Small Business Show

Having the fortitude to power through adversity is one of the keys to Small Business success. Every guest we’ve had on the Small Business Show has a story (usually more than one) about how getting through rough times has made them a better business owner. What strategies work best when things are not going right? How do you keep your focus on other parts of your business when dealing with big problems? Join your hosts, Dave Hamilton, and Shannon Jean, as they welcome back Bryan O’Connell of Meras Water Solutions to share tips and strategies for getting through tough times. It’s been three years since Bryan first came on the Small Business Show to discuss handling massive growth at Meras in a short timeframe and how they implemented systems and ramped up staffing to keep things on track. We’re thrilled to have him back on again to share his experiences with what to do when things go wrong. Join us for this episode of the Small Business Show, then visit the Support Group to

We had a great response to our last episode and the concept of keeping a To-Did list. Lots of emails, questions, and comments in the Small Business Support Group. A number of comments were made about the importance of tracking what you DIDN’T do – a To-Didn’t list, if you will. On this episode of the Small Business Show, we will expand on that topic and discuss the importance of prioritizing your own time, delegating when you can and outsourcing when you need to. Join your hosts Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton as we start the show by discussing why Customer Service matters, no matter what business you are in, and why becoming a mentor, on any scale can inspire you to greater things. We then jump into the deep dive on how to Prioritize your time, delegating and outsourcing. Listen in and then come join the discussion on the Small Business Support Group! Chapters/Timestamps 00:00:00 Small Business Show #216 for Wednesday, March 27, 201900:01:32 Programming your moist robot00:02:57 Fortun

On this episode of the Small Business Show, your hosts Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean discuss how to build a reward system for volunteers or interns at your Small Business, managing your time and making connections at events and using a twist on the to-do list to see how your day went. Dave returns from SXSW with stories and tips on connecting with people by creating your own serendipity and going out of your way to meet people, even if it’s just for a brief moment. We discuss the enormous contribution that volunteers make at SXSW and how to apply that concept to your Small Business. After a word from our awesome sponsors at Care/of and Abby Connect, we learn about the To-Did list. Shannon is not a fan of structured to-do and time management systems like GTD and others. It just doesn’t work for him and it takes too much time to manage the information on these lists. On the other hand, at the end of the day, it’s important to see how productive you were, or how much you didn&#

Being the owner of a single small business is challenging in itself. Owning multiple, successful businesses that you remotely manage and eventually selling them is something to be proud of. Today we’re joined by a longtime friend and business colleague, Joseph Stewart, former owner the Mac Outlet in Colorado and Felt Pool and Billiards. Listen in to this episode of the Small Business Show to find out how Joseph managed both companies from another state and how being a remote business owner forced him to develop better systems and processes for success. You’ll learn about the importance of the work you do each day by asking yourself: Is this $10 per hour work or $1000 per hour work? Your hosts Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton learn how Joseph used the cash flow from his businesses to purchase the building they were operating in and how being a landlord eventually led him to start his second company at the same location. We then jump into a discussion about preparing your business to sell and w

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 t

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 co

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 impo

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

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

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

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

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

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’

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 catalys

This week, while Dave and Shannon enjoying spending time with their family and friends for the Christmas holiday, we revisit one of our favorite episodes with Paul Downs, author of Boss Life and Small Business contributor to the New York Times and Forbes. This was a very special episode. If you missed it, you’re going to learn a tremendous amount. If you’ve heard it before like we have, listening to it again as we did during our editing is definitely worth your time. How prepared are you for the challenges of running your small business? What energizes you to make it through tough times and just how transparent are you (and should you be) to your employees and everyone else that you discuss your business with?  If you felt like your business was about to shut down, could you imagine reaching out to the New York Times with an offer to share the experience with thousands of people? Paul Downs thought it would make for a good story and he wrote for the NYTimes.co

If you’re a Small Business owner, chances are you like things to be done a certain way – that may be why you don’t work for someone else, doing things their way. This is a powerful trait that can push you to succeed – but, it can also turn you into a micromanager when it comes to your employees, contractors and partners. So, how do you avoid being a micromanager while at the same time being sure things are getting done and that people are embracing change and not getting stagnant? Let’s figure it out together on this episode of the Small Business Show. Join Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean as they discuss their own micromanaging issues and how they have worked hard to overcome them with tactics like up-front communication, planned check-ins and perhaps most importantly, using persuasion to nudge things along in the direction that you want, while protecting the autonomy of your employees, contractors and partners. During the discussion, we come up with ways to promote change and avoid getting stuck a

Most of us create businesses to support our lifestyle, but there’s some people that live a lifestyle that seems to lend itself to starting businesses. Today we’re going to talk to Jeff Anderlite, a serial business owner that has travelled the world, in what looks like to us, like a pursuit of living a “non-boring” life. Along the way, Jeff has started a hostel in Nicaragua, a Spice company, a clothing brand and naturally, a business to help other businesses succeed. We’re sure you are as eager as we are to hear the backstory here… Join us and you’ll hear Jeff talk about starting his first business when he was in High School, how he knew early on in his life that in order to be true to himself, he would need to create and be an Entrepreneur and how his experiences working with different partners has taught him so much. You’ll hear about Jeff’s travels around the world and how he has combined his love of travel with marketing for his apparel business, Baja Llama and how his latest busine

Join us today for the 200th episode of the *Award Winning* Small Business Show! We’re thrilled to have been ranked as the #1 Small Business Podcast by Feedspot for 2018 and we couldn’t have done it without our listeners. Your Co-Hosts Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean thank you! Today we are focusing on Collaboration – why it’s important for you personally, your Small Business, your partners and employees. You’ll hear why Collaboration is good for your own well being, allows you to share your knowledge with other people and learn from specialists in other fields. We discuss the power of bringing together different viewpoints and experiences to help come up with and refine ideas, to offer suggestions, make changes and corrections in a two-way flow of knowledge that will dramatically improve your output. Collaboration also helps keep you accountable because it’s easy to let yourself down, but much more difficult to let other people down. Shannon discusses the concept of Collabor

Technology changes quickly and one of the problems we all deal with is finding a home for your old laptop, phone or tablet when you upgrade. How many of us have an old iPhone in a drawer or MacBook sitting on a shelf somewhere? Today we get a chance to learn more about the business opportunity that this situation creates with our guest Brian Burke, owner of SellYourMac.com You’ll hear the story about how not getting the job of his dreams pushed Brian into creating the company of his dreams. Join us today for episode 199 of the Small Business Show and then join the conversation on the Small Business Support Group!     Chapters: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #199 for Wednesday, November 28, 2018 00:00:55 Brian Burke from SellYourMac 00:02:40 Didn’t get the job I wanted out of college 00:04:20 Didn’t have enough product to sell! 00:04:41 Selling convenience first 00:06:40 Rely on yourself as your backup plan 00:09:32 Where else to sell your Mac? 00:10:56 SPONSOR: Visit TextExpander.com/podcast fo

We hope you are enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends! That’s what Dave and Shannon are doing this week, so we bring you one of our favorite interviews from last year with Gurjit Sing and Kevin Chou from the Gentleman’s Garage, a Turo based Small Business that focuses on renting exotic cars. Enjoy the show and we will be back with you next week! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #198 for Wednesday, November 21, 2018 00:01:22 Small Business Show #141 October 18, 2017 00:02:58 Gurjit Singh & Kevin Chou – Using Turo as a Small Business platform 00:05:03 It all starts with two Mustangs … and a BMW 00:05:42 Turo covered the repair! Shift – online car buying and selling 00:06:53 Beware the damage claims 00:08:04 Think about how people will drive your vehicles 00:09:15 Turo manages the risk 00:10:03 Turo valet service 00:10:37 Each car makes 2-3x monthly payment 00:12:48 The logistics of management 00:14:51 One-way fee 00:15:58 With affluent custome