Our current economy has created the motivation for many people to start their own business. One of the challenges they find is being an expert in your industry doesn’t mean you know how to run a business. If you take the time to research key information you can save yourself lots of resources. Stephanie Sokenis shares her love for helping small business owners as an Accredited Small Business Advisor and shares ideas about money well spent and pitfalls to avoid.

Want to learn more about Small Biz Ally?

Check out their website: https://www.smallbizally.com/
Phone: 678-822-3959
Connect with Stephanie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniesokenis/

Summary

Before the COVID pandemic, ETA Creative Event Producers put on an average of 100 shows (sales kick-offs, recognition events, product launches) a year for 45 unique brands. Within a matter of days, live events came to a grinding halt. The focus turned to what could be done virtually. Jeff Robertson, managing director, shares how his company pivoted to bring a next-level experience to Zoom-fatigued audiences. 

Highlights
. 
Consider the need for developing content, aligning with a platform (your virtual venue), and how to engage the user to give them a benefit from showing up. You also need to send the right message to serve your sponsors, visitors, and customers.

ETA saw an opportunity to turn their headquarters into a studio to host their virtual event for anyone within driving distance of Atlanta. They also have “fly-packs” to come to you.

Virtual events require additional planning to minimize risks with pre-recorded content. It’s a different approach than live events as it requires forecasting what you will need to say ahead of time.

Zoom fatigue forces us to think differently about how we generate engaging content people want to hear. Inject fun, gamification features, giveaways, and surprise guests to attract attendees.

ETA’s secret sauce is engineering environments to help customers tell their stories. They work to evoke an emotional experience from an attendee’s eyes. 

When it comes to virtual events, Jeff’s advice includes choosing a platform to suit your needs, fit your price point, and give you a level of engagement with your audiences. 


Want to learn more about ETA Creative Event Producers? 

Check out their website: https://etahq.com/
Phone 404-654-0200

Learn more about how ETA Creative Event Producers has pivoted to meet customer needs for virtual events. 
https://etahq.wistia.com/medias/s25bjek9r4

Summary

Many small business owners understand they should choose a niche market but are hesitant to do so. Matt Hoffman, president of Frontline Technology, LLC specializes in non-profits.  When most managed service providers are going after the big companies, non-profits face many of the same security and maintenance issues. Hear what choosing a niche and going after it has done for Matt’s business.

Highlights
. 
Matt knew he liked technology and was also called into ministry. He explains how he developed a career being able to blend the two interests.


At one time churches were not targeted for security breaches related to technology. Today private information surrounding financial donation records or counseling notes could be at risk if systems are not protected. 


Well-meaning volunteers may be versed in technology for their home but aren’t educated how to provide security for a larger organization. When something goes wrong there may be a challenge with their accessibility.


Identifying a niche does not preclude you from doing business with others. Identifying a niche will help your ideal client find you. 


Who is watching your wireless network when you aren’t there? Have you protected yourself from others pulling up outside your building to use the WIFI...and possibly compromising your system?


Avoid using public WIFI as it opens up your system to vulnerabilities. Instead, invest in a VPN. 


Most small businesses think they can’t afford an IT company. Affordable packages are available starting as low as $20/month.


Want to learn more about Frontline Technology, LLC?

Check out their website: https://frontlinemsp.com/
Phone (((866) 944-4044
Connect with Matt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mghoffman/

In a time when the topic of what to do about school this fall is top of mind, there could not be a timelier guest to the Business Growth Insiders podcast. Hunter Cluthe, founder and Head of School at William & Reed Academy shares a new model of education serving middle school and high school students in the north Atlanta area. 

As a former business owner, veteran teacher, and administrator, Hunter recognized education was not a one-size-fits-all service. He identified an opportunity and set out to create a private school to allow students to focus on strong academics and still have time for balance in their lives. 

The school easily pivoted to distance learning when COVID19 forced schools to no longer meet in person. School parents were able to witness the quality instruction and focused learning their students experienced daily. They had the confidence their children would not fall behind and were not frustrated trying to become home school teachers. 

You may learn more about William & Reed Academy at williamandreed.com or register for one of their upcoming Information Sessions. 

About Your Hosts

Jeff Evans and Lisa McGuire each own their own small business, specializing in different areas of marketing. Jeff brings the experienced knowledge of digital marketing and technology while Lisa brings the insights of marketing strategy combined with
messaging through story. 

Jeff’s Contact Info: [email protected]
To learn more about Jeff: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffevans78/

Lisa’s Contact Info: [email protected]
To learn more about Lisa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-mcguire/

Jeff is the digital marketing expert of the Business Growth Insiders team. In this episode he focuses on leveraging the power of the Google Maps 3-pack strategy. Join Jeff and Lisa as they discuss an evergreen strategy using the Google Map Pack. 

Episode Highlights

When people go to search, the majority of people are skipping past the paid ads and are often reaching a business via the 3-pack listing

68% of the click-throughs are found on a local service listing

Your business is classified as category. It’s important to connect the content in your website to the categories. This means you will have more credibility when you have a service page.

Research from Google: 

• 76% of people who conduct a local search will contact a business within 24 hours
• 28% of those searches result in a purchase

Study by SearchEnginewatch.com

• 68% of searcher prefer the local 3 pack
• 27% prefer the organic results
• Only 10% trust the paid search ads

A “maps-first” approach is an evergreen strategy. It will continue to work when you discontinue paid ads.

Once visitors come to your website, you need an ad strategy to bring them back.

Visitors are looking for directions and reviews on Google My Business. They will only go to your website if they need more information.

Reviews are important to have. People are making choices to work with you based on reviews. It factors into your ranking.

Software is available to ask people to give you reviews. If the review is 3-star rating, there is a software to bypass the posting and have the information come directly to you to address first. 

Birdeye.com the software to improve business reputation and customer experience

Jeff’s Webinar Referenced in the show is currently rescheduled for June 23. Register here: 

About Your Hosts

Jeff Evans and Lisa McGuire each own their own small business, specializing in different areas of marketing. Jeff brings the experienced knowledge of digital marketing and technology while Lisa brings the insights of marketing strategy combined with messaging through story. 

Jeff’s Contact Info: [email protected] 

To learn more about Jeff: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffevans78/

Lisa’s Contact Info: [email protected]

To learn more about Lisa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-mcguire/

Catherine Brown is the founder of ExtraBold Sales, a sales training firm. She loves selling and wants to lead a revolution to reform the way people think about what selling is. Her favorite thing is to help others learn to sell with no sleaze or cheese. Catherine is also a StoryBrand Certified Guide, which means she’s always thinking about how marketing language and sales tools fit together. 

Catherine started her consulting sales experience by selling B2B consulting services for hi-tech companies for several years before founding a boutique telemarketing firm, where she served over 200 companies over a 15 year period. Her firm was an alternative to call centers, where she and her staff called on C-level executives on behalf of their clients to qualify or disqualify them as potential sales leads.  

She founded ExtraBold sales after recognizing a problem that needed to be solved. Teams that had received traditional sales training were not seeing the results in closing more business. She restructured sales training to include two parts: sales tools that we use that help us with the process but also personal transformation, the psychology of selling and personal development. 

You may contact Catherine at: https://www.extraboldsales.com

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

2:50 How can businesses start ramping up their cash flow quickly when business starts to open up?  The biggest problem with companies right now when it comes to sales.

4:30 What are the common stereotypes about selling?

6:05 How do you start a sales conversation during these times?

7:45 What is Catherine noticing about how businesses are navigating now and what they are anticipating for the future?

10:10 When you can’t sell face to face, Catherine offers advice to business owners. 

12:20 Catherine outlines phases in a sales process and the vulnerability many salespeople experience when engaging face-to-face. 

13:50 Hear common mistakes many people make when it comes to sales.

19:38 How you can move from a tactical discussion to a strategy conversation in sales.

25:12 The services Catherine offers to her clients and types of industries that need sales training more than others. 

28:15 How we can navigate the age-old battle between marketing and sales within our companies.

32:52 Where business owners need to put their focus to generate income right now?

40:30 What recommendations does Catherine make for books to read on sales training. 

RESOURCES

ExtraBold Sales Word Cloud

3 Phrases That Are Killing Your Leads

BOOK RECOMMENDATION: The Inner Game Of Selling by Ron Willingham

https://www.amazon.com/Inner-Game-Selling-Mastering-Determine/dp/0743286286/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1VZ7ENDKYOBK&keywords=the+inner+game+of+selling&qid=1588031803&sprefix=the+inner+game+of+selling%2Caps%2C173&sr=8-1

About Your Hosts

Jeff Evans and Lisa McGuire each own their own small business, specializing in different areas of marketing. Jeff brings the experienced knowledge of digital marketing and technology while Lisa brings the insights of marketing strategy combined with messaging through story. 

Jeff’s Contact Info: [email protected] 

To learn more about Jeff: https://www.linkedin.com/in/j

Suzanne Carpenter is an approachable, sincere, fun-loving, and passionate leader who loves to see personal improvement and transformation in those she teaches. Through her successful 10-year nutrition career Suzanne saw a gap in the industry and a trend in society. Americans are more confused and overwhelmed than ever when it comes to actually losing weight and keeping it off. 

She created a virtual nutrition education company called CarpenterOne80 whose mission is to provide affordable and simple programs that can clear up food confusion so that people can win at losing weight. 

Suzanne is a Certified Nutritional Consultant and the CEO and Founder of CarpenterOne80 as well as the creator of SOS (Suz On Your Shoulder) , Babysit My Plate, and The Food Peace University, three different virtual bite-sized nutrition courses. They were designed to teach you what you need to know to create sustainable results.

CERTIFIED 

Episode Highlights

4:00 What was the question that prompted Suzanne to change her life and how she looked at food?

6:55 How can we manage our eating and what part does comfort food have in our food choices?

8:40 Suzanne shares the struggle of how to manage the distraction of the food supply easily accessible in your home and why we are attracted to eat. 

12:10 How to recognize the difference between emotional and physical hunger.

16:18 Suzanne chimes in on how to select a style of diet that will work for you. 

20:21 What happened during the industrial revolution that impacts our eating today.

21:44 The premise behind fiber helping you to lose weight, feeling better, and not experience hunger.

24:00 The services Suzanne offers to her clients to help them learn to eat better.

28:15 The types of things Suzanne did to grow her business

31:27 The advice shared about why we should continue to show up in our businesses

34:56 The best thing to do to make a difference in your health.

You can find Suzanne here:

https://Carpenterone80.com

Facebook and Instagram: @carpenterone80

[email protected]

About Your Hosts

Jeff Evans and Lisa McGuire each own their own small business, specializing in different areas of marketing. Jeff brings the experienced knowledge of digital marketing and technology while Lisa brings the insights of marketing strategy combined with messaging through story. 

Jeff’s Contact Info: [email protected] 

To learn more about Jeff: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffevans78/

J. Vincent Creative

Lisa’s Contact Info: [email protected]

To learn more about Lisa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-mcguire/

Open Window Marketing

Jeff Evans, co-host of Business Growth Insiders takes his turn to share who he is and what he does. His strategic approach to helping clients is evident by the different philosophy he uses to run his digital agency. He strongly believes that a business owner should be in control of the marketing decisions that directly impact their business. They need to know not only what they need for marketing, but why they need it. 

When he’s not recording a podcast, Jeff is the president of J. Vincent Creative, where he is committed to making sure his clients have the right people showing up to do business with them. He is also a strong believer that a business owner deserves to have experts on their team so they can concentrate on doing the work they love. 

His expertise was built in several different digital marketing agencies and then taking on a different perspective in the role of Chief Marketing Officer of a small business. Like many entrepreneurs, his desire to have flexibility and proximity to family drew his heart to launch his own agency. Jeff loves working to help a crowded marketplace of medical spas stand out in a noisy world.

J. Vincent Creative offers web design and development, SEO, and Facebook and Instagram advertising. He is equipped to “take your business and grow.”

Episode Highlights

2:35 Jeff mentions that he’s hanging out with his family and small business owners. Note: This episode was recorded before social distancing and shelter-in-place requirements!

3:11 Jeff shares a distinct differentiator for his digital marketing agency. 

5:16 Information about a private Facebook group available to Business Growth Insiders listeners.

6:24 Hear about Jeff’s journey and skills that were developed to take him to where his business is today.

7:50 What is Jeff’s perspective about marketing plumbing? 

8:40 What was the driver behind Jeff’s agency start and how did failure lead him to where he is today?

11:30 We learn the mistake Jeff made when buying books in a particular genre.

13:20 Jeff shares how a decision to develop his own agency gave him the freedom he needed but, like many, took a side road for awhile

15:12 Lisa identifies the tipping point that motivated Jeff and the work he put in to get there

16:26 The key driving value behind how Jeff operates his business

16: 48 Jeff outlines the services he offers his clients and his desire to help business owners

20:10 Jeff breaks down the mystery of Facebook for marketing your business and the perils associated without using a strategy specially tailored for your need

25:40 Hear about the marketing richness of using Google My Business and the impact on your company’s visibility

28:55 Jeff wraps up the show with some personal thoughts about how he shows up every day

About Your Hosts

Jeff Evans and Lisa McGuire each own their own small business, specializing in different areas of marketing. Jeff brings the experienced knowledge of digital marketing and technology while Lisa brings the insights of marketing strategy combined with messaging through story. 

Jeff’s Contact Info: [email protected] 

To learn more about Jeff: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffevans78/

Lisa’s Contact Info: [email protected]

To learn more about Lisa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-mcguire/

As an instructor at Georgia State University, Kelli Clay created a college class in which she taught students to “Stress Less, Achieve More.” Her students attained better grades, better relationships, more focus and energy. They even became happier and realized they liked to learn! Their life-transforming success stories inspired her to take her teachings to the professional world.

She now helps professionals and students deal with stress through a program called “Train Your Brain to Stress Less and Thrive." It is more efficient and less time consuming than traditional stress management.

Kelli’s is a certified coach and certified exercise physiologist. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech and a master’s degree in exercise science from Georgia State University. 

Kelli can be contacted to speak at your organization or for an individual discovery session at KelliClay.com.

[email protected]

404-786-3859

Episode Highlights

2:42 Find out what unusual thing Kelli’s college students often did when they finished her course. 

5:26 Which fields of study did Kelli research to generate her program content? 

6:28 Discover what we know about business owners recognizing their stress levels.

8:02 Why do millennials have it right when it comes to recognizing stress?

9:23 What is the best way to help a corporate leader understand how to manage the stress they feel is necessary. 

10:28 The difference between a threat response and a challenge response to stress and why you shouldn’t be afraid of it. 

12:06 Hear about a five step process to help you successfully respond to stress

15:43 Why Kelli does not teach meditation and the challenge with most people  trying to meditate 

17:40 The importance of using triggers related to stress

19:25 Learn what benefits are available for corporate clients when working with Kelli?

21: 57 Does our desire to feel in control have an impact on whether or not we experience stress?

23:34 Learn about the various ways in which Kelli works with her clients

24:20 What has motivated Kelli to offer a program to students in college and high school? 

26:20 Kelli explains the goals of a discovery call before choosing a workshop or program. 

28:45 What is happening in your brain while implementing these easy tips and tricks to help you manage stress

31:43 Hear about the five areas in which stress can help us.

35:43 What actions can you take when you observe a co-worker, friend or family member getting stressed about a situation?

37:43 How does Kelli personally handle stress as a small business owner

40:57 What advice does Kelli give when we are going through a struggle? 

Resources Referenced in the Show

Psychologist, Shawn Achor’s Ted Talk: The Happy Secret to Better Work https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLJsdqxnZb

Kelly McGonigal, The Upside of Stress: Why Stress Is Good for You, and How to Get Good at It.

https://amazon.com/Upside-Stress-Why-Good-You/dp/1101982934/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3SPAVM1A8MSTF&keywords=kelly+mcgonigal+books&qid=1583122260&sprefix=kelly+mc%2Caps%2C154&sr=8-3

Kelly McGonigal’s Ted Talk: How to Make Stress Your Friend

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcGyVTAoXEU

Lisa McGuire shares who she is and what she does with our listeners. Her strategic approach to business is evident as is her heart for helping small business owners and personal brands accelerate the business they were created to build. 

When she’s not recording a podcast, Lisa is a marketing consultant and certified business storyteller. After a successful career as a teacher she became involved in the launch of a startup that eventually grew to a nearly $20M operational budget, generated $50M in fundraising, and grew the client base by over 400%. Lisa was responsible for overseeing all marketing, communications and client acquisition, earning several communicator awards along the way. A pivot in her career provided the opportunity to start her own business, including becoming a StoryBrand Certified Guide. 

Her favorite clients to work with are corporate leaders who have launched their own business doing work they love, but need help understanding what type of marketing they need to do. She acts as a marketing partner and coach, providing resources, knowledge, and a fresh set of eyes to understand how a new client perceives the business and its value.

She also helps small business owners identify their niche clients and create the message that can be used in all of their marketing activities. Marketing strategy sessions, website assessments and a full sales funnel (elevator pitch, website copy, lead generators, sales pages, email campaigns) are popular deliverables for clients. 

Episode Highlights

3:15 Lisa talks about how she partners with small business owners to help them be very clear on how to move forward with marketing, saving them money along the way.

5:23 Hear Lisa’s point of difference she offers as a marketer.

6:12 Lisa’s talks about how her childhood directed her choice of a career and how her wiring impacts how she works with clients.

8:29 Hear about Lisa’s part in growing a startup and how her superpower made it successful.

9:05 Learn about the turning point that caused Lisa to launch her own business.

11:20 What is the challenge of telling people you own a marketing company?

12:10 Lisa describes how she helps clients with an ideal client exercise.

15:32 What does it mean to have a customer-centric approach in marketing and how it impacted the success in Lisa’s work.

17:21 How a business relationship is like a marriage and why you need to be flexible.

17:55 The benefit of leveraging digital marketing to quickly pivot. 

19:52 The importance of education in the marketing industry to empower clients.

20:48 Where does education fit into how Lisa works with clients?

22:13 Information on how our listeners can connect and learn more.

23:00 The reason why providing value will help you grow your business.

25:20 What drives Lisa to do the work she does. 

27:00 Lisa’s interest in personal branding and why it matters.

About Your Hosts

Jeff Evans and Lisa McGuire each own their own small business, specializing in different areas of marketing. Jeff brings the experienced knowledge of digital marketing and technology while Lisa brings the insights of marketing strategy combined with messaging through story. 

Jeff’s Contact Info: [email protected] 

To learn more about Jeff: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffevans78/

Lisa’s Contact Info: [email protected]

To learn more about Lisa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-mcguire/