Mind The Business: Small Business Success Stories

You have finally got your business in order and everything is running smoothly, so naturally you want to grow it. However, that may not be as simple as it sounds. The tools you used to survive won’t serve you as you attempt to thrive and you will likely need to make foundational changes in your organization to support the type of growth you wish to achieve. Chris Triebes, founder of The WC Social Club, joins us as he discusses the obstacles he faced while trying to create a sustainable indie rock company in his hometown of Chicago. Chris opens up about scaling from an independent concert promoter to a venue manager and talent buying entrepreneur. 

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

• https://quickbooks.intuit.com/

• https://quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll/

For more resources and insights on how to scale your business, visit: 

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/growing-a-business/

For key takeaways from this week’s episode, visit: 

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/running-a-business/mind-the-business-episode-8/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By coming out of a pandemic and entering into a period of economic downpour, it has been a challenging time for many small businesses. Sometimes you have to adjust your plans during the ever changing economy. Co-founders of INI Sips and married couple, Gulaid and Davina Ismail share how their ideal plans of owning a local coffee shop changed after the spread of COVID-19 in 2020. They discuss how pivoting into e-commerce helped them salvage their business while also learning to grow in ways they never expected. 

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you keep your business thriving:

• https://quickbooks.intuit.com/accounting/reporting/

• https://quickbooks.intuit.com/accounting/

For more insights on adapting to economic changes, visit: 

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/running-a-business/what-is-stagflation/

For key takeaways from this week’s episode, visit: 

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/running-a-business/mind-the-business-episode-7/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Being your own boss is amazing, but you also need to think about maintaining a good relationship with your employees. From handling payroll to creating a culture that encourages employee retention; there is so much that goes into being a good boss. Kevin Wong, co-founder of Lunar Hard Seltzer, joins us to discuss how he has managed to grow his two-man team into a growing business that actively hires in multiple cities.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business and manage employees:

• https://quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll/

• https://quickbooks.intuit.com/time-tracking/

For more employee management resources and insights, visit:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/manage-employees/

For key takeaways from this week’s episode, visit: 

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/running-a-business/mind-the-business-episode-6/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You’re the boss, but that doesn’t mean it’s all on you. Early on in your business journey you may find that you are assuming all the responsibilities in how your company operates. However, as you grow, it is important to learn how to delegate those responsibilities in order to ensure you can focus your efforts on what matters most. We speak to influencer and creator of the app Clara for Creators, Christen Nino de Guzman about how she learned to navigate work/life balance by using a combination of automated tools, contracted workers, and advice from other founders.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you run your business:

• https://quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll/

• https://quickbooks.intuit.com/live/

For more insights around mitigating founder dependence, visit: https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/manage-employees/expert-advice-on-mastering-the-art-of-delegation/

For key takeaways from this week’s episode, visit: 

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/running-a-business/mind-the-business-episode-5/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As a new business, it may take a few years before you reach profitability, but that doesn’t mean you can’t quickly reach success. Using a mix of the marketing, financing, and money management tools discussed in earlier episodes, many small business owners can create very achievable benchmarks in their early stages that support the path to profits. Emily Doyle and Mei Kwok, founders of Dune Suncare, share with us some of the early decisions they made that helped their company experience substantial growth in their first three years.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

• https://quickbooks.intuit.com/accounting/

• https://quickbooks.intuit.com/accounting/track-expenses/

For more insights around early stage company management, visit:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/financial-management/the-7-most-important-kpis-to-track-as-a-small-business/

For key takeaways from this week’s episode, visit: 

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/running-a-business/mind-the-business-episode-4/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Congrats! You started making money from your business. Now how do you manage your finances so you don’t take any steps back? Hosts Austin and Jannese unpack the different types of business accounts and explain how to track your cash flow while determining which costs can be reduced. The hosts are later joined by Harlem Chocolate Factory founder, Jessica Spaulding who shares her story about how she learned to adjust her accounting processes to accommodate the success of her growing business.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you manage your business:

• https://quickbooks.intuit.com/payments/manage-cash-flow/

• https://quickbooks.intuit.com/payments/quickbooks-checking/

For more insights on cash flow and money management, visit: 

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/cash-flow/what-is-cash-flow/

For key takeaways from this week’s episode, visit: 

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/running-a-business/mind-the-business-episode-3/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Having a great product or service is just one part of having a successful business. You also need people to know about your business so that it becomes profitable. Hosts Jannese and Austin share how they effectively used social media to build their brands and explain different marketing strategies including loyalty/rewards programs, remarketing, SEO, one-to-one marketing, and email marketing. 

Viral marketer Andrea Casanova joins the conversation to share her story of immigrating to the US and creating a marketing agency where she helps clients discover the best marketing strategy to take them to the next level.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you start, grow, and market your business:

• https://quickbooks.intuit.com/
• https://quickbooks.intuit.com/online/starting-up/

For more insights on marketing your small business, visit: 

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/marketing/marketing-plan-examples-for-small-business-owners/

For key takeaways from this week’s episode, visit: 

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/running-a-business/mind-the-business-episode-2/ 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In business, you have to spend money to make money. But you also have to have money to spend it. Hosts Austin and Jannese discuss how to decide which type of funding makes sense for your small business and explain the differences between angel investors, VC funding, crowdfunding, small business loans, and grants.

Later, Ami Kumordzie, founder of fintech company Sika Health, joins the show to share her empowering story of beating the odds as a Black woman who raised a $6.2M seed round from world-class investors during a pandemic.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you start, grow, and fund your business:

• https://quickbooks.intuit.com/
• https://quickbooks.intuit.com/capital/

For more resources and insights around growing a new business visit: 

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/starting-a-business/

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/small-business-data/new-business-insights-2023/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is so much excitement around starting a business, but hardly any insight on what it truly takes to be your own boss. To help unpack the necessary tools you need to jumpstart your business, Intuit QuickBooks, in collaboration with iHeartRadio, is bringing you "Mind the Business: Small Business Success Stories" Every episode, join hosts Jannese Torres (Yo Quiero Dinero) and Austin Hankwitz (Rate of Return) as they interview business owners who will share their journey of trials and tribulations with entrepreneurship.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.