Breaking Down Your Business | Small Business | Business Owners | Entrepreneurship | Leadership

What’s In This Episode:

Jill and Brad are continuing their series on taking time off. They discuss Thanksgiving, and neither believes that visiting family counts as a vacation. They don't think the occasion is bad, but Brad can't really talk about business while he's around his family, and Jill has to explain to hers why she doesn't eat turkey. She says that, as a vegan, sides are where it's at anyway. And she's making a supposedly delicious vegan pumpkin cheesecake, so maybe desserts are a close runner-up.

"Why are we encouraging working on a Saturday? Why isn't it Small Business Wednesday?" - Jill

They then talk about Small Business Saturday, which was created by American Express to get more people to shop local ... and therefore, get more of a percentage from the transaction. Jill has to admit that the marketing is clever. After all, it's not every day small business owners get to celebrate themselves. Brad's conflicted because it does get people to shop local, but it was created in self-interest which benefits a big corporation.

"Boredom does good things for your brain." - Brad

Jill and Brad then discuss the top 5 ways taking time off makes you a better person:

  • Your stress levels go waaaaay down and you're less anxious about your business.
  • It allows you to step back, see the big picture, and see what's working (or not).
  • Travel allows you to learn things about other cultures and see how they run their businesses.
  • You start to realize that social media is maybe not the best habit to have. (By the way, check out this TED talk about Facebook being a dystopia)
  • And then everyone will do THIS...

Sponsor:

  • This episode is sponsored by Hubba, the largest network of brands, buyers, distributors, and influencers. They take all the activities that happen at a trade show and put it online. Brands get increased distribution; buyers find the right products for their stores. Join for free today and make connections that grow your business.
Direct download: Breaking_Down_Your_Business_EP_234.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 2:00am CDT

What’s In This Episode:

Jill and Brad are still talking about taking time off, 'cause business owners NEED it. They ponder the longest they went without taking a vacation. For Jill, her longest span was 2 years. Brad went 4 years without taking a bonafide vacation. If it's been more than six months, please, please, please book a vacation (or a staycation, or just a break where you don't do work). You need it.

"If you start small, you might accomplish all of the things you want to do." - Jill

Amelia Forczak of Pithy Wordsmithery calls in and has two related problems. She wants to be able to help the clients who reach out, but who can't make the investment that ghostwriting a book calls for. Secondly, she needs to figure out how to make her business scalable. She's thinking of starting a course for people to write and edit books on their own, but she doesn't quite know how to begin. Jill's advice: start small. Brad says that if she coaches clients to do the work, then that serves as practice for the eventual course Amelia wants to create. Overall, though, she needs to decide what market she wants to serve.

"I hope you get rich. And when you do, send us 5%." - Brad

Jill and Brad then discuss the top 5 excuses for not taking time off:

  • There's too much to do. But remember, you're the boss. Set deadlines for things in the future, and go.
  • Time is money, and there's never enough. Starting a business costs money, we get it. Stay with a friend, and take a break.
  • DEADLINES. Once you meet your deadline, THEN you'll take a break. But there's always one more thing... But again, you're the boss. Go away.
  • "When I'm rich, I'll take a big vacation." You can't just wait... do it now.
  • And then there's that mentality that all business owners have...

Guest:

  • Amelia Forczak is the founder of Pithy Wordsmithery, which provides strategic ghostwriting, marketing, and consulting for authors and businesses. She is the ghostwriter of five published books, including two best-sellers. She has served as a content strategist or editor for a handful of other successful books. Amelia’s background in corporate marketing enables her to go beyond transcribing conversations with authors and putting commas in the right places. She partners with authors to truly understand their business, serving as a dedicated book-writing consultant.
Direct download: Breaking_Down_Your_Business_EP_233.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 2:00am CDT

What’s In This Episode:

Who needs a break? Jill 'n Brad are on a mission to make sure that business owners take more time off. Jill thinks that some people don't want to take time off because they don't want to miss anything (FOMO, anyone?). Others fear that the business won't survive without them. Or worse, people think that their customers will hate them if they take time for themselves. Brad also points out that it takes so much momentum to get started again once you've gone away for a little bit.

"You have to connect the dots and make sure that I know that if I'm spending money on you, you're going to improve my ROI." - Jill

Renee Epstein and Lisette Kreuzer of B-Well Wellness Events started their business three years ago and have been doing well in their primary market. They want to branch out and do more corporate events, so they ask Jill and Brad how to get more exposure. Jill suggests that they make a good 30-second video to avoid having 17 pages of e-mail testimonials in order to pitch to the right people, and follow up repeatedly. Brad says that corporate stuff always takes time to come to fruition because it needs to get onto budgets. He also points out that even if you have a contact in the business, or names of people on your lists, they may not be the right people to talk to. So you need to find a way in and then get to the person who cares. Lastly, he suggests they may want to check out wellness fairs (that's where that video would do REALLY well).

"It's like walking in a forest where you realize that you're a very small part of this large thing." - Brad

Jill and Brad then discuss the top 5 reasons you need more time off:

  • You're getting stale in your business. You can't do this forever without taking a break.
  • You can't think outside the box without getting outside the box.
  • It's good practice to learn to let go.
  • On a basic level, it's amazing and fun and relaxing. (You're gonna love it.)
  • Oh, and then there's that thing that ALL business owners are guilty of, and should really stop...

Want to know what it is? Listen in

Guest:

  • Renee Epstein and Lisette Kreuzer began B-Well Wellness Events after realizing that teachers don't often take the time to practice self-care. They promote wellness events in schools and corporate settings in the Chicagoland area
Direct download: Breaking_Down_Your_Business_EP_232.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 2:00am CDT

What’s In This Episode:

What are your bad habits? For Jill, she says yes to things she doesn't need to say yes to (coffee dates can wait). Brad overschedules himself and has too many piles of papers on his desk. And while they both agree that social media is a bad habit, Jill thinks that's sort of a necessary evil for small business owners.

"I'm really good at pretending that things are going well in certain areas when they're not." - Jill

Muhga Eltigani, creator of the fresh fruit hair care line NaturAll Club, calls in to ask how to expand her product line. Customers are asking for more product and since she promotes a subscription-based service, she's wondering how to best launch new product. On top of that, her product is refrigerated which might add a logistical problem. Brad suggests she uses a line of credit to introduce new products to select customers. This way her inventory doesn't get crazy. Jill suggests pre-orders, but Muhga is worried that they might not be able to fulfill the orders within a certain timeframe. The easiest way to get money is to sell things to people who already buy from you, and you don't need to tell them a timeframe - if they want the product, they'll wait for it.

"It's okay to adjust your scope to their budget, but you can't give away the whole shebang." - Brad

Jill and Brad then discuss the top 5 things you should do less often:

  • Stop meeting with people. Use the phone first. Or do a video conference like Pluot.
  • Give up sleep. Sleeping less is not good for you!
  • Take over your team member's work and do it for them. You're only teaching them that you'll do their work for them.
  • Start new things. It gives you an endorphin rush, but if you don't finish anything, but you get no value from it. creator of the fresh fruit hair care line NaturAll Club, calls in to ask how to expand her product line. Customers are asking for more product and since she promotes a subscription-based service, she's wondering how to best launch new product. On top of that, her product is refrigerated which might add a logistical proble
  • And so many business owners do this one thing...

Want to know what it is? Listen in

Guest:

  • Muhga Eltigani is the founder of NaturALL Club, a monthly subscription service that delivers fresh handmade hair products. Want to try it out? Listeners of the Breaking Down Your Business podcast can use code NATURALL01 to get 15% off any order.
Direct download: Breaking_Down_Your_Business_EP_231.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 2:00am CDT

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