Inspire to Engage

In this episode, I chat with my brother-in-law, Ben Eubanks. He's a small business owner, blogger, author and speaker who normally would be presenting at large events right about now. But, like all business owners, his typical work and business tasks have greatly changed.

So, we talked about ways he's found to pivot, and he offers great suggestions for all business owners.

Here are a few things in this episode...

[7:45] ways to still get in front of a crowd

[11:22] Now, more than ever, people are craving connection. Look for how you can partner with a business complimentary to yours.

[13:40] Clean up our websites.

[17:00] the importance of reaching out to people...and really listening and sharing

[18:15] Talk with people outside your niche.

[19:28] Should you reduce your prices right now?

[22:45] ways to still get "paid," even if you choose to reduce prices drastically

[24:30] Be selectively "free" and why

[27:15] key takeaways from this episode

Ways to find Ben:

his blog - Upstart HR https://upstarthr.com/

on LinkedIn as Ben Eubanks (Huntsville, AL)

Freebie from my site - Know Your Ideal Customer Better https://www.inspiretoengage.com/

COVID-19 is a nasty equalizer. For example, businesses from micro small businesses to large corporations are facing similar problems now. All of the sudden, we're all in the same boat!

I chatted with Laurie Heard from Move Digital Group. Her digital marketing agency serves businesses with large marketing budgets. I wanted to know what advice she would give businesses - both large and small - during this time.

It's a powerful episode! It's full of encouragement and practicality.

Below are a few topics we discussed...

[3:55] People are still spending money.

[6:00] Don't panic. It's one of the worst things we can do.

[6:20] Bad times don't last forever.

[6:35] Keep investing in your business, and think beyond financial investments.

[7:45] Look again at your budget.

[9:20] Focus on existing clients.

[10:00] What you do now will make you the next 3 years as a business!

[12:25] Start thinking about the future...now.

[13:00] Use the "free" offers right now to learn, learn and learn some more.

[14:55] Current customers are number 1, and communication is key!

[15:20] Why digital marketing is more important than ever

[16:50] Listen really well.

[18:35] A short lesson on Google My Business

[22:25] Understand that your client's needs are not the same as yours necessarily.

[23:45] The power of doing something!

[25:10] How to find Laurie and Move Digital Group

[26:25] Key takeaways

To connect with Laurie and Move Digital Group:

https://movedigitalgroup.com/

email: [email protected]

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/movedigitalgroup/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/movedigitalgroup/

Twitter https://twitter.com/MoveDigitalGrp

Freebie from my site www.inspiretoengage.com - Know Your Ideal Customer Better

Heather Anne Madla recently wrote a blog post that went viral. The title - Homeschooling is Not the Same as Crisis Schooling: Advice During COVID-19 Shutdowns. In the post, she points out the biggest difference...homeschool parents chose and researched their decision, while crisis schooling is different. It's something we've all been forced to take on.

Listen as she gives practical advice about how to continue working on our businesses while accepting the current situation (i.e., schooling our children from home).

Below are some topics you'll hear and links to Heather's articles mentioned in the episode.

[5:15] Homeschooling is not the same as crisis schooling.

[10:00] Understand that school closing is traumatic.

[15:00] advice for parents of middle and high schoolers

[20:30] Pj's are fine!

[21:50] Homeschooling does not take as much time!

[22:10] Be lenient with the schedule.

[29:45] Don't create busy work for your kiddos.

[32:30] Communicate with teachers if your kids are struggling right now.

[35:00] Disney-inspired thematic units

[38:40] Embrace the unanswered questions.

[40:00] The tiara!

[45:10] key takeaways from this episode

Homeschooling is Not the Same as Crisis Schooling

Crisis Schooling Your Middle and High Schoolers during COVID-19 Shutdown

Disney Inspired Literature Based Thematic Learning

Heather Anne Madla on Facebook and Instagram

link to my freebie - Know Your Ideal Customer Better

Being a small business owner is difficult...and then Covid happened. Now, we're talking diff.i.cult! This episode is about ways to continue to move our businesses forward while recognizing that our lives and the lives of our ideal customers have changed drastically. The goal with this episode is to encourage us to keep conversations alive - to keep talking with our customers and with each other.

Below are a few things you'll hear inside...

[1:30] keep promoting our businesses while always considering how to serve

[4:45] recognize how our customers' lives have changed

[6:30] continue to talk products and services

[8:45] Ask - what do our customers need right now?

[9:10] How can we continue "working"?

[9:50] photographers get creative

[12:00] makeup artists and hair stylists teach virtually

[14:00] Use "Save the Dates."

[14:20] reduced rate or what you can pay right now

[16:00] Record! Record! Record!

[16:20] ways to meet virtually

[18:45] customer service, now more than ever

[20:30] Tackle the to-do list.

[25:00] Ban together with other business owners.

[28:45] review of the 5 ways to move forward

Bekah Schmidt identifies ways small businesses owners can get help financially during this difficult time of Covid shutdown. She and I also talk ways to keep customers in the loop of what's happening for our businesses. It's a powerful episode! And relevant!

Here's a few things inside...

[3:15] financial assistance info + call your banking lender

[4:16] SBA loan info and steps to follow to make it easier for you

[5:50] show customers your health plan

[8:10] What about part-time employees?

[12:30] how businesses are helping one another

[16:20] getting your business online if it's not

[19:20] ways to keep selling right now

[23:20] pep talk from Bekah (did my heart good!) + customer service is key now

Important links from this episode...

Small Business Administration Disaster Relief

South Huntsville Main (South Huntsville Business Main Association's website)

South Huntsville Main Business Association on Facebook

Whew! What a crazy couple of weeks due to covid 19! As a homeschool mom + small business owner, I have been running a business and homeschooling my children for 3 years. So in this episode, I share some hard-learned lessons from past experiences and tricks for handling the craziness.

A peak at what's in this episode...

[1:20] Do school early in the day.

[4:10] Put out small (business) fires.

[7:45] Ground rules for starting school as early as possible in the day

[8:15] Changing clothes changes our mindsets.

[11:15] Designate a school area.

[16:40] Ways to use timers to make lessons go smoother

[19:30] Play games!!

[23:30] Independent work time for our kiddos is important.

[27:15] Recap of tips

[30:30] Why business owners are already great teachers! :)

To learn more about Inspire to Engage, visit www.inspiretoengage or @inspiretoengage on Instagram and Facebook

With the constant growth in technology, marketing techniques and platforms are always changing. But, there are principles, or pillars, that small business owners can use to build a strong marketing foundation for their businesses.

In this episode, Melody talks about these pillars and how to apply them. She brings a wealth of knowledge to this conversation because of her vast experience in advertising, marketing and as a business owner herself.

Listen up as we talk about consistency, caring for your loyal customers and more!

Here's what is in store...

[5:45] identify our target customers - "There's a lot of customers out there, but they aren't all yours." - Melody Tholstrup

[8:20] perception is reality - What our customers see or think about our businesses is their "reality." So, how can we affect perceptions?

[11:00] consistency is key

[12:35] the importance of our elevator pitch - It costs nothing to create an elevator pitch, but it can earn us lots of sales.

[14:25] take care of our loyal customers, our employees, our contractors and vendors

[17:00] ask for help

[19:15] the ugly baby syndrome that we business owners often experience (Credit: Thom Rigsby)

[22:30] the New Coke flop

[25:00] take care of customers and the Southwest Airlines example

[25:30] What's our secret sauce?

[28:00] the importance of accountability as a business owner

[29:25] key takeaways from this episode

Want to know more about Melody and the businesses/organizations mentioned in this podcast?

Melody Tholstrup with My Size Marketing - https://mysizemarketing.com/ Facebook and Instagram

Thom Rigsby - https://www.thomrigsby.com/

For those in North Alabama: The Catalyst Center

After a trademark battle several years ago, Jacki Gil was forced to change the name of her branding and logo business. No longer could she serve other business owners under the name Salt and Paperie. Jacki could still create gorgeous things for brides and party planners under that name...but not for other businesses.

After some time (which included having a baby!), Jacki regained her footing and was ready to do branding and logo work again...but under a different name.

In this chat, we talk about the struggles to that and how she's went about growing her "second" graphic design business.

Of course, we talk about other things too, like vacations. In fact, my first memory of Jacki centered around a vacation and how she handled it with clients. It's a great episode!

Below are some things you'll hear.

[10:15] graphic design advice for business owners just starting out who may not be able to pay for professional services

[14:15] what to expect when paying a graphic designer for logo and branding services

[21:20] vacation well while treating clients and potential ones kindly

[24:15] more insight into what to expect when working with a professional graphic designer

[26:00] getting a new business off the ground

[29:45] creating and practicing a response to difficult questions you are often asked

[31:30] the marketing power of your inner circle - your friends and family

[36:10] key takeaways from this episode

What to know more about Jacki? See below.

Jacki Gil at Made by Jacki Gil (logo, branding and surface pattern designs, formerly Huntsville Design House) Instagram and Facebook

Jacki Gil at Salt and Paperie (custom paper designs) Instagram and Facebook

You may have heard to "never boost" a post on Facebook. But I don't usually agree with that advice, especially for small business owners. And I have reasons! Listen to this episode as I delve into those reasons, give some tips for what and how to boost and offer a pep talk for the simple acting of "trying."

Resources from this episode:

Molly Marshall Marketing on Instagram

Facebook's information about what it means to boost

Freebie - Know Your Customers Better

Being a military family, moving is expected. So when Gari-Ann learned that her family would be relocating, she wanted to move her photography business strategically. After all, she'd worked hard for years building it in Huntsville, AL and wanted to experience the same success as quickly as possible in her new town Williamsburg, VA. In this episode, we talk about her strategy, like what she did prior to moving that made the transition easier and more successful for her business. Gari-Ann also lays down some great advice about being real with the situation.

Head here to learn more about Gari-Ann and her businesses.

A blog post detailing Gari-Ann's strategy discussed in this episode - Click here to read.

websites: Kia & Co. (business branding photography) and Gari-Ann Kia Photography (wedding photography)

Facebook: Kia & Co. and Gari-Ann Kia Photography

Instagram: thekiaandco and gkiaphoto