The Small Business Big Marketing Podcast with Tim Reid

Today’s guest did the interview in her pyjamas. Why? Because she can! She’s a true entrepreneur, starting a business to help put herself through university, only to then systemise it so that today it runs for the most part … without her. And who doesn’t want a bit of that?! Joyce Ong (PJs and all!) is the founder of the Young Musicians Academy - shares her secret sauce on how she’s created a business employing 35 music teachers - that paid her way through uni, and then some! In a recent email to me from long time listener Russ Porteous he said: “I met Joyce at the July Business Blueprint Conference, and she was one of the highlights of the 4-days. Joyce is a true entrepreneur, starting a business to help put herself through university, only to systemise the business so that today it runs for the most part without her ... I don't know Joyce's full story, but I think given her personality it’s one we’d all love to hear.  By systemising her business, Joyce has been able to remove herself from her business and follow other passions.” So, listen in and discover: How to hire people smarter than you without relying on the resume Joyce's 3 D process to creating systems Her global outsourcing strategy How she’s created a high converting website with a simple, strategic offer And how letterbox drops, school newsletters & JVs have worked to grow her business Plus I share Part 2 of a 4- part series in which I share some highly clickable email subject lines that will get more of your emails open, more often. You'll find Part 1 (the first 5 email subject lines) in last week's episode of your favourite marketing podcast ;0). Let's get stuck right in!  EPISODE TIMELINE 00:00  Two marketing insights02:43  Welcome & overview04:07  Today’s guest introduction - Joyce Ong of the Young Musicians Academy06:07  Interview with Joyce Ong of the Young Musicians Academy33:48 Insights into WebCentral & Cornerstone Business Solutions36:24  My Top 3 Attention Grabbers from my chat with Joyce Ong of the Young Musicians Academy38:43  Part 2 - Highly Clickable Email Subject Lines43:01  Wrap-up and an insight in to both a past guest & next week’s guest   EPISODE SPONSORS WebCentral - Exclusive listener offersGet your online marketing sorted with these exclusive listener offers. DesignCrowd - Save up to $100 on your first designThe world's #1 custom design marketplace.   RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED Growth Hack Accelerator - a live event I'm speaking at in SeptemberJoyce Ong's Young Musicians AcademyThe article by Emma Dowdle containing 20 highly clickable email subject lines   MY TOP 3 MARKETING ATTENTION GRABBERS “It just grew and expanded because I was doing what I loved.” Systems. Systems. Systems! Conduct a brain dump of everything you do, then create three columns - Do. Delegate. Delete. Her compelling offer of “Two free lessons. No catches.”  It’s front and centre of her website. OVER TO YOU … What was your biggest marketing learning or ah-ha moment from this episode? Leave your comment below. My guest and I respond to each and every comment.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/marketingpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever wondered how to make a viral video? Then listen up. David Christison is the founder of The Woolshed - a video production company based in Melbourne that’s done something quite genius (I think) for the art of viral videos, and the marketing of his own business. Over the past two years the Woolshed has produced 8 unique viral videos. Videos that many of you would have seen, and gone OMG! … then gone and shared it with your mates. But the amazing thing is, all 8 of the videos are fully manufactured. They’re fakes! This is an absolute masterclass on how to make a viral video. You’ll find all eight viral videos over at at this blog post, but some of the major ones include the guy who fights off a Great White Shark in Sydney harbour (this one sucked me in!); the crazy guy who runs into an outback tornado to take a selfie; and the snowboarding girl being chased by a bear! As David says in his press release, “We set out to better understand exactly how to create short-form, highly shareable and snackable’ content, that is capable of reaching worldwide mass audiences, without the luxury of pricey media buys, ad campaigns, publicity strategies or distribution deals.” And, without any paid media, promotion or publicity here’s what the 8 viral videos have achieved: 164 years of YouTube watch time 205 million online views 500,000+ comments Plus worldwide news coverage on all the big outlets Add to this the fact that this brilliant experiment single-handedly launched David’s business, to the point now where they are working for big names clients from around the world.I love this story. Listen in and you’ll discover what works, what doesn’t, and what are the absolute ‘must haves’ for any viral marketing campaign. PLUS, I share part 1 of a 4-part series in which I share 5 email subject lines that are highly clickable. I’m also excited to announce The Growth Hack Accelerator, a live event I’m speaking at in September. Joined by two other speakers in Outsourcing expert David Warne, and Systems specialist David Guest, Growth Hack Accelerator is a ridiculously practical 3-hour breakfast session in which you’ll discover … How to create a marketing system that will position you as a thought leader How to radically reduce your businesses greatest expense How to remove yourself from the business for maximum growth ( a theme that’s common to many recent episodes) Yep, another big episode of your favourite marketing podcast. So, let's get stuck, right in.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/marketingpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's guest very kindly cancelled a game of golf (on a Tuesday morning!) in order to do this interview, so the epsidoe title of how to make more money by working less in your business is more than apt! I met Daniel Gibbs of Posture Podiatry at an event recently, when he came up and told me how much he loved my show, and began to explain how he’d implemented a few of the ideas he’d heard over the years. I was impressed ... I do love a good action-taker. He particularly liked the episode I did with Dentist Padi Lund who, on the verge of suicide, made some fundamental changes to his business life, and lived to tell the story. Now, whilst Daniel’s predicament was never that dier, he did find himself at one point being booked out 3-months in advance, seeing patients at midnight, feeling completely exhausted trying to both work on and in his business, whilst at the same time wanting to be there for his heavily pregnant wife. So, like any motivated business owner, he made some fundamental changes to the way he did business. This really is inspiring stuff. Listen in and you’ll discover: How to work less in your business How to implement an unforgettable customer experience The importance of systems … and post-it notes! How critical that first 20 seconds with a customer is How the quality of the herbal tea that you serve is in direct relationship to the quality of your service Why you need a Wall of WOW! And so much more After working under another Podiatrist for a number of years, Daniel opened his own clinic at the age of 29, and from day one made a decision that it was going to be the best in class. In today's episode, I also help a Horse & Donkey charity called Hope Pastures who has zero marketing budget but needs to feed their precious animals over the cold Winter month, with an idea that could help them raise plenty! It based on this fantastic crowd funding campaign: Yep, another big episode of your favourite marketing podcast. So, let's get stuck, right in.     EPISODE TIMELINE 02:12  Introduction teaser02:57  Welcome & overview04:29  Today’s guest introduction - Daniel Gibbs of Posture Podiatry07:05  Interview with Daniel Gibbs of Posture Podiatry43:18 Insights in to WebCentral & Designcrowd45:42  My Top 3 Attention Grabbers from my chat with Daniel Gibbs of Posture Podiatry47:33  I share a fundraising idea with a charity listener53:37  Wrap-up and an insight in to both a past guest & next week’s guest    EPISODE SPONSORS WebCentral - Exclusive listener offersGet your online marketing sorted with these exclusive listener offers. Designcrowd - Save up to $100 on your first design.The world's #1 custom design marketplace - beautifully simple & cheap. We love cheap!   RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED Posture Podiatry's official websiteInterview with dentist Padi LundThe Crowdfunder campaign for Hearing Dogs for Deaf PeopleHope Pastures is the charity I give some advice to   MY TOP 3 MARKETING ATTENTION GRABBERS   Do everything in your power to stop the business being reliant on you. I have an episode coming up with another business owner who explains exactly how she’s done this … in fact she shares a beautifully elegant three step process. What’s your herbal tea? And I don’t mean what flavour do you like! I mean what can you offer your customers that’s simple, yet makes them go wow? The guy who services my car always gives it a wash. My local coffee shop gives you a little Macaroon with your coffee. So, what’s your herbal tea? Ask your clients … “What advice have you got for other clients of your business?” Their answers could form the basis of your on Wall of Wow, or you could sprinkle them throughout your website or include them on your quotes … like little testimonials. OVER TO YOU … What was your biggest marketing learning or ah-ha moment from this episode? Share it in the Commenst section over at http://smallbusinessbigmarketing.com/326 My guest and I respond to each and every comment.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/marketingpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sam Reid is the co-founder of cider brand Willie Smiths. I meet Sam at the recent Telstra Business Awards in Tasmania. Now, one of my jobs as the emcee was to announce the finalists for each category and read out a short bio about their business. Each business always got a round of applause … although some got a bigger applause than others. Willie Smith’s Cider got the biggest by far …. Quite heartfelt, it was! So, in kicked my marketing brain. What are they doing that other businesses aren’t? What makes them so special? Basically … Why all the love?! At the end of the night I suggested he come on the show and reveal his secret sauce. “Hell yeah!” was his measured response. So, here’s Sam Reid, co-founder of Willie Smith’s Cider. Also in this episode of your favourite marketing podcast, I share my top 10 ice-breaker questions that I use during pre-interview chats, and in general when meeting people for the first time. They get past the surface and fast-track getting to know someone at a much deeper level. And I even give you my answers to each of the questions. Yep … it gets personal! Let's do this!   EPISODE TIMELINE 02:12  Welcome & overview04:36  Today’s guest introduction - Sam Reid of Willie Smiths05:53  Interview with Sam Reid of Willie Smiths46:07 Insights in to WebCentral & Designcrowd48:02  My Top 3 Attention Grabbers from my chat with Sam Reid of Willie Smiths50:50  My Top 10 Ice-Breaker Questions57:40  Wrap-up and insights in to next week’s guest   EPISODE SPONSORS WebCentral - Exclusive listener offersGet your online marketing sorted with these exclusive listener offers. Designcrowd - Save up to $100 on your first design.The world's #1 custom design marketplace - beautifully simple & cheap. We love cheap! RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED Willie Smith's official websiteJoshua Nichols on how to create an amazing customer experienceArthur Greeno on why a business should break Guinness World RecordsDave Munson on how to create engaging business stories that sellMy Top 10 Ice-Breaker Questions blog post (add your own questions here)How to outsource to The PhilippinesCornerstone Business Solutions official website    MY TOP 3 MARKETING ATTENTION GRABBERS Sam’s tip on how to attract and retain great staff - Let people add themselves and their personality to your culture. Have them solves problems in their own way, in their own style. It’s incredibly empowering for them. The bottomline - stop trying to micro manage everyone. Free yourself up so you can create new things - I love Sam’s passion for creativity and innovation. The Festival wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t created space between the day-to-day running of the business, and time to think. Who’s guilty of not doing this? I am. But when I do find time to sit and think; or walk and think; it’s bloody beautiful. So … here’s a couple of ways to create that time - 1. Be less controlling, and trust that your staff will solve problems in their own way; 2. Offshore process-driven tasks - Identify all those tasks that are taking up your precious time and money, and send them to places like The Philippines. We’ve covered this at length in past episodes - but if you want to cut to the chase, check out Cornerstone Business Solutions - an off-shoring business that I have an interest in, I believe in it so much. “We’re all about being memorable” - Are you? If not, why not? I’m guessing as a listener of this show you are constantly looking for ways to stay on your customers’ shopping list. Whether it be through offering an amazing customer experience (like past guest Joshua Nichols of Platinum Electrics); or breaking Guinness World Records like past guest Arthur Greeno of Chick Filay; or creating amazing stories that emotionally engage your customers like Dave Munson does of Saddleback Leather. There’s no shortage of ways to do it, so just choose one and get on with it!   OVER TO YOU … What was your biggest marketing learning or ah-ha moment from this episode? Leave your comment below. My guest and I respond to each and every comment.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/marketingpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's episode is a masterclass in successful brand building. Ex-Swiss banker David McQuillen, is the founder of Sufferfest and CSO (that’s Chief Suffering Officer) of the mythical country ... Sufferlandria. Bored with conventional ways to get fit on a bike, David taught himself how to edit video, and after negotiating rights with major cycling races (like the Tour de France!), he created his first Sufferfest training video and inflicted it on the world. And the world responded very favourably. So much so that he took it down as quickly as he put it up! You’ll find out why shortly. He then had his confidence boosted after being called an assassin, and a sadist, and realising his true calling was to spread agony and misery, David quit his well-paying career, and escaped the cubicle to focus fulltime on building Sufferfest. It’s now a multi-million dollar brand run out of his home in Tasmania. Now do not fear, this isn’t an episode for middle aged men in lycra! Uh-uh, I think you’re gunna love this, as we uncover: The importance of creativity in building a brand people love How to build a tribe of long-term, loyal customers The importance of an authentic brand language Why humour is important in your marketing messages A secret social media strategy ... that doesn’t involve you! Plus I share some feedback from a motivated listener who sent me a letter typed on a 1952 Remington typewriter. Love a bit of old school marketing. Let's do this! EPISODE TIMELINE 02:03  Welcome & overview03:38  Today’s guest introduction - David McQuillen of Sufferfest05:53  Interview with David McQuillen of Sufferfest38:06 Insights in to WebCentral & Designcrowd40:24  My top 3 attention grabbers from my chat with David McQuillen of Sufferfest42:56  Listener feedback who's testing a referall marketing idea shared on a past episode48:08  Wrap-up and insights in to next week’s guest EPISODE SPONSORS WebCentral - Exclusive listener offersGet your online marketing sorted with these exclusive listener offers. Designcrowd - Save up to $100 on your first design.The world's #1 custom design marketplace - beautifully simple & cheap. We love cheap! RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED The official The Sufferfest websiteThe official Sufferelandria websiteInterview with Vinomofo re challenging your categoryInterview with Orange Sky Laundry re brand languageBuy Timbo’s new marketing book The Boomerang Effect MY TOP 3 MARKETING ATTENTION GRABBERS Brand Language - Take a good hard look at how you speak to your precious prospects and customers. In fact, take a look at how your whole industry speaks to them. Is there an opportunity to engage with them in a more authentic way? Maybe you could start by giving them a name. Remember the guys at Orange Sky Laundry - they call their customers their homeless friends. You’re my motivated small business owners. And David has his suffer-landrians. What do you call your clients? Brand extensions - Look for additional ways to sell more. David has videos, camps & tours, merchandise, license arrangements with gyms, downloadable PDFs. What can you add to your business? Tribe-led social media - This one is genius. The idea of seeing your raving fans create Facebook groups, Forums and other social channels to talk about YOUR business! How cool is that! Now  whilst this is not something you can overtly instigate, it IS a result of building a tribe of long-term, loyal followers. If anyone wants to start a Small Business Big Marketing discussion group, I’d love to hear from you. OVER TO YOU … What was your biggest marketing learning or ah-ha moment from this episode? Leave your comment below. My guest and I respond to each and every comment.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/marketingpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every industry is ripe for disruption. That’s the view of today’s guest, 29 year-old Dominic Holland of tow.com.au. Launched just two years ago, tow.com.au has completely disrupted the long-established and tightly held towing industry. The business did 7-figure revenues in year one and grew in year two by 350%. Listen in as Dom explains how to disrupt any industry. [Tweet "This business did 7-figure revenues in year one. And grew by 350% in year two! Here’s how."] [Tweet "'We’ve found something that clients are demanding and begging us for.' @dommholland"] The amazing thing is, software engineer Dom, knew nothing about towing. What he did understand was that technology is shaking the foundations of every industry. That every industry has massive potential, and it’s just about working up the right model that delivers customers what they want, and makes it incredibly easy for them to use you. [Tweet "'Everyone coming to your site looks for the same thing – give it to them immediately'@dommholland"] Dom himself was last year awarded Queensland’s Young Entrepreneur of the year, and recently won the New Business Category at the 2016 Telstra Business Awards. I gotta tell ya, this chat is dripping with marketing gold, as Dom explains: How and why to disrupt your industry A pro-tip for ensuring your website converts visitors to buyers A simple hack to automating those annoying tasks in your business Why Google Adwords is better than trying to rank organically And so much more…. Seriously, hit pause and grab your journal. You know, there was so many learnings in this interview that I’ve captured them all in this blog post How a very disruptive business did 7-figure revenues in year one – with Dominic Holland of Tow.com.au. Plus I share a voicemail I received from a listener and very motivated business owner who read The Boomerang Effect recently, and has seen some outstanding results in his business. Enjoy this one … and remember, there’s magic in taking action.   EPISODE TIMELINE 01:42  Welcome & overview03:04  Check in04:37  Listener case study06:30  Today’s guest introduction - Dom Holland of tow.com.au08:03  Interview with Dom Holland46:51 Insights in to WebCentral & Designcrowd48:52  My top 3 attention grabbers from my chat with Dom Holland51:05  Wrap-up and insights in to next week’s guest   EPISODE SPONSORS WebCentralGet your online marketing sorted with these exclusive listener offers. Designcrowd.com - Save up to $100 on your first design.The world's #1 custom design marketplace - beautifully simple & cheap. We love cheap!   MY TOP 3 MARKETING ATTENTION GRABBERS FROM THIS EPISODE   Don't think disrupting your industry is only for the big players - the Ubers and Virgins and Tesla's of the world. Look for ways to disrupt your own industry. As Dom said "Every industry has massive potential for disruption. It's just about finding the best model for delivering the best customer experience." "All your website visitors are looking for the same thing. Give it to them immediately." So get crystal clear on what that thing is for your business, and make sure your website delivers on it upfront. And if you need help, contact WebCentral. Embrace change. The marketing world has changed so much in the past month, the past 6-months and certainly the past twelve months. And the changes we're seeing are playing right in to the hands of you and I ... small business owners with modest marketing budgets. So embrace this change, instead of letting it freak you out.   OVER TO YOU … What was your biggest marketing learning or ah-ha moment from this episode? Leave your comment below. My guest and I respond to each and every comment.  Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/marketingpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey team. Bonus episode today, and a different kind of one at that. No marketing gold, no business lessons (well maybe a couple), just an inspiring conversation with a couple of homeless people, and a fellow for whom volunteering has enabled him to see his work life in a whole different way. By the way, there’s a language warning on this one. Nothing outrageous, but I do get a little fired-up. You may recall a couple of episodes back I interviewed Lucas and Nic, the founders of Orange Sky Laundry – a mobile clothes washing service for homeless people. If you haven’t listened to it then I suggest you do. Nic and Lucas’s idea and passion touched me big time, so following that interview, I went and volunteered for them, spending a couple of hours at an Orange Sky Laundry parked on Collins Street in Melbourne’s CBD. I loved every bit of it. The chance to give back to people in need. The chance to learn some life lessons from those less fortunate. And the conversations I had with one of their volunteers, and a couple of Orange Sky’s homeless friends, have been life changing. I’ll share what I learnt, later on. So, listen in as I wander through Melbourne’s CBD trying to locate the Orange Sky Van ...Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/marketingpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It is so easy to discount, to undercut your competition to get the business. Although it's an easy strategy it is quite simply a race to the bottom. Once you have the lowest price there is nowhere left to go. Tune in this week as I chat with Tas Moulis of QPaint about how to charge full freight and see your business thrive because of it. This one's all about how to avoid discounting. [Tweet "'How and why to avoid discounting in your business"] In this fireside chat with Tas we cover: Tas's 3 effective strategies on how to avoid discounting Why building relationships is crucial in business The power of getting off the tools and focussing on what's going to generate the big bucks Some serious business courage   PLUS I head back to last week's interview with Orange Sky Laundry and my night out onsite with them. I capture a bit of a chat I had with Matt, one of Orange Sky's brilliant volunteers and Herb one of Orange Sky's homeless friends. Herb is one seriously beautiful human being. The first thing he did was give me two tickets to the footy as he had 4 bags with all his possessions in them that he wouldn't be allowed to bring into the ground. Here are 4 powerful lessons Herb taught me during our chat: There’s always someone worse off than you. Be grateful for what you have. And you don’t need much to be happy. Plenty of marketing gold in today's episode. Enjoy!     EPISODE TIMELINE   01:30  Welcome & overview02:47  Today’s guest introduction - Tas Moulis of QPaint03:44  Interview with Tas Moulis - Part 138:13  My top 3 attention grabbers from my chat with Tas Moulis40:33 Insights in to WebCentral & Designcrowd42:45  Interviews with Matt & Herb from my night on the road with Orange Sky Laundry59:20  Wrap-up and insights in to next week’s guest     EPISODE SPONSORS    WebCentralGet your online marketing sorted with these exclusive listener offers. Designcrowd.com - Save up to $100 on your first design.The world's #1 custom design marketplace - beautifully simple & cheap. We love cheap!     RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED   Tas's official websiteEpisode 305 with Kelly Baker-Jamieson from Edible Blooms about online retail marketingEpisode 205 with Josh Nicholls from Platinum Electrical on creating raving fansBuy Timbo’s new marketing book The Boomerang Effect       MY TOP 3 MARKETING ATTENTION GRABBERS FROM THIS EPISODE   Acknowledge that discounting really is a race to the bottom. In particular, avoid discounting with new clients - this sets a precedent that will be hard to break. Instead, work hard at ensuring they see massive value in you and what you offer. I talk about this extensively in The Boomerang Effect. Actively look for a problem and fix it. This idea is so beautifully counter-intuitive, but it works. Look at this idea as if you were a customer. How cool would it be for a business you’re dealing with to bring a problem to your attention, and then tell you it’s been fixed. Such a great way to build trust. I found Tas’s tough decisions inspiring:He refuses to discount, when a simple 10% off could secure the job.He chose to stop painting (something he was very good at), and focus on the high-value activities like quoting, which quadrupled his business.He sacked clients that made him and his staff miserable; and identified 4 types of clients he did want to work with. Go back to episode 183 with Dentist Paddy Lund who also did this with great success. He is gutsy enough to ask (and answer) the question “Where are we really at?”     OVER TO YOU …   What was your biggest marketing learning or ah-ha moment from this episode? Leave your comment below. My guest and I respond to each and every comment.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/marketingpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every now and then I do an interview which not only changes the way I look at business, but changes the way I view things … A bit woo woo I know, but get ready for a thoroughly inspiring interview with the founders of the social movement Orange Sky Laundry, who have become our 2016 Young Australians of the year, no less. One day they had a crazy idea to throw a washing machine and a dryer in the back of a van and go and help out the homeless by doing their washing. Orange Sky Laundry was born. Not only did they not realise that this crazy idea was a world first but it was what happened between hitting the go button on the washing machine and the load being finished and dried is what makes the real difference … conversations. I spent a night out on the road with Orange Sky Laundry and I had some really powerful conversations which I will bring to you in the coming weeks.   Here’s Orange Sky’s Why... Now I am seriously motivated to help these guys and you can help too. Here are 3 ways: You can volunteer You can donate (as little as $6) You can introduce them to someone you know, someone who can do the above 2 things or (and maybe even better) you can introduce them to a HUGE sponsor. I really loved bringing this episode to you and I hope you get as much out of it as I have.   EPISODE TIMELINE   01:24 Welcome & overview02:20 A quick update on a recent episode about race car sponsorship03:00 Today’s guest introduction - Nick Marchesi & Lucas Patchet of Orange Sky Laundry04:11 Interview with Nick Marchesi & Lucas Patchet - Part 119:05 Insights into WebCentral20:20 Insights into DesignCrowd21:05 Interview with Nick Marchesi & Lucas Patchet - Part 233:10 My top 3 attention grabbers from my chat with Nick Marchesi & Lucas Patchet35:50 Feedback from an annoyed listener38:12 Wrap-up and insights in to next week’s guests     EPISODE SPONSORS   WebCentral listener offer – Beautiful and effective websites. Yes, you can have it all!   DesignCrowd.com - Save up to $100 on your first designThe world's #1 custom design marketplace - beautifully simple & cheap. We love cheap!     RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED   Orange Sky Laundry's official websiteEpisode 318 where I explore the pro's and con's of race car sponsorshipEpisode 300 with Daniel Flynn from ThankyouBuy Timbo’s new marketing book The Boomerang Effect     MY TOP 3 MARKETING ATTENTION GRABBERS FROM THIS EPISODE   Know your Key Messages. Go back and have a listen (in particular to Nic) who is pro at reeling off the key messages he wants to get across about Orange Sky. An example is when I ask him “why does Orange Sky exist?” he replies - 1. Restore respect. 2. Improve health standards. 3. Reduce the strain on resources. And I’ve noticed he responds with exactly the same answer in every interview he does.So I encourage you to have 3-5 key messages that you share whenever you get the chance. Have a name for your customers. Orange Sky call them their Homeless Friends. I call you my Motivated Business Owners. Doing so brings emotion and connection to your marketing. Orange Sky needs our support. As I mentioned earlier, I helped out at an Orange Sky Laundry the night after this interview. I got to meet some homeless friends and had some beautiful conversations.  I’ll share my experience in an upcoming episode. Now I’m more determined than ever to help Orange Sky grow and I hope you are too. How? Volunteer (Button on OrangeSkyLaundry.com.au) Donate to Orange Sky Laundry Introduce them to someone you know who can help   OVER TO YOU … What was your biggest marketing learning or ah-ha moment from this episode? Leave your comment below. My guest and I respond to each and every comment.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/marketingpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode was recorded on the second Small Business Big Marketing Outsourcing Tour to the Philippines. Now before we get started I know that outsourcing means different things to different people and I've covered my thoughts on Australian businesses outsourcing to the Philippines on the blog. This episode is all about looking at the glass half full. I share my thoughts as I taxi down the runway in Manilla, ready to take off back to Melbourne and I also captured some of my guests thoughts, opinions and 'aha' moments in the minibus after the tour as well. Here are some of those insights. 1. Adam Longhurst from Leather Italia Why did you join the tour? Adam has felt the full force and effect of fluctuations in the Aussie dollar. He attended the tour with his eyes wide open to see what opportunities there were for outsourcing any of the labour components of his business. Aha Moment? Outsourcing bookkeeping and accounting. When Adam sat back and really thought about it, he realised he was spending a disproportionate amount of time on the books. Now it’s certainly important to be across the numbers but is that really what he went into business to do? Outcome? Adam loves his accountant, he’s highly skilled and one of his trusted advisors BUT he’s constantly on his back about bookkeeping. Tony doesn’t want to do the books, he doesn’t like doing the books, however another full time employee in Australia is cost prohibitive. Some people buy components offshore, we’re trying to buy some labour offshore. If we grow, then more money and jobs will come off the back of that directly into the Australian economy too. 2. Russ Porteous of Firewize Why did you join the tour? I wanted to see, in person how business is done in the new economy. Aha Moment? We went to a BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) that was as professional an outfit as ever I’ve seen anywhere. Outcome? This tour is on the back of 15 years of research, I’ve come to crystallise in my mind how we can move from an adhoc outsourcing basis to a more streamlined, wholistic and professional strategy. 3. Marcus Nicholls & Ariel Endean of Akuna Pet Resorts Why did you join the tour? We had been considering outsourcing for 2 years. We were already outsourcing some small tasks but we were afraid of going further. Aha Moment? I wasn’t expecting to see just how dynamic the team here in the Philippines are. They truly look and function with the same intelligence, creativity and drive as a crack team in Australia. Outcome? Just start. You’re going to in the next 5-10 years anyway as this is the direction the world is going. 4. Will Porteous (Russ's son) Will is the son of Russ and work's for Firewize and is also studying engineering at uni. Will's take away was that it was a real 'eye opener'. He said that 'when you think about outsourcing you automatically think ‘sweatshop’ but it absolutely was not. It’s just like Australia, so professional and well organised.' I asked Will what he was going to say to his mates about the tour. He said: "I’d say to my mates that are in uni that they need to be way ahead of the curve. Just pumping work out is not going to get you a job." 5. Amanda Stevens & Brendan Buchanan  Past guest of the show happened to be in the Philippines at Cornerstone Business Solutions inducting a new team member. here are a few quotes from the show: "We came here with pretty high expectations" "The output is just extraordinary. We’re talking world class output."   Aha Moment   The other surprise has been their ability to follow a process but also demonstrate incredible initiative around it. People underestimate how well they will understand the rationale behind a project.   So how about that? I'd love to know your thoughts on the show and about outsourcing in general. Success stories? War stories? As you can probably tell I'm pretty keen on outsourcing as not only a marketing strategy but a business strategy.   It's time to start taking positive steps to a more productive and enjoyable business life.     *** As an aside, it may be interesting to some listeners to understand how these tour came about; so, here's a short time line:   Episode 157 - I interviewed David Warne from the Sydney Tall Ships business   We became friends, but then he disappeared, only to pop up about two years ago. He'd moved to The Philippines with his family, along with the whole back office of the Sydney Tall Ships business as well.   That resulted in a 90% reduction in running costs, and a 21% increase in turnover.   That called for another interview - which appeared in Episode 254.   During that interview he had some great tips on how to effectively outsource to The Philippines.   Then, in 2015, I then took a group of listeners over to The Philippines on a business outsourcing tour. Here's my personal insights from that Philippines outsourcing tour.   And that brings us to to this interview. Enjoy!     EPISODE TIMELINE 00:42 Welcome & overview02:57 Starting at the end - my thoughts on the tour as I head to the airport06:01 Learnings from the tour - Adam Longhurst of Leather Italia11:48 Learnings from the tour - Russ Porteous of Firewize16:13 Learnings from the tour - Marcus Nicholls & Ariel of Akuna Pet Resort22:41 Insights in to WebCentral & Cornerstone Business Solutions25:12 Learnings from the tour - Will Porteous30:27 Learnings from the tour - Amanda & Brendan Stevens35:11 Wrap up / summary35:55 My top 3 attention grabbers from the Freedom through Outsourcing Tour37:23 Wrap-up and insights in to next week’s guests     EPISODE SPONSORS (PLEASE SUPPORT THEM) WebCentral listener offer – Helping your website get found, fast. Cornerstone Business SolutionsReduce your business running cost by up to 90%     RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED   Episode 268 - Insights into last year's outsourcing tour to the PhilippinesEpisode 255 - Killer tips on outsourcing with David WarneEpisode 196 - How to save up to 90% on labour costs using outsourcing with Mini Mover's MikeO'HaganEpisode 311 with Mark Nicholls on extreme customer serviceEpisode 181 - How to market to women with Amanda StevensBuy Timbo’s new marketing book The Boomerang Effect     MY TOP 3 MARKETING ATTENTION GRABBERS FROM THIS EPISODE Diversity of skills – Outsourcing to The Philippines isn’t limited to getting a VA to help with your back office admin. I saw specialists in bookkeeping, accounting, CAD drawings, graphic design, social media management, inbound and outbound calling and heaps more. Teams – If you’re going to outsource and plan to put on multiple staff around the one discipline (eg. marketing or finance or admin), then it makes sense to have them all in one place, like Brendan and Amanda have done. And I don’t mean the same country, or city. I mean in the one building. We visited multiple businesses that make this possible. Don’t make this bigger than it needs to be – what we’re really talking about here is simply employing people. Yes, they may thousands of miles away; but they’re smart, motivated, highly educated, they speak great English and are only a Skype video call away.   OVER TO YOU … What was your biggest marketing learning or ah-ha moment from this episode? Leave your comment below. My guest and I respond to each and every comment.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/marketingpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.