Do you employ staff in any part of your business, or are considering doing so? If the answer is yes (or you'd like it to be yes!) you're going to find my conversation with Sarah Riegelhuth both informative and inspiring. As the CEO of remote employment specialists, Grow My Team, Sarah has a unique view of the employee / employer relationship. Together we discuss;
- the benefits of hiring a remote employee
- why employing a VA often ends badly
- why you need to get clear on exactly what you want
- the importance of employing for skill and personality
- the benefits of performance based salaries
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It's a retail catch 22. You know if you could just get more customers in the door or drive more traffic to your e-commerce site, you'd make more money. But how do you attract those elusive new customers when you don't have a whole lot of money to splash around on customer acquisition?
In this episode I'm going to let you in on my 5 most popular strategies for getting new customers into your store, without spending a cent. And not just any old "give me your stuff and see ya' later" customers. We're talking the kind of customers that stick around for the long haul, love your brand and sing your praises from the roof tops!
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Over the past six months I've had the great pleasure of getting to know Anna Wythes, as she's worked her way through my small group coaching program.
Anna's story will resonate with you; school teacher by day, ethical fashion retailer by night, Anna is a Retail Superhero juggling single parenthood, work and running a business she's passionate about. Anna uses her store to make a difference to others and share her message about ethically produced fashion.
You will be inspired by Annas story of embracing change, rolling out automations and using technology to lighten the load and understanding the importance of making a profit in order to afford to keep giving to others.
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Five years after opening her bespoke letterpress business, Sara McNally realised things were no longer working out the way she planned. Rather than close her store she made the brave decision to completely pivot and recreate a new version of her business Constellation and Co. Including opening a store front, on a whim! Join Sara and I as we chat about;
- new opportunities that have come from changing direction
- why reinvention should be a constant activity
- the importance of connecting with people who understand
- how running a business impacts on mental health
- how mental health impacts on your business
- why building a customer base at the expense of your own value and worth is one of the most damaging things you can do
For more click here
I love talking to industry experts, picking their brains on your behalf for their hot tips and the kind of know-how you have to pay crazy town dollars to get as a consulting client.
Kurt Elster from Ethercycle just went very close to the top of my Most Enjoyable list! Kurt is a Senior Ecommerce Consultant who helps Shopify merchants (like Jay Leno’s Garage) uncover hidden profits in their websites.
He very kindly took time away from his own show; The Unofficial Shopify Podcast, to chat to me on the Bringing Business to Retail Podcast. Join us as we talk about why "beautiful" design doesn't mean profitable design, three strategies you can roll out this afternoon to improve the conversion rate on YOUR website and a fun look at what features Kurts retail e-commerce site of choice has that others don't.
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When you start a business, you can manage most things. Bust as your business grows, it’s easy to crumble under the pressure of wearing all the hats.
It’s a question that I’m sure many of you have asked yourself over time, maybe many times a day even.
So if you’re struggling, whether it’s with your business or your home, your health or your mindset, this episode is for you.
For more click here
Having issues with your Facebook Business page? You're not alone. The past couple of weeks I've fielded several calls from clients asking me to help them with everything from not being able to post any content or make comments on their business page, through to not being able to access their page at all.
Given so many of you use Facebook as your primary point of contact with your customers, you can't afford to let this one slide. This week on the Bringing Business To Retail Podcast I'll be sharing my top suggestions for keeping your business Facebook page up and operational.
For more click here
Getting away is important for you, your staff AND your business. But what if the idea of taking a holiday fills you with equal parts desire and dread? How do you take a holiday without losing money or momentum? Do you close your store or not?
Start gathering your travel brochures and thinking about your capsule wardrobe. This week on the Bringing Business to Retail Podcast, I'm sharing my top tips to get your business vacation ready.
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This week I had an email from a listener who wanted to know how the heck she can keep on top of her social media when there always seem to be hundreds of other jobs to do AND an actual business to run.
Hands in the air if you feel like keeping on top of your socials is like a full time job? Pretty much all of you right.
Well I thought it might be useful to share with you some of the tips I gave Katie about how you can conquer social media, WITHOUT burning out.
For more click here
Go on! You know you want to know what in the heck I could possibly have learned from the kitsch filled, angst ridden, girl power themed Bad Moms movie!
Listen in as I share the top three things I took away from my recent night in front of the TV. Join me for this super fun episode and bring a few laughs to your day!
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- What I did to move myself out of this very stressful situation
- My strategies for advertising an e-commerce or retail store without any money
- Why believing in yourself & your ideas is vital to your success
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- share your story with your customers
- how you can create a deep connection with your audience
- why being the person who shares past experiences will attract the attention of your listener
- how focusing on one specific top you're really good at will benefit your publicity
Ugh, copycats, right?
Some days, it can feel like with every swipe of your insta feed or every scroll of your Facebook feed, you stumble across another business or person, copying your hard work.
Perhaps it the product photo shoot images you spent days putting together, or it’s the product descriptions that you wrote, deleted and rewrote for hours on end. If you’re lucky enough o be a designer, having your style ripped off can feel like you heart is being ripped out.
So how do you deal with business copycats?
In this episode, I’m getting raw and real about how they affect me
I’m going to share you with you exactly what I do when this happens (and it’s not what you think)
Plus I’ll give you the tips that I use, literally on a weekly basis, to cope with the endless copying
If you’ve ever suffered the anger that comes with being copied and you want to know what to do when someone copies your work, then this episode is for you.
For more click here
Should you invest in PR? Is it worth the money? What do you do when you finally have people checking out your stuff? How do spot a dodgey deal from a great publicity opportunity?
Today I’m chatting with former TV reporter turned PR Guru, Christina Nicholson. Christina uses her no nonsense strategies to help independent business owners, solopreneurs and entrepreneurs all over the world gain and leverage publicity.
Together we cover off how you can get PR for your retail store without spending the big bucks. Everything from how to measure the real ROI from your PR, why PR is more powerful than traditional advertising, the importance of a great pitch and why Twitter is as good as an expensive media list. Plus Christina spills on her Top Three Tips for PR success.
Time Stamps
- Why your real ROI is what you DO with publicity not where you get it [8:31]
- The power of PR over advertising [10:26]
- How to spot a journo from a content hack [13:02]
- Ways to leverage your publicity to get more [13:32]
- The importance of a good pitch [16:06]
- Why timeliness is so important [18:02]
- Be prepared for success [24:02]
- Top 3 tips for PR success [28:22]
For more click here
If you use Mailchimp and Shopify, you would have received this message in the last couple of days.
Chances are, 1 of 2 things happened.
- You didn’t actually open the email, so you’re not really sure what the fuss is about.
- You opened the email, thought hmm, I probably need to look into that or
- You thought holy crap-balls, THIS IS BAD
And the winner is……
number 3!
Not that I want to tell you what opinion you should have, but the truth is – if you weren’t thinking number 3, or some version of it, then you are seriously underestimating how much an email list does for your business.
Fact is, when you use email well, your email list should be generating a lot of money for you!
Take this example
So, what’s the answer?
Well for most of you, I’m going to recommend Klaviyo. If your business is purely ecommerce, fashion, homewares, jewellery, skincare etc, Klaviyo is for you.
I made this little video to show you just a handful of the cool things Klaviyo will do for you (that Mailchimp never did).
OK, so how is K different to MC.
To put it into perspective, at its core MC was designed to send email newsletters. IT wasn’t built to be an ecommerce marketing platform. Sure, you can use it for ecommerce marketing, you can add apps to it and hack it to do the things your business needs, but it’s trying to be all things to all people.
K, however, was solely built for ecommerce marketing.
In fact, Klaviyo says Over 3,700 Mailchimp customers switched over to Klaviyo last year, and they saw an average increase of 46% in total store revenue.
Let me tell you just a few of the reasons that I recommend Klaviyo to my customers and install it into my 1:1 client retail and ecommerce businesses.
First up, let’s just get an insider look at why Klaviyo is so powerful.
You know how you can install a Facebook pixel on your site, or link GA, so it tracks your customers every move? Well Klaviyo does that for your ecommerce store. It keeps tabs on what your customer looks at, how long they spend on specific pages, what they purchase and what they click through to in an email. All the while, building a powerful, personalised customer profile.
Imagine being able, with a touch of a button, to send a product email, that was completely tailored to each recipient. What I see, is different to what you see, based on our buying and browsing behaviour. Well that’s exactly what Klaviyo does, with a simple click of a button. Cool right?
Ok, so the next reason I love Klaviyo, is segmenting. Unlike MC, where you have multiple lists, and duplicate funnels and emails, with Klaviyo you can segment based on products purchased, website browsing behaviour, how long ago a person has purchased, or not purchased, whether they’ve opened and emails recently, or not.
Why is this important.
Because, gone are the days when we can just send out newsletter blasts and hope people buy. The number one
Let me throw some stats at you
Personalized email messages improve click-through rates by an average of 14% and conversions by 10%. – Aberdeen
Only 39% of online retailers send personalized product recommendations via email. – Certona
Oh, and imagine being able to run Facebook ads to those segments – with Klaviyo, you 100% can, and even better, those segments are updated in real time. No more exporting lists to csv and then uploading them into fakebook business manager.
But probably my most favourite thing about Klaviyo, is that all of the funnels that everyone tells you need, well, they’re already there. Sure, should go in and tweak the email text to be more in line with your brand, Yeah, they’ll do much better if you spend some time customising the emails, but if you don’t have the time, you can just literally press go on the done for you flows and they’ll start working immediately
I know I’m sounding like a complete fan girl of Klaviyo, but that’s because I KNOW it makes you money. With its Shopify integration, it can create dynamic coupons, you can report on your sales and customers, you can integrate with Facebook and Instagram – it truly is da bomb
If your business is a kind of a service kind of ecommerce, say, like a solar hot water company, or a customer shade sail business, where you need to include a CRM, then I’m going to suggest Active Campaign.
Now, the questions you’ve all been waiting for – PRICE.
Klaviyo is free for up to 250 subscribers. Sure, it’s no Mailchimp-free-for-2000 subscribers.
But there’s a reason for that.
Comparing the 2, is like comparing an exercise book for inventory management, to a full-spec point of sale system.
Sure, they can both manage inventory, but the exercise book requires a lot of input from you.
If you have under 1700 customers, you’re looking at $75 per month.
But Klaviyo stats show that Shopify uses make around $85 for every dollar they spend on Klaviyo and to me, that’s a no brainer.
The truth is, if you’re using Shopify and mail chimp right now, you need to find something else. You’re going to have to migrate your data and customers over anyway, so why don’t you take this step and jump into Klaviyod
For more click here
Sarah Santacroce is passionate about helping business owners spread their unique message and brand through LinkedIn. She believes the former corporate connector is a fundamentally under utilised platform for retailers and entrepreneurs across the board. Over the past few years LinkedIn has become a powerful tool to bring your unique brand to industry professionals, influencers and customers alike.
If, like a large percentage of business owners, you think LinkedIn won’t bring additional value to your retail business, within the first five minutes of our conversation, Sarah will convince you otherwise!
Sarah’s the first to acknowledge LinkedIn can seem like an intimidating space. But with her focus on Social Serving, rather than Social Selling Sarah provides the tools to help you successfully communicate and connect with markets and customers you may be overlooking on standard social media platforms.
If you opened a LinkedIn profile years ago and haven’t touched it since, you’re going to want to open it up and start making changes right away, whilst Sarah generously shares with you her knowledge on:
- Why LinkedIn is such a powerful tool
- How LinkedIn will give you the edge on your competitors
- Ways to increase your status, professional standing and credibility as a retailer
- The importance of personal branding
- Ways to use LinkedIn to move your brand forward
- Tips for developing connections and content
TIME STAMPS
- Is Linked in a social networking platform or a B2B connection point [7:27]
- Are you a good fit for LinkedIn [9:32]
- The importance of developing relationships & partnerships [10:36]
- The customers you are missing out on by ignoring LinkedIn [11:42]
- Getting the edge on your competitors [13:02]
- Increase your status, professional standing and credibility [13:32]
- The importance of building a professional AND personal brand [13:52]
- How to use LinkedIn to move your brand forward [16:12]
- Tips to increase your page views [18:41]
- Developing network connections [22:24]
- Who to connect with and what to say when you do [24:12]
- Developing, using and searching for keywords successfully [34:02]
- Content to include on your LinkedIn account [35:10]
If you’ve ever wondered how to make Google ads and pay per click advertising get the best ROI - this is the right episode for you. In this episode, marketing expert Quentin Aisbett is going to share his insider secrets to help you reach your advertising goals.
Quentin shares his best marketing strategy for retailers when it comes to Google marketing.
We also jump into understanding how google ads (including google shopping) work and how to optimise them
Click here for more
Copy writer and branding expert Lee Rowley has more than a decade experience writing sales copy and creating brands. But he’s the first to admit, his copy hasn’t always hit the mark!
Following a personal tragedy Lee felt compelled to find an alternative to the churn style copy his counterparts were using. Ignoring the “experts” he started creating copy and brands that made real, deep, connections with the people buying the products he was tasked with selling.
Over time this lead to Lee developing the Avatar Immersion systems, a series of connection points that helps business owners find the intersection between their own stories and the stories of their customers.
Lee is passionate about encouraging businesses owners to tell their own unique story, understanding customers and their needs and the importance of making the customer the focus of your sales copy.
For more click here
Alissa Daire Nelson wants you to do what you do best, every single day!
As a certified Strengths Coach, Alissa knows from experience how our past career choices and education play such an important role in what we do now. Alissa herself has reinvented her career several times; from dietician, to nurse, to direct sales consultant, to business owner and now a professional coach all of them adding a different dimension to what she can now offer her clients.
In this episode of the Bringing Business to retail podcast Alissa and I chat about how you can harness your efficiency and productivity by finding exactly what makes you tick. Using a tool called the Strength Finder Alissa works to find five core strengths that highlight your uniqueness and how you best operate.
We discuss in detail how this psychometric tool is used to identify and celebrate your positive strengths and helps stop Limiting Beliefs. At the same time knowing what makes you tick can help you identify gaps in your knowledge, which enables you to surround yourself with the employees and consultants you need, in order to grow personally and professionally
If you have an e-commerce store (even if you don’t) you won’t want to miss the episode.
- The power of discovering and celebrating your strengths, using the Strength Finder [9:29]
- Identify your top 5 strengths from a potential 34 settings using the Gallup website [16:14]
- How your unique strengths profile will help bring on the best employees and consultants [18:22]
- How you can harness what you already know are your strengths to build better customer connections [24:42]
- 4 steps to “Break in Awesomeness” [27:06]
- Breaking the habit loop - how you can do it right now! [29:54]
For more click here
Chris Daly has over a decade of experience working as a Digital Marketer. During his career he has worked with some of the biggest names in e-commerce, helping drive traffic to their websites creating content that generates exceptional conversion rates.
After increasing the organic traffic to one of his clients website by triple but failing to increase sales, he hit on the importance of Conversion Rate Optimisation. Chris now works exclusively creating and testing e-commerce content that converts into sales for his clients.
In this episode Chris shares with me the importance of your home page and what you should include on it to ensure you customers buy. We check off the six ares of a website that should be converting for you and three tools you can use to test your conversion rates without breaking the bank. We also talk about my favourite topic; knowing your customer, and why split testing several versions of your key pages is integral to finding out exactly how your customer will interact with your website.
If you have an e-commerce store (even if you don’t) you won’t want to miss the episode.
- Chris shares tips on what should be on the home page of your e-commerce website [9:32]
- Find out what’s distracting people on your site and putting them off buying. [15:10]
- What information do you need to show on your website and where do you need to show it. [21:45]
- Is your website causing people to become anxious? [29:46]
- What is the home page existence test? [45:07]
For more click here
Thomas Duran was going to be a fire fighter, that was until he realised he could turn his real passion for video, into his job. For the past thirteen years Thomas has worked as a professional video cameraman and producer, helping corporate clients sell their message and products through moving images.
In this episode Thomas shares how you can leverage, one of the most powerful marketing tools available and use video to sell to your customers and scale your business. We chat about ways you can avoid having your own face on camera, how to shoot iPhone videos that stand out in a congested market place, aps that help you edit your videos so it looks like a pro did them and what kind of budget you should be setting if you’re working with a professional production company.
No matter if you’re a start up producing DIY sales videos or scaling to seven figures and considering a highly polished branding video, Thomas shares how video delivers so much more to your customer in a way photos don’t.
Video is considered to be the most powerful marketing tool available to retailers today, and is no longer a bonus option but an expected addition.
For more click here
It's still an early period of the new year, and we are still setting goals for our business and we started to work on some, but if your business isn't where you think it should be you are going to love this episode and you will get many answers how to change that.
Steve Olsher is known as the world’s foremost reinvention expert. Famous for helping individuals and corporations become exceptionally clear on their WHAT – that is, the ONE thing they were created to do – his practical, no-holds-barred approach to life and business propels his clients and presentation attendees towards achieving massive profitability while cultivating lives of purpose, conviction, and contribution.
Interesting thing is that we talk about WHAT and not the WHY for the first time, and you are going to learn the difference that could help you and increase your business, skills, and profits.
For more click here
Are you overwhelmed with all the talk of goal setting that happens this time of year. Maybe you're feeling anxious you reach your goals from last year and now you're feeling the pressure to add more?
This weeks episode of the Bringing Business to Retail Podcast is for you!
My guest this week is self confessed serial entrepreneur, experienced retailer and personal development coach Peggy Sealfon. Peggy and I sit down to chat about the power of setting Intentions, rather than traditional, closed end goals and how powerful a shift of mindset can be for both your business and your life.
We also talk at length about how you can create a balance between your home life and your business, the importance of mindful decisions and how to make your own well being a priority when there are so many things vying for your attention.
For more click here
In this episode with us is amazing Jane Lu from Showpo and it's real pleasure to have Jane in the show.
Jane is a real synonym for success. Her business grows from a small garage shop to 60M USD in just 7-8 years.
It's not easy to grow like that and there are many hurdles but it's important to have a goal you want to achieve, Jane shared with us her inspirational story about everything she experienced during this period from nothing to success.
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This week is reserved for business strategies for independent retailers and currently, I am in America where I am helping retailers to grow their business. With me today is Jen Geale from Mountain Bikes Direct.
This interview is in New York where is currently a big NRF retail show. Retail’s Big Show is a marketplace for ideas and relationships. A chance to forge new partnerships, try out best-in-class experiences, and learn from some of the biggest players transforming retail today. An event guaranteed to drive impact.
Jen is one of the owners of MBC and actually, her husband starts that business from the garage, so a very inspirational story is in front of us also you will hear how they move from the garage to work only online and remotely. Jen shared with us many great tips and you need to listen to this episode.
For more click here