The Small Business Big Marketing Podcast with Tim Reid

Today we literally go behind-the-scenes with BBQ chicken store owner Wally Khawli whose simple Facebook video strategy has saved his fledgling business from going under. “When you see his videos you can see that he is genuine, nothing is written down, nothing is prepared, he just comes out with it. People see that. They get a laugh out of it. Then they come in, they want to take photos with him, SnapChats ... They then try his food and they love it!” - - Joe Khawli (Wally’s Dad),  Mama’s BBQ Chicken & Salad Bar There’s loads more tips and insights just like this, along with answers to questions that will help you build that beautiful business of yours into the empire it deserves to be. Hit the PLAY button or subscribe free to hear the full interview. You’ll also find the full interview transcription below. Why did Wally almost close the business last Christmas? How to turn a learning difficulty into a positive? What should I do if I’m thinking of closing my business? How can I use Facebook videos to get more customers? What’s the secret to appearing in videos for my business? Wally Khawli owns Mama’s BBQ Chicken & Salad Bar located in an outer suburb of Melbourne. Nothing fancy, just a family run take-away business selling chickens, souvlakis and the occasional salad! Unlike most guests, Wally didn’t have a bio that I could use to introduce him. He’s got no fancy qualifications. He’s got a learning disability that could have held him back if he’d let it. But what he has got is a big heart and a burning passion for what he does.   Here’s what caught my attention from my chat with Wally Khawli of Mama’s BBQ Chicken & Salad Bar: Honour your strengths and weaknesses, then back yourself. Wally did. He put his learning difficulties aside, identified what he loved (chicken and making people happy) and was he was especially good at (being on camera), then went for it. Stop waiting for the right light, or the right hair do, or the right anything! Wally’s videos are far from polished. His Dad Joe films them on an iPhone, the music sometimes distorts, there’s customers coming in and out of the shop - there’s plenty of reasons to wait for that right moment. But instead, Wally goes for it! In a world of social media, we’re actually pretty forgiving when it comes to video production … so focus on creating great content. Work hard at maintaining the momentum you create with your marketing. It will be easy for Wally to get swept up in all the initial excitement that he’s created … the question remains to see if he can maintain it for the long term. That doesn’t mean keep doing more of the same … but it does mean evolving, doing things better, trying new ideas. I love the fact that he’s already selling merchandise!   But the marketing gold doesn’t stop there, in this episode you’ll also discover: I share another low cost marketing idea that’ll get you responding! And we go back into the vault, revisiting a killer moment during a chat I had with the world’s leading SEO expert Rand Fishkin   Please support these businesses who make this show possible: FastMail - Free 30-day trial plus 15% off your first year. Email, calendars and contacts done right. Get private, secure, email hosting for that beautiful business of yours. Dale Beaumont’s 52 Ways – An amazing free 1-day live event for business owners where you’ll discover 52 ways to boost your business profits. 2018 dates announced. Seats are limited. Book now. If some thing in this episode of Australia’s favourite marketing podcast peaked your interest, then let me know by leaving a comment below. May your marketing be the best marketing.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/marketingpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode 383 we meet two sisters who (along with four other friends) are working hard at turning their podcast into a business, and having a ball as they do so. “When something’s a passion project, you’ll find the space. We’re six women who have jobs, families … could not find time to have a coffee with each other, but we have somehow for the past two years carved out a space once a week to do The Outer Sanctum. The workload has increased, but all this comes from love. If it comes from something you truly believe in, then you find the time.” - Felicity Race, The Outer Sanctum There’s loads more tips and insights just like this that will help you build that beautiful business of yours into the empire it deserves to be. Hit the PLAY button or subscribe free to hear the full interview. You’ll also find the full interview transcription below. If you have questions about how to turn a podcast into a business that pays you real money,  then you’ll get the answers in this interview: How do I monetise a podcast? How do I run a business at the same time as getting my podcast off the ground? Is it realistic to think I could make a living from podcasting? How do I grow my audience to a point that partners / advertisers would be interested? Is advertising the only way to generate income from podcasting? A little bit about my two guests (as detailed in their own hilarious bios): Lucy Race - Lucy is a 12 time premiership supporter, mother, business owner and trainer for the SPJFC Under 11s. A prolific letter writer, media monitor and soap box dweller, Lucy is thrilled to find another vehicle for her opinions. Lucy is passionate about all codes of football. Her two dogs, Archie Thompson and Jarryd Roughead concur. Felicity Race - Felicity is a business owner, football lover and mother of three boys who lives with the daily challenge of her kids barracking for Essendon.  Running her own business has turned out to be fortuitous as  podcasting, occasional writing for The Guardian and watching every sport possible makes her largely unemployable. In 2016, Felicity learned how to bounce a footy which was the pinnacle of her football career.   Here’s what caught my attention from my chat with Lucy & Felicity Race: Don’t be afraid to look to podcasting as a whole new business. I did and it’s continues to be an amazing ride. If you want to know how I’ve monetised it then go back and listen to episode 351. Nothing’s impossible. If you had told me that there’s a group of six people successfully producing a weekly audio program, I would have said that’s way too many. It couldn’t work. Clearly it can, and The Outer Sanctum are proof of that. Partnerships. Partnerships. Partnerships. I’ve rattled on about this ALOT, I know. But the power of a strategic partnership in growing any business can’t be understated. Go back and listen to episode 369 to learn how to do it.   But the marketing gold doesn’t stop there, in this episode you’ll also discover: How I get more listeners to my podcast You’ll discover how to ramp up the human side of your business And we go back into the vault, revisiting a chat I had with a Stephen Byron whose family built and own Australia’s most awarded airport!   Please support these businesses who make this show possible: Dale Beaumont’s 52 Ways – An amazing free 1-day live event for business owners where you’ll discover 52 ways to boost your business profits. Seats are limited. Book now. Dragon Voice Recognition Software - It converts whatever you say into text. You download the software, start talking and your words appear on your screen. Which means you can create documents, blog posts, emails, reports & spreadsheets in a third the time; because we speak three times faster than we write. Get 35% off at GetDragon.com.au If some thing in this episode of Australia’s favourite marketing podcast peaked your interest, then let me know by leaving a comment below. May your marketing be the best marketing.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/marketingpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode 382 Melbourne’s culinary king, Chris Lucas, takes us behind-the-scenes of how he’s successfully built and promoted some of Australia’s most exciting and interesting dining experiences. This is for anyone (not just restaurateurs) wanting to build a business that stands out from the crowd. “I don’t get intellectually interested in what other people have done … my idea is about capturing what I think is right, and try to be creative and do something different. We’ve established a set of brands that do that, that are about being innovative and that create a level of excitement, and as a result, a lot of excitement. That’s what I think we should all be interested in.” - Chris Lucas, The Lucas Group There’s loads more tips and insights just like this that will help you build that beautiful business of yours into the empire it deserves to be. Hit the PLAY button or subscribe free to hear the full interview. You’ll also find the full interview transcription below. If you have questions about how to grow and market your business successfully then you’ll get this answers in this interview: How do I find a gap in the market place? Why shouldn’t I just copy my competitors? How do I innovate in my business? Why & how should I challenge the conventions of my industry? How do I come up with a business model relevant to today’s customers? Where and how do I look for opportunities? Chris’s successes in starting and promoting restaurants is amazing. As well as the super-successful Chin Chin, he has a stable of some of Melbourne’s most popular eateries: Baby Pizza and Japanese/Korean-inspired Kong BBQ in Richmond, as well as Hawker Hall, a food and beer hall in Windsor, where the hip and the hungry queue to get in. And he’s recently opened Kisume, an upmarket Japanese Korean dining experience.   Here’s what caught my attention from my chat with Chris Lucas: Go where the demand is and find a gap in the market ... learn to see opportunities where others don't. In doing so, avoid doing ‘me too’. As Chris said, “doing me-too doesn’t intellectually interest him!” Come up with a product and business model more relevant to today's customer. Sometimes we do things just because that's how everyone does them … maybe it’s time to break a few rules and do things differently? Innovate and constantly evolve your business model. Look for fun places to take your clients, suppliers and staff. This is not something Chris and I spoke about, but that chat reminded me of an idea I shared in a past episode, where I suggested us business owners should never eat alone; or, at least once a week we should get out of the office and have a business lunch with someone. I’m catching up with an overseas listener for dinner tonight! But the marketing gold doesn’t stop there, also in this episode: You’ll discover where to look for ideas to get more customers - and it’s not where you think The importance of owning your brand’s personality is made crystal clear And we revisit an episode in which my Joep Pennartz built an entire business called Shacky around #JOMO - the joy of missing out!   Please support these businesses who make this show possible: Open Universities Australia - Check out Open Universities’ online courses for business owners over at Open.edu.au. Someone’s gotta be the smartest in your industry - it may as well be you! Dale Beaumont’s 52 Ways – An amazing free 1-day live event for business owners where you’ll discover 52 ways to boost your business profits. 2018 dates announced. Seats are limited. Book now. If some thing in this episode of Australia’s favourite marketing podcast peaked your interest, then let me know by leaving a comment below. May your marketing be the best marketing.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/marketingpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chemist Warehouse founder Jack Gance is Australian retailing royalty, with a personal wealth of $319M. Listen in as he reveals how he (and other family members) have built the empire. “The average pharmacist hates us because we have effected the whole margin structure in pharmacy. If they compete with us 100%, if they match our prices, they’ll go broke. They want 35% margin. If they match our prices, they won't even cover their rent. So, they pretend, or they just try to provide better service. So we’re not really liked in the industry.” - Jack Gance, Co-Founder, Chemist Warehouse Jack really does stir the pot in this very insightful and honest chat as he takes us behind the scenes of how he and his brother built their pharmacy empire. Hit the PLAY button above to hear the full interview, where Jack Gance also shares: How an advertising contra deal enabled the creation of three iconic Aussie brands in Le Specs, Le Tan & Australis How building these brands funded the early years of the pharmacy empire How to find your strategic advantage How systems enable them to open 40 stores per year, each one taking only 10-days to set-up, with budgeted turnover of $10M each! What he believes the real definition of an entrepreneur is   A little bit more about Jack Gance Jack qualified as a pharmacist in 1967 and alongside his brother, the pair purchased their first pharmacy around that time. In the 1970s and 80s, the Gance brothers established the iconic Le Specs, Le Tan and Australis brands before selling them in order to build their pharmacy empire which is now worth well in excess of a billion dollars thanks to the iconic My Chemist brand with 60 stores nationally, and Chemist Warehouse with 350 stores. Jack’s personal net worth was reported in 2016’s BRW Top 200 Rich List at $391 million. He is a stalwart of the Australian retail landscape, and is also the founder of the Family Business Association of Australia. “A true entrepreneur does not take risks. They mitigate them.” - Jack Gance, Chemist Warehouse   Here’s what caught my attention from chatting with Chemist Warehouse founder Jack Gance: The advertising contra deal that he struck with an advertising agency in order to promote Le Specs. Without it, he and his brother couldn’t have built that brand to the iconic brand it became. What mutually beneficial contra deals could you strike? The importance of systems. We’ve covered this a few times on previous episodes, but it can’t be overlooked. Jack’s opening 40 stores a year, each one taking only 10 days to set up! You can’t do that without impeccable systems. The haters gunna hate. Although he only briefly touched on it during the interview, I’m guessing Jack and his team endured quite a lot of criticism as they established Australia’s largest chain of discount chemists. Whilst I’m the first to support small business, and hate seeing the little guy get buried by the big guys, I’m also a big supporter of seeing small business grow big … into the empire they deserve to be ;0)   But the marketing gold doesn’t stop there, you’ll also: Discover how to break through procrastination and get your next marketing idea off the ground Revisit a recent episode in which we caught up with Peter Hitchener,  Australia’s #1 TV newsreader who’s nailing social media   Other resources mentioned: Le Tan TV commercial Le Specs TV commercial   Please support these businesses who make this show possible: Dale Beaumont’s 52 Ways – An amazing free 1-day live event for business owners where you’ll discover 52 ways to boost your business profits. Seats are limited. Book now. Dragon Voice Recognition Software - It converts whatever you say into text. You download the software, start talking and your words appear on your screen. Which means you can create documents, blog posts, emails, reports & spreadsheets in a third the time; because we speak three times faster than we write. Get 35% off at GetDragon.com.au If some thing in this episode of Australia’s favourite marketing podcast peaked your interest, then let me know. Leave your thoughts below. May your marketing be the best marketing.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/marketingpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we’re joined by SEO doyon, Rand Fishkin from Moz, who’ll walk you step-by-step through how to create and optimise podcast show notes, blog posts and web pages so that they rank well in Google. “Unique value is something Google is really seeking out. So if you go and look at the results for the top 10 for a keyword that you really care about, and you can identify a hole, a gap, something that no-one else is filling where you can provide the value that no-one else has, that is a great opportunity to get ranking in Google.” - Rand Fishkin, Moz There’s loads more tips and insights just like this that can 10X your SEO results. Hit the PLAY button above to hear the full interview. If you have any of the following questions about how to how to optimise your podcast show notes (or simply want to improve your Google rankings) you’ll get the answers in this interview: How do I rank on page 1 of Google in 2017 and beyond? How do I create the ultimate show notes for a podcast? How do I get my blog post to rank well? How do I identify the best keyword to use? Do I need to keyword stuff my posts? What can I do off-page to improve my SEO? What is metadata and how critical is it to optimising my podcast show notes? Is it still possible for a small business to rank on page 1 of Google? What are the key components of SEO in 2017? BTW, Rand Fishkin (in my humble opinion) is the world’s leading expert on SEO. Going by the ludicrous title, Wizard of Moz, he’s the founder of the SEO software startup Moz, host of Whiteboard Friday (a must watch) and co-author of a pair of books on SEO. Here’s what caught my attention from chatting with Moz’s Rand Fishkin: Getting on page 1 of Google is not magic and any business can do it - As Rand says, it’s an art and a science. Yes, there is some work to be done, yes it does get detailed, and yes it gets a little geeky. But why go to the trouble of creating a website full of helpful content, whether that be podcast show notes, blog posts or whatever, if you don’t optimise it for Google. My advice is to understand then outsource this component. The embedded Tweet - What a great idea. You have to do this retrospectively, once the podcast show notes go live, but that’s cool. Here’s one I prepared earlier … go on, go ahead and Tweet it … you know you want to :) Links to external resources - When you recommend a great third party service, it builds trust in you as the place to go. Such links are not ‘doors out’ of your website. Just be sure to have the links open in a new tab.   But the marketing gold doesn’t stop there, you’ll also: Discover how to write great mini-stories to help you sell more products Revisit a grab from a past episode in which Gelato Messina’s Declan Lee (Australia’s best Gelato maker) explained how he’s disrupting a very old industry   Other resources mentioned: Speechpad transcription service (from USD$60 per audio hour) Trint transcription service (from USD$12 per audio hour) Yoast SEO Wordpress plugin Stories for work    Please support these businesses who make this show possible: Open Universities Australia - Check out Open Universities’ online courses for business owners over at Open.edu.au. Someone’s gotta be the smartest in your industry - it may as well be you! Dale Beaumont’s 52 Ways – An amazing free 1-day live event for business owners where you’ll discover 52 ways to boost your business profits. 2018 dates announced. Seats are limited. Book now. If some thing in this episode of Australia’s favourite marketing podcast peaked your interest, then let me know. Leave your thoughts below. May your marketing be the best marketing.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/marketingpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MyDNA is potentially a very complicated business. It is after all, dealing with my (and yours) DNA! That;’s why founder Dr. Lior Rauchberger is working hard at simplifying a complicated business. Although officially a medical doctor, Dr. Lior Rauchberger is equally passionate about technology and innovation. In fact, if the truth be known, he’s a bit of a gadgets freak! After practising medicine for 9-years, he jumped ship and started Urban Intelligence, a business installing high tech into homes and offices. With that humming along beautifully, he then sought out his next venture which turned out to be MyDNA … a business that enables you to use your DNA to make the right health choices around things like diet and medication. I was introduced to Lior by past guest Radek Sali from Swisse Multivitamins, so I knew he’d be good. Truth is, Lior was exceptional. His passion for business, technology and marketing is addictive, as we cover plenty of ground including: Why he left the relative safety of the medical profession His love of the entrepreneur's life How he chooses his business ventures How he markets MyDNA - a service that most don’t know exists, and for those that do many think it’s hokus pokus! And so much more   But the marketing gold doesn’t stop there, in this episode you’ll also discover: I’ll show you how to create an insanely helpful email series And we go back into the vault, revisiting a chat I had with high performance expert Mark McKeon   Here’s what caught my attention from chatting with MyDNA’s Dr Lior Rauchberger: Simplicity - Lior is making the complicated simple. And not just simple to understand, but simple to buy. For example, on the Diet Report page of the My DNA website, it simple reads “Are you on the best diet for your body? Our DNA test can reveal how your body will respond to what you eat and drink, and how you exercise.” Order Now. $99. Marketing challenge - Lior and his team aren’t kidding themselves about the marketing challenge that lies ahead, knowing they have quite some work to do to break through the cynicism and lack of understanding around the whole DNA thing. Distribution - Lior’s clearly identified the three groups My DNA needs to get onside - Health professionals, consumers and pharmacists - and has three distinct marketing strategies for them. Sometimes I see business owners stuck trying to influence just one group of influencers, when the reality is, most business have a number of groups. If that’s you, then maybe it’s time to cast your net wider.   Links & Resources mentioned: MyDNA’s website Dr. Lior Rauchberger on Twitter Interview with high performance coach Mark McKeon Mark McKeon’s Go Zone book 3 steps to create an insanely helpful email series   Please support these businesses who make this show possible: Dale Beaumont’s 52 Ways – An amazing free 1-day live event for business owners where you’ll discover 52 ways to boost your business profits. Seats are limited. Book now. Dragon Voice Recognition Software - It converts whatever you say into text. You download the software, start talking and your words appear on your screen. Which means you can create documents, blog posts, emails, reports & spreadsheets in a third the time; because we speak three times faster than we write. Get 35% off at GetDragon.com.au If some thing in this episode of Australia’s favourite marketing podcast peaked your interest, then let me know. Leave your thoughts below. May your marketing be the best marketing.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/marketingpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Peter Hitchener is one of Australia’s most loved and respected TV newsreaders. Think a chivalrous version of Ron Burgundy! He’s spent his entire career in the media, and has been the chief newsreader for Channel 9 since 1998. He received the Order of Australia medal earlier this year for his services to the broadcast media and the community, and is an active supporter of a number of charities. Now I know what you’re thinking. Pete’s not a business owner, Timbo ... and you always interview business owners. Well, you’re right, but that doesn’t mean we can’t learn from him. What fascinates me about Pete is that he’s 71 years old, and is not only using social media effectively, he’s using ALL social media effectively. How I found this out was via my 17 year old daughter, who was having a laugh at the dinner table a few weeks ago about the fact that Peter Hitchener is massive on Snapchat … and all her girlfriends love him! She showed me what he as doing, and I thought it was pure genius. So, if you’re keen to up your presence and engagement on social media, then listen in as Australia’s most popular TV newsreader takes us behind-the-scenes of his love affair with social media.   But the marketing gold doesn’t stop there, in this episode you’ll also discover: Resident techspert Dale Beaumont from 52 Ways shares a great way to create professional looking mock-ups of your marketing materials I share another low cost marketing idea that will help you manage unhappy customers And we go back into The Small Business Big Marketing Show’s vault, revisiting a past interview with LA concierge to the stars Steve Sims who shares a great referral marketing idea   Here’s what caught my attention from chatting with Channel Nine’s Peter Hitchener: No matter how successful you are, stay humble. Being Australia’s #1 newsreader, Peter is at the absolute top of his game; yet he remains humble, grateful and ridiculously accessible. I think it’s so ugly when I meet a successful person and they exude arrogance. Pete hasn’t put a huge amount of thought into how he strategically uses each social media channel. I loved how he responded to my question about which video streaming service (Periscope or Facebook Live) he would have used if he’d streamed this interview, and he responded “Both!” I think too many business owners over engineer their social media approach, and as a result do nothing. Do something, see what works for you and your audience, and take it from there! I’ll include a link in the shownotes to a blog post I wrote about how to use social media to take people behind-the-scenes of you business. If you look through Pete’s posts across all the channels he uses, he can often be seen promoting other people and their businesses. This can only help endear him to others - and get him a whole lot more shares from those people he chooses to profile.   Links & Resources mentioned: Peter Hitchener’s official website Peter Hitchener on Facebook Peter Hitchener on Twitter Peter Hitchener on Instagram Peter Hitchener on Snapchat How to create simple mock-up for your marketing materials 3 steps to conducting an effective exit interview Interview with Bluefish’s Steve Sims on referral marketing   Please support these businesses who make this show possible: Dale Beaumont’s 52 Ways – An amazing free 1-day live event for business owners where you’ll discover 52 ways to boost your business profits. Seats are limited. Book now. Open Universities Australia - When was the last time you learnt something that could propel your business forward? Outside of listening to this show, and thank-you for that, your answer may well be “Not in a very long time, Timbo!” That’s cool, but maybe it’s time that changed. Check out Open Universities’ online courses over at Open.edu.au. Someone’s gotta be the smartest in your industry - so it may as well be you! If some thing in this episode of Australia’s favourite marketing podcast peaked your interest, then let me know. Leave your thoughts below. May your marketing be the best marketing.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/marketingpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2013 Dan Norris was two weeks away from unemployment following 8 straight years of business failure. The following week and with no funding, he launched an idea that within 2 years was a million dollar recurring income business, that was quickly snapped up by GoDaddy. He ‘s now on to his next venture and having a ball. In episode 377 of The Small Business Big Marketing Show, we find out how he’s done it. Dan endured 8 straight years of failure before selling his first successful business to GoDaddy for an undisclosed sum in 2016. Instead of finding the nearest hammock and enjoying his new found wealth, he’s now having a ball building Black Hops, a boutique brewery on the Gold Coast. One thing you’ll quickly pick up about Dan is Instead of messing around validating the plethora of ideas he has, he simply goes ahead and launches, making decisions based on real time information from real customers to build real businesses.   But the marketing gold doesn’t stop there: Resident techspert Dale Beaumont from 52 Ways has an idea that will save you hours each week I share another low cost marketing idea that should get you a sale … today! And we go back into the vault, revisiting an episode in which my guest was so superficial I wanted to throw up!   Here’s what caught my attention from chatting with Black Hops Brewery’s Dan Norris: Dan’s entrepreneurial spirit I thought it was interesting that Dan regrets, and didn’t learn anything from, his 8 years of failure His respect for the power of creating helpful content (if you want to know how to create it then graba  copy of my marketing book, The Boomerang Effect)   Links & Resources mentioned: Dan’s personal website Black Hops Brewery How to cut hours off your video viewing time A high-converting sales tactic Interview with Cactus Skincare’s Ryan Clark   Please support these businesses who make this show possible: Dale Beaumont’s 52 Ways – An amazing free 1-day live event for business owners where you’ll discover 52 ways to boost your business profits. Seats are limited. Book now. Dragon Voice Recognition Software - It converts whatever you say into text. You download the software, start talking and your words appear on your screen. Which means you can create documents, blog posts, emails, reports & spreadsheets in a third the time; because we speak three times faster than we write. Get 35% off at GetDragon.com.au If some thing in this episode of Australia’s favourite marketing podcast peaked your interest, then let me know. Leave your thoughts below. May your marketing be the best marketing.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/marketingpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How to start an eCommerce business and turn-over $1.8M in your first 10-months | How to use video to collaborate | Secrets to conducting a memorable podcast interview | A blogging strategy to make you look good | And plenty more on your favourite marketing podcast. Imagine finding a product you absolutely love and turning it into your own successful eCommerce business. Photographer (and part-time Gardener) Brian Chapman bought 20,000 seedlings for his rural property. He then realised the idea of digging 20,000 holes wasn’t that appealing. A quick Google search uncovered the Power Planter - a product only available out of America. Not for long … Brian’s now the local distributor, and has sold $1.8 million worth of this genius little invention in his first 10-months. Oh, and Brian’s no longer a Photographer! Brian Chapman, is the Australian distributor for the Power Planter, a simple tool that attaches to your drill and makes it ridiculously easy to dig holes in the ground. Up until 12-months ago, Brian was making a nice living as a professional photographer, but felt a little unsatisfied. Also a keen gardener living on a beautiful property just outside of Sydney, he’d created a rather large problem (which you’ll hear about shortly) for which Power Planter (only available out of North America at the time) turned out to be the ideal solution. The rest is history as Brian secured the licence to it, and has sold a whopping $1.8 million worth in his first 10-months of business! We cover so much marketing and business ground including: How to start an eCommerce business How Brian attained the local distribution rights The importance of listening to your instinct The key to starting a successful online business How Brian’s created a brand personality for Power Planter’s marketing And that’s just in the first 5-minutes!   But the marketing gold doesn’t stop there, in this episode you’ll also discover: Resident techspert Dale Beaumont from 52 Ways shows us how to collaborate with our teams via video I’ll show you a blog post strategy that will make you look good … real good! I respond to some great follow-up questions from a listener who loved the recent episode I did on podcasting And we go back into The Small Business Big Marketing Show’s vault, revisiting a chat I had with a fellow who has proven we can all do good by doing good   Here’s what caught my attention from chatting with Brian Chapman of Power Planter: I loved how he talked about the creative spirit … and that not always having the solution upfront, is not a reason to not move forward with an idea. Brian (along with many of the successful people I chat with on this show) was all about progress not perfection. “Make a mistake, then adjust and learn” seemed to be his mantra. Adapt your personality to who you’re selling to. I might have challenged Brian on this one, but it does make sense. Whilst I try to be me no matter what the situation, I certainly amp things up when I’m doing this show or presenting at a conference. I’ve included a link in the shownotes to a post detailing the 12 brand personalities Brian mentioned. Create a video that tackles the primary problem your business solves, then post it to your Home page, YouTube channel, maybe even include it in your email signature. I’ve also included a link in the shownotes to the website Brian mentioned where you can hire actors to appear in your marketing videos if you don't’ want to!   Links & Resources mentioned: Power Planter’s official website How to use video to collaborate with your team How to create a blog post that will make you look good Interview with Peter Baines of Hands Across The Water   Please support these businesses who make this show possible: Dale Beaumont’s 52 Ways – An amazing free 1-day live event for business owners where you’ll discover 52 ways to boost your business profits. Seats are limited. Book now. Open Universities Australia - When was the last time you learnt something that could propel your business forward? Outside of listening to this show, and thank-you for that, your answer may well be “Not in a very long time, Timbo!” That’s cool, but maybe it’s time that changed. Check out Open Universities’ online courses over at Open.edu.au. Someone’s gotta be the smartest in your industry - so it may as well be you! If some thing in this episode of Australia’s favourite marketing podcast peaked your interest, then let me know. Leave your thoughts below. May your marketing be the best marketing.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/marketingpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How to use promotional products effectively | Create templated marketing videos from your iPhone | Get a little celebrity lovin’ | A self-publishing success story | And plenty more on your favorite marketing podcast … Today’s successful business owner is Clive McCorkell of Arid Zone - a promotional products agency he co-founded 30-years ago. Clive knows a thing or two about how to use promotional products to market your business. The idea for this interview came about a few months ago when I was handed a calico bag full of promotional items at a Meet Up for what I consider to be quite a cool brand. I share what those items were in the interview, suffice to say that I was underwhelmed. A few weeks later I was the opening keynote speaker at the Australian Promotional Products Association’s annual conference, at which point I connected with Clive who agreed to come on the show. Promotional products is a marketing topic I’m yet to cover, but have plenty of questions, like  how can businesses best use them, and what’s the future hold for them. Clives also been running a successful business for 3-decades (no mean feet) so I interrogated him about that as well!   But the marketing gold doesn’t stop there, in this episode you’ll also discover: Resident techspert Dale Beaumont from 52 Ways shares a great way to make videos on your iPhone and upload directly to YouTube I share another low cost marketing idea that’ll get your business some celebrity lovin’ And we go back into The Small Business Big Marketing Show’s vault, revisiting a past interview with a guest who beleives all businesses can do good by doing good   Here’s what caught my attention from chatting with Clive McCorkell from Arid Zone: I love Arid Zone’s 5 touch point concept which starts out at the Quoting process and ends after the sale. Arid Zone speak. What a great idea. You may not even realise that your business has it’s own language - if it does, it might be time to formalise it so that all staff start integrating it into emails, sales letters, website pages and so on. “Brand in the hand” - I like that as a way to sum up the power of promotional products … because there’s nothing quite as powerful as having a prospect or customer interacting with your precious brand, right?   Links & Resources mentioned: Arid Zone’s website How and why to get celebrity testimonials YouTube Director provides shot-by-shot guidance – so that you can create a high quality video ad and upload it directly to YouTube from the app. No video editing experience required. Interview with Peter Baines of Hands Across The Water   Please support these businesses who make this show possible: Dale Beaumont’s 52 Ways – An amazing free 1-day live event for business owners where you’ll discover 52 ways to boost your business profits. Seats are limited. Book now. Open Universities Australia - When was the last time you learnt something that could propel your business forward? Outside of listening to this show, and thank-you for that, your answer may well be “Not in a very long time, Timbo!” That’s cool, but maybe it’s time that changed. Check out Open Universities’ online courses over at Open.edu.au. Someone’s gotta be the smartest in your industry - so it may as well be you! If some thing in this episode of Australia’s favourite marketing podcast peaked your interest, then let me know. Leave your thoughts below. May your marketing be the best marketing.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/marketingpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.