MicroEntrepreneur - The Magic of Being Small

In episode 31 of Micro Entrepreneur: the magic of thinking small, I had a great time speaking with Sarah Arrow, founder of Sarkemedia.com, Birds On The Blog and the 30 Day Business Blogging Challenge.

This week’s guest

Sarah says

I love blogging, and over the years since I’ve started I’ve learned a tremendous amount, generated a heap of business and met some really fabulous and some really famous people including Tony Robbins and Martha Stewart. All through blogging.

One of my sites is syndicated by an international news conglomerate, Forbes have listed another as a best website (3 times) along with MSN and a fair few other places.

I’ve been on the radio, and in the newspapers talking on a variety of topics and all of this attention has come through blogging. If you have a business that needs leads and attention I’ll show you how to get it.

It’s not easy until you know how, and then you’ll wonder what took you so long!

What we covered in the show:

* Understanding ‘ordinary women in business’ who have more to do than just run their business

* How Sarah took ownership of the word ‘bird’ back and applied it to Birds On The Blog

* How to use blogging when you’re time poor

* How writing can be therapy and provide clarity about your business

* How to create influencer list posts – linking in and explaining why you should follow them

* How to create interview posts

* How to create ‘the crowd source’ post

* How bookmarks themselves can create traffic

* The ‘Oprah’ effect

* Collaborate rather than compete

* What we can write for our own audiences

* Writing off topic

* How often to inspire your audience and how to tie it back into your business

* When to use the holiday or seasonal post

* If you don’t like writing – use a podcast format or something that you do love doing!

* Blogging isn’t about us it’s about our clients

* 3 times a week would be ideal (M/W/F)

* How the 30 day challenge can help you

* What Mr Google is looking for

* How to outsource and delegate for valuable content

* The marketing sieve which leads to connection and transaction

* How to structure a post

You can find out more about Sarah here:

Sarkemedia.com

Birds On The Blog

www.saraharrow.co.uk

LinkedIn

@BirdsOnTheBlog

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 clicki...

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 what they want to learn about as you’re writing

* He focusses on Amazon – at the moment (even though it’s all eggs in one basket)

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!

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. It would be extremely helpful if you like the show! 

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

* The great results from the challenge – and the biggest learnings (spoiler – it’s all about energy)

You can find out more about Suzanne here:

Suzanne’s 

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 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 p...

In episode 27 of Micro Entrepreneur: the magic of thinking small, I had a blast speaking with Denise Duffield-Thomas, a money mindset mentor for the new wave of online female entrepreneurs. I've read both of her bestselling books “Lucky Bitch” and“Get Rich, Lucky Bitch” which give a fresh and funny road-map to create an outrageously successful life and business.

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

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!

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.

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

Identify complementary partners and introducers for cross referrals

Write out your 'positioning' statement

Have campaigns - drip feed a series of communications - to move the client through the funnel

Focus on those clients with the strongest need

Warm potential clients up before you contact them

Marketing agencies can work for you as long as you brief them properly

The fear of marketing - change your mindset - it's the channel that releases you into the marketplace - and it gets easier!

You have to get out of your comfort zone and take risks

Be your own best salesperson and brand ambassador

If you are a new business you should be marketing non-stop, if you are established slot in strategic time

What to avoid - systems that promise an instant business, don't put all your eggs in one basket

What to embrace - networking, be able to articulate your business over the phone, explore social media, send 'charming' emails and links - blend your tactics and join the marketing dots for your business

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

Start sharing it early e.g. on twitter, social media

Let your work sit for a while to get a better perspective on what you've written

The various routes to publishing including on-line and in book stores

What you need to pay for and what you don't

Using the pool of freelance experts that are available

Identify where your readers are and which platforms/places they hang out on

Find out who is influential in your tribe and make connections early

Get your book launch date locked in and get others to lock it in too

Get your professional reviewers lined up early

You can find out more about Dee here:

Twitter: @deeblick (her favourite social platform)

Linked In: LinkedIn

Email: dee@themarketinggym.

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:

www.Grace-Marshall.com

Twitter: @GraceMarshall

http://www.facebook.com/gracemarshallcoaching

Here are some links to Grace's articles:

http://grace-marshall.com/productive-time-wasters/

http://grace-marshall.com/whats-your-hidden-strength/

http://grace-marshall.com/how-game-thinking-can-boost-your-productivity/

http://productivemag.com/21/is-guilt-stealing-your-time

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 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 Michael Gerber’s E-Myth