The Small Business Big Marketing Podcast with Tim Reid

Hey team. Bonus episode today, and a different kind of one at that.

No marketing gold, no business lessons (well maybe a couple), just an inspiring conversation with a couple of homeless people, and a fellow for whom volunteering has enabled him to see his work life in a whole different way.

By the way, there’s a language warning on this one. Nothing outrageous, but I do get a little fired-up.

You may recall a couple of episodes back I interviewed Lucas and Nic, the founders of Orange Sky Laundry – a mobile clothes washing service for homeless people. If you haven’t listened to it then I suggest you do.

Nic and Lucas’s idea and passion touched me big time, so following that interview, I went and volunteered for them, spending a couple of hours at an Orange Sky Laundry parked on Collins Street in Melbourne’s CBD.

I loved every bit of it.

The chance to give back to people in need.

The chance to learn some life lessons from those less fortunate.

And the conversations I had with one of their volunteers, and a couple of Orange Sky’s homeless friends, have been life changing. I’ll share what I learnt, later on.

So, listen in as I wander through Melbourne’s CBD trying to locate the Orange Sky Van ...

Hey team. Bonus episode today, and a different kind of one at that.

No marketing gold, no business lessons (well maybe a couple), just an inspiring conversation with a couple of homeless people, and a fellow for whom volunteering has enabled him to see his work life in a whole different way.

By the way, there’s a language warning on this one. Nothing outrageous, but I do get a little fired-up.

You may recall a couple of episodes back I interviewed Lucas and Nic, the founders of Orange Sky Laundry – a mobile clothes washing service for homeless people. If you haven’t listened to it then I suggest you do.

Nic and Lucas’s idea and passion touched me big time, so following that interview, I went and volunteered for them, spending a couple of hours at an Orange Sky Laundry parked on Collins Street in Melbourne’s CBD.

I loved every bit of it.

The chance to give back to people in need.

The chance to learn some life lessons from those less fortunate.

And the conversations I had with one of their volunteers, and a couple of Orange Sky’s homeless friends, have been life changing. I’ll share what I learnt, later on.

So, listen in as I wander through Melbourne’s CBD trying to locate the Orange Sky Van ...

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/marketingpodcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It is so easy to discount, to undercut your competition to get the business. Although it's an easy strategy it is quite simply a race to the bottom. Once you have the lowest price there is nowhere left to go. Tune in this week as I chat with Tas Moulis of QPaint about how to charge full freight and see your business thrive because of it. This one's all about how to avoid discounting.

[Tweet "'How and why to avoid discounting in your business"]

In this fireside chat with Tas we cover:

Tas's 3 effective strategies on how to avoid discounting

Why building relationships is crucial in business

The power of getting off the tools and focussing on what's going to generate the big bucks

Some serious business courage

 

PLUS I head back to last week's interview with Orange Sky Laundry and my night out onsite with them. I capture a bit of a chat I had with Matt, one of Orange Sky's brilliant volunteers and Herb one of Orange Sky's homeless friends.

Herb is one seriously beautiful human being. The first thing he did was give me two tickets to the footy as he had 4 bags with all his possessions in them that he wouldn't be allowed to bring into the ground. Here are 4 powerful lessons Herb taught me during our chat:

There’s always someone worse off than you.

Be grateful for what you have.

And you don’t need much to be happy.

Plenty of marketing gold in today's episode. Enjoy!

 

 EPISODE TIMELINE

 

01:30  Welcome & overview

02:47  Today’s guest introduction - Tas Moulis of QPaint

03:44  Interview with Tas Moulis - Part 1

38:13  My top 3 attention grabbers from my chat with Tas Moulis

40:33 Insights in to WebCentral & Designcrowd

42:45  Interviews with Matt & Herb from my night on the road with Orange Sky Laundry

59:20  Wrap-up and insights in to next week’s guest

 

 EPISODE SPONSORS 

 

WebCentral

Get your online marketing sorted with these exclusive listener offers.

Designcrowd.com - Save up to $100 on your first design.

The world's #1 custom design marketplace - beautifully simple & cheap. We love cheap!

 

 RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED

 

Tas's official website

Episode 305 with Kelly Baker-Jamieson from Edible Blooms about online retail marketing

Episode 205 with Josh Nicholls from Platinum Electrical on creating raving fans

Buy Timbo’s new marketing book The Boomerang Effect

 

 

 MY TOP 3 MARKETING ATTENTION GRABBERS FROM THIS EPISODE

 

Acknowledge that discounting really is a race to the bottom. In particular, avoid discounting with new clients - this sets a precedent that will be hard to break. Instead, work hard at ensuring they see massive value in you and what you offer. I talk about this extensively in The Boomerang Effect.

Actively look for a problem and fix it. This idea is so beautifully counter-intuitive, but it works. Look at this idea as if you were a customer. How cool would it be for a business you’re dealing with to bring a problem to your attention, and then tell you it’s been fixed. Such a great way to build trust.

I found Tas’s tough decisions inspiring:

He refuses to discount, when a simple 10% off could secure the job.

He chose to stop painting (something he was very good at), and focus on the high-value activities like quoting, which quadrupled his business.

He sacked clients that made him and his staff miserable; and identified 4 types of clients he did want to work with. Go back to episode 183 with Dentist Paddy Lund who also did this with great success. He is gutsy enough to ask (and answer) the question “Where are we really at?”

 

 OVER TO YOU …

 

What was your biggest marketing learning or ah-ha moment from this episode?

Leave your comment below.

My guest and I respond to each and every comment.

It is so easy to discount, to undercut your competition to get the business. Although it's an easy strategy it is quite simply a race to the bottom. Once you have the lowest price there is nowhere left to go. Tune in this week as I chat with Tas Moulis of QPaint about how to charge full freight and see your business thrive because of it. This one's all about how to avoid discounting.

[Tweet "'How and why to avoid discounting in your business"]

In this fireside chat with Tas we cover:

• Tas's 3 effective strategies on how to avoid discounting
• Why building relationships is crucial in business
• The power of getting off the tools and focussing on what's going to generate the big bucks
• Some serious business courage

 

PLUS I head back to last week's interview with Orange Sky Laundry and my night out onsite with them. I capture a bit of a chat I had with Matt, one of Orange Sky's brilliant volunteers and Herb one of Orange Sky's homeless friends.

Herb is one seriously beautiful human being. The first thing he did was give me two tickets to the footy as he had 4 bags with all his possessions in them that he wouldn't be allowed to bring into the ground. Here are 4 powerful lessons Herb taught me during our chat:

1. There’s always someone worse off than you.
2. Be grateful for what you have.
3. And you don’t need much to be happy.

Plenty of marketing gold in today's episode. Enjoy!

 

 

EPISODE TIMELINE

 

01:30  Welcome & overview
02:47  Today’s guest introduction - Tas Moulis of QPaint
03:44  Interview with Tas Moulis - Part 1
38:13  My top 3 attention grabbers from my chat with Tas Moulis
40:33 Insights in to WebCentral & Designcrowd
42:45  Interviews with Matt & Herb from my night on the road with Orange Sky Laundry
59:20  Wrap-up and insights in to next week’s guest

 

 

EPISODE SPONSORS 

 

WebCentral
Get your online marketing sorted with these exclusive listener offers.

Designcrowd.com - Save up to $100 on your first design.
The world's #1 custom design marketplace - beautifully simple & cheap. We love cheap!

 

 

RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED

 

Tas's official website
Episode 305 with Kelly Baker-Jamieson from Edible Blooms about online retail marketing
Episode 205 with Josh Nicholls from Platinum Electrical on creating raving fans
Buy Timbo’s new marketing book The Boomerang Effect

 

 

 

MY TOP 3 MARKETING ATTENTION GRABBERS FROM THIS EPISODE

 

1. Acknowledge that discounting really is a race to the bottom. In particular, avoid discounting with new clients - this sets a precedent that will be hard to break. Instead, work hard at ensuring they see massive value in you and what you offer. I talk about this extensively in The Boomerang Effect.
   
   
2. Actively look for a problem and fix it. This idea is so beautifully counter-intuitive, but it works. Look at this idea as if you were a customer. How cool would it be for a business you’re dealing with to bring a problem to your attention, and then tell you it’s been fixed. Such a great way to build trust.
   
   
3. I found Tas’s tough decisions inspiring:
   He refuses to discount, when a simple 10% off could secure the job.
   He chose to stop painting (something he was very good at), and focus on the high-value activities like quoting, which quadrupled his business.
   He sacked clients that made him and his staff miserable; and identified 4 types of clients he did want to work with. Go back to episode 183 with Dentist Paddy Lund who also did this with great success. He is gutsy enough to ask (and answer) the question “Where are we really at?”

 

 

OVER TO YOU …

 

What was your biggest marketing learning or ah-ha moment from this episode?

Leave your comment below.

My guest and I respond to each and every comment.

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/marketingpodcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every now and then I do an interview which not only changes the way I look at business, but changes the way I view things … A bit woo woo I know, but get ready for a thoroughly inspiring interview with the founders of the social movement Orange Sky Laundry, who have become our 2016 Young Australians of the year, no less. One day they had a crazy idea to throw a washing machine and a dryer in the back of a van and go and help out the homeless by doing their washing. Orange Sky Laundry was born.

Not only did they not realise that this crazy idea was a world first but it was what happened between hitting the go button on the washing machine and the load being finished and dried is what makes the real difference … conversations. I spent a night out on the road with Orange Sky Laundry and I had some really powerful conversations which I will bring to you in the coming weeks.

 

Here’s Orange Sky’s Why...

Now I am seriously motivated to help these guys and you can help too. Here are 3 ways:

You can volunteer

You can donate (as little as $6)

You can introduce them to someone you know, someone who can do the above 2 things or (and maybe even better) you can introduce them to a HUGE sponsor.

I really loved bringing this episode to you and I hope you get as much out of it as I have.

 EPISODE TIMELINE

 

01:24 Welcome & overview

02:20 A quick update on a recent episode about race car sponsorship

03:00 Today’s guest introduction - Nick Marchesi & Lucas Patchet of Orange Sky Laundry

04:11 Interview with Nick Marchesi & Lucas Patchet - Part 1

19:05 Insights into WebCentral

20:20 Insights into DesignCrowd

21:05 Interview with Nick Marchesi & Lucas Patchet - Part 2

33:10 My top 3 attention grabbers from my chat with Nick Marchesi & Lucas Patchet

35:50 Feedback from an annoyed listener

38:12 Wrap-up and insights in to next week’s guests

 

 EPISODE SPONSORS

 

WebCentral listener offer – Beautiful and effective websites. Yes, you can have it all!

 

DesignCrowd.com - Save up to $100 on your first design

The world's #1 custom design marketplace - beautifully simple & cheap. We love cheap!

 

 RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED

 

Orange Sky Laundry's official website

Episode 318 where I explore the pro's and con's of race car sponsorship

Episode 300 with Daniel Flynn from Thankyou

Buy Timbo’s new marketing book The Boomerang Effect

 

 MY TOP 3 MARKETING ATTENTION GRABBERS FROM THIS EPISODE

 

Know your Key Messages. Go back and have a listen (in particular to Nic) who is pro at reeling off the key messages he wants to get across about Orange Sky.

An example is when I ask him “why does Orange Sky exist?” he replies - 1. Restore respect. 2. Improve health standards. 3. Reduce the strain on resources. And I’ve noticed he responds with exactly the same answer in every interview he does.

So I encourage you to have 3-5 key messages that you share whenever you get the chance.

Have a name for your customers. Orange Sky call them their Homeless Friends. I call you my Motivated Business Owners. Doing so brings emotion and connection to your marketing.

Orange Sky needs our support. As I mentioned earlier, I helped out at an Orange Sky Laundry the night after this interview.

I got to meet some homeless friends and had some beautiful conversations.  I’ll share my experience in an upcoming episode. Now I’m more determined than ever to help Orange Sky grow and I hope you are too. How?

Volunteer (Button on OrangeSkyLaundry.com.au)

Donate to Orange Sky Laundry

Introduce them to someone you know who can help

 OVER TO YOU …

What was your biggest marketing learning or ah-ha moment from this episode?

Leave your comment below.

My guest and I respond to each and every comment.

Every now and then I do an interview which not only changes the way I look at business, but changes the way I view things … A bit woo woo I know, but get ready for a thoroughly inspiring interview with the founders of the social movement Orange Sky Laundry, who have become our 2016 Young Australians of the year, no less. One day they had a crazy idea to throw a washing machine and a dryer in the back of a van and go and help out the homeless by doing their washing. Orange Sky Laundry was born.

Not only did they not realise that this crazy idea was a world first but it was what happened between hitting the go button on the washing machine and the load being finished and dried is what makes the real difference … conversations. I spent a night out on the road with Orange Sky Laundry and I had some really powerful conversations which I will bring to you in the coming weeks.

 

Here’s Orange Sky’s Why...

Now I am seriously motivated to help these guys and you can help too. Here are 3 ways:

1. You can volunteer
2. You can donate (as little as $6)
3. You can introduce them to someone you know, someone who can do the above 2 things or (and maybe even better) you can introduce them to a HUGE sponsor.

I really loved bringing this episode to you and I hope you get as much out of it as I have.

 

EPISODE TIMELINE

 

01:24 Welcome & overview
02:20 A quick update on a recent episode about race car sponsorship
03:00 Today’s guest introduction - Nick Marchesi & Lucas Patchet of Orange Sky Laundry
04:11 Interview with Nick Marchesi & Lucas Patchet - Part 1
19:05 Insights into WebCentral
20:20 Insights into DesignCrowd
21:05 Interview with Nick Marchesi & Lucas Patchet - Part 2
33:10 My top 3 attention grabbers from my chat with Nick Marchesi & Lucas Patchet
35:50 Feedback from an annoyed listener
38:12 Wrap-up and insights in to next week’s guests

 

 

EPISODE SPONSORS

 

WebCentral listener offer – Beautiful and effective websites. Yes, you can have it all!

 

DesignCrowd.com - Save up to $100 on your first design
The world's #1 custom design marketplace - beautifully simple & cheap. We love cheap!

 

 

RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED

 

Orange Sky Laundry's official website

Episode 318 where I explore the pro's and con's of race car sponsorship

Episode 300 with Daniel Flynn from Thankyou

Buy Timbo’s new marketing book The Boomerang Effect

 

 

MY TOP 3 MARKETING ATTENTION GRABBERS FROM THIS EPISODE

 

1. Know your Key Messages. Go back and have a listen (in particular to Nic) who is pro at reeling off the key messages he wants to get across about Orange Sky.
   
   An example is when I ask him “why does Orange Sky exist?” he replies - 1. Restore respect. 2. Improve health standards. 3. Reduce the strain on resources. And I’ve noticed he responds with exactly the same answer in every interview he does.
   
   So I encourage you to have 3-5 key messages that you share whenever you get the chance.
2. Have a name for your customers. Orange Sky call them their Homeless Friends. I call you my Motivated Business Owners. Doing so brings emotion and connection to your marketing.
3. Orange Sky needs our support. As I mentioned earlier, I helped out at an Orange Sky Laundry the night after this interview.
   I got to meet some homeless friends and had some beautiful conversations.  I’ll share my experience in an upcoming episode. Now I’m more determined than ever to help Orange Sky grow and I hope you are too. How?
   1. Volunteer (Button on OrangeSkyLaundry.com.au)
   2. Donate to Orange Sky Laundry
   3. Introduce them to someone you know who can help

 

OVER TO YOU …

What was your biggest marketing learning or ah-ha moment from this episode?

Leave your comment below.

My guest and I respond to each and every comment.

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/marketingpodcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode was recorded on the second Small Business Big Marketing Outsourcing Tour to the Philippines. Now before we get started I know that outsourcing means different things to different people and I've covered my thoughts on Australian businesses outsourcing to the Philippines on the blog. This episode is all about looking at the glass half full.

I share my thoughts as I taxi down the runway in Manilla, ready to take off back to Melbourne and I also captured some of my guests thoughts, opinions and 'aha' moments in the minibus after the tour as well. Here are some of those insights.

1. Adam Longhurst from Leather Italia

Why did you join the tour?

Adam has felt the full force and effect of fluctuations in the Aussie dollar. He attended the tour with his eyes wide open to see what opportunities there were for outsourcing any of the labour components of his business.

Aha Moment?

Outsourcing bookkeeping and accounting. When Adam sat back and really thought about it, he realised he was spending a disproportionate amount of time on the books. Now it’s certainly important to be across the numbers but is that really what he went into business to do?

Outcome?

Adam loves his accountant, he’s highly skilled and one of his trusted advisors BUT he’s constantly on his back about bookkeeping. Tony doesn’t want to do the books, he doesn’t like doing the books, however another full time employee in Australia is cost prohibitive.

Some people buy components offshore, we’re trying to buy some labour offshore. If we grow, then more money and jobs will come off the back of that directly into the Australian economy too.

2. Russ Porteous of Firewize

Why did you join the tour?

I wanted to see, in person how business is done in the new economy.

Aha Moment?

We went to a BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) that was as professional an outfit as ever I’ve seen anywhere.

Outcome?

This tour is on the back of 15 years of research, I’ve come to crystallise in my mind how we can move from an adhoc outsourcing basis to a more streamlined, wholistic and professional strategy.

3. Marcus Nicholls & Ariel Endean of Akuna Pet Resorts

Why did you join the tour?

We had been considering outsourcing for 2 years. We were already outsourcing some small tasks but we were afraid of going further.

Aha Moment?

I wasn’t expecting to see just how dynamic the team here in the Philippines are. They truly look and function with the same intelligence, creativity and drive as a crack team in Australia.

Outcome?

Just start. You’re going to in the next 5-10 years anyway as this is the direction the world is going.

4. Will Porteous (Russ's son)

Will is the son of Russ and work's for Firewize and is also studying engineering at uni. Will's take away was that it was a real 'eye opener'. He said that 'when you think about outsourcing you automatically think ‘sweatshop’ but it absolutely was not. It’s just like Australia, so professional and well organised.'

I asked Will what he was going to say to his mates about the tour. He said:

"I’d say to my mates that are in uni that they need to be way ahead of the curve. Just pumping work out is not going to get you a job."

5. Amanda Stevens & Brendan Buchanan 

Past guest of the show happened to be in the Philippines at Cornerstone Business Solutions inducting a new team member. here are a few quotes from the show:

"We came here with pretty high expectations""The output is just extraordinary. We’re talking world class output." Aha Moment The other surprise has been their ability to follow a process but also demonstrate incredible initiative around it. People underestimate how well they will understand the rationale behind a project. So how about that? I'd love to know your thoughts on the show and about outsourcing in general. Success stories? War stories? As you can probably tell I'm pretty keen on outsourcing as not only a marketing strategy but a business strategy. It's time to start taking positive steps to a more productive and enjoyable business life.  *** As an aside, it may be interesting to some listeners to understand how these tour came about; so, here's a short time line: Episode 157 - I interviewed David Warne from the Sydney Tall Ships business We became friends, but then he disappeared, only to pop up about two years ago. He'd moved to The Philippines with his family, along with the whole back office of the Sydney Tall Ships business as well. That resulted in a 90% reduction in running costs, and a 21% increase in turnover. That called for another interview - which appeared in Episode 254. During that interview he had some great tips on how to effectively outsource to The Philippines. Then, in 2015, I then took a group of listeners over to The Philippines on a business outsourcing tour. Here's my personal insights from that Philippines outsourcing tour. And that brings us to to this interview. Enjoy! 

 EPISODE TIMELINE

00:42 Welcome & overview

02:57 Starting at the end - my thoughts on the tour as I head to the airport

06:01 Learnings from the tour - Adam Longhurst of Leather Italia

11:48 Learnings from the tour - Russ Porteous of Firewize

16:13 Learnings from the tour - Marcus Nicholls & Ariel of Akuna Pet Resort

22:41 Insights in to WebCentral & Cornerstone Business Solutions

25:12 Learnings from the tour - Will Porteous

30:27 Learnings from the tour - Amanda & Brendan Stevens

35:11 Wrap up / summary

35:55 My top 3 attention grabbers from the Freedom through Outsourcing Tour

37:23 Wrap-up and insights in to next week’s guests

 

 EPISODE SPONSORS (PLEASE SUPPORT THEM)

WebCentral listener offer – Helping your website get found, fast.

Cornerstone Business Solutions

Reduce your business running cost by up to 90%

 

 RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED

 

Episode 268 - Insights into last year's outsourcing tour to the Philippines

Episode 255 - Killer tips on outsourcing with David Warne

Episode 196 - How to save up to 90% on labour costs using outsourcing with Mini Mover's Mike

O'Hagan

Episode 311 with Mark Nicholls on extreme customer service

Episode 181 - How to market to women with Amanda Stevens

Buy Timbo’s new marketing book The Boomerang Effect

 

 MY TOP 3 MARKETING ATTENTION GRABBERS FROM THIS EPISODE

Diversity of skills – Outsourcing to The Philippines isn’t limited to getting a VA to help with your back office admin. I saw specialists in bookkeeping, accounting, CAD drawings, graphic design, social media management, inbound and outbound calling and heaps more.

Teams – If you’re going to outsource and plan to put on multiple staff around the one discipline (eg. marketing or finance or admin), then it makes sense to have them all in one place, like Brendan and Amanda have done. And I don’t mean the same country, or city. I mean in the one building. We visited multiple businesses that make this possible.

Don’t make this bigger than it needs to be – what we’re really talking about here is simply employing people. Yes, they may thousands of miles away; but they’re smart, motivated, highly educated, they speak great English and are only a Skype video call away.

 OVER TO YOU …

What was your biggest marketing learning or ah-ha moment from this episode?

Leave your comment below.

My guest and I respond to each and every comment.

This episode was recorded on the second Small Business Big Marketing Outsourcing Tour to the Philippines. Now before we get started I know that outsourcing means different things to different people and I've covered my thoughts on Australian businesses outsourcing to the Philippines on the blog. This episode is all about looking at the glass half full.

I share my thoughts as I taxi down the runway in Manilla, ready to take off back to Melbourne and I also captured some of my guests thoughts, opinions and 'aha' moments in the minibus after the tour as well. Here are some of those insights.

1. Adam Longhurst from Leather Italia

Why did you join the tour?

Adam has felt the full force and effect of fluctuations in the Aussie dollar. He attended the tour with his eyes wide open to see what opportunities there were for outsourcing any of the labour components of his business.

Aha Moment?

Outsourcing bookkeeping and accounting. When Adam sat back and really thought about it, he realised he was spending a disproportionate amount of time on the books. Now it’s certainly important to be across the numbers but is that really what he went into business to do?

Outcome?

Adam loves his accountant, he’s highly skilled and one of his trusted advisors BUT he’s constantly on his back about bookkeeping. Tony doesn’t want to do the books, he doesn’t like doing the books, however another full time employee in Australia is cost prohibitive.

Some people buy components offshore, we’re trying to buy some labour offshore. If we grow, then more money and jobs will come off the back of that directly into the Australian economy too.

2. Russ Porteous of Firewize

Why did you join the tour?

I wanted to see, in person how business is done in the new economy.

Aha Moment?

We went to a BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) that was as professional an outfit as ever I’ve seen anywhere.

Outcome?

This tour is on the back of 15 years of research, I’ve come to crystallise in my mind how we can move from an adhoc outsourcing basis to a more streamlined, wholistic and professional strategy.

3. Marcus Nicholls & Ariel Endean of Akuna Pet Resorts

Why did you join the tour?

We had been considering outsourcing for 2 years. We were already outsourcing some small tasks but we were afraid of going further.

Aha Moment?

I wasn’t expecting to see just how dynamic the team here in the Philippines are. They truly look and function with the same intelligence, creativity and drive as a crack team in Australia.

Outcome?

Just start. You’re going to in the next 5-10 years anyway as this is the direction the world is going.

4. Will Porteous (Russ's son)

Will is the son of Russ and work's for Firewize and is also studying engineering at uni. Will's take away was that it was a real 'eye opener'. He said that 'when you think about outsourcing you automatically think ‘sweatshop’ but it absolutely was not. It’s just like Australia, so professional and well organised.'

I asked Will what he was going to say to his mates about the tour. He said:

"I’d say to my mates that are in uni that they need to be way ahead of the curve. Just pumping work out is not going to get you a job."

5. Amanda Stevens & Brendan Buchanan 

Past guest of the show happened to be in the Philippines at Cornerstone Business Solutions inducting a new team member. here are a few quotes from the show:

"We came here with pretty high expectations"

"The output is just extraordinary. We’re talking world class output."   Aha Moment   The other surprise has been their ability to follow a process but also demonstrate incredible initiative around it. People underestimate how well they will understand the rationale behind a project.   So how about that? I'd love to know your thoughts on the show and about outsourcing in general. Success stories? War stories? As you can probably tell I'm pretty keen on outsourcing as not only a marketing strategy but a business strategy.   It's time to start taking positive steps to a more productive and enjoyable business life.     *** As an aside, it may be interesting to some listeners to understand how these tour came about; so, here's a short time line:   Episode 157 - I interviewed David Warne from the Sydney Tall Ships business   We became friends, but then he disappeared, only to pop up about two years ago. He'd moved to The Philippines with his family, along with the whole back office of the Sydney Tall Ships business as well.   That resulted in a 90% reduction in running costs, and a 21% increase in turnover.   That called for another interview - which appeared in Episode 254.   During that interview he had some great tips on how to effectively outsource to The Philippines.   Then, in 2015, I then took a group of listeners over to The Philippines on a business outsourcing tour. Here's my personal insights from that Philippines outsourcing tour.   And that brings us to to this interview. Enjoy!  

 

EPISODE TIMELINE

00:42 Welcome & overview
02:57 Starting at the end - my thoughts on the tour as I head to the airport
06:01 Learnings from the tour - Adam Longhurst of Leather Italia
11:48 Learnings from the tour - Russ Porteous of Firewize
16:13 Learnings from the tour - Marcus Nicholls & Ariel of Akuna Pet Resort
22:41 Insights in to WebCentral & Cornerstone Business Solutions
25:12 Learnings from the tour - Will Porteous
30:27 Learnings from the tour - Amanda & Brendan Stevens
35:11 Wrap up / summary
35:55 My top 3 attention grabbers from the Freedom through Outsourcing Tour
37:23 Wrap-up and insights in to next week’s guests

 

 

EPISODE SPONSORS (PLEASE SUPPORT THEM)

WebCentral listener offer – Helping your website get found, fast.

Cornerstone Business Solutions
Reduce your business running cost by up to 90%

 

 

RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED

 

Episode 268 - Insights into last year's outsourcing tour to the Philippines

Episode 255 - Killer tips on outsourcing with David Warne

Episode 196 - How to save up to 90% on labour costs using outsourcing with Mini Mover's Mike
O'Hagan

Episode 311 with Mark Nicholls on extreme customer service

Episode 181 - How to market to women with Amanda Stevens

Buy Timbo’s new marketing book The Boomerang Effect

 

 

MY TOP 3 MARKETING ATTENTION GRABBERS FROM THIS EPISODE

1. Diversity of skills – Outsourcing to The Philippines isn’t limited to getting a VA to help with your back office admin. I saw specialists in bookkeeping, accounting, CAD drawings, graphic design, social media management, inbound and outbound calling and heaps more.
2. Teams – If you’re going to outsource and plan to put on multiple staff around the one discipline (eg. marketing or finance or admin), then it makes sense to have them all in one place, like Brendan and Amanda have done. And I don’t mean the same country, or city. I mean in the one building. We visited multiple businesses that make this possible.
3. Don’t make this bigger than it needs to be – what we’re really talking about here is simply employing people. Yes, they may thousands of miles away; but they’re smart, motivated, highly educated, they speak great English and are only a Skype video call away.

 

OVER TO YOU …

What was your biggest marketing learning or ah-ha moment from this episode?

Leave your comment below.

My guest and I respond to each and every comment.

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/marketingpodcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I LOVE it when I get seeded!

I was seeded a little while back from long time listener Steve Keil from The Laser Group to go to a corporate race day with a Porsche V8 Supercar that The Laser Group sponsors.

I think it's fair to say that this episode is the highest octane, adrenalin pumping full throttle show I have ever produced.

Have you ever wondered what the ROI on sponsoring a race car is?

I've often wondered what the point was in having your logo on a race car that was belting down the race track at 200 km/hr. Is it really good brand awareness? Is it really worth the money? How much does it cost anyway?

In this episode I take you along for the ride (literally). I had a microphone on me all day and interviewed Steve Keil about why he decided to sponsor a race car, and it may not be the reasons you think. I also had the chance to interview V8 supercar racing legend Steve Richards about his car which is his business and his approach to obtaining great sponsors. I spoke to some Laser Group staff and some of their clients to really get the full picture on the whole racing car sponsorship thing.

 

By the end of this episode if nothing else you will be entertained. You will also have a clearer picture of what it means to sponsor a racing car and a whole new perspective on staff and client engagement.

The verdict? I'm all for it! Thanks so much to Steve Keil and The Laser Group for seeding me, and also Steve Richards for keeping me alive!

Enjoy this one team, I know I did!

 

 

 

 EPISODE TIMELINE

 

02:08  Welcome & overview

02:55  Insights into WebCentral

04:04  Today’s introduction to the race day

17:30  Cornerstone Business Solutions

18:50  Race day - Part 2

34:08  My top 3 attention grabbers from the race day

36:46  Wrap-up and insights in to next week’s guests

 

 

 EPISODE SPONSORS (PLEASE SUPPORT THEM)

 

WebCentral listener offer – Helping your website get found, fast.

 

Cornerstone Business Solutions

Reduce your business running cost by up to 90%

 

 RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED

 

The Laser Group's official website

Steve Richard's official racing site

Small Business Big Marketing Blog: Seeding, Sponsorship and Social Media

Episode 14 - How seeding can help grow your brand

Buy Timbo’s new marketing book The Boomerang Effect

 

 OVER TO YOU …

 

What was your biggest marketing learning or ah-ha moment from this episode?

Leave your comment below.

My guest and I respond to each and every comment.

I LOVE it when I get seeded!

I was seeded a little while back from long time listener Steve Keil from The Laser Group to go to a corporate race day with a Porsche V8 Supercar that The Laser Group sponsors.

I think it's fair to say that this episode is the highest octane, adrenalin pumping full throttle show I have ever produced.

Have you ever wondered what the ROI on sponsoring a race car is?

I've often wondered what the point was in having your logo on a race car that was belting down the race track at 200 km/hr. Is it really good brand awareness? Is it really worth the money? How much does it cost anyway?

In this episode I take you along for the ride (literally). I had a microphone on me all day and interviewed Steve Keil about why he decided to sponsor a race car, and it may not be the reasons you think. I also had the chance to interview V8 supercar racing legend Steve Richards about his car which is his business and his approach to obtaining great sponsors. I spoke to some Laser Group staff and some of their clients to really get the full picture on the whole racing car sponsorship thing.

 

By the end of this episode if nothing else you will be entertained. You will also have a clearer picture of what it means to sponsor a racing car and a whole new perspective on staff and client engagement.

The verdict? I'm all for it! Thanks so much to Steve Keil and The Laser Group for seeding me, and also Steve Richards for keeping me alive!

Enjoy this one team, I know I did!

 

 

 

 

EPISODE TIMELINE

 

02:08  Welcome & overview
02:55  Insights into WebCentral
04:04  Today’s introduction to the race day
17:30  Cornerstone Business Solutions
18:50  Race day - Part 2
34:08  My top 3 attention grabbers from the race day
36:46  Wrap-up and insights in to next week’s guests

 

 

 

EPISODE SPONSORS (PLEASE SUPPORT THEM)

 

WebCentral listener offer – Helping your website get found, fast.

 

Cornerstone Business Solutions
Reduce your business running cost by up to 90%

 

 

RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED

 

The Laser Group's official website
Steve Richard's official racing site
Small Business Big Marketing Blog: Seeding, Sponsorship and Social Media
Episode 14 - How seeding can help grow your brand
Buy Timbo’s new marketing book The Boomerang Effect

 

 

OVER TO YOU …

 

What was your biggest marketing learning or ah-ha moment from this episode?

Leave your comment below.

My guest and I respond to each and every comment.

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/marketingpodcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.