Proof to Product

Hey friends, have you ever considered how you could leverage point of sale systems for trend tracking and buying decisions? Biff Ulm, founder of MN Nice Enough came on the podcast today to share how he uses technology to help grow his business and how he relies on the help of sales reps to ensure his store is stocked with products that are a fit for his customers. Biff has a rich background in the product based business industry and has seen all sides of it including owning his own brick and mortar business, selling eCommerce, doing wholesale, as well as creating his own products. He’s done it all and has a vast wealth of knowledge in this line of business. In this episode, we talk about everything from the challenges he’s faced from having multiple streams of revenue, what numbers he tracks, how he cultivates wholesale relationships and the importance of studying what bigger brands are doing in their businesses.    ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Biff’s background in the product based business industry His experience in selling retail at a brick and mortar, online sales, wholesale and creating his own products Challenges he’s faced from having different streams of revenue  His three key principles and the motivator that keeps him going The technology he uses to help guide his business decisions and how he leverages data to pick up on trends in his store What numbers Biff tracks on a regular basis  His preferred method for cultivating wholesale relationships and finding new products Biff’s experience with using sales reps for his business Studying what bigger companies are doing in their business What’s coming next for MN Nice Enough For full show notes and resources, head to bit.ly/PTPEp146 SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app.  WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.   SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!    ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Today’s guest Rebecca Inkrote has a fantastic story that I can’t wait to share with you guys. She gives her insight on the best ways to transition from a third party platform to your own website (plus how to build brand recognition and steps to make it go smooth). Rebecca got her start in the creative entrepreneur space when she started making soaps as a hobby. It quickly turned into a business that brought her into Facebook groups with other handmade business owners and it was there where she recognized how much she could help entrepreneurs in this space. As a graphic designer, she was well versed in the areas of technology and found this niche of hers to be an area she could stand out in. In this episode, Rebecca shares how she stumbled into this path, the growing pains one can face when transitioning from a third party platform to their own website and the benefits of having your own eCommerce website.   ON TODAY’S EPISODE:  The biggest mistakes that Rebecca sees product based business owners making on their website and eCommerce shop How Rebecca stumbled into teaching others and helping them build their own website Growing pains from transitioning from a third party platform to your own website Benefits of having your own eCommerce website Steps to take when transitioning to your own eCommerce platform How getting your domain to match your brand name helps with brand recognition What services and digital products Rebecca offers for clients Educating and empowering her clients to take charge of their own websites Rebecca’s thoughts on Shopify, WordPress, Squarespace, etc. and choosing what systems to use Where Rebecca sees her business moving going forward For full show notes and resources, head to bit.ly/PTPEp145   SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app.  WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.   SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!    ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!  

Hey friends! We’re going to be switching things up a little for today’s episode. I’ve decided that once a month we’ll be airing a live coaching session with one of my coaching clients or a Paper Camp alumni on the podcast. It’ll be a short, hot seat format coaching session where the guest will talk about what they’re working on and what they need help with. I’ll be giving them my candid off the cuff advice, recommendations and even some homework because we’re all about taking action! For our first live coaching episode, I was joined by Paper Camp alumni, Shirlee Fisher of Quiet Lines Design. She has a few hesitations and questions about the timing of her launch and the wholesale market. We work through the three things she needs to prepare and make ready before the launch so she can launch her products confidently. In this episode, we chat about lining up your launch with the release cycles of the stationery industry, why having 40+ skews will help you get more customers and why sometimes you have to wait until things are ready.   ON TODAY’S EPISODE: How Shirlee got started in her business, Quiet Lines Design What she’s currently working on in her business and what she needs help with Planning to launch to coordinate with certain events and cycles Why you need to feel confident in what you’re creating  Why the PTP team recommends having 48 skews during Paper Camp How sometimes it’s necessary to wait until things are ready The biggest fears that Shirlee has about product launches Katie’s homework for Shirlee and listeners  Getting strategic with a tiered outreach approach to building relationships For full show notes and resources, head to bit.ly/PTPEp144

Part 1: Last week I took a whirlwind trip to New York to visit with more than 40 of our Paper Camp alumni who were exhibiting at NY Now and the National Stationery Show. It was so exciting to see everyone’s hard work live and in person — their new products were innovative, their booths were beautiful and their confidence was shining through. It was awesome. While I was there, I was able to grab some time with a handful of our alumni to talk shop about the show, goals they set and how they plan to follow-up after the show. We’re breaking this into a two-part series. The first part features several of our veteran exhibitors from the Paper Camp family including Rebekah from Wild Ink Press, Christina from Public School Paper Co, Beth from Little Goat Paper Co, Jeni from E. Frances Paper and Juliana from Good Juju Ink. In Part 2 on Thursday, we’re sharing interviews with Paper Camp alumni who were exhibiting in the emerging artists’ section as well as first-time exhibitors!  Today’s show features Rachel from Hazel & Dolly, Chandler from Joy Paper Co, Lisa from Rhino Parade, Janine from Kwohtations, Tammie from Tiger Pocket Press and Juana from Loteria Press. ON TODAY’S EPISODE : Rachel Barlock: Hazel + Dolly Chandler Cooksey: Joy Paper Co. Lisa Mohar: Rhino Parade  Janine Kwoh: Kwothations Tammie Bennett: Tigerpocket Press Juana Meneses: Loteria Press   RESOURCES:  Paper Camp E-Course   SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app.  WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.   SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!    ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Part 1: Last week I took a whirlwind trip to New York to visit with more than 40 of our Paper Camp alumni who were exhibiting at NY Now and the National Stationery Show. It was so exciting to see everyone’s hard work live and in person — their new products were innovative, their booths were beautiful and their confidence was shining through. It was awesome. While I was there, I was able to grab some time with a handful of our alumni to talk shop about the show, goals they set and how they plan to follow-up after the show. We’re breaking this into a two-part series. The first part features several of our veteran exhibitors from the Paper Camp family including Rebekah from Wild Ink Press, Christina from Public School Paper Co, Beth from Little Goat Paper Co, Jeni from E. Frances Paper and Juliana from Good Juju Ink.   In Part 2 on Thursday, we’re sharing interviews with Paper Camp alumni who were exhibiting in the emerging artists’ section as well as first-time exhibitors!  Today’s show features Rachel from Hazel & Dolly, Chandler from Joy Paper Co, Lisa from Rhino Parade, Janine from Kwohtations, Tammie from Tiger Pocket Press and Juana from Loteria Press. ON TODAY’S EPISODE : Rebekah Tennis: Wild Ink Press Christina Williams: Public School Paper Co. Beth Roszkowski: Little Goat Paper Co.  Jeni Laundon: E. Frances Good Paper Juliana Kissick: Good Juju Ink   RESOURCES:  Paper Camp E-Course   SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app.  WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.   SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!    ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

For Cecily Moore, her business, The Paper Curator, started as a blog and over time, transitioned into a product based business. She first began her journey while working at a job and trying to find the next step in her career. She thought, “why not start a blog?” From there she began to document the creative endeavors she pursued in her everyday life before launching her first products.   She gives us a breakdown of her first craft show experience, her Paper Camp journey and what she’s learned from attending the show. We chat about how putting ample effort into her research and development has helped her build a sustainable business.    Today’s episode dives deep into what it means to bootstrap your business and build everything from the ground up. She talks about how she decides whether to invest in equipment to help her create her products, how bootstrapping has integrated into her wholesale strategy and budget and what it’s been like scaling her handmade products into wholesale.    ON TODAY’S EPISODE:  How Cecily started a blog before transitioning to a product-based business Learning to hold herself accountable by structuring her posting schedule Making the shift from being a hobby to a full-fledged business Her first craft show experience and how she prepared to launch her products How Cecily ended up coming to Paper Camp and her goals for attending the show How taking her time on research and development paid off when getting inventory and fulfillment in place Why Cecily believes in bootstrapping success and how this looks in her day-to-day business operations How Cecily makes decisions on whether or not to invest in equipment for creating products What has made wholesale an easier process for her  How her bootstrapping mentality has been integrated into the wholesale strategy and budget Making a long-lasting impression in her first trade show Cecily’s advice for someone starting a creative business What’s coming for The Paper Curator For full show notes and resources, head to bit.ly/PTPEp143 SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app.  WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.   SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!    ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Hey friends, when you’re building your wholesale business there’s no doubt that you’ll be headed to trade shows to get your product out there and in front of the right buyers. The reality is, trade shows are expensive and you don’t want to waste a single minute while exhibiting.  In this episode, I reverse engineer what it really costs to exhibit at a trade show from an hourly rate perspective. This will help you to realize how much every hour counts while exhibiting and the importance of using your time to connect with others, write orders and doing market research. It’s not the time to be admiring other people’s products or talking to your booth neighbors (there’s plenty of time to do that during break down or set up or even after hours). I talk about why you need to know your numbers, how Paper Camp helps attendees to know where to save money and where to splurge during shows and the importance of preparation. ON TODAY’S EPISODE:  Thinking about trade show expenses from an hourly rate perspective A breakdown of how much it costs per hour to exhibit Why you need to stay in your booth when exhibiting at tradeshows The importance of knowing your numbers How Paper Camp helps you become aware of where to save and where to splurge on shows Why you should be prepared before investing in trade shows For full show notes and resources, head to bit.ly/PTPep142 SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app.  WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.   SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!    ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Does the thought of bookkeeping make you feel uneasy? I know that for so many creatives, knowing your numbers and doing your bookkeeping can feel a bit overwhelming. That’s why I brought on today’s guest because let’s face it... The reality is that even though numbers aren’t always our favorite, they are essential for knowing your business’ financial health and profitability. Today you’ll hear from Greg Higdon, founder of Grow the Books, a bookkeeping company for small businesses. Greg helps entrepreneurs with a done for you service but he also helps those who want to DIY to understand what they need to know about reconciling their numbers. We explore the topic of bookkeeping and how you’ll know when it’s time to outsource this task to someone else. We also talk about what questions you should ask before hiring a bookkeeper, the importance of setting aside time to do your bookkeeping and why sometimes you need to have someone outside of your business looking at the numbers.    ON TODAY’S EPISODE:  Misconceptions that small business owners have on bookkeeping and knowing their numbers How often a bookkeeper reconciles for their clients Programs and systems that Greg recommends for bookkeeping Having extra reconciliation to verify transactions are correct Problems that can occur when you don’t reconcile with the bookkeeping software What you should have in place before hiring a bookkeeper Knowing your numbers so you can get a good idea on your return on investment Questions you should ask before hiring a bookkeeper Greg’s advice for people who want to DIY their books Setting aside time to do your own bookkeeping Why it’s beneficial to have someone outside of your business looking at the numbers Leaning into your weaknesses and asking for help in those areas What’s next for Grow the Books   KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “A bookkeeper is the one that does the day to day, like categorizing your transactions. Anything going in and out of your bank accounts or credit card counts is what a bookkeeper does.” - Greg Higdon   “It's good to have that extra reconciliation in there just to make sure you're verifying everything's correct.” - Greg Higdon   “Looking at where the money's coming in and going allowed me to make better decisions in my business and I put it off because I was intimidated by it. I didn't want to deal with it. I had other things that felt like they were more important. But the minute I did start paying attention to it, I felt like my business grew.” - Katie Hunt   “I definitely recommend bookkeeping software.” - Greg Higdon   “I think it's very helpful to have someone just kind of walk you through the steps of what you need to be doing monthly.” - Greg Higdon   “Once you have the technology and once you've got the training on how to do it, then it's about leveraging that and making sure, well, doing the work and making sure you've got it all there, but then leveraging it for your business so that you're making smarter better decisions.” - Katie Hunt   “I know even with my own business, what I've realized is just putting something on my calendar is big.” - Greg Higdon   “We make time for all of our clients and all of our customers and yet we have a tough time making time to do these things for ourselves.” - Katie Hunt   “I know that as a business owner there are a lot of things that you have to do. I know that from my own business and it's hard to get to certain things in your business.” - Greg Higdon   “When I hired a bookkeeper, it opened my eyes to the possibilities of how I could grow my business better. It opened my eyes to where my money was truly coming from revenue-wise and which portions of my business were most profitable.” - Katie Hunt   RESOURCES:  Quickbooks Online Xero   MEET GREG: Greg Higdon is the Founder of Grow the Books, a bookkeeping company for small businesses. With over 13 years of experience in education, he teaches his clients so they are empowered and armed with a clearer understanding of what their numbers mean for their business decisions. When he isn't balancing books and helping clients you can find him roasting coffee, drinking coffee, and reading about coffee.   CONNECT WITH GREG:   Website: http://www.growthebooks.com Facebook: @growthebooks Instagram: @growthebooks Pinterest: @growthebooks Email: greg@growthebooks.com   SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app.  WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.   SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! 

Today we’re so happy to have Robin Long on for Episode 141 of Proof to Product. Robin is the founder of The Balanced Life,  a website that provides quick and effective Pilates workouts for busy women. Robin made the transition from the traditional teaching model of working in studios, gyms and training private clients to serve her clients online.  On today’s episode, Robin shares how she shifted from the more traditional service offering into a successful membership model for her service based business. She tells us why she has decided to grow her business slowly and organically - ensuring that she’s building a business that fits her lifestyle and brings her joy.  Robin and I dive into how she’s used drop shipping to add additional income streams to her business and why she decided to create physical products for her service based business. She opens up about her experience with building her team including why going on maternity leave has helped her to put more strategic systems in place. We talk about setting boundaries, hesitations she had before moving to a membership model and her advice for someone who is just getting started in business.    ON TODAY’S EPISODE:  Why Robin shifted from the traditional teaching model of pilates to serving clients online How she came to have a membership model, community-based program Hesitations that Robin faced when moving to a membership model Setting boundaries for yourself as an entrepreneur How Robin uses the drop shipping method in her business Robin’s thought process behind adding products to her service-based business Using products as a membership perk  Challenges she’s had since adding products to her business Why Robin believes in slow, intentional growth for her company Robin’s experience of growing from a solo entrepreneur to building a team How being forced to give up control has been a blessing for her Taking a sabbatical and putting systems in place for a seamless workflow Robin’s advice for the business owner who is just getting started Gaining inspiration from other industries and taking that into the fitness world to do her own thing What’s next for The Balanced Life   RESOURCES:  Clockwork: Design Your Business to Run Itself   MEET ROBIN: Robin Long lives and works in sunny Santa Barbara, CA as the founder and CEO of The Balanced Life – a website that provides quick & effective Pilates workouts for busy women. She is a certified Pilates instructor and passionate about creating programs that empower, strengthen, restore, and rejuvenate her clients from the inside out. She believes in a guilt-free, balanced approach to health & fitness and is passionate about helping women love and care for their bodies in the midst of busy lives. Outside of The Balanced Life, she can be found chasing her 6- year-old daughter, 3-year-old son, and 1-year-old twins, sneaking in 10-minute workouts during the kids' bath time, and spending time at the beach. CONNECT WITH ROBIN:   Website: https://thebalancedlifeonline.com/ Facebook: @thebalancedlife Instagram: @thebalancedlife Pinterest: @robinlong   SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app.  WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.   SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!    ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Hey Friends! Winter show season is kicking off so we thought we would re-run this episode from last year. We have alumni going to Atlanta, Japan, Las Vegas and of course NY Now and NSS in February. It is show season so we wanted to get this front and center for you so you could get ready for your show or just here what is going on at market. Enjoy! -------------- Hey Friends! I just got back from NY Now and the National Stationery Show in New York where more than 39 Tradeshow Bootcamp alumni and speakers exhibited this year. It was an incredible trip, for everyone from first timers to seasoned pros, and I’m so excited to share the highlights with you on the Podcast this week!  This year is the first time that these two shows have run at the same time.  The National Stationery Show has typically been held in May, but moved for February to co-locate with NY Now.  The move of NSS caused a bit of a stir within our industry, and our Tradeshow Bootcamp community and the move of the show is one of the topics we’re addressing on the episodes this week. We had alumni exhibiting at both NY Now and the National Stationery show, so we decided to break up this week’s episode into two parts. On Part 1, airing today,  we revisit the best parts of the National Stationery Show with Cecily Moore of The Paper Curator, Jenna Puente of Paper Wilderness, Rosanna Kvernmo of Iron Curtain Press, Genesis Duncan of Graphic Anthology, Krystal Whitten of Krystal Whitten Studio and Joe Mihalow of XOU.