In episode 30 of Micro Entrepreneur: the magic of thinking small, I had a great time speaking with Steve Scott, an author and entrepreneur who has written over 40+ books on Internet Marketing, Self-Publishing and Productivity, including his most successful books Habit Stacking and The Daily Entrepreneur. We talked about his business model and also his successful internet marketing history that eventually led him to his self-publishing career.

Listen below or go to iTunes or Stitcher to Subscribe and download it to your smart phone

Book recommendation

The book that I recommend in the intro is Essentialism: The disciplined pursuit of less by Greg McKeown.  Brilliant for creating more focus and achieving more.  Click here to check it out on Amazon.

This week’s guest

As well as his books and self-publishing advice, Steve also has a podcast called:

Self-Publishing Questions (SPQ)

Steve says:-

Currently, there are a lot of great podcasts about self-publishing. Most typically run for 30 to 60 minutes and focus on interviews with successful authors. Mine has a different format with:

* More episodes—three to seven days each week.

* Shorter length—five to 10 minutes in length.

* Each episode features one question from a listener.

* Knowledge experts (who know more than me about specific topics) “guest record” an episode.

* Accountability episodes that focus on helping authors get results with their businesses.

In essence, the podcast focusses entirely on the problems you experience with the self-publishing process. As an example, if you’re familiar with “Ask Pat” or “Money Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips,” then you’ve seen evidence of how shorter podcasts can provide lots of actionable information.

What we covered in the show:

* How he struggled in the first couple of years

* How his ’email-list’ produced his first steady income via ezine articles and affiliates

* His business model is based on taking one topic and then diving in ‘inch wide and a mile deep’

* The challenge of staying on topic and focussing on what the promise is, by using ‘outlining’ as your guide

* The sweet-spot for Steve is 20k to 30k words – and how he works with a partner to speed the process up

* He sets aside up to 4 hours a day when he’s really motivated and then gets into email etc. later in the day

* How his writing takes priority over everything else

* Why he publishes his income reports – and the value of transparency

* About his breakthrough book Habit Stacking

* The model he uses when first launching a book – ‘poll the people who follow you’ – ‘ask the audience wh...

In episode 29 of Micro Entrepreneur: the magic of thinking small, I had a great time speaking with Mike Southon. Mike is a serially successful entrepreneur, best-selling business author and one of the world’s top business keynote speakers on entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship and sales.

Listen below or go to iTunes or Stitcher to Subscribe and download it to your smart phone

This week’s guest

Mike is co-author with Chris West of The Beermat Entrepreneur, The Boardroom Entrepreneur and Sales on a Beermat.

He has spoken at over 1,000 live events all over the world and provided face-to-face mentoring to over 1,000 entrepreneurs.

What we covered in the show:

* The back story behind the Instruction Set and the Beermat Entrepreneur

* The most important factor for success (spoiler – it’s all about finding and maintaining mentors)

* Make a profit and you’re already an entrepreneur! Start there…

* Choose something that you love doing – there’s always money in it

* Focus, focus, focus – Start small and see if anyone will give you any money for your product/service

* Always charge something – test your model and measure it with the money

* What to do before the logo, the branding or the business plan

* Setting initial prices – the first sale is the hardest – then others do the selling for you

* Raising your prices – the difference between price and ‘value for money’ pricing

* Trust based and outcome based pricing

* Selling is about hunting, farming and managing your pipeline

* You have to be prepared to work hard in the beginning

* Thoughts on 2015

* Mentoring – helps you with the ‘how, who, why of your business’ and (if you’re lucky!)… a referral

You can find out more about Mike here:

Mike’s website

@MikeSouthon

LinkedIn

Youtube

Google+

About the Podcast

The Micro Entrepreneur Podcast is your place to come and hear me talk about all things business for the micro business owner.  I speak with experts, authors and other micro business owners and what they are doing to build and grow a successful micro business.

Subscribe to the podcast

For Apple users, you can click here to subscribe on iTunes

For Android and Windows users, you can click here to subscribe via Stitcher

Like the show?  Please tell us on iTunes!

In episode 28 of Micro Entrepreneur: the magic of thinking small, I had a great time speaking with Suzanne Dibble. Suzanne is a multi-award winning business lawyer with vast experience ranging from acting for plc’s on billion pound projects, to helping micro-businesses with their day-to-day business law requirements. She is also the creator of The Expert Authority Challenge.

Listen below or go to iTunes or Stitcher to Subscribe and download it to your smart phone

This week’s guest

Suzanne used to work with massive businesses – FTSE100 PLCs, huge multi-nationals, private equity backed enterprises and household names at the largest law firm in the world, but since January 2010 she has focused exclusively on helping small business owners protect and grow their business.

This means that Suzanne has a breadth of experience unlike pretty much any other lawyer in the UK. She knows the big business issues but knows what is important to small businesses and what isn’t, and will always advise you in the context of YOUR business.

The entrepreneurial spirit, ignited in me during my days working with Richard Branson and Simon Woodroffe (the founder of Yo Sushi! and the Yo brand) and many other famous entrepreneurs, now burns stronger than ever. I love taking an exciting idea and helping you turn your vision into reality.

In my spare time I love nothing better than to snuggle up with a business book or a business course – I have literally hundreds of these books and programmes that I have devoured over the years.

What we covered in the show:

* What inspired Suzanne to take create the challenge – her love for ‘business’

* How coaches, consultants and experts struggle with these common problems:-

* how to get a steady flow of clients

* undercharging because you’re desperate for new clients

* taking on ‘miserable’ jobs out of fear

* The simple strategies she implemented for success – being super clear on her niche and authentically leveraging the boom within the ‘mumpreneur’ niche

* How she came up with her initial business plan, profiling and list building, and packaged her interviews and courses

* The Expert Authority Challenge – a summit of experts (over 20 webinars) a Facebook group – and a real sense of community – 1,000+

* Over 20 activities with a ‘points system’ – many experts donated courses of high value into the prize pot – 4 winners chose 3 prizes each

* The ‘product process, pricing and up-sell’ for the Challenge

* The right momentum and energy around the Challenge

* Advice if you want to do something similar, including timeframes and managing the process

* Making sure it’s the right vehicle for your particular audience and it’s a large enough audience

* Working out what your passion/topic is, that will be transformational for the audience

* Who your speakers will be? And knowing what you can offer them?

* A bit about the technology WebinarJam (add-on for Google Hangouts), Instant Teleseminar, GoToWebinar

In episode 27 of Micro Entrepreneur: the magic of thinking small, I had a great time speaking with Denise Duffield-Thomas.

Denise is the money mindset mentor for the new wave of online female entrepreneurs. Her best-selling books “Lucky Bitch” and “Get Rich, Lucky Bitch” give a fresh and funny road-map to create an outrageously successful life and business.

She helps women release their fear of money, set premium prices for their services and take back control over their finances.  Denise is also an award-winning speaker, author and entrepreneur who helps women transform their Economy-Class money mindset into a First-Class life.

This week’s guest

What we covered in the show:

* How Denise started to manifest her own future by changing her mindset

* You have to play your part in meeting the universe half way

* If you have a big goal – go at it with everything you have!

* When you’re more conscious of your goals you are more likely to achieve them

* It’s not magic – it’s mental preparation and not leaving anything to chance

* How Denise went from manifesting luck to manifesting money

* How to release the negative patterns and blocks you have around money

* There are many ‘processes’ that work but you need to find the right blend that works for you

* Why it’s so important for women to forgive themselves for mistakes made in the past and constantly ‘de-clutter’

* What you can be doing in 2015 to make it your best year yet – take an honest look at your fear list

* Incremental leaps and upgrades can make huge changes in a short space of time

* Why self-sabotage and success ‘hangovers’ are so common

* Understanding the ‘energetic’ income level

* ‘It’s your time and you are ready for the next step!

Webinar with Denise: Create a Rich and Lucky Year

I am really thrilled to share that we will be holding a webinar with Denise on January 21st at 10:00am on how you can create a rich and lucky year.

Click here to register (we will send out a copy of the replay to anyone who can’t make the time)

You can find out more about Denise here:

www.LuckyBitch.com

Twitter @DeniseDT

LinkedIn 

About the Podcast

The Micro Entrepreneur Podcast is your place to come and hear me talk about all things business for the micro business owner.  I speak with experts, authors and other micro business owners and what they are doing to build and grow a successful micro business.

Subscribe to the podcast

For Apple users, you can click here to subscribe on iTunes

For Android and Windows users, you can cli...

In episode 26 of Micro Entrepreneur: the magic of starting small, I had a great time continuing my conversation with Dee Blick, best-selling author, speaker and small business marketing guru. Dee is a Chartered Marketer, CIM Fellow, blogger, columnist and writes for many magazines. She has 31 years experience in marketing, copywriting and public speaking.

This is the 2nd part of Dee’s interview and today we’re talking about the great small business marketing strategies Dee has implemented for herself, and for other business owners. If you missed last week’s podcast you can catch it here, where we talked about her fantastic new book ‘The Ultimate Guide to Writing and Marketing a Bestselling Book on a Shoestring Budget’.

This week’s guest

Dee is the author of  The 15 Essential Marketing Masterclasses For Your Small Business, endorsed by The Chartered Institute of Marketing. The book has masses of new material on subjects essential to small businesses. Published by Wiley. 90 Five star reviews on Amazon with rave reviews in The Sun, Elite Business Magazine and winner of The BookBag nonfiction award and Talk Business Magazine ‘Best Business Book 2013’.Dee’s 4th book was released to a fab review in ‘The Sun’, and it won the revered, independent book review site, the ‘BookBag’s’ top 10 non-fiction books of 2014.

You may already know Dee as the author of The Ultimate Small Business Marketing Book. The Number 1 best-selling small business marketing book on Amazon. 156 five-star reviews. 87,000 words of practical marketing wisdom and tips that work. Now published by CITIC Publishing in China.

What we covered in the show:

* Some of the case studies I’ve prepared for the book I’m writing – I can’t wait to share them with you next year – so stay tuned!

* This is the last podcast for 2014, so we’d like to wish you all a very Merry Xmas and remind everyone to really take some time out and enjoy the holidays with your loved ones.

And then on to Dee with:

* Where to start – Dee’s 15 Masterclasses – Chapter 1 the marketing plan ‘template’ which has generated millions of pounds of business for others

* The Expert Masterclass – bring out your expertise and become the ‘go-to’ person

* Review what a ‘marketing plan’ really means to you

* Write out who your target market is – who do you want to reach and why, can you offer them something valuable, will they be prepared to pay for it, and where do you find them?

* It may mean buying an information list (make sure it’s from a member of the Direct Marketing Association)

* Know what the relevant, compelling benefits of your offer are

* What are the barriers – what will put your target client off?

* Benefits and barriers are the key to understanding great communications

In episode 25 of Micro Entrepreneur: the magic of starting small, I had a great time talking with Dee Blick, best-selling author, speaker and small business marketing guru. Dee is a Chartered Marketer, CIM Fellow, blogger, columnist and writes for many magazines. She has 31 years experience in marketing, copywriting and public speaking.

Dee’s interview spans 2 podcasts. This week we’re talking about her fantastic new book ‘The Ultimate Guide to Writing and Marketing a Bestselling Book on a Shoestring Budget’; and then next week we’ll be discussing the great marketing strategies Dee has implemented over the course of her career, so don’t forget to tune in then!

This week’s guest

Dee’s 4th book was released to a fab review in ‘The Sun’, and it won the revered, independent book review site, the ‘BookBag’s’ top 10 non-fiction books of 2014.

The Ultimate Guide to Writing and Marketing a Bestselling Book on a Shoestring Budget –  had 15 five-star reviews within 4 weeks of launch and a considered 3 star review from a fellow author. If you are considering writing a book or struggling with the one you’re writing, this will give you all the tips you need to pen an enduring bestseller…91,000 words, 24 chapters in bite sized nuggets of wisdom plus Dee’s famous templates that you can use!

You may already know Dee as the author of The Ultimate Small Business Marketing Book. The Number 1 best-selling small business marketing book on Amazon. 156 five-star reviews. 87,000 words of practical marketing wisdom and tips that work. Now published by CITIC Publishing in China.

And author of The 15 Essential Marketing Masterclasses For Your Small Business, endorsed by The Chartered Institute of Marketing. The book has masses of new material on subjects essential to small businesses. Published by Wiley. 90 Five star reviews on Amazon with rave reviews in The Sun, Elite Business Magazine and winner of The BookBag nonfiction award and Talk Business Magazine ‘Best Business Book 2013’.

What we covered in the show:

* Why I’m now calling the podcast the magic of starting small

* A reminder that I’m looking for some ‘male business owner’ case studies – please let me know at [email protected] if you know someone who has created a successful business

And then on to Dee with:

* How we see ourselves is not always how others see us

* Start with sharing what you know and the money and visibility will follow (not the other way round)

* Her journey from self-publishing to being sought after by Wiley

* The things Dee learnt – including finding her ‘confident’ voice, the importance of cover design and format

* Why it’s important to study the craft but it’s still okay to be “perfectly imperfect”

* Know why you’re writing your book – what’s your big idea?

* Why planning the book is so important – gather your material first – give it the head space it deserves

* Be prepared wherever you are, to note down your inspiration

* Why you need to call for help when you need it<...

In episode 24 of Micro Entrepreneur: the magic of thinking small, I had a great time talking with Grace Marshall about the strategies you can use as a micro-entrepreneur, to help you become more productive, more focussed and happier with your choices.

This week’s guest

Grace Marshall is head coach and chief encourager at Grace-Marshall.com and author of the Amazon bestselling 21 Ways to Manage the Stuff That Sucks Up Your Time. She is also a Productivity Ninja with Think Productive one of the UK’s leading productivity training companies. Grace admits she’s not a naturally organized person. Her passion for productivity began when she got fed up saying “I haven’t got enough time.” With two young children herself, Grace has a particular passion for helping busy time-jugglers find ways of getting things done with less stress, less overwhelm, more fun, enjoyment and fulfilment. You can get her free guide to overcoming overwhelm here.

What we covered in the show:

* Intro with my top tips for productivity

* time boxing and chunking

* asking if the task is necessary to your business and ask who is it serving?

* having a ‘no meetings policy’ unless it serves your agenda

* using public announcement for accountability

* setting boundaries

And then on to Grace with:

* Aligning your focus, passion and energy, and managing your mindset

* Getting started when you’re feeling overwhelmed

* using brain dumps

* deciding what needs your focus – what you can park – what do you need to let go of?

* creating space and ‘choosing’ vs feeling ‘you have to’

* understanding your own values

* Some things you may think aren’t productive actually are!

* regenerating, thinking time, re-strategizing

* Recognizing the ‘guilt’ factor and how in large doses it disempowers and distracts you

* time is your friend not your enemy

* have a TaDa! list not a ToDo list

* making magic doesn’t always take a lot of time

* Reference to the apps todoist.com  pocket.com

* Being mindful and having strategies to improve your ‘state’ and energy levels

* Starting with the hardest tasks first and earmarking the most important task for the week

* Having a weekly review, making proactive decisions, knowing what makes you ‘your best you’

* Managing a ‘multiple-ideas’ personality

* Motivating yourself with a ‘champagne moments’ folder

* It’s up to you to ‘take your time’

You can find out more about Grace here:

In episode 23 of Micro Entrepreneur: the magic of thinking small, I had a great time talking with Wendy Kerr – Business Coach, Mentor and a Corporate Crossover herself! Wendy is the author of two fantastic books: Corporate Crossovers & My New Business: A Busy Woman’s Guide to Start up Success. She is also the founder of Corporate Crossovers and the Accelerator Academy.

This week’s guest

Wendy is passionate about changing the way work works. She’s on a mission to fuel 10,000 women to create a business that allows them to live the life they love! With a 20-year career in multi-national blue chip organisations, she’s specialised in creating and launching new businesses around the world.

Wendy’s business experience includes:

* Starting a digital content business in London, expanding it globally and acquiring 3 media companies

* General Manager of FT.com personal finance, leading the business and team of 120 through the dot-com crash and restructuring it for profitability

* Starting an online share trading site in Australia and listing it on the Australian stock exchange, raising $70 million at the start of the first dot-com boom in the ‘90s

A Corporate Crossover herself, Wendy left a corporate career to create a successful 6 figure coaching and consulting business, running it from London and Tokyo. She’s worked with leaders of high growth, global technology companies in challenging times of expansion and change, including Expedia, IBM, and Betfair.

Wendy has coached, mentored and fuelled over 1,500 women to create a business that allows them to live the life they love!

Her company, Corporate Crossovers, enables women wherever they are in their journey, to leave their job and start a business successfully, providing them with structure, tools, processes and one-on-one mentoring. She has a vibrant and dynamic community of Corporate Crossovers around the world who are focused on creating the life they want.

What we covered in the show:

* A brief introductory comment about a great article on procrastination – by Tim Urban

* What it takes to leave corporate life

* What it takes to create a successful business

* Why networking is so important to get clients in the early stages of setting up – think of it as a bit like ‘dating’

* Following up on conversations with a ‘how can I help’ service mindset

* Understanding the value of the service you are offering

* Understanding your ‘internal operating system’ and how to shift your thinking

* The challenges of moving from corporate life to your own enterprise

* How your identify becomes reinvented

* Why you need to update your ‘success criteria’

* Planning your business with a sense of calm, control and simplicity

* How your business will help you achieve your lifestyle goals

* Reference to

In episode 22 of Micro Entrepreneur: the magic of thinking small, I had a great time talking with Carole Bozkurt – Founder of The Blueprint Practice. Carole is a visibility strategist, who along with her team, brings a breadth of knowledge and experience of global marketing to small business owners. They offer marketing, training, mentoring and practical strategies to ensure your business is visible in your marketplace and attracts all the clients you could ever want.

I believe every female business owner has the right to be fulfilled and financially rewarded by her business – and Blueprint Practice makes that happen.

Carole and I talked about how to get clear on what you need to do to attract your ideal client and how to create a roadmap to get more visible in your market.

This week’s guest

Carole Bozkurt is the founder and inspiration behind The Blueprint Practice. Carole has over 20 years of blue-chip marketing expertise including nine years spent at GHN (part of Penna Plc), the company that pioneered executive coaching in the UK. She headed up the marketing team at GHN and helped its coaches unlock their full potential in order to generate strong revenue streams, business growth and brand recognition. Prior to launching The Blueprint Practice, Carole led the European marketing arm of Towers Watson’s financial management division. She has worked with clients on global and niche projects sharing a common desire for marketing discipline, innovation and an in-depth understanding of how to plan and implement a marketing strategy that delivers business growth. – See more at on their website here.

What we covered in the show:

* What a roadmap looks like for small business owners and micro-entrepreneurs

* How to make sure your strategy works for your business and your life

* The difference between spending too much or too little time in your business and how to be the most productive

* Making yourself a priority – looking after your health and well-being for better results

Techniques you can use to build your visibility including the 4 pillars of:

* Mindset & State

Strategy & Planning (including your lifestyle and business objectives)

Messaging – different messages for different situations and client stages, Brand values and aligning your tactics

Your Toolbox – choosing the tools that work best for your business

What to do if you are just starting out – how the desire to succeed trumps all!

You can find out more about Carole here

The Blueprint Practice

About the Podcast

The Micro Entrepreneur Podcast is your place to come and hear me talk about all things business for the micro business owner.  I speak with experts, authors and other micro business owners and what they are doing to build and grow a successful micro business.

Subscribe to the podcast

For Apple users, you can click here to subscribe on iTunes

For Android and Windows users, you can click here to subscribe via Stitcher

Like the show?  Please tell us on iTunes!

If you liked the show and found it valuable and you haven’t done so already I would really appreciate it if you took a minute to leave a quick rating or review of the podcast on iTunes by clicking on the link below!  It will open up itunes on your computer and you can leave a rating by clicking on the ratings and reviews tab.