Want to know how to adapt your marketing during Coronavirus? COVID-19 has thrown up all sorts of challenges, and opportunities, for business owners everywhere. Some have sadly had to close, some are finding it incredibly tough, whilst others are innovating like they’ve never done before. Today’s guest fits into that category. It’s a challenge-everything episode 501 of The (award-winning) Small Business Big Marketing podcast.

Mad scientist, Ben Newsome, is the founder of Fizzics Education, a business delivering science shows, workshops and parties to kids across Australia.

Ben’s that guy in the white lab coat, protective goggles and ridiculously over-sized rubber gloves who mixes Mentos with Diet Coke, then explains why it explodes!

Since 2004, he and his team have built a hugely successful business, reaching over 2 million kids, face-to-face.

Well, COVID-19 changed all that. Schools closed, and events became a no-no, putting an end to the way Fizzics Education had traditionally done business.

So, like all mad scientists who come up against blocks, Ben got innovative, leaving no stone unturned as he came up with clever new ways of doing business.

The great news is, those clever new ways have proven a huge success, delivering much needed cash flow, stability and purpose for his team, a whole new digital offering that he can scale globally, along with strategic partnerships he could never have imagined.

One thing to note as Ben shares what he’s done … Please listen with an open mind. If you find yourself saying “It’s alright for Ben, but my business is different!” then smack yourself on the wrist and keep listening. Keep asking yourself, “How can I implement that idea in my business?”

Here's the email Ben sent me, detailing idea-by-idea, how he's adapted his marketing during Coronavirus ...

Hey Timbo,

It's been a while but it's Ben here at Fizzics Education. Not an entry for the monster Prize draw (although I'm happy to say that your podcast is exactly what people need to listen to so they can turn up the dial on their marketing, especially now).

I'm reaching out because I thought the pivot we're doing for science education has been extraordinary and worth your listeners time. We've done a 180 in 48 hours and am offering all our science classes virtually by video conference to schools and parents around the globe. With a quick call to aligned businesses & schools, here's what we've done ...

For businesses

We've designed a collaborative technologies accelerator for businesses looking to transform their digital offerings. I'm working with my agency on a wider offering of modules for businesses looking for quick wins too.
https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/collaborative-technologies-1-day-accelerator/NB: We are making an offering page for SBBM listeners. Free stuff! This will be live later today:
https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/sbbm
We've also been running online science programs for corporate sites. Many businesses are feeling the strain of having kids at home whilst trying to run their operations. Our 1 hour through to 3-hour programs for kids that helps occupy the kids so that the adults can keep working
https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/holiday-programs/corporate-vacation-care/online-vacation-care-programs-for-corporate-sites/

For parents

we created 20 virtual classes where kids from across Australia join us for 4 weeks of holiday science programs. Great success here.
https://www.skillsandthrills.com.au/vendor/fizzics_education/
we now have an online science club and we're taking EOIs now
https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/holiday-programs/australia-wide-beyond-online-classes/online-science-club/
We have been running online science parties as well
https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/science-parties/online-science-parties-made-awesome/

For schools

Have adapted 25 primary and high school science workshops as products that schools can use to enrich student learning
https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/schools/video-conference/
Together with Sean Sullivan from Cool Runnings, we're one of the first adopters of Zoho Classes, an online learning platform that is being rolled out globally. This only got announced this week and we already have interest in India and the Philippines.
https://coolrunningsbusinesssolutions.com.au/zoho-classes/
Fizzics will be part of an NSW Department of Education learning portal that will be released on May 22. Several 30-minute lessons with student worksheets will be available for 2500 schools across the State to use.
Am helping museums & others around Australia and the USA to provide free virtual lessons as an impromptu learning festival via Center for Interactive Learning & Collaboration
https://www.cilc.org/community
Put 40 online classes onto the federal government 'science engagement site called Star Portal. They regularly share new content onto socials. Teachers & others sites search this for ideas https://starportal.edu.au/
Sponsored the STEM2020 conference where hundreds of teachers across Australia are learning how to teach STEM in their classrooms (offers & discounts here)
https://stem2020.com.au/
Put daily live classes onto NSW Distance & Rural Technologies portal for schools to access
https://dartconnections.org.au/
Am offering live class content globally through services such as CILC, Streamable Learning & Connected North in Canada

For Australian museums, Universities & science organisations

Am delivering live webinars throughout May for several hundred organisations around Australia on how to run effective science festivals online.
https://inspiringnsw.org.au/2020/04/20/learn-how-to-deliver-online-stem-programs/

General marketing pivots

We worked with Sean Sullivan from Cool Runnings to quickly get a banner on our site directing all visitors to our virtual science classes
https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/schools/video-conference/
Media releases got sent out about virtual science classes in March. This resulted in podcast spots and some blog interviews (some coming out later on)
Teacher chatter podcast
http://teacherchatter.com/2020/03/18/ep17-ben-newsome/

Just Kidding Magazine liftout
https://2ef9d51d-7f23-4784-bf21-0728631b0288.filesusr.com/ugd/1f7d7b_6a71155135ed463c9bc7afad96628bef.pdf
Lined up podcasts with a variety of organisations on the FizzicsEd podcast that have been affected but can help our customers
https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/category/podcast/fizzicsed/
Wrote an article on a shopping list for parents that will help them teach science to their kids (over 1000 people have read it already and taken action)
https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/articles/covid-19-shopping-list-for-virtual-science-classes/
Wrote a heap of blog articles for teachers looking to deliver online teaching effectively
https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/category/articles
Produce several videos on online science teaching and got them onto socials as well as embedded on our websiteParties https://www.facebook.com/fizzicseducation/videos/271972573839225/Schools https://www.facebook.com/139612453383/videos/2513713335545898/
Ran a live Facebook session about the Supermoon (people attended from the Phillipines, Japan and Australia)
https://www.facebook.com/139612453383/videos/244977053310224/
Installed TrustPilot onto our website as a 3rd party review to show social proof. This website integration is ongoing.
https://au.trustpilot.com/review/fizzicseducation.com.au
Lots of phone calls for collaborations on grants as well as offering to a variety of sites.
Reached out to this guy called Timbo who runs SBBM :)

I've written this so that your listeners can hopefully see that there are plenty of opportunities to make things happen. Yes, everyone's business is different, every industry has its own way with connecting with customers... but the point is that now is the time to get motivated. Now is the time to push harder. Not just for the business and your people, but for the community as a whole.

Please give me a buzz if you need to know anything about the above!

Kind regards, Ben Newsome

Here’s what grabbed my attention from that chat with Ben ...

I love Ben’s quote about “Doing something … even if you’re not entirely sure what you’re doing!”
I love the idea of teaching something via an online course you create then selling it on a website like Udemy or even better, your own website.
I love how Ben suggested acknowledging you’re in overwhelm right now, then get on with it. Build that momentum. If you need some support, then join the SBBM Tribe on Facebook.

This week's Monster Prize Draw winner ...

John Kennedy of Tide Financial

Thanks for tuning in. I'd love to hear your thoughts or questions about this episode, so feel free to leave them below ...

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Episode 87 - "The Changing World Order" by Ray Dalio (Part 1)