Business Brain – The Entrepreneurs’ Podcast

If you’re selling products, logistics is a critical part of the equation and being logistics-smart can mean the difference between making a profit or losing money on a product. Should you be handling your own shipments, using Amazon’s fulfillment services or perhaps a 3rd Party Fulfillment company to get your orders out? We discuss those options and much more on today’s show. Joining us today to discuss these topics is Kelan Raph, a logistics expert and President of Optimum Supply Chain Listen in as your hosts Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton discuss and learn about the challenges of getting your products to your customers in a timely manner while keeping your costs low and errors to a minimum. You’ll learn about the latest Amazon FBA changes that have caught some sellers by surprise and how you can minimize your reliance on FBA by using a 3rd Party Logistics company to handle your product fulfillment. Join us today to learn about optimizing your product delivery and then join the conversation at the Small Business Support Group! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #213 for Wednesday, March 6, 201900:01:04 Kelan Raph, President Optimum Supply ChainKelan on Small Business Show 6200:02:12 Start at DHL while finishing MBA, then… Create a Business!00:04:59 What problem are you solving?00:05:34 Upcoming Changes to the Fulfilled By Amazon Program00:09:01 Is FBA still a good solution?00:11:02 FBA’s stumbles … create FBA competitors!00:14:08 SPONSOR: Molekule. Air purification reinvented. For $75 off your first order visit Molekule.com and at checkout enter code: SBS 00:16:20 SPONSOR: Keeps. To receive your first month of treatment for free, go to Keeps.com/SBS 00:18:40 Distributed Inventory can Save You Money00:22:02 Grand Canal and Optimum“Freight fees are often what kill you the most”00:26:11 Are you a broker or an advisor? Which do you want to be?00:29:12 The Challenge of Awareness00:31:15 Raising Marketing Money00:33:17 With VC, Be Aware of Actual Profits00:34:35 Keeps Your Eyes on Your Customer00:37:18 Knowing customer expectations1P vs 3P00:40:06 SBS 213 OuttroKelan Raph on LinkedInOptimum Supply ChainAmazon FBA or 3PL? The post Interview with Kelan Raph of Optimum Supply Chain – Small Business Show 213 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Have you added a recurring income stream to your Small Business? Are you selling subscriptions, service plans or other passive income as part of your business model? Creating a recurring income stream is a powerful way to increase profits as well as creating a more lasting relationship with your customers.  What are some typical recurring income streams? Service plansSubscriptions – physical products or contentMembershipsAffiliate revenue RetainersOnline CoursesRecurring upgradesDonations Service plans – if you are selling a product that may require service to keep it functioning, you should be selling extended warranties and service plans. Sell your own plan or sell a third party plan (Square Trade) – but sell something that adds value to your product line. Subscriptions – can you add a subscription model to your business? Think about your product or service offerings and your current pricing – is there a monthly or annual subscription model that you could offer? Think Netflix – use the automatic recurring model to normalize your monthly revenue. You can be selling physical products with an automatic delivery schedule or services that renew each month. Memberships – does your website offer a members only area with valuable content? Can you offer discounted prices for your services to paying members? Look at the movie business – you see both theatre chains and independent companies really pushing memberships. Affiliate revenue – do you generate good traffic on your company website? Create an affiliate account with affiliate aggregators like Commission Junction, Amazon or others to create recurring revenue.  Retainers – Do you offer services that your customers may want quick access to your attention or expertise? Charging a monthly retainer can be a great way to monetize this Online Courses – Can you create an online course related to your business? I’m sure you can. Think about all your own knowledge or your employees and consider creating an online course that you can monetize. Most of you are experts in something – people will pay for value – think about sharing your knowledge – entice with some free content and some paid. Recurring Upgrades – do you sell a product that has an upgrade cycle? Are newer models coming out frequently that have features your customers want? What about a program that allows them to automatically upgrade on a regular basis? Apple and companies like Verizon do it with phones, can you use that model and apply it to your products? Donations – is your Small Business a cause or non-profit? Are you using the Paypal donate button on your website or Patreon to setup recurring donations? You should be. We would love to hear how you are using Recurring Income streams to grow your business and keep connecting with your customers. Share your story at the Small Business Support Group 00:00:00 Small Business Show #212 for Wednesday, February 27, 201900:01:55 Recurring Revenue, Mailbox Money, 00:02:44 Safe by HUB600:03:56 Recurring revenue is relationship-based00:05:01 Third-party warranty companies00:07:34 SubscriptionsSmile’s Transition to Subscriptions00:11:59 SPONSOR: TextExpander.com/podcast gets you 20% off your first year00:14:08 SPONSOR: Abby Connect. Get $95 off your first bill at AbbyConnect.com/sbs00:16:34 Memberships00:19:28 Costco’s profits? Membership value!00:21:17 Use recurring revenue to stop selling to your customers00:26:58 Additional Content for Subscribers00:29:39 Thinking about Donations as Membership00:33:26 Recurring upgrades00:35:08 SBS 212 Outtro The post Adding Recurring Revenue to your Small Business – Small Business Show 212 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

We all aspire to greatness. Marketers have used this urge to be a better person, to own the best thing, to achieve the most and to be unique to create iconic brands that we all recognize. Just what is aspirational marketing and is there a way to use to in your Small Business? Aspirational marketing involves striving in a long-lasting and meaningful way to achieve or become something in particular. This urge for something better or unique is so strong that people will make terrible financial decisions to be seen driving a particular brand of car, wearing a particular brand of clothing, carrying a particular brand of handbag.  Think gym memberships in January – they are selling an aspirational story of what you COULD become, if only you will signup for a membership. Think fashion shows by companies like Chanel, Gucci or Victoria Secret – they are trying to drive customers to their brand and stores that aspire to look something like they see on the runway – even if that’s impossible.  Recently your hosts Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton been thinking a lot about aspirational marketing and how Small Businesses might use some of these tactics to engage with our customers on a deeper, emotional level, to attract new customers and ultimately increase our sales. Join us today for this episode of the Small Business Show to discuss how Aspirational Marketing can help your business. After the show, join us on the Small Business Support Group to share your story. Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #211 for Wednesday, February 20, 201900:00:57 Send in your feedback: feedback@businessshow.co00:01:50 What is Aspirational Marketing? 00:05:23 Show people something they won’t buy00:07:37 SPONSOR: Abby Connect. Get $95 off your first bill at AbbyConnect.com/sbs00:10:26 SPONSOR: ExpressVPN – Take back your Internet privacy TODAY and find out how you can get 3 months free, go to ExpressVPN.com/SBS.00:12:34 Analyze your company’s product or serviceWhat can your customer achieve with your product or service?How can your customer create a better self with your product or service?How does your product or service make your customer feel unique?How can your product or service make your customer feel smarter?How can you product or service make your customer feel healthier?00:14:31 The feeling of empowerment00:16:25 Don’t sweat the scratches and dings00:20:00 Sell the experience00:22:37 The value of artificial scarcity00:24:28 If you’re the product, make yourself scarce!00:26:42 Let your customers own a piece of your aspiration00:29:12 The Yeti Cooler Aspiration00:31:04 SBS 211 Outtro The post What is Aspirational Marketing and How Can You Use it in Your Small Business? – Small Business Show 211 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

We often talk about travel being one of the huge benefits of owning a Small Business. Being able to expand your world with travel is certainly a big part of living the Charmed Life of a Small Business owner. Today, we get a chance to talk with someone who’s been on the other side of that equation, running travel and lifestyle related businesses. Gilbert Gauteraux has started, built and managed several travel and lifestyle businesses including JustLuxe.com and his latest venture, HotelsVillasDirect.com. Gilbert has had some significant corporate experience, as well as starting and running his own Small Businesses, so we get a chance to dig deep into the pros and cons of each type of experience to get the show started. Listen in and you’ll hear how HotelVillasDirect uses content creation to add value to their customers (both B2B and consumers) while driving leads to their website. You’ll also learn how the online travel market works, the multiple layers of information needed to close a sale and why it’s important for a hotel to be in control of the customer service experience directly. Gilbert also spends time talking about leveraging the customer relationship in as many ways as possible and the challenges of educating investors and partners about what their business model really is, versus the perception of how the market operates. Join us today for this episode of the Small Business Show with your hosts Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton. There’s some great insights from this episode that will help any Small Business owner. After the show, join us at the Small Business Support Group to ask questions, make comments and share your own Small Business story. Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #210 for Wednesday, February 13, 201900:00:58 Gilbert Gautereaux from JustLuxe.com and HotelsVillasDirect.comRob Gautereaux from JustLuxe on Small Business ShowRGM Alliance00:05:07 Working on your own vs. Working for someone else00:05:57 Taking notes in the middle of the night00:08:09 Starting HotelsVillasDirect00:12:49 Prioritizing the Customer Service Relationship“One Throat to Choke”00:16:49 SPONSOR: Abby Connect. Get $95 off your first bill at AbbyConnect.com/sbs 00:19:00 SPONSOR: TextExpander.com/podcast gets you 20% off your first year00:21:14 Content Creation to Acquire CustomersSojoun BlvdHVD Marketing Inc. – Lead generation platform and travel publishing group00:27:05 Three Pillars: Custom Content, Search Engine, Digital Solution00:29:16 Content for Conversions00:31:07 Making noise is difficult, focus on your business model00:33:14 Try to leverage your customers in as many ways as possible00:36:15 SBS 210 Outtrogilbertg@hotelsvillasdirect.com The post Interview with Gilbert Gautereaux of HotelsVillasDirect.com – Small Business Show 210 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

The only constant in business is change. Every Small Business goes through various cycles in its lifetime and you’ll need to learn to adjust your management style, your activities and your attitude to match whatever cycle your are in. How many cycles will you encounter? It really depends on the type of business you are running, but on this episode of the Small Business Show, we’ll be focusing primarily on 5 different cycles. Launch – Implementation – ActionGrowthPeakMaturityDecline Listen and and you’ll learn why adapting your management style and anticipating the next business cycle is critically important for your success as a Small Business Owner. Your hosts Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean have owned businesses that have gone through all of these cycles; from the excitement of the Launch, all the way to the misery of decline. During each cycle, there are adjustments to be made and actions to be taken that will steer your business in the right direction. Learn from our mistakes and successes and mix in your own experience to keep your Small Business growing. Join us for all this and much more on this episode, then visit the Small Business Support Group to share your own tips and to join in on the conversation! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #209 for Wednesday, February 6, 201900:01:20 The Disaster version vs. the Planning Version00:03:09 Constant Change is Here to Stay00:04:10 Don’t Ignore Decline00:06:27 There is no Idea Cycle!00:07:26 It takes action to open the gate00:09:49 Get on the same page, then dispense with the internal paperwork00:11:41 Suddenly… viability!00:13:28 Have an operations person00:14:59 SPONSOR: ExpressVPN – Take back your Internet privacy TODAY and find out how you can get 3 months free, go to ExpressVPN.com/SBS.00:17:35 Don’t fall in love with the numbers!00:18:31 Cash FLOW is King00:21:48 Grow for ONLY good reasons00:22:41 Working IN the business vs. ON the business00:24:39 Expand Your Revenue Stack at Your Peak00:27:07 Your margins are my opportunities00:28:22 Jumping back in!00:29:56 What does maturity look like?00:31:35 Did you embrace change? Let us know at feedback@businessshow.co <https://businessshow.co/facebook>00:31:48 Options in decline: merge, sell, re-partner, close?00:34:27 Nothing lasts forever, even the bad stuff!00:37:40 Just Start!00:39:51 SBS 209 Outtro The post Adapting to Business Cycles – Small Business Show 209 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Chances are, you’ll be attending a Conference or Trade Show related to your Small Business at some point. How do you maximize your time and have the best possible experience from attending a Conference or Trade Show? Join us for episode 208 of the Small Business Show to find out! Your hosts Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean have attended, reported on and exhibited at hundreds of Conferences and Trade Shows. From small events with just a few hundred people to the Consumer Electronics Show with hundreds of thousands of attendees. Each of these events requires planning and purpose to be sure you get the best result out of your attendance. Listen in and you’ll hear about the importance of researching the event so you’ll be confident and comfortable, how building trust with existing and new contacts is critically important and why hanging out in conference hallways can be a great way to make connections. We discuss the importance of listening more than talking, planning meetings before the show while also keeping some flex time available for what may come up and why connecting in the evening could be the best part of the event. Join us for all this and much more in this episode of the Small Business Show! After the show, click over to the Small Business Support Group to share your own tips. Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #208 for Wednesday, January 30, 201900:00:58 The cycles of business and weather00:02:58 The Trade Show/Conference Episode00:03:50 How can you be comfortable and confident at the show?00:06:15 Proper planning00:07:56 Goal: building trust00:10:22 The Hallway Track00:11:56 Listen to People00:13:59 On-the-fly Juggling00:15:53 SPONSOR: Abby Connect. Get $95 off your first bill at AbbyConnect.com/sbs 00:18:31 SPONSOR: TextExpander.com/podcast gets you 20% off your first year 00:20:36 Most of the business happens after the show floor ends00:28:59 Manage your body!00:30:31 Eat no meals alone00:33:21 Managing business cards00:37:26 GG 208 Outtro The post Attending Conferences and Trade Shows Like a Pro – Small Business Show 208 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

When starting a Small Business, there’s a few different ways to go. You can start from scratch on your own, work with a partner to create something new, buy an existing business or purchase a franchise. We’ve talked about the first 3 many times on the show, but not much about buying a franchise, or franchising your own business. Today we’re going to get educated in the franchise business model by Nick D’Agnillo of Nexus Property Management. Join your hosts Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean to learn how Nick gained experience as a Real Estate investor to start Nexus Property Management, with a plan to create a business he could franchise. You’ll learn how to get startup information from your future competitors, why up-front and transparent pricing can be a competitive advantage and just how many hurdles are in front of you if you are considering franchising your Small Business. You’ll also learn the steps required to turn your business into a franchise – from hiring a consultant to analyze your business, to the detailed Franchise Disclosure Document. Nick also shares what costs you will incur and how much money you need to set aside to complete the franchising process. Listen in for all this and much more, then visit us at the Small Business Support Group to join the discussion and share your own franchising experiences. Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #207 for Wednesday, January 23, 201900:01:19 Today’s Guest: Nick D’Agnillo from Nexus Property Management on Franchising00:04:07 Get the secrets from your future competitors… Just Ask!00:05:45 Franchising Plan from Day OneThe E-Myth00:07:36 The Dreaded FDD00:09:58 The price of starting a Franchising business00:11:30 Is your business franchisable to begin with? 00:13:13 What makes a successful franchisee?00:15:29 SPONSOR: Abby Connect. Get $95 off your first bill at AbbyConnect.com/sbs or calling 833-ABBY-WOW 00:17:29 SPONSOR: ExpressVPN – Take back your Internet privacy TODAY and find out how you can get 3 months free, go to ExpressVPN.com/SBS.00:20:00 Price Transparency00:21:51 What are Rent4U and Nvest?00:26:37 Nexus’s Property Investment Calculator00:30:00 Mistake: Hiring for Skills not Attitude00:33:03 “No, that would be doing a disservice to all of my clients.”00:34:32 SBS 207 OuttroNexusPropertyManagement.com888-Nexus-5-5Nick@NexusPropertyManagement.com The post Interview with Nick D’Agnillo of Nexus Property Management – Small Business Show episode 207 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

We’re fortunate to discover so many diverse skill sets with all of the Small Business owners we get to meet on the Small Business Show. This week we are joined by Nick Zadrozny, founder and CEO of One More Cloud. We’re excited to have Nick as a guest today so he can educate us about One More Cloud, their products and services and about his Small Business story. Join us today to hear how Nick and his team created One More Cloud in 2009 to be one of the first companies to offer an Infrastructure as a Service. Nick discusses his years of programming and website programming experience and how a sticky note on his desk, labeled “Build Passive Revenue!” was the impetus to start One More Cloud. Listen in and hear about Nick’s 10-year journey, moving from Engineer to Manager and then to the leadership position of CEO and how he has adjusted to the various roles and requirements of a fast growing business. Nick talks about the power of having a group of like-minded peers, such as a CEO Coaching Group to share the details of your business with that can offer advice and criticism of all different aspects of your business, as well as your own actions as CEO. There’s much more to hear on this episode that you don’t want to miss! After the show, join us at the Small Business Support Group to ask questions, comment and share your own story. Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #206 for Wednesday, January 16, 201900:01:04 Featured Guest: Nick Zadrozny, One More Cloud00:05:30 Infrastructure as a Service00:06:28 “Build Passive Revenue”00:09:13 Learn what to say “Yes” to00:09:55 SPONSOR: Abby Connect. Get $95 off your first bill at AbbyConnect.com/sbs or calling 833-ABBY-WOW00:12:57 SPONSOR: TextExpander. If you’re on a team, TextExpander will change your life, leaving more time for what you do best. Visit TextExpander.com/podcast to learn more.00:15:06 There’s a marketplace for everything00:18:03 Finding the right customers00:17:13 Role Shift from Technician to ManagerCoaching Group with Other CEOs00:21:51 Managing the Entrepreneurial Mindset00:27:35 Showing value to customers00:30:30 Challenges running a Search Engine00:34:23 “You need to pursue your success elsewhere”00:38:34 Find your own “Mental Floss” Opportunities00:41:07 SBS 206 OuttroOne More Cloud at omc.ioNick Zadrozny at twitter.com/nz_ The post Interview with Nick Zadrozny of One More Cloud – Small Business Show Episode 206 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Are you a confident Small Business owner? Has showing that confidence helped build your business? Join your hosts Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton today on episode 205 of the Small Business Show to hear learn how your own confidence can inspire confidence in your employees and your customers – leading to more sales and success! You’ll hear why “Praising yourself (and your Small Business) daringly” is a proven marketing technique that you should become comfortable using. When you communicate your expertise and display confidence, most people will believe you and they will tend to confirm that impression in their minds. We discuss a number of methods to use to create the confidence in yourself and your Small Business to attract success including the controversial use of “directional truths”, promoting past successes and how you overcame adversity even if it was caused by your own mistakes and how talking about big goals can convince potential customers that you’re already there. Listen in for all this and much more, then join us at the Small Business Support Group to join the conversation, ask questions and share your own confidence story. 00:00:00 Small Business Show #205 for Wednesday, January 9, 201900:01:18 The benefits of attending CES00:04:31 Trade shows are valuable!00:05:10 The Confidence Episode00:05:48 Confidence vs. CompetenceSammy Hagar says it best!00:06:30 Step one: Say you’re the best; Step two: become the best!00:09:39 People are impressed more by confidence00:11:13 SPONSOR: ExpressVPN – ExpressVPN.com/SBS gets you 3 months free with your 1-year subscription00:14:38 Promote previous successes 00:15:57 Tell “directional” truths“Thousands of customers…”“Multi-million dollar business…”“Dozens of employees…”00:18:58 Promote brand name customers and big deals00:22:13 Talk about how you’ve overcome mistakes00:23:29 Talk about your goals00:24:38 Know your cash numbers, even if they suck!00:30:11 SBS 205 Outtro The post Confidence is a Key Factor in Success – Small Business Show 205 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Join us this week as your hosts Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean discuss resolutions for your Small Business, how being productive is a great motivator to propel you forward and how focusing on efficiency can start your New Year off strong. We then jump into a discussion of using Debt as a Catalyst to massively positive cash flow. Dave explains this concept while Shannon tries to poke holes in the idea but then gets on board. The debt discussion leads us to a talk about not knowing what you’re capable of until you are forced to act and how a crisis can be a powerful change agent for you and your company. Listen in and then join the discussion at the Small Business Support Group! 00:00:00 Small Business Show #204 for Wednesday, January 2, 2019 00:02:05 The benefits of feeling productive 00:03:17 Resolutions: Intentional change, Prioritizing Efficiency 00:06:40 Managing Your Staffing Equation 00:08:59 Using Debt as a Catalyst to massively-positive cashflow 00:14:05 Competition is a catalyst, too 00:15:20 Learning your own capabilities 00:20:20 Lack of Crisis Creates Complacency 00:23:09 SBS 203 Outtro Email us: feedback@businessshow.co Next week: Confidence The post Small Business Cashflow, Crisis and Efficiency – Small Business Show 204 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.