Every small business needs a space to operate out of, even if it’s just a small nook in your own home.

With this space comes equipment, or websites and other features necessary to grow and support your business, but this can all cost money.

In today’s episode Sarah and Brian discuss some of the shortcuts you can take to set up your business space on a budget.

Sarah also explains:

-      The advantages of doing your own website

-      How much you can save by doing DIY work to set up your work space

-      Determining the balance between using your time to get work done or paying someone else to do it

Sarah is then joined by Elise Richmond. Elise is a wife, adventurer and committed health and fitness advocate who now operates her own fitness and nutrition business.

Elise has explored the world, adventuring with her husband Luke and together they have set up their own business.

Elise explains:

-      How she and her husband set up their own business space

-      The advantage of sourcing second hand equipment

-      How youtube instructions saved her $15 000.

Key Quotes:

“Youtube is a beautiful thing. We walled out our shed…and we just spent time youtubing it and we saved ourselves $15 000”

“We now have a facility on our property. So we don’t pay rent, we aren’t beholden to anyone”.

If you would like to find out more about Elise’s fitness programs you can follow her on Instagram at @eliseroserichmond or head to her website www.eliseroserichmond.com

If you’re interested in Luke Richmond’s book inspiring adventures you can find him. On Instagram at @luke_olacadventures or head to his website www.olacadventures.com  

For all the latest on All Things Small Biz you can follow us at @allthingssmallbiz and become a part of the community.

You can also head to our website for tips and check out our business coaching page https://www.westofthewaves.com/pages/coax-australia-podcast

If you’re interested in some jewellery or clothing why not follow Sarah’s business @west_of_the_waves

Many small businesses, especially in ecommerce, start online, or in a very small space. But if successful, these businesses can quickly find themselves limited by the space they are operating in.

In today’s episode we look at when to upgrade your small biz space and the pros and cons of doing so.

To start, Sarah and Brian discuss:

-      What Sarah has set in place to help her decide when to upgrade her business space

-      What she and many other small businesses should look for and consider in a new business space

-      When it’s not necessary to upgrade a small biz space

Sarah is then joined by Nic Fordyce to discuss how he went about upgrading his business space.

Nic is a cattle station worker, husband, father and co-founder of a website application development business and is also the founder of CampdraftAus.

After starting his business in his parents spare room Nic has continued to grow CampdraftAus and made some interesting choices when it comes to increasing his business space.

In today’s episode Nic shares:

-      His tip for increasing product numbers

-      How small his first product storage space was

-      What made him decide he had to upgrade

-      The benefits to expanding your space

Key Quotes:

“If you can bite the bullet and back yourself to be able to sell the product that works a bit better for me”

“Speaking specifically for ecommerce, if you’re gonna be in town…I’d think look at somewhere where you’re close to a post office.”

If you’d like to follow Nic online you can do so at @campdraft_aus on Instagram or check out their website www.campdraftaus.com

For all the latest on All Things Small Biz you can follow us at @allthingssmallbiz or head to our online community at https://www.facebook.com/groups/allthingssmallbiz

You can also head to our website for tips and check out our business coaching page https://www.westofthewaves.com/pages/coax-australia-podcast

If you’re interested in some jewellery or clothing why not follow Sarah’s business @west_of_the_waves

For so many small businesses owners social media seems like the biggest and best tool to help promote and grow their business.

But there are pros and cons to using social media and definitely some strategies to work on to ensure you use it correctly.

To kick off today’s episode Sarah and Brian discuss:

-      How social media can help your small business

-      The dangers of just using social media for your small biz

-      The negative effects that small biz social media can have on your personal life

-      How to get the most out of social media

Sarah is then joined by Prue Kelly, the owner of Hello Hattie, a little boutique based just outside of Dubbo in NSW.

As an online business and a marketer in her working hours, Prue has experience a lot of social media and figured out how to use it to help her boutique.

In today’s episode Prue shares:

-      Her big tip for how to make social media your friend

-      How to work the social media trends to favour your strengths

-      What other media and strategies she uses to complement her social media strategy.

Key Quotes:

“I just try and think of it as an extra sales funnel, not my only sales funnel”

“Do what works for you as a business, do what works for you as a family. Don’t get caught up in what everyone else is doing.”

If you would like to see some of Prue’s products you can follow her on Instagram at @hellohattie_collective

Or go to her website https://hellohattie.com.au/collections/new-arrivals

For all the latest on All Things Small Biz you can follow us at @allthingssmallbiz or head to our online community at https://www.facebook.com/groups/allthingssmallbiz

You can also head to our website for tips and check out our business coaching page https://www.westofthewaves.com/pages/coax-australia-podcast

If you’re interested in some jewellery or clothing why not follow Sarah’s business @west_of_the_waves

What is the idea behind your small business?

For so many people, they start a small business based around their passion. They take that one activity or hobby that they love above all else and create a business around it.

But is this a good or bad idea? Is a business stronger or weaker because of this?

Sarah and Brian begin this week’s episode discussing turning your passion into a business.

Sarah reveals: 

-      Why she has made a successful business that is not her passion

-      The things to avoid when turning your passion into a business

-      How burn out can occur with a passion business and how to avoid it.

Sarah is then joined by the epitome of passion business owners, Kelly Tishler

Kelly is a daughter, wife, mother, community minded person and THE Opal queen. She is a 4th generation opal miner from Lightning Ridge and mining opals is her passion and she has turned it into her business.

Kelly joins Sarah to explain:

-      How it feels to have a passion so strong you can’t not turn it into a business

-      What it’s like to follow the family industry

-      The easy way to get started on selling the produce of your passion.

Key quotes

“But if you’re miserable and you hate it. You’re not a f***ing tree. You haven’t got your roots down. Move.”

“So for me, when I wake up every day, I’m filled with this sense of yoo hoo! Like I don’t care if I find nothing. It’s the fact that I’m out and I’m free.”

If you would like to find out more about Kelly, or buy her products you can find her at @Kellytishleropalqueen on facebook and Instagram.

Or head to her website kellytishleropals.com

For all the latest on All Things Small Biz you can follow us at @allthingssmallbiz or head to our online community at https://www.facebook.com/groups/allthingssmallbiz

You can also head to our website for tips and check out our business coaching page https://www.westofthewaves.com/pages/coax-australia-podcast

If you’re interested in some jewellery or clothing why not follow Sarah’s business @west_of_the_waves

Being a small business owner can be a pretty hard job, but what about starting a small business AND starting a family at the same time?

In todays episode Sarah and Brian discuss the interesting balancing act of starting a small business while also having a small baby and the pros and cons of doing so.

To start with, Sarah and Brian share:

-      How having a baby and the anxiety’s that came with it, helped Sarah start West Of The Waves

-      The technique Sarah used to start her business and avoid the thoughts convincing her not to do so

-      How having children has motivated Sarah to do more with her business

Sarah is then joined by Chantelle to discuss her. Business and how motherhood influenced it.

Chantelle is a mother and owner of Boxi a giftbox or hamper service where you can build your own gift.

Chantelle discusses:

-      How the feeling of aloneness that follows having a baby influenced her to start her business

-      How starting her business has made her a better mum

-      Her advice about starting a small business that everyone needs to be prepared for.

Key quotes:

“A healthy mum raises healthy kids” 

“Be prepared to lose a little more than you will win in the beginning”

If you would like to find out more about Boxi you can follow her on Instagram at @send_boxi or go to her website: https://www.sendboxi.com.au/

And right now if you go there we have a promo code for you:

Simply use the code WAVES10 to receive $10 of orders over $80. This is valid until February 15th and can be used as a Valentines Day Gift.

For all the latest on All Things Small Biz you can follow us at @allthingssmallbiz or head to our online community at https://www.facebook.com/groups/allthingssmallbiz

You can also head to our website for tips and check out our business coaching page https://www.westofthewaves.com/pages/coax-australia-podcast

If you’re interested in some jewellery or clothing why not follow Sarah’s business @west_of_the_waves

Productivity and outside the box thinking go hand in hand. Without productive practices for your business, you wont have the time to try out there ideas to increase your business, so that’s why we are covering both today.

To start things, Sarah and Brian discuss how Sarah has actually become more productive since having kids and how that drive has helped her with her business West Of The Waves.

Sarah also reveals:

-      What she does to ensure she is productive, but that it doesn’t encroach on family time.

-       Sarah’s number 1 productivity hack

-      Sarah’s go to planning app to ensure she is productive.

Then Sarah is joined by Lou Webb of Lou Webb Collections. Lou is a wife, mother, cotton and wool producer and also runs Lou Webb Collection.

Lou also shares:

-      The big out there moves she has made that has resulted in her hats being featured by Gai Waterhouse and Sarah Jessica Parker.

-      The big decision she has made to ensure productivity increase without affecting her mental health.

-      How she intends to get a member of the British royal family to wear one of her pieces.

Key Quotes:

“I think it’s important that you support the industry, make connections and friends. That’s like hacking your own situation”

“Once upon a time I would be up at 2am in the morning trying to meet that deadline. Crazy. But I don’t do that anymore.”

To see Lou’s collection or find out more about her you can check her out on Instagram: @louwebbcollections

Or go to her website: www.louwebbcollections.com

For all the latest on All Things Small Biz you can follow us at @allthingssmallbiz or head to our online community at https://www.facebook.com/groups/allthingssmallbiz

You can also head to our website for tips and check out our business coaching page https://www.westofthewaves.com/pages/coax-australia-podcast

If you’re interested in some jewellery or clothing why not follow Sarah’s business @west_of_the_waves

When it comes to promoting your small business there are a lot of online tools and it can be easy to get bogged down in thinking ‘I’ll just use social media’, and forget the small individual ways that you can use it.

That’s why, in today’s episode, we will be covering the still relatively new Instagram Reels and how you can use them to promote your small business.

To start, Sarah and Brian discuss

-      How Reels can help you reach people who don’t follow your account

-      One of the most important things you must do with your reels if you want a chance for it to succeed.

-      What makes a good reel

After breaking down Reels, Sarah catches up with Tom Hancock from the Collie Hotel.

During lockdown Tom and his family turned to using funny reels on Instagram to blow up their online following and create both online revenue streams and also a big customer base who was geared to visit their pub after lockdown.

During the chat Tom shares:

-      How they decided on the kind of reels they would make for their Instagram.

-      How they turned their reels following into online revenue

-      Just how much effort goes into creating the reels.

Tom also shared plenty of wild stories about the type of clientele the Collie Hotel receives.

If you want to see Tom and his families very funny reels you can check them out at @colliehotel or you can go to their website at colliehotel.com.au

For all the latest on All Things Small Biz you can follow us at @allthingssmallbiz or head to our online community at https://www.facebook.com/groups/allthingssmallbiz

You can also head to our website for tips and check out our business coaching page https://www.westofthewaves.com/pages/coax-australia-podcast

If you’re interested in some jewellery or clothing why not follow Sarah’s business @west_of_the_waves

Inspiration for a business or business idea can come from anywhere, but one of the more unique inspirations is ‘Culture Clash’.

This is when someone, normally yourself, has a passion for two different styles and decided to combine them to create something new, or wants to bring one style into the world of another.

In todays episode Sarah and Brian discuss how Sarah’s business, West of The Waves, is a result of culture clash.

Sarah also explains:

-      How she came about the idea of combining country and surf culture

-      How she decided that there would be a market for this combination

-      How she went about making these two very different cultures fit seamlessly

Then, Sarah is joined by Prue Houston, who was so inspired by her Western Culture while helping launch her husbands Barbeque business that she launched Lone Star Trading Co, a wild west inspired fashion business based here in Australia.

On todays episode Prue shares:

-      The advantages of culture clash for her business

-      How she believes that her non-western background combines with western fashion to create something new

-      How she handles people who say her non-western background means she does not have the right experience for the products.

Prue’s wisdom from todays episode:

“You have to trust your instincts in this sort of business.”

“I’m at home with this fashion. I might not live on a farm but I’m originally a country girl and I really feel that the pieces I bring into Lone Star are things that I feel connected to, and I’m at home with all of that.”

Prue also shares how her husband went when launching a western style Barbeque business in Melbourne and how much time, research and energy is necessary to manage that kind of culture clash.

If you would like to check out Prue’s fashion business you can do so at:

@lonestar_tradingco

www.lonestartradingco.com.au

You can also check out her husband Kit’s business at:

@houstonsbbq and www.houstonsbbq.com.au 

For all the latest on All Things Small Biz you can follow us at @coax_australia or head to our website for tips and check out our business coaching page https://www.westofthewaves.com/pages/coax-australia-podcast

If you’re interested in some jewellery or clothing why not follow Sarah’s business @west_of_the_waves

Episode 8 Show notes

One of the best ways to promote and grow your business is to build connections with ‘small business cheerleaders’.

These are everyday people who use your product, service etc and will promote it and share it endlessly to their friends and followers.

Having a big influencer mention your brand once is good. Having a cheerleader repeatedly tell their friends and family about you is even better because it can ensure a greater chance of conversion.

Sarah and Brian start the episode by be sharing

-      The benefits Sarah has seen her business gain from engaging with small business cheerleaders.

-      How Sarah also participates as a small business Cheerleader and how you can as well.

-      How Sarah has gained the services of a small business cheerleader.

-      How Sarah’s own business cheerleaders resulted in her being promoted by Mia Freedman

Afterwards Sarah is joined by Elle Fordyce, her cousin and supporter of Sarah’s business, to understand what motivates a cheerleader and how we can get them to help our businesses.

Elle shares:

-      What makes her likely to promote a small business

-       Just how she personally promotes and supports small businesses

-      Which big group of people are very likely to utilise small businesses the most and support them.

Elle is always on the look out for other small businesses and you can find her online at @ellefordyce__

Also if you are interested in any of the businesses Elle mentioned you can find them here:

Spinifex and co:

@spinifexandco.thelabel

https://www.facebook.com/spinifexandco/

Outback Belle:

www.Outbackbelle.com 

https://www.facebook.com/outbackbelle/

@outbackbelle

Fe’s Fashion & Décor

https://www.facebook.com/fesfashionanddecor/

For all the latest on All Things Small Biz you can follow us at @coax_australia or head to our website for tips and check out our business coaching page https://www.westofthewaves.com/pages/coax-australia-podcast

If you’re interested in some jewellery or clothing why not follow Sarah’s business @west_of_the_waves

So many people dream of running their own small business but there is one big catch a lot of people haven’t worked out a solution for.

If you are the one running it, what happens to your small business if you want to go on holiday? Or take a break?

First up Sarah and Brian discuss some of the unexpected disasters that could put a small business owner out of commission and why everyone should have a plan in place for how to cover the business if they are out of action.

Sarah shares the steps and plans she has in place that would allow West of The Waves to continue if she sick, injured, or away on holiday.

Sarah also reveals who else she relies upon to ensure the business can go on without her, including what role Brian would have.

Then, to really figure out how this works in reality, Sarah catches up with Fiona Mary Baird of Appletree Flat.

Fiona is based in Toowoomba and makes shirts, kerchiefs, dresses and more through her business and somehow also works away on live export ships.

Working out at sea means that Fi is often either unavailable or has limited contact with clients so what does she do when she is away from her business?

Fiona shares:

-      The system she has in place to keep her business going when she is away

-      How her client relationships allow her to take this time away from her business

-      Who she relies on, on the mainland to ensure things keep going when she is away from the business.

For excellent service and amazing products you can contact the hilarious Fiona at @appletreeflat_nz

For all the latest on All Things Small Biz you can follow us at @coax_australia or head to our website for tips and check out our business coaching page https://www.westofthewaves.com/pages/coax-australia-podcast

If you’re interested in some jewellery or clothing why not follow Sarah’s business @west_of_the_waves