Grow A Small Business Podcast

In this episode, Troy interviews Damian Andrews, the founder of SHAIR. He's based in Melbourne, Australia. He does consulting work for big companies focused on improvement and efficiencies that grow revenue and profit, all in all, benefiting the well-being of the business, and that is what SHAIR is all about, improvement and innovation. SHAIR stands for strong, healthy, and inspiring relationships. A living reminder that if we look after others, we're making a better world. To implement meaningful change, one must start from within. Before intending to increase revenue, profit, or a different aspect of their business, small-medium business owners should begin with their habits. Damian helps them through his programs they run on the continuous improvements module such as Exceptional Effort, Unconscious Rapport, and many more. Inspiring small-medium business owners to change, to take ownership. When asked about the number one thing he'd recommend for marketing a fast-growing business, Damian answered, "Understand the ratios." Striking perfect balance in the areas of sales, marketing, operations, and administration. Maximizing efficiency, customer satisfaction, and long-term growth. This Cast Covers: Profitability and revenue growth go hand in hand. Changing your habits to increase profit, revenue, and employee satisfaction. Motivating individuals to assume responsibility. SHAIR stands for strong, healthy, and inspiring relationships. Instilling moral values in family members. Understanding the ratios in marketing a fast-growing business. Striking a balance between sales and marketing. Saving capital to keep the business afloat during difficult times. The value of listening and asking questions as information-gathering tools. Hiring employees with high moral standards. Links: Damian's Linkedin Damian's Company Website Additional Resources: SHAIR.care Podcast The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber Quotes: "We're linked to habits in what we do." — Damian Andrews. "Inspiring people to want to change to take ownership." — Damian Andrews. "Allow people to feel appreciated, and part of that is listening." — Damian Andrews. "Your focus is always finding out about the character of the person." — Damian Andrews. "Just focus on the key things at work." — Damian Andrews.

In this episode, Troy interviews Maria Halasz, the CEO & Co-Founder of Stride Equity based in Sydney, Australia. Stride Equity is Australia's first venture-backed equity crowdfunding platform providing cornerstone investment of up to 20% to all companies successfully raising capital on the crowdfunding platform. Stride Equity is focused on closing the funding gap for emerging businesses while providing wholesale and retail investors access to pre-vetted investment offers. Originally from Hungary, Maria emigrated on her own to Perth, Western Australia at the age of 20. Commencing a degree in medicine, she spent several years studying before being awarded a Bachelor of Science (Microbiology) from the University of Western Australia in 1992 before impressively gaining her MBA (Finance) in 2000. Maria started her executive career in a biotechnology company, which led to work in VC funding technology-based businesses and, later, senior positions in corporate finance and venture capital executing IPOs, including private capital raisings and assisting with global expansions, specialising in life sciences. Maria then spent 16 years as the founder and CEO of ASX-listed company Anagenics Limited Ltd. before co-founding Stride Equity in 2023 with her former Investec colleagues, Jon Brett and Alan Chonowitz. Growing with 5 FTEs and growing companies with a few million dollars in valuations to billion-dollar businesses with 20% equity. Maria says starting a venture-backed equity crowdfunding platform that provides investment and funding to early-stage companies at the moment when inflation and interest rates are going up necessitates preparing for the challenges and opportunities that come with it."There are so many things that are hard in growing a small business. You need to invest in your people and you need to invest in your growth", she added. Maria is also a Non-Executive Director of the Garvan Research Foundation and an advisor to the Digital Health CRC and NSW Councillor of the Australian Industry Group (AiG). This Cast Covers Launch of Australia's first venture-backed equity crowdfunding platform Partnership with senior directors with 30 years of investing experience gives confidence to the crowd and companies. Maria's background in biotech, corporate finance and venture capital Investing in and growing companies with a few million dollars in valuations to billion-dollar businesses. Importance of working with who you know and who you trust in business. Significance of clear communication in marketing a fast-growing business. Take on raising money with the current situation of the world. Two stressful points in a small business growth journey. Area of business to work on the most to add the greatest value. The biggest mindset shift in the small business growth journey. Two habits that small business owners need to develop and maintain. Links: Maria's Linkedin Additional Resources: Stride Equity How to Invest Book by David M Rubenstein Quotes: "Success is like happiness and joy, it's temporary. And it's a state of mind." —Maria Halasz "If you want to be the first movers, we better get ready to jackhammer, because you have to break down some walls." —Maria Halasz "You need to invest in your people, not just money but time and also your thoughts and your growth." —Maria Halasz "They're thinking and just going through and understanding how people think about investing is very important for me." —Maria Halasz "Timeboxing is to allocate a certain amount of time for each task at the beginning of your week so that you've got a plan of how you're going to get through your million lists." —Maria Halasz

In this week's Quick Fire Friday episode, Michael interviews Henry Stewart, Founder and Chief Happiness Officer of Happy. He's based in London, UK. Happy was rated the top 2 best workplaces in the UK last year and the top 15 in Europe. Happy, originally established as Happy Computers, is now focused on helping other organizations achieve what they've done; create great workplaces. Happy helps small-medium business owners with its values that equate to a happy, productive workplace; but the most important is believing in the best in your staff. People work best when they're trusted and given the creative freedom to make excellent decisions for the business, minimizing micromanagement, and focusing more on empowerment. This, paired with the implementation of the four-day workweek, Happy gained a 40% increase in sales last year and grew 25% each year. Happy workplaces are far more productive than unhappy workplaces, Henry said, "Trust your people, trust your people to step out into decision-making." Implying that small-medium business owners should promote empowerment and autonomy, which can lead to greater creativity and innovation within their business. This Cast Covers: Tips on how to create a happy, productive workplace. Assisting other organizations in building a happy workplace. Gains that come from having confidence in your employees. Providing people with freedom within established guidelines. Developing a core set of values for your organization. Doing away with unnecessary levels of management. Giving your employees real accountability and responsibility. Improvements in productivity with the implementation of the 4-day work week. Becoming more productive through Happy's Productivity Blitz. The stark difference between a positive and negative work environment. Links: Henry's Linkedin Henry's Company Website Henry's Twitter Additional Resources: The Happy Manifesto: Make Your Organization a Great Workplace by Henry Stewart Quotes: "People like freedom within guidelines." — Henry Stewart. "As the owner of the business, you're not always the best person to know what to do, you need to trust your people." — Henry Stewart. "Don't tell people what to do. Instead, build confidence, ask questions, and help people find their solutions." — Henry Stewart. "Stop making decisions if you're the business owner." — Henry Stewart. "Get people to play to their strengths." — Henry Stewart.

Join Troy in this episode as he interviews Martin Gorm Pedersen, the CEO & Co-Founder of RequirementONE, a Dane who has recently relocated with his family to Hobart, Australia. The company delivers a web-based platform that offers real-time access to global regulatory developments in any language that has the potential to impact a client's business. Since being established in 2020 RequirementONE has experienced solid growth, boasting a subscription base that has grown between 35% and 40% annually, with a daily active user engagement ranging from 45% to 50% and weekly and bi-weekly usage reaching close to 90%. With 12 full-time equivalent staff, Martin shares his insights on the challenges and opportunities of starting a distributed software business, emphasizing the importance of the right skill sets and dogged determination to succeed. Tune in to hear about key takeaways from Martin's experience as a serial entrepreneur covering multiple business topics. This Cast Covers The entrepreneurial journey from Denmark, to the UK, Silicon Valley and Tasmania. Discuss the pain points of enterprises that lead to the creation of RequirementONE. Core business KPIs. Incorporate AI to accelerate customer value. Key learning points from building various businesses. Key metrics for defining success. Importance of looking for the "right partnership" in marketing a fast-growing business. The biggest stressor in the business growth journey. The single most important piece of advice for ambitious small business owners. Links: Martin's LinkedIn RequirementONE - LinkedIn RequirementONE - we help companies action regulatory change Additional Resources: The Millionaire Mindset Book by Paul J. Stanley Buy Back Your Time Book by Dan Martell Unroll.me - aggregate email newsletters Pocket - digital scrapbook with tagging Quotes: "Going through the journey of building a business is like walking up a staircase where each new step requires a different mindset, skills, systems and people." —Martin Gorm Pedersen "If you can't get potential customers to pay for your products or services, then no amount of other people's money will make you successful." —Martin Gorm Pedersen "Success is building a business that does not rely on you." —Martin Gorm Pedersen "Creating a repeatable go-to-market strategy without pouring tons of money into getting some sort of traction is by far the hardest." —Martin Gorm Pedersen "Find one or two people that have done exactly what you're trying to do, and then get them onboard to help you out." —Martin Gorm Pedersen

In this episode, Michael interviews Ian Whitworth, co-founder of Scene Change, Australia's most-awarded AV company. He's based in the Greater Sydney Area. Ian had the most obscure career path; he started as a vet, then a cab driver, and is now a leading figure in the audiovisual industry. After 17 years, Scene Change is still going strong. As a live event business they were shut down for nearly two years, but they survived by creating TV-style impact for virtual events with a national network of high-end virtual event studios, saying goodbye to boring home-office Zoom calls. This allowed them to keep 95% of their people, unlike many in their industry, so the company was strongly placed to bounce back when live audiences returned. Scene Change has debuted in several locations, including Adelaide, Brisbane, Hobart, Hunter Valley, Melbourne, and Sydney. Since its establishment, its growth has always been steady. In the previous year, they generated $1,000,000 in revenue. Despite being a capital-intensive business, they are experiencing an impressive 25 to 27% compound annual growth rate each year, overcoming all odds, including the challenges given by COVID, and most importantly, they are sustaining their growth. Ian Whitworth heavily emphasized consistency, especially in marketing a fast-growing business. "Great brands, profitable brands are built on just being consistent." It takes a long time for people to hear and understand the many points of difference you want them to understand. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is your brand. Find your audience, find your niche, and niche down. This Cast Covers: Challenges brought by COVID to small-medium businesses. Innovating the business model to the present-day situation. Ian Whitworth's obscure path to the audiovisual industry. Scene Change's steady and sustained growth over the past nine years. Starting businesses in areas in which you're knowledgeable. The significance of consistency in building your brand. Learning as much as you can about your business's many functions. Sales are a crucial component in establishing brand loyalty. Avoiding hiring a narcissist that can be detrimental to the team culture. Perseverance is the key to success in the face of adversity. Links: Ian's Linkedin Ian's Company Website Ian's Blog Additional Resources: Undisruptable by Ian Whitworth Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life by Rory Sutherland Quotes: "We allow them a lot of freedom, control is overrated." — Ian Whitworth. "If you're special to a smaller group of people, then you'll be more profitable." — Ian Whitworth. "Great brands, profitable brands, are built on consistency." — Ian Whitworth. "Learn to live cheaply yourself, and reinvest." — Ian Whitworth. "It's persistency that gets you through most of these things." — Ian Whitworth.

In this week's Quick Fire Friday episode, Troy interviews Gillian Pereira, co-founder of The Business Pickle, and Simon Smallchua, co-founder of Harvey. They're both based in Melbourne, Australia. Gillian and Simon are co-founders of companies focused on using business as a means of good, helping small-medium business owners grow while at the same time creating strategies and plans to make sure they're on track to make a positive impact on the world. For businesses that are at the start of their journey toward taking responsibility for the environment. They can start by asking themselves these questions, is it a matter of waste they are creating with their business? Is it the carbon footprint of the company? Simon and Gillian help business owners tackle these questions by giving them a clear map of where they are and where the gaps are with their assessment tools, sustainability plans, and insightful research. When questioned about one thing they'd recommend a small business do on Monday, their collective answer is, "Progress is better than perfection." When starting on something, like making an impact on the world, just starting a conversation, start with the kind of access that you have and not being pretentious about anything, which can do a lot, and build from there. This Cast Covers: Helping businesses grow profitably while making a positive impact on the world. Where it all began for The Business Pickle. Developing sustainability plans and identifying gaps to accelerate their positive impact. Importance of considering different ESG factors of a company to evaluate the sustainability and ethical impact. Working with leaders/business owners that are motivated to create positive change. Case studies conducted by the research team of The Business Pickle. B Corp, a social, environmental, and accreditation system that started in the US. Practical aspects that small businesses can do around ESG. Being comfortable looking into the space and not seeking perfection. Finding charity partners that are closely aligned with the values of your business. Links: Gillian's Linkedin Gillian's Company Website Simon's Linkedin Simon's Company Website Additional Resources: Patagonia Thankyou Quotes: "Mapping out their reporting and other activities to make sure that they're on track to make a positive impact in the world." — Gillian Pereira & Simon Smallchua. "We really love to work with leaders or businesses that are motivated to create some positive change." — Gillian Pereira & Simon Smallchua. "So do some research, talk to people in your network, and find out what's already out there." — Gillian Pereira & Simon Smallchua. "Be comfortable to sort of look into the space and don't seek perfection." — Gillian Pereira & Simon Smallchua. "Progress is better than perfection." — Gillian Pereira & Simon Smallchua.

In this episode, Troy interviews Jackson McGrath, the Founder, and CEO of Greenstreat based in Brisbane, Australia. Jackson has set up his own feel-good food business to provide fresh and green healthy foods for different occasions and cravings across five sites in Australia. They strive to change the way people think about, choose, and eat food. From supplying GIS at supermarkets and groceries to making condiments, and sauces dressings with his family as their business, which is actually a champion product at Hobart Fine Food Awards, Jackson has decided to create a healthier and better food provider than fast food industry to solve the health and craving issues of Australian people in their place. Greenstreat was established in 2018 and has been in operation for 5 years with over a million annual revenue and 100 FTEs. Jackson has said that growing a small business includes putting structure into the business, making sure that you're growing and you're stabilizing the foundations while it grows and scales. He added, "One thing that's hard is to identify the right people, take off those hats, trust the system, and trust who you're working with, it's your baby, you've done it since day one, so you have to pay a lot of attention to it." This Cast Covers: Providing feel-good food to many Australian people for 5 years already. Skilled in Entrepreneurship, Food Preparation, Fast Food, Creative Entrepreneurship Sharing the advantage of growing a small business in your area. From having 3 to now over 100 FTES across five sites. Importance of applying authenticity and transparency in marketing a fast-growing business. Discusses how success is a continuous process, not a one-moment achievement. Learn how to overcome the challenge of structuring into the business, making sure that you're growing and you're stabilizing the foundations while it grows and scale. Encourages entrepreneurs to think bigger and put it into motion. Learning business strategies through great people that have done amazing things in their profession. Cultivating work-life balance through separating the hours for work and responsibilities at home. Links: Jackson's Linkedin Additional Resources: Greenstreat Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara Eleven Madison Park by Daniel Humm Quotes: "You have to hit your mission of just getting your product to as many people as you possibly can in order to help your business grow." —Jackson McGrath "Make it a goal to surround ourselves with good people." —Jackson McGrath "If you provide the customers with an unforgettable experience, the numbers will look after themselves." —Jackson McGrath "It's really important to just keep going, success will come naturally when you change the way people act and think through your service." —Jackson McGrath "The biggest thing for marketing is it has to just be transparent, and relevant." —Jackson McGrath

In this Grow A Small Business Podcast episode, Troy interviews Naomi Johnston from The Noa Group based in Sydney, Australia. The Noa Group is a digital marketing agency. Who are really niche with who they work with. Real estate, construction, and financial services and working with a range of businesses from small to medium enterprises, government agencies, and corporate clients as well. Business doubled during COVID as there was a big demand for a lot of businesses, as you couldn't go to the store and buy things. So a lot of people were doing e-commerce, they're running Shopify sites, with the service-based businesses that we work with. In real estate, there was a massive boom as well. So people were just looking to move everything online, which correlated to a lot of development work for us. Looking back, Naomi would tell herself on day one of starting out "Don't waste time dwelling on your ideas or dwelling on you know, should I delegate, should I not? I think take action, don't look back, everything in life is a lesson. Whether it's a good lesson or a bad lesson, just take the action and learn from it." This Cast Covers: How they've known each other How the business was started purely out of demand Why she decided to niche down to only 3 industries Having a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 86 How COVID impacted the business Why she recommends building a strong relationship with clients How the business was funded How the potential of the industry is being affected by AI How delegating has helped the business grow The 4 main points for building a sustainable and kickass culture How time blocking has helped her have a work-life balance 4-day work week Links: Naomi Johnston LinkedIn Naomi Johnston Facebook Naomi Johnston Instagram Additional Resources: The Diary of the CEO with Steven Bartlett The Mindset Mentor by Rob Dial High-Performance Habits by Brendon Burchard Start with Why by Simon Sinek The School of Greatness by Lewis Howes Quotes: "Success is seeing other people thrive in their businesses and being able to see them paying their employees wages and then their employees being able to provide for their families." — Naomi Johnston "Build a strong relationship with your clients this will fuel repeat business clients." — Naomi Johnston "I felt like I needed to do everything on the account, being in control of the social media content that was going out on my client's pages. However, as I started to build the business, I identified, certain people have certain skill sets, and I need to be able to delegate them to those people. And as soon as I did that, I started to see the business grow, grow further and further." — Naomi Johnston "Recognize the team for the good work that they're doing because a lot of people feel undervalued in their line of work." — Naomi Johnston "When you're extremely passionate about work, it's kind of hard to have that work-life balance." — Naomi Johnston

In this Quick Fire Friday episode, Michael interviews John Warrillow, founder of the Value Builder System, a sales and marketing software for business advisors to find, win and keep their best clients. He's based in Toronto, Canada. Asides from being the founder of a successful company, John's also a host of the Built to Sell Radio, he's an esteemed author of cohesive books. All of his works are focused on having a common thought, increasing the value of a business. Increasing the value of your business is essential, it's a critical piece in entrepreneurship. Value bares financial growth, competitive advantage, and, most importantly, an exit strategy. John's Value Builder System helps small-medium business owners build an asset as opposed to a job at a company, it assesses a business objectively based on the 8 Key Drivers of Company Value. Small-medium business owners should also balance their views on value and profit; to look more at the multiple, grow their profit, and grow the value of their business. The one thing that John Warrillow would recommend a small business owner does based on his knowledge and experience, is that small-medium business owners should think of themselves more as owners, parents, of their businesses rather than CEOs of their companies; to evolve a business into becoming independent as their biggest aspiration. This Cast Covers: The process and significance of making a company more valuable. The Value Builder System is software that helps entrepreneurs build their businesses as an asset. John's journey into becoming what he is now, a man focused on creating value. Different components that qualify a business exquisite for acquisition. Small and medium-sized business owners are frequently emotional about their business. The 8 Key Drivers of Company Value. Benefits of making your business differentiated as it increases sellability. Stories John shared to inspire business owners to cultivate the value of their businesses. Small-medium business owners celebrate revenue too much. Encouraging small-medium businesses to look at the multiple, profit, and value. Links: John's Linkedin John's Company Website John's Twitter Additional Resources: Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You by John Warrillow The Automatic Customer: Creating a Subscription Business in Any Industry by John Warrillow Built to Sell Podcast Quotes: "A business is transferable if it can run without the owner." — John Warrillow. "You teach what you want to learn." — John Warrillow. "Invest in companies with a deep and wide competitive moat." — John Warrillow. "Ego is what drives us to want to be the biggest shot in the room." — John Warrillow. "Evolving the way you think of your role as an owner of the business and thinking less as a CEO of your business and more as the parent of your business." — John Warrillow.

In this episode, Troy interviews Robert Gauvreau, the Founder, and CEO of Gauvreau Accounting Tax Law Advisory based in Peterborough, Canada. Robert has set up his own professional accounting firm to provide proactive accounting, advisory, and taxation services to businesses, practicing professionals, and individuals to create a public accounting firm focusing on 3 fundamental principles. From working at a global firm as someone who's gone through a public accounting background, now running a professional accounting firm that provides the highest quality proactive accounting, taxation planning, and client services. Gauvreau was established in 2008 and has been in operation for over 15 years. Became an award-winning licensed public accounting firm with over 10 million dollars in annual revenue and has 84 people that are all across Canada. Robert mentioned that resilience needs to be something that every business owner can deal with and cope with because it's not easy to handle and it can also affect the workflow of business. So he added, "The reason that so many businesses fail, number one is they run out of cash, 82% of businesses that fail. They run out of cash flow, not because they're not the smartest people, but they don't have the best business plan." This Cast Covers: Sharing his journey from working at a global firm to starting his own gig by managing a public accounting firm. Specializes in providing proactive accounting, advisory, and taxation services to businesses, practicing professionals, and individuals. Growing from $200k in revenue in the first year up to cracking the $10 million number this year with 84 people that are all across Canada. Offers a MILLI\coaching program that helps business owners grow and scale and earn their first million dollars a year. States how spending time with business owners in the proactive space and connecting with people regularly can enhance the understanding and unity on making the business succeed. Admitted into fellowship with CPA Canada at the young age of 26. A lifetime achievement award for being a professional. Takes ethics, integrity, and professional competence very seriously. Focusing on making relationships that have a huge network of business coaches, and starting to test value add opportunities to contribute to those markets. With a Net Promoter score of 73.2 in his 100% of commitment. Gives practical pieces of advice on how to make a good partnership works. Links: Bob's Linkedin Bob's Facebook Bob's Instagram Additional Resources: Gauvreau Accounting Tax Law Advisory The Wealthy Entrepreneur by Robert Gauvreau The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek Quotes: "Change is hard for people, then merging two cultures together is tenfold harder." —Robert Gauvreau "You can actually go to your competitors, and tell them exactly what you're going to do. Share with them your best tactics, and none of them will do it." —Robert Gauvreau "If you want to grow as a business owner, you've got to be committed to getting yourself uncomfortable." —Robert Gauvreau "If you're looking at a partnership and money gets involved, make sure you outline how the partnership works." —Robert Gauvreau "When challenging times happen, find a way that works for you to get yourself back to positive momentum." —Robert Gauvreau