sharing the Charmed Life excitement 00:02:31 Know your audience 00:04:27 How to de-escalate 00:04:53 “How can I take your headache away?” 00:07:47 Misunderstanding intention 00:08:34 Get on the phone! 00:09:30 Show that you care, and are willing to listen 00:10:30 Use emojis! TextExpander saves the day 00:12:17 Lead with the right message 00:13:50 Emotion engenders loyalty 00:17:37 SPONSOR: Timing, for anyone billing their hours. Visit timingapp.com/smallbusiness 00:19:35 SPONSOR: Gusto is refreshingly easy payroll, benefits, and HR for the modern small business. Visit Gusto.com/SBS for a free, 3-month trial. 00:21:18 About our sponsors 00:22:10 Justice doesn’t matter 00:23:29 Amazon: “That is a business decision” 00:26:10 Empower your team to avoid escalation 00:27:37 Permission to apologize “I’m sorry that things haven’t gone right for you.” 00:29:51 Add empathy to the scenario The Two Token Concept of Customer Service 00:32:02 Remember Meatloaf! 00:33:07 Define an escalation path 00:34:04 Leverage loyalty: “What do you want to do?” 00:34:48 Customer service ain’t for everyone! Pacing and Persuasion 00:36:13 Find common ground 00:37:15 SBS 191 outtro The post Managing Conflict with Customers and Partners – Small Business Show 191 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Start a business and you become a leader. Not just for employees, but to your customers, suppliers and other partners. What type of leadership style creates the most successful Small Businesses? Join your hosts Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean today to learn about different leadership styles and why you’ll need more than one type for success. Should you be a constant cheerleader, or a steady, persistent force that your followers count on? We’ll discuss why you’ll need to be both and when it’s appropriate to use each style. You’ll hear about prioritizing relationships over tasks and how you’ll get better results from your followers this way. Shannon discusses his favorite “Mirror vs. Window” analogy for praise and accountability and Dave discusses the differences between leadership and just working hard. We share our tips about granting autonomy, how ethics play a role in what your followers think of you and how persistence needs to be your super power. We wrap up the show with a discussion about emptying the trash and cooking lunch for your followers – always fun topics. Listen in and then share your own leadership tips at the Small Business Support Group. Chapters/Timestamps 00:00:00 Small Business Show #190 for Wednesday, September 26, 2018 00:00:57 Better than the alternative 00:02:08 The definition of retirement: Dave’s Ice Cream Truck! Bill Ready on Small Business Show 00:05:49 No results for Leadership! 00:06:36 SPONSOR: Timing, for anyone billing their hours. Visit timingapp.com/smallbusiness 00:09:13 What type of Leadership creates a successful small business? Leadership vs. Just Working Hard 00:12:23 Setting the priorities: Dashboard-level view of your business 00:13:17 Categorize problems: systemic or one-offs 00:13:45 Cheerleader vs. Steady Hand that Leads through Crisis 00:14:48 Leverage silence 00:15:28 Spin your perspective 00:18:33 Always make a decision! 00:21:12 Openly praise, privately correct Build a Safe, Trusting Environment 00:23:09 SPONSOR: New Square Payroll App – Everything you can do on a desktop you can do in the app. Visit Square.com/Go/SBS for More 00:25:10 Small Business Support Group 00:25:31 Managing your management: focusing on tasks vs. relationships “These people worry about the business more than I do.” 00:27:23 Developing your people Adjust roles to take advantage of skills and strengths Take a genuine interest to learn who your employees are Create an environment you enjoy! Ask: “Do you need anything?” 00:32:11 Pay attention to the new person 00:33:23 Extend financial autonomy 00:34:17 Monitor your ethics 00:36:21 Persistence – Communicate during crisis 00:38:17 Be the janitor and the cook! 00:39:18 SBS 190 Outtro The post What Type of Leadership Leads to Small Business Success? – Small Business Show 190 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Getting paid might be the most important task for your Small Business. Processing payments quickly for your customers, avoiding fraud and managing your cash are all critical and daily tasks. Today’s guest on the Small Business Show has a wealth of experience in the payments processing business and is currently the COO of PayPal. Bill Ready joins your hosts Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton to talk about PayPal’s new Funds Now service and much more. Listen in to hear how Small Business is part of Bill’s DNA, starting out by working for his parents auto repair business and taking those lessons to become an “accidental entrepreneur” that eventually led him to be involved with five startups, including Braintree and Venmo, eventually landing at Paypal and to the Chief Operating Officer role that he fills today. We all know that getting access to your cash is paramount for Small Business Owners. Bill discusses PayPal’s new Funds Now service that allows for instant access to funds for Small Businesses using Paypal. We discuss PayPal’s goal of “democratizing access to the digital economy” for Small Businesses of all sizes and why this is so important for Bill and Paypal. You’ll hear some great tips on the customer experience and some unique advice about scaling your business that you might not have considered. Join us today for this very special episode of the Small Business Show and then visit the Small Business Support Group to ask more questions and to share your comments! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #189 for Wednesday, September 19, 2018 00:00:39 Bill Ready from PayPal, Braintree, Venmo 00:01:41 Small business in the blood 00:03:05 The accidental entrepreneur Dana Bowers 00:05:07 The joy and the burdens of small business are tremendous 00:06:52 PayPal’s new Funds Now 00:11:30 Going international… with immediate funds. 00:14:16 PayPal extends trust 00:16:20 SPONSOR: Gusto is refreshingly easy payroll, benefits, and HR for the modern small business. Visit Gusto.com/SBS for a free, 3-month trial. 00:18:00 SPONSOR: Visit TextExpander.com/podcast for 20% off your first year. 00:20:30 Don’t Truck the Farmer’s Livelihood 00:22:47 Always remain customer-focused 00:24:27 Democratizing access to the digital economy 00:27:50 It’s all about the customer 00:29:23 Paypal’s customers are buyers and sellers 00:31:56 To scale, you need repeatable process 00:33:08 ….and you need to hire passionate people 00:34:55 Visit the Business section at PayPal.com 00:35:55 SBS 189 Outtro The post Bill Ready Paypal COO Interview, Funds Now and Customer Experience – Small Business Show 189 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Time is arguably our most important asset as Small Business owners. You can’t create more of it, but you can increase your efficiency and hack how you use time each day to make it work in your favor. Today on episode 188 of the Small Business Show, your hosts Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean share their tips and strategies for getting the most out of your 24/7. The subject of time and the lack of it was brought up by longtime listener Todd McCann of the The Trucker Dump Podcast. Todd has the same problem we all do: not enough time in the day. You’ll hear our thoughts on making some changes that could open up more hours for Todd, along with some questions we ask of Todd that just might help your day become more efficient. Join us today and you’ll also hear about sacrificing some things to succeed, flexibility vs. freedom, learning to Spotlight your time and ignoring those time-killing distractions, scheduling time with yourself, why communicating your time needs to others is critical and if money is what you’re seeking at a particular moment, the most important question to ask yourself that will focus you in the right direction. Listen in, then share your story with us at the Small Business Support Group! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #188 for Wednesday, September 12, 2018 00:01:19 About our sponsors 00:02:27 Todd-What Happens When I Really Don’t Have Time? The Trucker Dump Podcast 00:05:42 Recording behind the wheel 00:07:30 Two different shows 00:08:55 Creating more time 00:10:08 Be intentional with your time 00:11:14 Are you willing to pay the price? 00:12:28 Go back to work at night 00:12:55 Flexibility vs. Freedom 00:13:26 Learn to Spotlight your time 00:16:49 Keep a pad next to you 00:17:17 Bob LeVitis on the Small Business Show 00:18:58 SPONSOR: Timing, for anyone billing their hours. Visit timingapp.com/smallbusiness 00:21:00 SPONSOR: Gusto is refreshingly easy payroll, benefits, and HR for the modern small business. Visit Gusto.com/SBS for a free, 3-month trial. 00:22:44 Schedule Time with Yourself 00:24:57 Communicate your schedule with the people around you 00:28:07 Create your system 00:28:59 Tools… and services! 00:29:47 Managing optimism and realism 00:30:19 Question: What can you be doing right now that will increase your revenue? 00:32:19 Decide that you DO want to know this information! 00:33:38 SBS Outtro CacheFly.com provides all the bandwidth to get our show to you! The post Time Management Tips and Tricks for Small Business Owners – Small Business Show 188 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Everyone knows that coffee is an important part of every Small Business startup, right? With 400 million cups enjoyed every-single-day in the United States, this seems like a great opportunity for a Small Business. But, how do you get your voice heard in this crowded market? How do you create a niche where you can build a unique brand focusing on quality coffee and customer experience? Join us today for this episode of the Small Business Show to meet Tristan and Jackson Bredehoft, founders of Café Rica, a fast growing local and online coffee business located in Battle Creek, Michigan. Tracing their family origins back to Costa Rica, the Bredehoft brothers decided to import a unique Costa Rican coffee to share it with customers in the U.S. Literally bringing back two suitcases stuffed with coffee to get things started. You’ll hear the Café Rica founders discuss the benefits and challenges of working with a sibling, how they decided to build a Local, Craft Coffee business and why they wound up building their local coffee shop inside of repurposed shipping containers. Tristan and Jackson share how they benefited from taking part in a Kitchen Incubator program and how they have leaned on the Mentors from SCORE to shift their marketing focus to dramatically accelerate growth. Join your co-hosts Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton as they learn about the Cafe Rica story and then come share your own at the Small Business Support Group! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #187 for Wednesday, September 5, 2018 00:01:47 Tristan and Jackson Bredehoft from Café Rica 00:03:11 Family joke to family business 00:03:52 It starts with a suitcase! 00:05:58 The sibling business 00:08:05 Assigning duties…and The sibling benefit! 00:10:22 “The riches are in the niches” 00:12:00 Local, Craft Coffee 00:13:29 Differentiator: Shipping containers 00:15:27 SPONSOR: Gusto is refreshingly easy payroll, benefits, and HR for the modern small business. Visit Gusto.com/SBS for a free, 3-month trial. 00:16:41 SPONSOR: Visit TextExpander.com/podcast for 20% off your first year. 00:18:15 Help from a kitchen incubator! Score Advisors 00:20:48 Biggest struggle – Learning to Tell Your Story 00:22:36 Learning from customers: subscriptions 00:24:32 Favorite mistake? Gotta listen to hear this one! 00:26:02 If you have an idea, do it! 00:27:09 Visit Cafe Rica on Facebook 00:27:51 SBS 187 The post The Business of Coffee: Café Rica Founders Interview – Small Business Show 187 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Being persistent is a critical part of making your Small Business succeed. From the very start, you will face obstacles that you’ll have to break through and go around to create something from nothing. Some of these will be mental, some physical and some logistical. Join us today for episode 186 of the Small Business Show to hear how your co-hosts Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean have used their bull-headed persistence to overcome those obstacles during their careers. We discuss the importance of confidence and believing in yourself with tips on how to use your Success List to remind yourself of your achievements to build up your confidence, as well as learning how to maximize your strengths and minimize weaknesses with strategic partners or employees. Shannon then reminds us that patience needs to be a part of your plan – as long as you are moving along the path you set for yourself and your Small Business. Success takes time. You’ll hear about how immersing yourself in your Small Business is an important part of pushing through obstacles and achieving success and how creating habits out of things that work for your business will keep you moving forward on your quest. And while it’s important to have a clear vision of where you want your Small Business to go, we spend some time talking about adjusting and adapting when things don’t go exactly as planned (hint: they never do). We wrap up our discussion with a reminder that commitment to your Small Business success is critical – everything has a cost, get ready to pay it in time and effort to create a successful business that can help you lead that Charmed Life we talk about often on the show. Listin in and then share your story and comments on the Small Business Support Group! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #186 for Wednesday, August 29, 2018 00:01:07 Bull-headed persistence is the key to success 00:02:51 Make sure that you have persistence in your Talent Stack 00:04:50 “Which story is more enjoyable to hear?” – Shannon Jean, ladies and gentlemen 00:06:30 Be confident! The story is part of the reward. 00:07:45 Recognize your achievements 00:09:42 Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…And Maybe the World 00:11:29 SPONSOR: Gusto is refreshingly easy payroll, benefits, and HR for the modern small business. Visit Gusto.com/SBS for a free, 3-month trial. 00:13:28 SPONSOR: Timing, for anyone billing their hours. Visit timingapp.com/smallbusiness and get a 14-day free trial and save 10% when you purchase. 00:16:20 Maximize Strengths, Minimize Weaknesses 00:18:04 Be patient… and realistic 00:20:10 Adjust and adapt! 00:22:11 Be in it! 00:25:13 Consider your path 00:25:48 Commitment – Accept the costs 00:29:27 SBS 186 Outtro The post Persistence is Key to Small Business Success – Small Business Show 186 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

What’s more important for your Small Business, profits or cashflow? If you’re a regular listener of the Small Business Show, you know what we think! Join us today as we dig deep into to the importance of managing your available cash and how to get through the inevitable cash-crunch when it hits you. Your co-hosts Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton share their tips, strategies and stories about the why and how of using your accounting software correctly to help with cashflow reporting, why it’s important not to fall in love with your P&L and why you need to avoid the “shiny object” trap that can suck much needed cash out of your business. We then jump into ways to raise cash when you need it quickly, how to use unconventional methods to raise short term cash and ways to manage longer term funding from banks and other lenders. The show wraps up with a discussion about the importance of measuring and different methods to measure all aspects of your business – including your cashflow. Join us today and then share your comments on the Small Business Support Group!     Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #185 for Wednesday, August 22, 2018 00:01:42 “By, For, and About Small Business” 00:04:20 Don’t fall in love with the P&L 00:06:41 Import often! FileMaker QuickBooks AccountEdge 00:08:57 Profits are for other people, Cash is for you 00:10:07 Matching Your Terms 00:12:02 Negative Cash Flow 00:13:01 Buy used! Buy at auction. 00:15:47 SPONSOR: Gusto is refreshingly easy payroll, benefits, and HR for the modern small business. Visit Gusto.com/SBS for a free, 3-month trial. 00:17:22 SPONSOR: Visit TextExpander.com/podcast for 20% off your first year. 00:19:15 Sometimes embarrassment is your friend 00:20:01 A 2-inch stack of credit cards to solve your problems 00:21:49 Dump the junk! Accept Sunk Costs. 00:23:00 Timing a blowout 00:24:51 Pick special customers 00:25:30 Sell it for what it’s worth 00:26:06 Slow down your A/P 00:28:24 Things happen – Communicate with your vendors 00:29:40 Treat your vendors like they’re customers 00:30:03 Use your lines of credit wisely 00:31:42 Talk with your banker about “terming it out” 00:34:04 Measure everything 00:36:36 SBS 185 The post How To Manage Your Cashflow – Small Business Show 185 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Getting customers to spend their hard earned dollars at your Small Business is tough, right? How about if you had to convince them to eat insects to get those dollars into your bank account? Join us today as we visit with James Rolin of Cowboy Cricket Farms and hear how this Small Business has used education, creative marketing and stubborn persistence to succeed. Listen in to learn about how feasibility studies can guide you to the right business model, how we’re all eating insects (we just don’t know it), how community outreach as a marketing tool can be powerful and some great tips for working with your spouse and teaching your kids about how to succeed. You’ll also hear about using the Score Mentoring program as a powerful and free tool to grow your business. You’ll learn a lot, but your co-hosts Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton continue to think they are learning the most from our awesome guests. Join us today, then share your story at the Small Business Support Group! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #184 for Wednesday, August 15, 2018 00:01:14 Go for the Gusto 00:01:20 James Rolin from Cowboy Cricket Farms 00:04:30 Doing a Feasibility Study Chocolate Chirp Cookies Bug Buffet 00:06:23 Red Dye 40 – Beetle Shells 00:07:44 Marketing the largest challenge 00:09:33 Contains: Insects 00:11:06 Community Outreach 00:13:26 SPONSOR: Gusto is refreshingly easy payroll, benefits, and HR for the modern small business. Visit Gusto.com/SBS for a free, 3-month trial. 00:14:56 Working with your spouse! 00:16:16 Teach your kids the value of hard work 00:17:20 Score Mentoring Brimstone 00:20:00 Ask for help! Blackstone Launch Pad at MSU 00:21:37 “We don’t know if we’re doing things right.” 00:23:16 Educating … and being educated! 00:24:02 Leverage Stubbornness 00:26:54 Advice: Solve a problem 00:28:16 SBS 184 Outtro CowboyCrickets.com Facebook – Cowboy Crickets The post Small Business Interview with James Rolin of Cowboy Cricket Farms – Small Business Show 184 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.