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Title
Pub. Date
Duration
Tamara Simon, Business Coach on systemising for small business success.
20 Dec 2024
00:49:48
@tamara simon discusses the challenges owners face, the value of financial awareness, and the necessity of breaking the cycle of overwork to achieve a more profitable and enjoyable business. Tamara shares insights from her book, 'The Five Little Business Pigs', which outlines strategies for building a successful business.
The discussion highlights the importance of reflection and understanding one's business dynamics to foster growth and sustainability. In this conversation, Tamara and @Michael Kerr cover;
the importance of clarity in roles
the necessity of #businesscoaching
the need for strong foundational systems
the impact of leadership behavior on staff morale and productivity.
Some takeaways;
Success in business is often a jagged line, not a straight path.
Many small business owners have expensive hobbies instead of profitable businesses.
There is a system in everything; it's about finding it.
Owners should aim to work in their sweet spot 80% of the time.
Time management is crucial for small business owners.
Turnover is not the only measure of success; profitability matters more.
It's important to consciously choose the price of your commitments.
Most businesses have room for improvement. Every business should have a coach.
Understanding your numbers is crucial for success.
Business systems are essential for clarity and productivity.
Behavioral change in leadership is key to business success.
Small business owners should embrace their role with pride.
Reflection on business viability is necessary for growth.
Coaching provides a sounding board for business frustrations.
Strong foundations are built on clear roles and responsibilities.
Employee engagement is vital for a thriving business.
The journey of business ownership requires bravery and commitment.
@kerrcapital
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Ronan Leonard innovation expert and business mentor on smarter ways to improve your business
06 Dec 2024
01:05:59
Host @Michael Kerr and @Ronan Leonard a certified innovation professional and business mentor discuss Ronan's journey from an accidental entrepreneur to mentor in the small business space. The conversation delves into the;
how to overcome the daily challenges faced by small business owners
need for innovation and adaptation in a rapidly changing market
navigating stagnation in business
significance of allocating time and resources for innovation, and the various business models that can be explored
value of networking and learning from peers to drive business growth.
In this conversation, Michael and Ronan explore various strategies for business growth;
AI tools
Effective delegation
Marketing and innovation
Ronan shares insights from his 100-day startup challenge ( https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/start-up-to-profit-in-100-days-7231519804916912128/ )
Takeaways
Information is abundant, but context is often lacking.
Business owners often need an external perspective to see new possibilities.
Taking a step back can lead to greater long-term success.
Understanding different business models is crucial for growth.
Networking with peers can provide valuable insights and solutions.
Allocating time for innovation is essential for sustainability.
The market evolves, and businesses must adapt to stay relevant.
Intrinsic motivation drives small business owners to push through challenges. There are various ways to bring expertise into a business without hiring full-time employees.
Insourcing allows businesses to utilize external resources intelligently.
AI has the potential to disrupt job markets significantly.
Business owners should explore AI tools to enhance productivity.
Delegating tasks can free up time for business owners to focus on their strengths.
Real-world applications of insourcing can lead to significant cost savings.
Creating content efficiently can be achieved through effective team collaboration.
Marketing and innovation are crucial for business growth.
Community engagement and mentorship can enhance business success.
Learning from mistakes is essential for business development.
@kerrcapital
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Earl Eddings business founder, chair, mentor and adviser shares his experiences from both sides of a business sale
08 Mar 2024
00:58:43
@Earl Eddings has started, sold and acquired multiple businesses. Along the way he's had high profile roles including as Chair of Cricket Australia, and served as Non Executive Director, Advisory Board member, Adviser and Mentor to other business owners and businesses. He's had wins. He's also learned a lot from experiences where things didn't go to plan. These experiences were however formative and continue to shape how he continues to approach his work, the support he provides to other business leaders and business owners.
In our discussion we cover;
Earl's background and his journey as a business owner, including his first owned business and its sale
Turning around businesses and the importance of planning for an exit
The key factors to consider when selling a business, such as having a clean balance sheet and strong systems
The significance of trust, open communication and integrity in mergers and acquisitions, as well as the importance of proper due diligence
The importance of expert advice and representation
Managing expectations to avoid unrealistic valuations
Planning for an exit and the starting point, and the future vision
Ways to increase the value of the business
The importance of identifying potential buyers and scanning the market is highlighted
Mitigating risks and ensuring sustainability
Working with the buyer and transitioning
The use of non-binding indicative offers and deal negotiations
Why to avoid lengthy exclusivity periods is emphasized
The vital importance of personal aspirations and family considerations
The role of non-executive directors and advisory boards
Why seeking guidance and building networks is encouraged as a way to navigate the complexities of selling a business
Some of the key takeaways;
When starting a business, it's important to have an exit plan in mind and be prepared for a potential sale.
#Culturalfit and alignment of strategic intent are crucial considerations in mergers and acquisitions.
Plan for an exit by starting with a clear vision of the future.
Identify potential buyers and scan the market to find the right fit.
Consider personal aspirations and family dynamics when planning for an exit.
Engage non-executive directors and #advisoryboards for guidance and support.
Build networks and seek guidance from experienced professionals.
@kerrcapital @michaelkerr
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Ted Allender from ERA Nurseries talks about the current state of the manuka honey industry
24 Aug 2021
00:27:51
@TedAllender is a co-owner of ERA Nurseries. Born and raised in #Adelaide, he set up a nursery in Adelaide Hills in the mid-1970s, which operated for 20 years.
Set up ERA Nurseries in #Hamilton. Took an increasing interest in the selection and breeding of #eucalypt species for #woodproduction which grew like topsy turvy because of #managedinvestmentschemes. After they fell over looked to diversify the business into the #manukaindustry.
In our discussion Ted gives us both a history and an update on this exciting industry covering;
how a university professor discovered by accident that the honey from #manukaplants had a great #therapeuticvalue and could #sterilisewounds
(think the #French with the battle over the name #Champagne)
going to #NewZealand into 2014 and seeing how massive the industry and coming back thinking why aren't we doing this?
how all of a sudden #Manuka had become their most valuable native plant
how funnily #NZ wasn't saying that a couple of years before when it was considered a #noxiousplant - that they couldn't get rid of it, that spread once they started clearing the land.
the theory that #LeptospermumScoparium got to #NZ via #albatrossdroppings in small quantities and spread through campfires and windrowing to create pasture for sheep
the @LandlineTV program that ran in 2015 that posed the question 'why aren’t we doing something with it?' and that sent ERA's phones off and crashed the website
how many of our 163 Leptospermum Australian species (about 50%) were bioactive i.e. had that manuka components;
#METHYLGLYOXAL (MG)
#dihydroxyacetone (DHA)
his work on identifying which species were most likely to thrive in cultivation and his travels to collect plant material and nectar
his current focus on two species (those that are widely distributed geographically) in the business
where the industry is in Australia today
the mismatch between production and consumption and the estimated global levels of #fakemanuka
the need to move to grow plantations and to repurpose #derelictvineyards and #derelictbluegumplantations
how #Leptospermum can be planted in with other crops and work well with #sheepfarming, #turkeyfarming
how the actual product is, is being used by militaries around the world and The @NationalHealthService in England uses it to treat wounds as it works where antibiotics don't work anymore
how #bioactive the very best Australian Leptospermum are
the ongoing 'battle' #acrosstheTasman, #acrosstheditch
at the other end of the spectrum the 1000s of people that are planting 50, 100, 200, 500 plants
the issues around #bees and #beepopulations globally
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Janet Bond from Wattle Road on the rejuvenation of people, lives and communities coming from the increase in moves to regional Australia
20 Aug 2021
00:27:51
@JanetBond is the cofounder of @WattleRoad which, based on this trend of people #movingtotheregions, was launched to guide to people considering this #lifechange, this #lifestylechange, and inspire them by talking to people who'd already done it. Through those stories, we hope that people will know what not to do, and what not to do. The website is focussed on #regionalbusinesses #regionalproperty #regionalliving.
It's best summarised as follows "it's as much about dreams and new beginnings, as it is about finding a house that you will love and a great school for your kids".
Prior to that, she had an extensive career in business and commercial journalism, in both regional and capital cities for companies including #newscorp. Common in the publications was advocating for a city or town, helping to be really proactive about making sure it was a great place to live.
But in 2019 she left the corporate world to start @WattleRoad after a chance discussion with a close friend who had recently moved to #Japarat - where #RobertMenzies was born. Her friend had escaped lockdown and unexpectedly discovered the real meaning of community;
going down to the local post office and being known by her name
eating at the local pub and meeting people
In our wide-ranging discussion we cover;
why it's no longer people escaping the city but more being attracted by what is on offer in the #regions
the trends that are showing a return to those days where small towns and towns had their #localbaker, their #localfishmonger, their #localbutcher, their #localbrewer
a woman who's moved from Melbourne to Apollo Bay and set up his psychology practice, she took her family, and young teenagers to #ApolloBay from #Brighton
a #physiotherapist who had a very big practice and was able to exit #Sydney
the #Accountant from the #NorthShore, who got out of Sydney, sold his home he bought the local #cobbler - he went #backtoschool to learn how to repair shoes
So then she found herself in the middle of the fires in terrible push ties summer that we had. And she realized that while that was something she hadn't contemplated living in a place of risk, she found firsthand how that community pulled together.
why the rejuvenation of the regions is actually much but its much about the rejuvenation of people and rejuvenation of our lives and living in a way that perhaps we've always dreamed of
the key things to do to make making sure it is the right decision
the value of the local #ChamberofCommerce
some of the #ABS #netmigration numbers
the @wattleroad approach of;
exploring first, spending time (weekends away) to see if you think might be a good fit
looking at property
looking at jobs (and how it's a suprise to most people when they hear that there are 66,000 job vacancies in regional Australia at the moment - July 2021)
why sometimes people may need to consider starting or acquiring a business
how the region's do so well in promoting the local produce and the opportunities this is creating;
#craftbreweries - why two-thirds are in the regions and how they convert many of old pubs on the market e.g. #smeaton
with a heightened awareness of where our #foodproducts come from how the regions are owning #localproduce
@thevillageco - based in #regional #NewSouthWales and putting some pretty #tech into #supplychains to #Keepthemoneyinthevillage
wanting a different life, wanting to be more connected
why #transport #majortrainline is such a really big factor when you're choosing a place to live
#camperdown - one of the most beautiful #historicstreetscapes in Victoria
#remote work
#bandwidth for communication #NBN
the importance of getting #infrastructure right and why it will follow the #growth
the #vicgov putting departments in regional towns to #createjobs
www.kerrcapital.com.au
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Karen is a proud #burraburra woman of the #gundungurranation
Based in the #lowerbluemountains in #NSW @KurrajongKitchen is #Australianowned and #Australianmade, and has proudly supported #AustralianWheatFarmers since 1993. Karen runs her business successfully but the model is more family & community focussed. She's on a mission to make the brand the 'vegemite of the biscuit isle'!
We have an indepth discussion on how it all got started, her people orientated approach to business (this was formed from deep personal experience), where she wants to take the brand and her own next steps. Karen covers;
being brought up in #inner-city housing commission by #mum and #grandma
after her dad passed how her mother had to go out to get work to feed three kids under three
how her mum and the family, depended so much upon those businesses in the community that employed her
understanding deeply that those businesses who employed/engaged my mum and impacted my life will never truly understand the true impact
being driven to build a successful business that's also community focused
starting off in the back of a little restaurant
Purpose of the product - to support an entertaining and snacking experience
What is Lavosh - a little square cracker enjoyed with cheese and dips
being a wholesale manufacturer and brand with a team of around 35 people.
being proudly #Australianmade with #localingredients and #supportinglocalfarmers
wanting to maintain #lpcoalmanufacturing here, and also support local suppliers
being driven to stay, Australian made / Australian owned despite ever present opportunities to go offshore and someone always saying there are better opportunities to save money
her desire to keep everything Australian, because of the flowon effect that it can have in rural communities
her desire to be more community focused, I think that's what COVID actually taught us.
why for her being in business isn’t entirely about saving or making money
being able to offer people, families, far more extension than just a wage
the many ups and downs in our business over 28 years and the one thing that we drew on very strongly - #buildingthecommunity within a community, the #kurrajongkitchenfamily
blending family and business and how many businesses don't necessarily know how to blend those
her language in the business - we're not a team, where not staff or employees, we're a family
how that language leads onto "it's everybody's responsibility as a family to hold the space, to all play a role and responsibility authorities and accountabilities"
where #smallbusiness misses opportunities
the #roi in her approach - intangibles that bring community building
why there's always challenges when people are involved but knowing that happens in real families as well
her greatest learnings over 28 years of making a lot of mistakes;
giving people a voice, and treating them like humans,
giving them a seat at the table
giving them a voice to have a say without objection.
using a different language at work to empower the person in the skill set that they're doing. And once we empower them, they will learn to own their role. And her first question is " how can I support you in your role?"
her most important role, even though she is the #CEO and #co-founder is just is to make them the hero
playing to the strengths of the team member (we all have strengths and weaknesses and we've all got learning opportunity) but if you play to people's strengths they’ll deliver back and they will shine
geting sick of running a business by fear
how to do the right thing so everybody will stay and do the right thing, and if not the team weeds those that aren’t doing the right thing
nearly losing the business in 2012 - due to external environmental factors that we hadn't accounted for, a little bit like COVID external environmental factors
accepting that we "don't know what we don't know" and chasing new knowledge
understanding that rather than saying I can’t afford the time, think about it as I can’t afford the risk of not knowing
why there is no such thing as a dumb question in business
and if you don’t understand the answer, ask them to go back to basics, and ask it again if you don't get it because it's your business it's your life it's your family that's going to be affected.
my vision is to empower leaders and leaders, connect communities and create life changing opportunities across remote regional cities across the nation
her emerging role as a mentor to business owners primarily when they get into this chaos stage - when they could be quite a big business and they just don't know they can't see the wood for the trees and they just need somebody to sit and talk to them, mentor, and have a sense of give them, accountability, and confidence in their decision making process to take those next steps.
the next stage for the brand of 28 years
making it into an Australian iconic brand - the vegemite of the biscuit isle
why culture eats strategy
and finally why small business is and was really important to her mother, her family and communities
www.kerrcapital.com.au
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Les Watson aka Time Lord on personal productivity and time management
17 Aug 2021
00:27:51
@LesWatson (aka The Timelord) is a #smallbusiness #coach and #productivity expert.
He was inspired by and trained with @DavidAllen who wrote #GettingThingsDone. He uses the #GTDmethodology in his work to improve productivity management, build team leadership & develop communication.
Les believes higher productivity is determined by the answers to 2 key questions;
1. Where is your focus?
2. What do you want to do today? What do you want to do this year?
In our discussion we talk about;
Creating a goal and keeping accountable for it
The power of asking 'what do you want to get done today'?
Getting it out of your head and onto paper - the power of writing down what you want to get achieved (and avoiding being lost with 1000 other things going around in your head)
The key to effective time management being very clear about what you want to do with your time
The secret to project success;
What's the end result? What does done look like? What are you trying to achieve?
Second question whats next?
Identifying the telltale signs that signal someone is struggling at a personal level with all the overwhelm
The importance of better productivity to ensure you are keeping agreements with the people around you, the ones you love
The need to #lookafteryourself
Why you should treat yourself just as importantly as your highest paying client, your most valuable client.
Using your diary to create blocks of #metime
Why with all of us having the same 24 hours it's about how we prioritize the things that are going to give us the biggest return
Why leaders need to put their own mask on first before helping others.
The value of a walk around the block and enough sleep
The simple components of a trusted system - paper or electronic - where everything gets recorded to ensure it will get done
The power of having it all in one place
Doing a brain dump and enjoying the freedom and creativity that comes in there from that
Why the shortest pencil is longer than the longest memory
Write it down! Write it down! Write it down!
Creating accountability by meeting with somebody on a daily or weekly basis to discuss what worked, what didn't work is what I'm going to do differently next week.
Why you probably can't do it alone
The key to email managment - the 4 D’s;
do
dump
delegate or
decide / diarise
Making the hard decisions for an improvement in productivity
Becoming the role model in your business
#OneNote
Where you can get the book “get back an hour every day”
www.getmoretime.com.au
www.kerrcapital.com.au
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Marnie Roberts from WineGrapes on how cooperatives help growers and their local communities.
02 Aug 2021
00:27:51
@MarnieRoberts from www.winegrapes.com.au is a #winemaker and champion of the #cooperativeownership and operating model. As a #businessmodel #coops have been around for a long time but she believes they are in a resurgence.
She grew up in #Mildura surrounded by #coops and was really attracted to the ethos of it working for a collective. #winegrapes now has about 120 #growers and is based in #regional #SouthAustralia.
In our discussion we talk about;
how a #cooperative can benefit and supporting local people, local growers and their #localcommunity
not being #bigcorporate
#mclarenvale
the advantages for growers;
the reach and opportunities they may not get if they went out by themselves
tapping into a vast array of skill sets which creates this network of growers communicating with each other
getting more 'pull'
being able to lean on each other
what #winegrapes offers
selling as a stronger unit (and avoiding leaving fruit on the vine or dropping to the ground)
making wine for the grower if they can't sell that
how the cooperative model combines #infrastructure
how one of the original founders, @Paxtonwines has developed the Paxton brand while still being part of the group
current challenges with #exporting #wine
#globalization
how we are reimagining the old idea of making a product in the hope that it will sell on the market (way too risky now) and are instead pre-selling or setting up strong relationships with export markets where they've got more security in what they're selling
why the days of just crushing a few 1000 tonnes to make wine in the hopes that it'll sell in #China and just going to trade shows, is over
the importance of #buildingrelationships
#winetech
the critical importance of the #story around where wine is grown
the benefits of the cooperative model to other local communities;
giving the community more power
creating belief and positive reinforcement
avoiding feeling like you're just trudging on
all leading to an improvement in #mentalhealth
the day to day opportunities, challenges and difficulties around, setting up a cooperative, and then managing a cooperative on an ongoing basis
driving a lot and getting face to face
#LanghorneCreek
probably just the logistics of distance.
how #coops work - general meetings and reporting on corporate obligations
how communication is vital
needing a strong ethos and a driving force that's laid out to make it fair for everyone
where the #wineindustry is headed
the loss of Chinese exports
#smallproducers
www.kerrcapital.com.au
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Sabrina Runbeck, medic turned productivity coach on saying NO to avoid making your passion a prison.
25 Jul 2021
00:27:51
@SabrinaRunbeck is a #peakperformanceconsultant with a background in #neuroscience and #publichealth. She #empowers her clients, including #smallbusinessowners, especially in #healthcare, to increase their #productivity and better look after themselves so that they can sustain themselves and their businesses.
Her mission is to help business owners prevent their passion from becoming a prison.
In this high enegery conversation she talks about;
the downside of being so good at just #gettingthingsdone
how #sayingyes to the things that don't truly align with gives away our precious time, energy, and ultimately our sanity
growing up as an only child in a family of Asians where for girls its like, oh you know you're smart, but get a job, don't rock the boat, you'll be fine.
why she ended up the rebellious one because she thought "why should the boys carry out the family name and doing XYZ"
getting two bachelor degrees, a masters degree finally got into medicine, and one of the best heart and lung surgery centers in the USA
feeing like I made it and then I started working 80 plus hours a week, constantly adding more cases or seeing a new consultation just keep going
her 'aha' moment - waking at 8 o'clock in the am and already feeling exhausted but just pushing through it like a little thing, no big deal. If you don't do it, who's gonna do it, that type of mentality, so I had to convince myself
#positivepsychology
#sabotagingtendencies
how to actually #prioritize - no longer 10 things as a priority, there should just be one, very focused and knowing when you pick that one you have no regret, you're very present, and then you're not putting yourself into the #distractionzone, this #deadzone
key signs that someone should be looking out for in themselves or another's they care about, as, as an indicator that things aren't right.
why we should be living more than 80% of the time in our desire zone to keep our momentum going, keep our joy, keep ourself light
definition of a #desirezone - it's something that you love to do and you're really good at it come natural to you.
doing things that you love to do, and #movingtheneedle in your life or business
knowing that when we start to #procrastinate, we start to slow down our momentum, so that the disinterest zone which is also very dangerous
a simple exercise to help you figure out 'your zone' and how can you automate or delegate them
creating a #truefocus funnel by eliminating and then #automating
overcoming a #mindset barrier where people feel like I'm by myself. I don't have the time, I don't have the money. I don't have the resources.
pivoting into the empowerment side of us to be resourceful
how if you continue to do the tasks that are truly mundane then you diminish who you are, And not only your confidence and your time, but then really how you see yourself as an individual, as a business owner.
what to do if you're not moving the needle in your business
a #naturalpathforpeople, for #businessowners
for you to have that double win with a powerful career and a passion in life, we needed to see life as a whole.
why without the right energy you won't do anything at all
the four different #chronotypes i.e. natural energy cycles in people.
#preventativemedicine
how to preemptively reset yourself, because it's easier to recharge when you're pretty full than bring yourself completely down - constantly just sipping on something, right that's analogy,
sanity - why most people are not realizing that a lot of things are just not enjoyable
how are you truly creating freedom for yourself, what does the freedom even look like for you, and is there future value. - it's not just the enjoyment of now, the instant gratification
#personalgrowth, because without that constant excitement that will build for us, then people eventually gonna get to a point of being stagnant
how you just don't know what you don't know, and for someone else look at it, this chaos can become something so simplified
#productivitycoach
#businesscoach
#relationshipcoach
judgment #sabotagingtendency
wanting to serve and making sure everyone else is happy but forgetting yourself.
receiving empathy
having a #purposestatement for me and a little me time because y'all deserve it
a guide on when to say yes when to say no
saying heck yeah yes only to the things that truly light you up in life
why every no is a new opportunity toward things that you truly can feel powerfully about so when you say that yes you don't feel like you're regretting or you feel like you're missing out right, you're you're comfortable with every single decision
dealing with not making the right decision
building confidence in making decisions you may not have made before, that you may have put off because it was too hard ,or you didn't like saying no, so you're retraining yourself
how important employees are to the success of just about every business
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Jenn Donovan from www.spendwithus.com.au on taking regional businesses to new customers
24 Jul 2021
00:27:51
@JennDonovan is co-founder of www.spendwithus.com.au, an #onlinemarketplace and directory for #rural and #regional #smallbusinesses of Australia who have been impacted by #bushfire, #drought, and #coronavirus. @SpendWithUs supports #ruralbusinesses that find it hard to compete due to location, size, technology, and other adversities.
Jenn was a #propertylawyer for 17 years before turning to #smallbusiness and #socialmedia #marketing #coaching and #mentoring.
the pro's and con's of having a few wines with her best friend and deciding to quit their corporate jobs and buying a retail business without any retail experience, and
as a result finding her passion for marketing and social media
growing a retail business in a regional area, and growing it during one of the worst droughts
transforming and then selling the shop before deciding to help other small business owners grow their businesses and really make marketing a priority for them
the spark for @spendwithus from spending a lot of time working with #ruralbusinesses, and touring around rural #NewSouthWales #Deniliquin #Hay #Leeton #Griffith and seeing everyone was really sad and not particularly looking forward to Christmas,
#buyfromthebush
#spendwithus starting as a #Facebookgroup to help regional businesses sell to a different audience that was outside their towns , think #Amazon but for rural and regional Australia , that's got 315,000 people in it now.
her hard won first first lessons in marketing - to listen to the customers
why there is no such thing as mistake, just lessons to learn from
being a ready fire aim person, who prefers to just do it and perfect it as you go along because if we wait for the right time, it may never come,
finding a business to buy by knocking on doors
her aims;
start a marketplace out so people could actually put their products on a website with traffic coming
get small businesses online with a shopping cart even if they don't have a website
the type and size of customers on the platform
using emotive language and not just telling me the features
why just opening the front door and expecting customers to flock in won't work offline or online
getting started by dipping a toe in the water
being blown away at the talent that rural Australia has
having some very hairy lofty goals for @spendwithus to be a household name like @amazon by showcasing rural and regional Australia
her best three tips for owners who are struggling with social media;
show up because people do business with people they know, like and trust. And if you are always just putting products and not showing this your actual face and your voice and your personality, then that is the number one thing that you can do better
as far as your marketing goes no matter what platform you're on or what piece of marketing, you're looking at, people have to get in front of that camera
networking and collaborations - she is a huge advocate that your network is relative to your net worth. So, if you want to get more sales, get out there join your local chamber, your local tourism board, whatever it is and brand yourself as part of your business.
#madethegrampiansway
understanding that the community depends on the viability of small businesses, and why we're better off supporting each other
www.kerrcapital.com.au
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Ashley Darwen, founder of ADITS on developing a business culture to drive success.
23 Jul 2021
00:27:52
Ashley Darwen is the founder of @ADITS, an #ITservicecompany run out of #Bowen in #Queensland. He started the business as a 20 year old, and now has 36 employees.
Born and bred in Bowen he started his business / working career when still in year 11 at the suggestion of a #teacher who thought he could be putting his efforts into something productive (because obviously, schoolwork wasn't going 100% to plan!).
He was offered a school-based traineeship and hasn't looked back.
In our discussion he talks about;
starting at a local high school one day a week, which then turned into two days a week and three days school then four
getting bored at 20 and then starting his own business
going home to his parents and saying yeah this is what I want to do and getting the support he wanted
not being so sure he would as supportive if his child came home and said the same thing now!!
the luck of having a supportive teacher that identified he had an aptitude
being a managed service provider
the services ADITS offers and the customers they work with , from a #startup or one or two employees to a large school or enterprise with 500
acting as a conduit between 300 vendors, it providers out there and the business
the importance of company culture in growing a one person business to 36 employees from Bowen in Queensland
understanding that for a service based business the greatest asset is your team, your people
his approach to hiring and the value of doing the last bit of the interview over lunch in an informal setting
the challenges with getting people (employees) to #remoteareas, a town of 10,000 people
The challenges of coming from a Metro area to a country town
having offices in #Townsville and Brisbane because you're not always get to find the skill set that you need or the people you need
how #COVID has brought everyone's attention to the fact that we actually can work from home now, where you can live in a, in a rural or regional location and still work for a metro company
#businessculture - creating it vs evolving it
the need to genuinely care about your customers and staff
how it takes a whole team to make this thing work
making the team part of something
trusting your team
the importance of customers aligning their #businessstrategy and their #ITstrategy
first thing that we do is take an audit of their business as such to see what they've got from a technology point of view to, you know, to see what they've got.
the importance of sitting down with the business and understanding what they do, how they do it and then what their plan is in the next 12 to 24 months
the need to make sure is that from a technology perspective they have what is needed to scale in the next 12 to 24 months
businesses going online
businesses having a new appreciation for #technology and how, how they can benefit from using IT
the gaps in regional areas (1) #digitalinfrastructure and (2) #digitalliteracy
the roadblocks and challenges in regional Australia to do with #connectivity and #internetspeed
why in terms of education for businesses the IT industry needs to get better at working with businesses to bridge that gap and to be that conduit and to help them through the journey
some of the risks and challenges emerging now for businesses - via data breaches, cybercrime
#Cybercrime as our biggest threat to technology at the moment
preventative IT solutions
#databreaches in Australia, 85% of them come from end users
exciting uses of technologies and businesses in the medical space or aged care space
the flexible work environment where people can work two days a week at home instead of commuting so they've got more time with their families.
Keys to success;
having a good team around you that share the same vision and are on the same page to make sure you know from an operational point of view that the business works well
an advisory committee and mentors
www.kerrcapital.com.au
www.adits.com.au
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Steve Dowling from GrantHelper on accessing grants to grow your business
23 Jul 2021
00:27:51
Stephen Dowling is the founder of www.granthelper.com.au and helps businesses to access #grants and increase their chances of being successful.
In this discussion we talk about;
the massive and confusing array of grants at #councilgrants #stategrants and #federalgrants
the size of the grant market (currently in the billions)
the industries where the grants are e.g. #medical, #foodandbeverage, #defense, #space, #mining, #resources
#regionalgrants
where to go to actually find it
finding a #grantconsultant that is well connected and knowledgeable
#manufacturingsovereignty - a real issue - the federal government has invested quite a lot of money in that areato prop up the nation's capability
the #export arena, and helping #exporters to develop their channels, develop their relationships through innovative means given the travel restrictions at the moment
the #femalebusinessfoundergrant helping #femaleentrepreneurs or #businessowners to grow their businesses
his best tips for increasing chances of success;
thinking about what is the project that they want to undertake and being clear on what their activities as the starting point, rather than worrying about what the grant is
incorporating a business strategy overview, and, and a marketing plan as to have it going to grow the business as a result of the activity that they're planting
telling a story about how a business is making some sort of transformation and how that transformation benefits the business, but also benefits the sector, maybe the #localeconomy, and so has these sort of rippling effects
using the right sort of language when responding to questions
using a grant consultant
looking at the grant and the benefits from an external perspective
thinking of it as an investment in a business by an external party, whether it be government or investors
reporting back to the granter - there is compliance
developing business by looking at new markets and new products
working with a manufacturer in the food and beverage sector based in South Australia who work across an entire supply chain, from harvesting wild game animals and processing them, and exporting the outputs as much as selling them domestically, and they utilize 100% of the carcass on the animal and have no waste so this particular business is actually applicable across a number of different sectors food and beverage manufacturing circular economy.
a biomedtech company
understanding that there can be an opportunity costs associated with applying for a grant because there's often a long lead time
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Lisa Dwyer, Dairy Farmer, Chair & Non Executive Director on building resilient businesses and communities
22 Jul 2021
00:27:51
Lisa Dwyer is a dairy farmer and is actively involved in #governanceroles with a number of #agricultural and #communitybasedorganisations.
She started life in the #Victorianthoroughbredracingindustry before (her own words) 'being ambushed' into the #dairyindustry via a marriage proposal. She learned about dairy quickly and together they now run an 850 acre #dairyproperty in #southwestvictoria
In our discussion Lisa talks about;
the call she got on her honeymoon from her mother-in-law that catapulted her and her husband into their own dairy business
how with limited capital they got started
their first #multiculturalherd
surviving the #GlobalFinancialCrisis, #drought, #disease
Chair of the @victoriastategovernment #RegionalPartnership for the #GreatSouthCoastregion
her approach to and philosophy on managing it all;
no compromises
being willing to accept that responsibility and doing all that you possibly can to deliver on what you are responsible for
the relationship with their animals from an agricultural perspective - and having this real sense of responsibility for their #animalwellbeing
crucible moments, in particular with the implosion of @MurrayGoulburn (noting she joined the board after all that occurred) - and the responsibility to make the best of the ruins of what was a 60 year old farmer-owned company, and being able to deliver back to the farmers, the investment that they had made quite often over decades was probably one of the things that I am most proud of
The unlimited opportunities in #agriculture - as the world's population continues to grow, and the desire for safe, #highquality #sustainablyproduced #food and #fiber, which is exactly what we do here in Australia
the perennial challenges of #globaltrade which we're seeing playing out in the media now
the challenges of climate change
her frustration with the ongoing negative discussions about agriculture and the link to why (unsuprisingly) young people don't want to pursue agriculture as a career -
the new era for #Australianagriculture
how #agtechtechnology and new capital streams will deliver a much more highly sophisticated ag sector that will attract the best and brightest talent
the objectives of the state government regional partnership for the Great South Coast region (the greatest region in Victoria!!);
helping government understand what's required in the regions
ensuring that the people of the regions feel as though they're being heard
#digitalconnectivity
getting a more equitable voice for #rural and #regionalVictorians, and particularly for the #disadvantaged, and also for the #youth and #women.
#digitalliteracy
#digitalaffordability
#satellite
#reliableconnectivity
#digitalnow initiative
movement into the region - from #Hamilton, #Portland, #Warrnambool #Camperdown #Kerang
the significant natural tourism attractions e.g. #GreatOceanRoad, #12apostles #BudjBim (#indigenousagriculture) #GrampiansNationalPark and #visitoreconomy
#preeminence from an agricultural perspective
#renewableenergy (already produced more than 50% of the of the state's wind energy)
why there shouldn't be any limitation on the ways in which you can get involved in your local community, and her advice to;
start with very modest, expectations
do your homework and you must go to every meeting prepared, and
listen to the views of others and make considered contributions
always look for the #silverlining because nothing will be achieved, out of a negative perspective
www.kerrcapital.com.au
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Pete Seligman Search Investor on finding and inspiring the next generation of business owners.
09 Feb 2024
01:00:00
@Pete Seligman talks about and #eta (Entrepreneur through Acquisition) and #searchfunds and their impact on small business owners. He's an investor and co-owner of multiple businesses.
Pete explains the concept of search funds and how they provide a vehicle for investors to back #acquisitionentrepreneurs.
We talk about;
the importance of finding the right fit between the entrepreneur and the business
current market challenges and opportunities
how business owners should handle an approach from a search fund or investors
the role of #earnouts in business sales and how they can bridge the gap between buyer and seller
the common misunderstandings in relation to earnouts, and the potential benefits they can offer
creative deal making and risk sharing to improve the prospects for getting a successful transaction
why business owners need to augment their existing advisors with subject matter experts for a sale process
the importance for owners to reflect on their mission and have honest conversations with co-owners to align their goals
Takeaways
Search funds provide a pathway for entrepreneurs to buy existing businesses instead of starting one.
The fit between the entrepreneur and the business is crucial for success.
Business owners should be open to conversations with search funds and investors, as it can lead to new opportunities.
Co-investing and joint ventures can be options for owners who want to grow their business with additional capital and expertise.
Owners should be prepared for potential exit opportunities and have a clear understanding of their role in the business. Earn outs can be a valuable tool in bridging the gap between buyer and seller in a business sale.
Creative deal making and risk sharing are essential for a successful transaction.
Owners should consider the potential benefits of earnouts and not reject the concept of deferred payment outright.
Business owners may need to augment their advisors with additional expertise for a sale process.
Reflecting on the owner's mission and having honest conversations with co-owners are crucial for aligning goals.
@kerrcapital
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Jo Martin from Golden Earth Publishing on why you should write that book, or at least a chapter!
20 Jul 2021
00:27:51
Joanne Martin finds purpose in helping #innovators, #changemakers and #entrepreneurs to really ignite and #scaleup their #smallbusiness through #content marketing, #communication and #brandstrategy.
She helps #aspiringauthors to write their own #book, and has also created a #multiauthorbook #platform to enable people to basically contribute a chapter to a book along with other authors and entrepreneurs.
She runs her business out of #LakeMacquarie, #NewSouthWales. In our discussion she talks about;
starting her career in the #corporateworld, working in marketing communications and also transformational change
finding her passion for #writing
learning by doing a lot of #ghostwriting for people who run their own #blogs but don't have time to actually write the things themselves
founding out she wanted more autonomy in her life and actually making a business out of providing service to corporates
wanting to do something different and not be constrained by working for someone else.
starting to help entrepreneurs and working with #femaleentrepreneurs and #startups and #women.
working with #smallbusinesses in the #regions and helping them get cut through and actually access the right clients
being asked in 2019 to co-author a book in USA - not being sure she had time but accepting and finding new networks, and new directions
identifying how her corporate background, skill set including learning & development and communications & marketing actually flipped things on their headband and made her more powerful.
established her own publishing company
how she takes people through the writing process and gets them to start thinking about how to promote themselves and what they want to do on the back of that
how COVID has changed the game considerably for everybody around the globe - and while a lot more people are online, it's a lot noisier and harder to cut through
how regardless of where you are physically located, the opportunities to build a global audience, a global brand, and a global client base being more realistic
the particular challenges for regional and remote business owners
growing up in the country with parents who always ran a business
The importance of personal connections and the opportunity for identifying your ideal client and then working out where they are and how you can actually connect with them
#multiauthorbooks
#strategicmarketing
networking within your community
the need for smaller #regional, #remote owners to be more creative and innovative in the way they promote
#findingyourvoice
the importance of the #stories behind what people are doing and why
the importance of focussing on what's in it for the customer
how the #buyfromthebush campaign actually put a lot of regional businesses on the map
getting away from the selling stuff to people
#engagementmarketing
the big push to #buylocal and to #buyaustralian
looking to support the economy here and #regionaleconomies and #regionalcommunities
dripfeeding your story as part of your promotion
talking about your product or service in a way that brings customers on the journey
her current book on innovation secrets that allows people to walk away with tips that they can apply straight away within their business.
the merits of the traditional route to #publishing vs #selfpublishing
the advantages of #Kindle and #Amazon
@AnthonyTurner book (Disaster Recovery) being cathartic after doing a lot of work in disaster recovery after the Black Saturday bushfires Victorian floods of 2010 2011
writing and sharing your story to help change the lives of others and make the world a better place, and potentially also to leverage that as a marketing tool or personal branding tool
being approached now by quite a big magazine in Europe
www.kerrcapital.com.au
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Adj. Professor Warwick Powell from BeefLedger on why provenance = profit
20 Jul 2021
00:27:51
Warwick Powell connects #regionalAustralianbusinesses, #marketplaces, #regionalcommunities and economic project opportunities with the growing markets of Asia and in particular, #China, #HongKong and #Macau.
He's had wide experience in #cmmunitydevelopment and #regionaldevelopment and has spent 25 years engaged in regional businesses, particularly in #regionalQueensland, working across diverse industries from information technologies and communications, through to #naturalresources, #tourism, #agribusiness and property development.
Some of his current roles include;
Chairman at @SisterCityPartners (a not for profit regional investment banking enterprise founded to build resilient regions)
Chairman at www.BeefLedger.io (a blockchain enabled integrated provenance and payments platform development and implementation in the beef supply chain)
Adjunct Professor at QUT
He also has an extensive understanding of China, Australia, trade relations
In this absorbing discussion Warwick talks about;
how Australian regions can better connect with the bigger markets immediately north of Australia.
why Blockchain as a technology is now 'hitting its straps' having been around about 12 and a half years
the main virtue of #blockchaintechnology - the ability for information, that many parties need to have confidence in, to be created and shared in a way so that all the different parties can depend on it
the problems in traditional information systems where the information that's been passed along from one player to another runs into a whole bunch of risks in terms of validity, accuracy, timeliness, authenticity, etc
what blockchain allows us to do - to ensure that all the players involved in a particular supply chain activity are involved in the key phases of information production, validation, storage, dissemination and consumption at the same time
the shared responsibility for data integrity in blockchain, which speeds things up, reduces costs associated with having to doublecheck things, and ultimately smooths out the ways in which supply chains work
#supplychains
how #beefledger uses #blockchaintechnology to improve the flow of information all the way through to the end consumer, but principally focused around the wholesale marketplace to ensure that owners of assets and buyers of assets can be confident in what they're buying
One of the things about the blockchain ecosystem is that a lot of effort over the last 10 years has gone into really what I would describe as back end or back office issues.
#smallbusiness using #blockchain
how #blockchain starts to tackle questions around #informationdoubt
and why doubt equals discount and provenance equals profit
why when there is doubt around the veracity of the claims you're making about your product the marketplace will discount that
why when the marketplace has confidence in the provenance claims of the products they're buying provenance equals profit.
how to build a loyal customer base by building their confidence that what they're getting is more likely than not to be what it's meant to be
how at @beefledger they are trying to create the right incentive mechanisms using blockchain technologies and smart contracts that reward the pursuit of excellence
when the question of #informationintegrity becomes a common public good
the reality that Australian production systems are often quite a bit more expensive than alternatives in other parts of the world, which means we really need to work very hard at the value proposition that that is sufficiently persuasive that says, look, it is a bit more expensive but there are the benefits
#Australianexporters
the economic sanctions that are China putting on Australia
how he sees the next 20 to 25 years with Asia continuing its path to economic development and greater wealth
Australia as one of 15 signatory countries to the #RegionalComprehensiveEconomicPartnership (#RCEP).
@ASEAN group
the ongoing growth of China which is likely to become the world's largest economy in the next, within the next 10 years
why Australia needs to think seriously about the importance of #RCEP as an institutional framework.
#customs #paperlesscustoms
blockchain enabled digitized payments - the fast lane vs the slow lane
the need to ensure that there are sufficient pipelines for data flows.
the need to build capacity throuhgh #education not only in a very traditional sense, but also amongst #SMEs, to make sure that people don't feel alienated from these new technologies.
the growing marketplace for digital products In Asia because of their digital nativeness
how developing countries have been able to skip over some of the legacy infrastructure that we're still held back by and have moved straight into a mobile smartphone experiential market
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Elise Brown What buying a business at 19yrs taught her
19 Jul 2021
00:27:51
Elise Brown owns Fairdinkum Dogs www.fairdinkumdogs.com.au in #castlemaine. She was only 18 years old when she bought the business from a family friend (who was the second owner). That previous owner thought Elise was a great fit for the brand, and the product, because she had seen her riding her horse past her house, with her #BorderCollies on her tail.
Elise talks about;
buying your #firstbusiness at 18, and the second one soon after
how the opportunity to buy the business came about
nervously asking how much they wanted for the business, and within an hour chatting to the banks and previous business owners
getting her #mothershelp with #buyingabusiness
getting her #grandmothershelp to learn to sew after purchasing the business
reassessing priorities when first daughter was born and deciding then to take the business online
buying her second business, a #petshop
being 20 and running both businesses
lifting a tonne a day, falling pregnant and selling the business
Wanting to just focus on being a mum
seeing both sides of the coin, being a #wholesaler and a #retailer
@KerryAnderson (mother) giving the confidence to just pursue my dreams
#waterproofoilskindogcoats #custommade to fit any breed shape or size.
why #Shopify is an amazing website (so you can upload your products onto the website but then with the click of the button you can be selling off @Amazon @eBay @Facebook @Instagram
how #Shopify was a really big turning point for my business
#DigitalChampionsGrant (federal government grant) - having two days of training and @michellebridges as our guest speaker
getting picked as 1 of 30 businesses to be part of the Facebook gift guide
turning up at local shop shopping center and seeing my photo there and at #MelbourneAirport
#digitaltransformation
being part of our community
being Seventh Generation Castlemainian
constantly reiterating that we're #Australianmade and #Australianowned
being there for you and your best mate
tips for #productdevelopment
Disciplines to @contentcreation
#blogging and just giving away information and helping customers
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Louise Broekman from the The Advisory Board Centre on how business owners can benefit from advisory boards
18 Jul 2021
00:27:51
Louise Brockman is the founder and CEO of the Advisory Board Center. She grew up in a small business family and started her first business at 19 years old. It's in her blood. She has experienced the absolute highs and lows. With this cumulative experience, she is on a mission to help other #businessowners take advantage of outside advice. In our discussion she talks about;
the big adventures she had when the family started a new business
her #firstbusiness was a #restaurant in #MissionBeach
when the family lost everything in a cyclone hit, and she couldn't afford to go to university
working in #corporatelife for a period of time but really missing #beinginbusiness
#starting and #growing a #software based #professionalservicesbusiness helping #SMEs with their #outsourcedhumanresources
wanting to grow it, needing to be cautious and deliberate in the decisions about what's next
second guessing the decisions made
misjudging the launch
having to sell everything that I owned, to keep the business going
realising a year later, that when she had the opportunity to grow that business wanting to be confident of not messing it up and put herself at risk
putting together her own advisory board
her life-changing moment
growing their business to 135 offices in eight countries in five years, and selling the business
being so grateful for what the #AdvisoryBoard had done leading to spending five years researching testing and validating the advisory board sector globally
put everything on the line
using her personal experience as a great foundation for building this current business
be open and willing to seek advice
the different levels of #advice available #smeowners
picking the advice that is fit the purpose for the situation you're in, the period of time, the market
#informaladvice - getting advice instance from #familyandfriends, people who know you and love you and want the best from you. It's very supportive and they want the best, who knew personally.
#beertobeersupport - really important mutual support
#businessnetworkgroups, and #informaladvisoryboards, e.g. #chamberofcommerce or #businessgroups
the really important socialization of business owners - because it's lonely in business it's important to get out of our own bubble and socialize with other people that have this similar situation
why #Informaladvisoryboards is where the market has been - no one's paid, but generally they last for about six months and they kind of fizzle out
one on one relationships like a #businesscoach #mentor #consultant as targeted support for that for a period of time
the unrealistic expectations of one person having the answer to everything about their business
as mentors and advisors being really careful about where the boundaries are - when should we provide advice and when we should stop when it starts getting outside about entering expertise or knowledge.
using #formaladvisoryboard with a #chair and external advisors, a #charter so everyone's focused on some critical aspects of what's important to the business and #measuringimpact
#governanceboards with #boarddirectors - with directors becoming personally liable
The mistake of jumping straight to the ‘who I know’ component vs figuring out what the business needs and prioritising
The types and size of businesses using advisory boards
#projectbasedadvisoryboards
filling #knowledgegaps and #skillsgaps
not duplicating your management disciplines
not becoming a #shadowdirector
focusing on context, not content
#buildingtrust or learning to trust advisors
why #businessowners need to step up and do better #duediligence with regards to the way that they're evaluating their advisors - they're not all commodity providers
why you should interview them and make sure they are really curious about your business
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Annabelle Hickson from Galah Magazine, a modern voice for regional Australia
16 Jul 2021
00:27:51
Annabelle Hickson www.annabellehickson.com is the founder of @Galahpress. Her new publication @GalahMagazine is a modern voice from the bush.
Annabelle is also a #pecanfarmer west of #tenterfield, an #author, a #podcaster. She maintains a rich and diversified portfolio of activities alongside her family life (a farmer husband and 3 lovely kids).
In this episode she talks about her transition out of Sydney, and we cover a lot of ground including;
growing up suburban Sydney, getting a dream job after uni and then working as a journalist for the Australian newspaper, thinking life was going to go down a much more urban track
falling in love with a farmer
loving life out here, one she never knew about before
creating your own opportunities, your own business and an empire
starting @GalahMagazine - a publication that spoke about #regionalAustralia through the lens of advantage
the historical voice from the bush, in a kind of post colonial sense, you know, the Bush was such an important part of our national psyche - built on the sheep's back you know everyone was a farmer, they knew a farmer, they had a connection with the bush.
how nowadays, that connection has really eroded, and, you know, we're one of the most urbanized countries in the world and I think it's something like 85% of us live within 50kms of the coasts,
how the Bush used to be so powerful and now it's much less powerful
the song of decline, the narrative of decline is something that we hear about a lot
being really surprised and delighted to find that when I moved out to regional Australia. It was not this sad place, it was vibrant and joyful and full of innovation.
why it's really important for us to tell these stories - to not always talk about drought, and lack of access to medical services, and lack of jobs because this life out here is also really rich
as you know it's not all light, there's a darkness too, but I think it's a more complex picture I guess then historical stereotypes have portrayed.
why living 80 kilometers out of town, and feeling quite separate from #townlife and being a real outsider, is probably good for making observations
what's happening in #Tenterfield - primarily an ag town, you know traditional grazing community but now there's lots of different people coming - opening Airbnb’s, new shopkeepers, new restauranters - there's a real mix of people coming into the community
how from her my point of view having this diverse makeup of people in the community is the key to the future of regional Australia. Having people that don't have skills that are just kind of ag-based, you know, we've got architects, restauranteurs, artists, and all of this that makes up the vibrant, diverse life that I want
#decentralization - has been this dream for so long but now it actually feels real, we have technology that allows that to happen. And then, with COVID we've sort of been forced into it and I actually think it's a really exciting time for regional Australia.
#treechange and the reasons behind it - significantly cheaper real estate prices - you can get a lot of bang for your buck
the #giftofcommunity - you know everyone's names, they know you, they care about you, even if you don't have the same political views, they will help you when you need it you know we had fires around here and everyone just helped everyone and that feeling of being seen and heard and cared for, I didn’t know what I was missing.
life before #treechange - pretty much hung with people who were very much like me in my Sydney life
why mixing with people who aren't all alike is good for humanity
feeling a lot more courageous here than I did in my city life. I don't think I ever would have thought I could start my own publication in Sydney because I was surrounded by amazing publications
feeling emboldened out here, and I think. I think in a way that's a reflection of the community being so much smaller and that awful voice of comparison, just isn't as loud and you can just kind of try more things
Emerging business opportunities in #communityregeneration #renewableenergy #smallscale #ecotourism #smallscalefood #smallscaleag #verticalintegration
why a lot of country towns that are way ahead of the politicians;
#Communityownedcompanies that have the aim of creating and generating enough renewable clean energy to power their own communities, and any profits that are made go back into the community.
@cleancowra in #centralwestNewSouthWales
@genienergy in #Narrabri #NorthwestNSW
Farming on one or two hectares and employing 10 People
@SueHewitt who went back from Melbourne to her family fig farm in South Australia. She went back and worked out how to build a premium food brand
How you can have direct access to city based customers these days through @Instagram and @buyfromthebush and bypass the traditional middlemen and redistribute those margins. I just think it's such an exciting time, keep the margins local.
Moving away from competitiveness into cooperation so that they can actually build something strong for the community
@GraceBrennan #buyfromthebush
@Donnahay - the doyen of Australian cookbooks and magazine publishing as a mentor.
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Team members from The Outback Alliance on achieving sustainable economic development in outback Australia
15 Jul 2021
00:27:51
The Outback Alliance is a cross-sectoral group of #ngos and individuals who focus on the development, welfare and protection of Outback Australian communities and nature.
The Alliance works together to advise, assist and advocate to all levels of government to adopt an approach to policy development and implementation that ensures the sustainable development of Outback Australia.
The vision of www.outbackalliance.org.auis for a thriving #outbackaustralia, for the people and the land. In this episode Daina Neverauskas, Andrew Drysdale and Frank Quinlan (Federation, Executive Director of the #RoyalFlyingDoctorService) talk about the work they are doing to promote better and fairer outback & remote policies. In this discussion we cover;
their cross-sectoral to promoting remote and outback issues with representatives from #smallbusiness, #rangelands, #healthservices,#Aboriginalservices, and #environmentalservices like #Pewtrust.
the interconnectedness of #outbackcommunities #rangelands
the sheer size of the outback which covers approximately 6 million square kilometers, or 80% of Australia with 3% of the population
The 7 or 8 federal MP’s who would have 80% of their electorate in #rangelands
the challenge in trying to influence government to have policies that work for a very, very large area, but a very, very small percentage of people with a very, very small voting power
The challenges particularly from a business perspective for people living in Outback or remote Australia like the cost and speed of transport, getting fresh perishables
Rebalancing the opportunities for #smallbusiness vs #largebusiness (in the coastal parts of the country)
The #mantleofsafety
the #royalaustralianflyingdoctorservice ( a child of the outback) over 90 years has been about ensuring that folks who are living a long way from the tertiary hospitals and other places can get the care they need, as and when they need it
#healthoutcomes in outback Australia
The importance of #chambersofcommerce
the isolation of quarantines and lock-ups
the pressures that folks are under when their businesses disrupted because the community requires shutdowns and quarantines
the need for open discussion about mental health issues
Access to basic treatment services, and preventative services that we take for granted in the cities - preventative health checks,
#localGPs
the hope of interdependence
The vanishing rail system
The case for ensuring access to care and services to support the folks who farm our fiber and our food
#commercialinfrastructure
The need for a much broader definition of infrastructure to include personal health and well being
#domestictourism
#localtourism
An example of opportunity and challenge - #winton @Tattshotelwinton (1200 kilometers northwest of Brisbane) - a couple who switched international travel for an Outback trip
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Diana Sargeant from rosesalesonline.com.au on turning the worlds favorite flower into a business
14 Jul 2021
00:27:51
Diana & Graham Sargeant run www.rosesalesonline.com.au, a leading destination for the #roselovers across Australia. The business started unexpectedly while on their honeymoon.
It's always been a #familybusiness, built around #familyvalues and #parenting and sharing the love for what is the #worldsfavoriteflower in a #sustainable, caring way for the #environment.
In our freeflowing and open discussion Diana talks about;
starting at Kilmore back in 1986
starting out of a small cottage with kids at home and being a #stayathomemum
making a visit to the world rose convention, entering a miniature rose that unexpectedly won the Australian award for miniature roses - the #traceywickhamrose that really kickstarted the business
from there building gardens around the cottage leading to people stopping because they knew that we were doing something there and they would ask, you know, can we buy this and can we buy that?
reallising when there's obviously a business in this
dealing with council and with neighbours who didnt want change and having a #waroftheroses
turning this negativity into an enormous amount of really good publicity
getting nominated to go to America on a rotary program (Business Program) for women, and the incredible impact this had
going away as a #youngmum from my kids and husband for five weeks
getting priorities sorted
remodelling the business to suit their lifestyle
opening the second nursery cafe in Victoria
writing a book
creating a newsletter, converting it to an email which nows goes to 10K subscribers every Thursday @ 10am
#contentmarketing, sharing knowledge and #educatingcustomers
the rose that went missing for 21 days in the post but survives in her garden to this day
how #aupost came to the rescue - going direct to the top in Australia Post, punching out an email to Christine Holgate on a Saturday and getting a personal that Saturday evening (the absolute honest truth)
10 years on #3cr community radio
the transformation from a traditional horticultural business to an online business
becoming renowned across the country for your wealth of knowledge about all things roses
the booming rose industry
#grasgarble
the avalanche of people moving into gardening because people have tapped into something that they really like - connecting with the soil, connecting with themselves, feeling really good about this gardening thing - it's not going away
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Sam Marwood from cultivatefarms.com on farm matchmaking
13 Jul 2021
00:27:51
Sam Marwood co-founded www.cultivatefarms.com which is a matchmaking service for retiring farmers and aspiring farmers and investors. Through this they are making ownership possible for the next generation.
It started because Sam's dreams of ownership were squashed when his parents said no, you're not getting the farm.
In the discussion we cover;
#smallscalefarms
the hidden dream of people working in skyscrapers who would love to own a farm and be a farmer
the process of matching those farmers and the importance of making sure your values are aligned, and getting to know each other
the growing number of retiring farmers out there who want or need to share ownership
the role of investors in #localfarms
the 80K farms out there
how the process of matching can be an amazing Lifeline to give retiring farmers the opportunity to 'age on farm', stay and be part of their legacy, even when they are slowing down a bit
bringing in or keeping young families in the community, their pathway to ownership and building their wealth
the prevalence and complexity of #legacy
how they are educating farmers on other options
dealign with the many farmers out there whose families don't want the farm
giving new hope to farmers that they can stay on their farm and realize their legacy, even when their kids don't want it
the relief for some kids he's heard so many times because "my parents really want us to have the farm and we just don't want it. We just can't figure out how to tell them that!"
#farmproductivity
the age of farm farmers getting older with the reality that as you slow down you're probably not pushing the farm from a productivity point of view, or even an environmental perspective
#agtech
#startup
how farmers across Australia are all entrepreneurs who will jump on opportunities as they see they're useful and, and viable
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Peter Hurst from founded www.roadiii.com to showcase more of the great Australian #festivals, #culturalevents, #wineries and #distilleries that don't get the media limelight, are off the #beatentrack or are actually #huddengems.
His mission is to challenge Australians to get out #ontheroad. He started www.roadiii.com about 3 years ago (and 2 weeks before Covid19).
Originally trained as a #schoolteacher but spent 20 years working with companies including General Motors and Nylex
He's also been heavily involved in #lifesaving around Australia. and his first small business (he's still got it) was Surf Safety Australia that supplies safety products to lifesaving clubs in Australia and overseas, particularly the UK.
In our discussion we talk about;
how Google driving him to distraction drove him to start #roadiii
how his design approach for the website was driven by wanting to spend more time more time on the road and less on the computer
the philosophy of his UX approach being to get people out into the regions to do road trips and to take in more than just the traditional tourism options
making #holidays richer and more fulfilling
launching 2 weeks before Covid19 and adapting
combining something that's a passion of yours with a business (and a business that can be run on the road)
lessons learnded - being open because you are never quite sure where opportunity comes from
being a massive believer that a small business should be founded on passion and interest
how small business can be tough and very often it's that idea of 1% inspiration 99% perspiration. So if you're gonna work that hard, and soak up your spare time, you've got to love what you do.
how his commercial experience also tells him that you've got to be pretty analytical as well and try to avoid wasting time and wasting money
having a realistic expectation of what you want from that small business
why it doesn't have to be, you know, a million dollar a year business to be something that can be viable and enjoyable and sustainable
going into business with a customer mindset, looking for things that you enjoy and that people want, then that's the basis
taking small risks, and taking them one at a time, and understanding what you might lose.
how three wins and one loss can give you a basis for building a business
#smallbusinessheros
#IanKiernan from @CleanUpAustraliaDay - an inspirational endeavor, shows you what's possible from an idea, shows you what's possible from a bit of perseverance and also a bit of support from those people that should support the creatives, the individuals that, try new ideas out
Also a secret admirer of the owners of the Sir George Hotel, and the Long Track Pantry in https://www.sirgeorge.com.au/ #Jugiong #NSW in the middle of amazing country, but surrounded by nothing but farms - incredible success out of a rundown hotel
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Justin Costello from Costello Rural Real Estate on personal resilience
04 Jul 2021
00:27:51
Justin Costello runs Costello Rural https://www.costellorural.com.au/ in Corryong, Victoria. It a second-generation family business. He grew up in Corryong, went away and then came back to take over the business from his father.
In this episode he shares his personal experiences as a business owner and talks openly about his experiences of the Corryong fires in 2020. We cover;
building business skills by doing #apprenticeships and #workplacements with several valuation companies and real estate businesses that actually turned the light on to take my education further
his exposure to really strong business minds and mentors
the handover of the family business
his desire to reset after 2020, a roller coaster year, with the fires and then COVID.
using technology to help business owners
how when you talk about implementing technology, you have got to bring staff along with you
the level of preparation for disasters in small business owners in regional and community areas
@agriweb as a platform to make asset lists and tasks to minimize risk and so that you know where your assets are, where your water points are for fire trucks and have those that equipment serviced regularly
the critical importance of communication and asking are you okay? Do you need anything?
the role of the local lion's club, the rotary, the church in lifting and communicating on that higher level to make sure there is no one slipping through the gaps
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Sandy Chong CEO Australian Hairdressing Council and 2023 COSBOA Small Business Champion on pathways from a trade to business ownership.
01 Feb 2024
00:45:07
@Sandy Chong brings 39 years experience as a salon owner to her current role as CEO at @The Australian Hairdressing Council. She's the current @cosboa #smallbusinesschampion and has multiple other board and advisory roles that involve advocacy and improving effectiveness for industry bodies.
Sandy sold her own salon during 2023 to focus on her CEO role. In that role she is actively involved in advocating for small businesses and shaping the future of the industry. Her extensive background as a business owner gives her valuable insights to guide those aspiring to venture into entrepreneurship and business ownership after completing their trade apprenticeships.
In our discussion we talk about;
the crucial role industry bodies play in supporting and advocating for small businesses
the importance of education and training in helping #apprentices become skilled professionals, and then business owners
how vital apprenticeships are for the growth and sustainability of industries
why small businesses, like hairdressing salons, have such a significant impact on the community and contribute to people's self-esteem and mental wellness
nurturing and developing homegrown talent
navigating the impact of Government Regulations on hairdressers
addressing #skillshortages and Workforce Sustainability in trades
what she learnt running a salon with up to 45 staff (all but 1 apprenticed by Sandy!) over 39 years
shedding light on the unique challenges and opportunities within the hairdressing industry
inspiring entrepreneurs in the trades industry
I think hairdressers often give back and I think that's one thing that really stands out for me, is they have really incredible business structures. They're incredibly generous to their staff, but it's the community generosity. - Sandy Chong
Visit the Australian Hairdressing Council website at www.ahc.org.au to learn more about the organization and its initiatives.
Timestamped summary of this episode:
00:00:12 - Introduction and Purpose of the Podcast Michael Ker introduces the Small Business Banter podcast and its relevance to business owners, especially those looking to sell or buy a new business. He emphasizes the stress, emotions, and challenges involved in these processes.
00:01:21 - Sandy Chong's Background and Role Sandy Chong shares her extensive background as the CEO of the Australian Hairdressers Council and her experience as a past salon owner for 39 years. She highlights the importance of developing relationships with clients and the unique challenges of the hairdressing industry.
00:07:20 - Career Opportunities in Hairdressing Discussion on the potential career opportunities in the hairdressing industry, including the potential for financial success, international work, and diverse roles beyond salon ownership. Emphasis on the importance of education and training for career growth.
00:09:50 - Apprenticeship and Business Ownership Sandy Chong reflects on her commitment to apprenticing her staff and the importance of finding the right buyer for her salon. She discusses the need for a pathway to guide talented practitioners toward business ownership and the challenges of running a business.
00:14:59 - Industry Support and Sustainability Sandy Chong emphasizes the role of industry associations in educating and supporting business owners, particularly in navigating complex issues such as industrial relations and HR. The importance of belonging to an association for access to industry-specific information and support is highlighted.
00:16:25 - Migration Review and Industry Concerns Sandy discusses the release of the migration review and expresses concern for the hairdressing industry's exclusion due to high sponsorship costs. She highlights the industry's need for sustainability and lower tismet.
00:17:37 - Challenges and Solutions for the Industry Sandy addresses the skill shortage in the predominantly female hairdressing industry and emphasizes the importance of investing in apprenticeships and adapting to the changing preferences of younger workers. She also mentions the potential benefits of new jobs and skills councils.
00:19:38 - Encouraging School-Based Apprenticeships Sandy discusses the potential of school-based apprenticeship programs and the benefits of group training organizations for higher completion rates. She also highlights the challenges faced by single operator salons and the financial barriers for young people entering the industry.
00:21:41 - Financial Management and Small Business Challenges The conversation shifts to the financial challenges faced by small business owners, particularly in managing cash flow, profit and loss, and the complexities of industrial relations. Sandy emphasizes the need for education and support in understanding basic finances and business value.
00:32:01 - The Value of Small Businesses in Communities Sandy and the host highlight the vital role of small businesses, including hairdressing, in supporting community well-being and mental health. They emphasize the personal and social aspects of the hairdressing experience, going beyond just a haircut.
00:33:05 - Passion for Small Business and Cosboa Small Business Champion Award Sandy Chong discusses her deep passion for small business and receiving the Cosboa Small Business Champion Award in April. She highlights her role as an ambassador and her commitment to lobbying and advocacy work for small businesses.
00:35:36 - Driving Force behind Small Business Ownership Sandy Chong shares her motivation for becoming a small business owner, emphasizing the inclusivity and culture of the hairdressing industry. She also discusses her desire to be a successful business person and contribute to the industry through education and training.
00:37:01 - The Mindset of Small Business Owners The conversation delves into the mindset of small business owners, highlighting their humble beginnings, lack of strategic planning, and the drive to seize opportunities. The discussion also touches on the purpose, financial benefits, and challenges of small business ownership.
00:40:38 - Small Business Heroes and Inspirational Figures Sandy Chong mentions several inspirational figures in the hairdressing industry, recognizing their ethical standards, charitable work, and community generosity. She emphasizes the impact of these individuals on the industry and their ability to inspire the next generation of small business owners.
00:43:22 - Reaching Out to Sandy Chong Sandy Chong provides information on how to reach out to her as the CEO of the Australian Hairdressing Council and the current small business champion. She encourages individuals to visit the council's website and emphasizes her accessibility for inquiries and support.
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Ben Lazzaro CEO Australian Made on the heavy-lifting Green & Gold Kangaroo
03 Jul 2021
00:27:51
Ben Lazzaro is CEO of Australian Made Campaign Limited which administers the globally recognised Australian Made Logo. It's a very famous logo and a true mark of Aussie authenticity and has been around for 30 years. And right now it's more popular than ever and the opportunities for #SMEs are significant.
Being Australian and making Australian products is generally a positive in most markets, including domestically, so when you're buying Australian made products you're getting products made to some of the highest standards in the world, and that's from a quality and a safety perspective. And in certain sectors that's never been more important than right now.
Ben Lazzaro has a background in engineering, moved into doing marketing and communications for engineering and technical based firms and has been CEO since 2017 .
In our discussion we talk about;
How the Green & Gold Kangaroo does the heavy lifting because it is unique to Australia
The Australian Made Logo as a country of origin product certification trademark.
How products are licensed to carry this brand
The criteria (set by Australian Consumer Law) and the laws that govern making a Made In Australian claim
The mechanics of the substantial transformation test
The cost of using the logo which is essentially 1/10 of 1% of the turnover of those products
How the money raised gets pumped back into the campaign on compliance, auditing, things like that to protect the integrity of the brand, chase down misuse and the collective marketing campaign
The extremely pro Australian sentiment in the marketplace at the moment (which started as the COVID pandemic starts to take hold) and the reasons behind this
Saving jobs
The imbalance between local and imported products and over reliance on imports
The massive (400%) growth in applications to use the Australian made logo
The simple process for applying
How small businesses use the logo
The 34 classes of goods in Australia that can apply to use the brand
How #KidsClub ( teaching resources on our website) is growing the understanding of the positive attributes associated with buying Australian
The upside in Australia's clean great environment
Ethical labor and sustainability.
The research that found around 87% globally knew that this thing (the logo) meant there was an Australian produc and that even if they don't know our brands specifically, they know it's Australian, they know it's green and gold
The business opportunities and using the kangaroo in social media to grow a global audience
The opportunities domestically with 99% of Australians recognising and 92% trusting products carrying the Australian Made Logo
#manufacturingsovereignty #selfsufficiency
Investing in our local manufacturing capability - something that is a positive outcome from Covid-19 for Australian manufacturing with that focus on sovereignty, and self sufficiency, potentially giving Australian manufacturing be a bit of a positive 'jab in the arm'
The renewed focus from government, and a lot of funding, to generate manufacturing and manufacturing 4.0
How smaller manufacturers that will benefit from the fact that we're going to invest in skills here
Opportunities in electric cars, electric buses
How Volvo Trucks in Queensland is turning out 60,000 trucks carrying Australian made logo with, I think, half a dozen sites out there in Waco, Brisbane
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Blake Hutchison from flippa.com on smart ways to get digital
02 Jul 2021
00:27:51
Blake Hutchison, CEO of flippa.com explains why it's critical that small business owners own their digital real estate. And he gives us a host of smart ideas to make it happen.
Flippa is a marketplace to buy and sell digital assets or digital real estate including #eCommerce businesses #contentsites #blogs, #fbabusinesses backed by Amazon #Amazonstores #Amazonassociates #contentsites #apps. All of it is #digitalrealestate.
And all these assets can be bought or sold on #flippa.
In our discussion we talk about;
how important it is to be digitally up to speed
how without a digital presence today you are really limiting opportunities because it is the way that consumers, either business or in consumers, individuals, will now first engage with a brand and more often than not, it is their pathway to choosing a business be that the local cafe all the way through to the local landscape architect, all the way through to an Etsy shop selling handmade furniture. So, you have to be online
how digital is now more accessible than ever before to consumers
why it is also a lot easier than ever before for first-time digital entrepreneurs to either get started or to accelerate growth in their business through a first-time digital presence. And that is because everyone from #Google to #Facebook to #Amazon to #ATT, #YouTube to #WooCommerce to #WordPress have made these platforms readily accessible at a good price
why it makes sense for an offline traditional #rick-and-mortar or #servicebusiness to acquire a small digital asset to complement their #useracquisition
why your website is your best way to appeal to people who have never heard of you, and then advertising channels like Facebook and Google are your best and most cost-efficient way to get people to that website and then funnel them through to your brick-and-mortar offering and so what that boils down to is #audiencetargeting
how and when to best use the following 3 #platforms which are all affordable and available to anyone. And you do not need to be too technically savvy to get any one of those up and going.
#Shopify if you are looking to trade online, or
#Squarespace if you are looking to just have a footprint online that people can move to and find out more about your business address, your phone number, a little bit about what you are servicing, and what you provide, or
#WordPress to set up a blog if you are going to write some columns and about the services you provide
the good news for the less #techsavvy - you can outsource that work to someone very very cost-efficiently and you can do that through platforms like #Fiverr #Elance #oDesk and other platforms like them
why you should study your #competitors to help with running your business and getting the best #ROI on your outsourcing investment by #stackranking the ones that you think are best and the ones that you think best represent what you are trying to achieve. Drop those by way of a brief onto one of these freelancing platforms and get someone to deliver that for you
acquiring customers with budgets as low as $10 a day on a Facebook or Google to see what works for you
how to buy the right #digitalassets by using tools like the #SEMrush module on www.flippa.com - it helps to assess domain authority in the eyes of Google i.e. is it a credible website, getting credible traffic and with credible traffic
the value of #organictraffic where people want to read the content
why you absolutely want to own your own real estate. Facebook is a great engagement platform, but it is not yours. You do not own it. The quicker you can get a customer from that environment into your own, the better off you will be long-term
key trends in the buying & selling of digital assets;
why you are better off buying than you are starting. With the failure rate of a startup so high you can assess the success of a business that has a trading history, so therefore it it can be a safer opportunity for many people.
#unemployed looking to get into the digital economy for the very first time
#sophisticatedinvestors entering the space to buy micro assets - @blakehutchison has never seen anything like it! #privateequity and other #sophisticatedinvestors are amassing and aggregating small digital assets. So they are no longer looking for things that are $5, $10, $50, or a hundred million dollars to buy. Many of them are buying supporting businesses to bolt on to existing assets.
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Hunter Leonard from Silver & Wise on ageism and missed opportunities
30 Jun 2021
00:27:51
Hunter Leonard talks to @smallbusinessbanter about how and why he started www.silverandwise.com.au.
In the episode we cover;
The ageism brick wall and the frustration of a job search
The different ways Western and Eastern cultures value their elders
Why it's time for mature aged workers to take control and how, even if they may not see it clearly, that they have value to add
The need to improve self awareness to help identify and better promote your 'hidden' value and skills
Why finding your purpose is so critical and how it can lead to being happier and healthier
The upside of adopting a 'small business owner' mindset
Research from the https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/age-discrimination which Hunter has analysed. In summary he says that major barriers start to appear for people in the 45 to 50 year age group, and worryingly even earlier for women
How the gig economy and freelancing are outstanding opportunities to build an income around a lifestyle
Where starting up or buying an existing business fits in to the 'self employment' picture The weird and wonderful assumptions made about mature aged people
And I said, well, I do not really care what age they are, as long as they can do the job. And they're interested in being part of ours, our group.
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Mick & Mat from thevillageco.com on using tech to 'keep more money in the local village'.
08 Jan 2021
00:27:50
Mick, Mat and all of the management team sort of got tired of the corporate lifestyle. The thought "how do we come out and actually live our life with purpose and develop a company that excites us to get out of bed every day?".
They are on a mission to create a positive future for local communities by combining creative people with the latest technology to design innovative solutions that disrupt the food service industry.
Their Virtual Supply Chain (VSC) product is an artificial intelligence backed supply chain solution that enables small businesses to compete with big businesses.
Right now, they are working in the retail butcher's sector. They have branded that platform Butchers United and are looking to unlock the value and the potential in the three thousand odd retail butchers around the country.
Mick and Mat cover;
Their planned disruption of the foodservice industry
The limitations for small farmers and producers of the incumbent, large business dominated supply chain
The future of local-to-local sales
The tech and logistic solutions they are developing to give small farmers and producers the confidence and support to grow their product sales
The extraordinary lengths they went to understand the retail butcher industry - they bought a butcher shop and ran it themselves to properly understand the challenges and opportunities
Making the most of the large amount combined infrastructure that small business owns through providing accessible tech
The consumer lead move to 'shop local'
How food provenance is reshaping buying habits
Their program to link growers of indigenous products into their own logistic network
Their own personal challenges in getting their start-up running and funded
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Mick Hase from SeventeenX Events on the opportunities for business with the UN SDG's.
08 Jan 2021
00:27:50
Mick Hase runs 3 businesses. Common to all 3 is the importance of culture, connection, purpose, leadership and people management to create business models that inspire people to do good.
As the founder of SEVENTEENx @seventeen_sdg he organises events that help businesses more fully engage with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
If you haven't heard of the 17 UN SDG's or don't fully understand the business opportunities they are creating them listen to our discussion as Mick covers;
An overview of the SDG's
How small business can play a part in tackling huge global challenges
The holy grail of having a purpose that lines up personally and professionally and that get's you out of bed each day
The consumer led changes that are demanding businesses engage with consumers in new ways
How creating sustainable change is a real opportunity for us in business
The opportunities in regional communities for community-driven outcomes
Creating a better strategy through connection to things like the UN SGD's rather than chasing just the bottom line all the time
How lot's of businesses are already working with the 17 UN SGD's but aren't conscious of it
The over-use of labelling of business types and business strategies that actually inhibit small businesses and entrepreneurs getting on with making an impact
Pick off some 'low hanging fruit' - put some recycling bins in your office. Get rid of plastic where you can. Look at your recruitment strategy and make sure that you're bringing equality through your business. You will start to feel good about it and the snowball effect start there
For anyone that is running a team, give it to your team. show them the goals. Tell them that you want to create some change and give it to them to empower them to go and make it happen within your business because the cultural change that you will witness in your business and the absolute ownership and the core values that will get created out of it and the willingness to really run with it from your team will absolutely flourish throughout the rest of your business and you will notice, you know, a more engaged, hyper-aware team will create results within their position description so to speak. So, give it to your team and let them run with it because it is such a great thing to watch
Examples of small businesses working with the UN SDG's
www.teaspoonsofchange.org (Activating and aligning business, education and government with the Global Goals)
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Rachel Power, owner of multiple businesses, on life and small business in Tasmania.
07 Jan 2021
00:27:51
Rachel Power and her family moved to Tasmania a few years back and now own Waterfalls Café & Gallery http://www.waterfallscafe.com.au/, in the Mount Field National Park.
They are just about to embark on a new venture - the Mount Field Retreat, a multimillion-dollar accommodation and conference center.
She admits it's a big step but knows also it's a game-changer for her local community.
As a family they had started their first business, the Great Aussie Road Trip (a blog), while on a road-trip around Australia.
The decision to move to Tasmania was an extension of the family's openness to another adventure in a place they all loved and thought had great potential. In our discussion with Rachel we cover;
The story behind a round-Australia family trip and the creation of a family business
Traveling as a family and the opportunities that can bring
Working with family in small business
The potential she saw in Tasmania and especially the Mount Field National Park
The quick and instinctive decision to pack up and head to Tasmania, an how they all ruled out other places to move to
Buying their existing business
Taking calculated risks
The early and ongoing challenges of running a regional business and the strategies used to overcome them
Local business
Local arts and produce
Tasmanian
Creating local employment and prosperity to keep regional towns viable
The upside of treechanges and seachanges
The upside of working with local artists and producers
The value of getting involved in local community groups
The importance of collaboration between local businesses and local communities
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Theo Williams from localised.com on keeping more business in the local community.
07 Jan 2021
00:27:51
Theo Williams is a Director and CEO of www.localised.com which is a local business discovery tool and helps owners to buy from sell to, and partner with other owners.
He works with government and locally focused corporates. to build and activate business owner communities and to build resilience and grow micro-economies.
Localised was his first business. Six years on Theo talks to us about the ride and shares with us;
How a move to the regions prompted the original idea for Localised
The stuff up's, the learnings, the successes
The pathway that led to finding the right product-market fit for the business
The massive opportunity for local businesses to do more business locally
The benefits to local communities from connecting local buyers and sellers
The evolution of the Localised platform
How connection and networking are still so critical for small business owners
How he is encouraging the takeup of digital technologies and services to build resilience in small businesses
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Andrea Roberts, Creative Strategist, transforming places and businesses.
07 Jan 2021
00:27:51
Andrea Roberts www.andrearoberts.com.au transforms places through original ideas backed by accessible strategic planning frameworks and the type of story-telling that moves people.
She has worked across Australia from Broken Hill, to the northern rivers of New South Wales, to the Yarra Valley, to the Dandenong Ranges, the Great Ocean Road, Melbourne, and now Adelaide.
In this episode we chat to Andrea about;
Her absolute respect for culture and environment as the pillars on which we all stand
Her sense that the current challenges are creating a greater sense of community and sense of place
How this is impacting tourism
The way people travel and what they are looking for
The need for authenticity in their experiences
How we live in and engage with our communities
The resurgence in interest in home gardening, and sharing and gathering in the streets and walking in the parks
The sense of community and really strong identity in regional Australia
How to successfully engage all the stakeholders for change in local communities
The renewed need for collaboration vs competition
The importance of brand and understanding what you as a business or place really stand for
Harnessing the true emotional capacity of places to unleash latent potential
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Mark Horwood from Captivate Connect provides telco tips for regional business owners
07 Jan 2021
00:27:50
Mark Horwood grew up in a farming family and so he understands life in the regions. He had been involved in a number of businesses before starting Captivate Connect https://www.captivateconnect.com/
From Perth they now supply telephony and phone system to businesses right throughout the country.
Mark thinks their success is down to "the big telcos not being that flash at giving good service".
In this episode we discuss;
How essential the phone still is to many regional businesses
Customer service
Why customers still value a human interaction via a phone
Using 'on-hold' time to increase sales and create a better customer experience
Practical ways for business owners to use telco to better run their businesses
Where and when 5G will be available in regional Australia
How Australia effectively led the world in on-hold messaging
The potential for using Artificial Intelligence in everyday small businesses
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
It wasn't all smooth sailing, especially in the very early stages. Dave had to dig deep and rely on his well-honed business instincts to deal with those problems. He got through it all and ended up winning multiple awards for his franchise's performance.
In this episode Dave talks about;
How the almond farm started as a hobby and became a business
Getting all the family involved in developing the farm, which was a couple of hours out of Adelaide
The extension of the farm into a tourism venture
His desire to move the family back to Adelaide
Dealing with the question of how he would make a living back in Adelaide - could be get a job or would he need to start or buy another business?
How he happened upon the Howards Storage World franchise system
Dealing with a catastrophe when the master franchisor went into liquidation
What business skills and experiences he learned in almond farming that helped him navigate a new business, a new industry all while making a major move with the family back to Adelaide
His personal business philosophy
What skills he sees as the most critical for any small business owner
The importance of business systems and some of the advantages of the franchise model
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Jonathan Roberts on how he and 2 business partners achieved their unconventional exit from One Rabbit after 27 years of working together.
16 Jan 2024
00:41:44
@JonathanRoberts co-founded @OneRabbit with 2 partners 10 years ago. He'd worked with those same partners for 17 years prior in a marketing and design business, which ultimately morphed into One Rabbit.
Along the way he's founded, owned and exited multiple other businesses. In this episode and based on that deep experience as an entrepreneur Jonathan shares high value insights on the challenges and rewards of making a strategic exit. Specifically he talks about;
how 3 partners exited their marketing firm with friendship Intact
the importance of recognizing when passion and energy wane
how assessing one's satisfaction and enthusiasm regularly can be pivotal in determining the right time for a change
the significance of exit planning, building systems into the business, diversifying income streams, and maximizing profits
the value of finding new passion and purpose beyond the business
A must-listen for potential business sellers and entrepreneurs seeking to exit on their terms and with confidence.
"Enjoy it, stay there while you enjoy it, make it as profitable as you can. And then when you stop enjoying it, pull the trigger, move on." - Jonathan Roberts
RESOURCES:
Visit www.zerowasteproject.com.au to explore the Zero Waste Project and learn more about their products and initiatives
Search for www.fridgefriend.com.au to find the domestic product offered by Zero Waste Project and discover how it can help reduce food waste at home
Connect with Jonathan Roberts on LinkedIn for further insights and updates on his entrepreneurial journey and business ventures.
Timestamped summary of this episode:
00:00:06 - Introduction and Purpose of the Podcast Michael Kerr introduces the Small Business Banter podcast and discusses its focus on business owners at different stages of ownership, such as selling, being approached by potential buyers, or aspiring to buy a new business.
00:01:13 - Guest Introduction and Business Background Jonathan Roberts shares his extensive background in sales and marketing, including founding and growing One Rabbit, a professional services marketing firm. The discussion touches on the unique approach taken by One Rabbit and its transition into a consulting firm.
00:05:42 - The Transition to One Rabbit and Business Philosophy Jonathan explains the transformation of One Rabbit, emphasizing the decision to focus solely on professional service firms. The discussion also delves into the philosophy behind the name "One Rabbit" and the shift towards a no BS approach in marketing.
00:09:27 - Knowing When to Wind Up a Business Jonathan discusses the natural progression towards winding up One Rabbit after 27 years, citing a loss of enthusiasm and a desire to pursue other business interests. The impact of COVID-19 and the exploration of potential alternatives, including selling the business, are also mentioned.
00:16:55 - Navigating Business Partnerships and Personal Reflection The conversation touches on the dynamics of business partnerships, personal attachment to a business, and the gratitude for accomplishments over 27 years. Jonathan shares insights on communication within partnerships and the departure of co-founders.
00:17:23 - The Importance of Conscious Business Decision-making Jonathan discusses the importance of conscious decision-making when it comes to exiting, not exiting, or selling a business. He emphasizes the need to have a plan and be aware of the options available.
00:19:27 - The Trade-off in Exiting a Business Jonathan shares his experience of stepping away from his business after 27 years. He discusses the factors that led to the decision, including being passionate about other business opportunities and feeling less motivated in the current one.
00:25:32 - Renewed Purpose in New Ventures Jonathan talks about his new business ventures related to reducing food waste and the positive impact it has. He highlights the renewed vigor and purpose he feels in his current endeavors, compared to his previous consulting business.
00:28:51 - The Entrepreneurial Spirit and Continuous Growth Jonathan discusses his entrepreneurial spirit and the excitement of building new businesses. He emphasizes the importance of continuously investing time and energy into new ventures and the satisfaction it brings.
00:31:23 - Maximizing Earnings and Exit Planning Jonathan advises business owners to maximize their earnings while in the business and invest in exit planning. He acknowledges the challenges of selling a business and the need for conscious decision-making throughout the process.
00:34:27 - Building Business Systems Jonathan reflects on the need for more business systems in their knowledge-based business to diversify income streams and maximize profits. He emphasizes the importance of smart marketing and working with enjoyable clients.
00:37:18 - Becoming an Expert Jonathan discusses the bravery required to say no to clients and the importance of becoming an expert in a specific niche to command higher fees and provide better service.
00:38:05 - Exit and Succession Planning Jonathan shares his perspective on exit planning, emphasizing the importance of enjoying the business, making it profitable, and recognizing the right timing to move on.
00:39:40 - Finding Jonathan Jonathan provides information about his website and encourages listeners to connect with him for further discussions or inquiries about his business.
00:40:46 - Wrapping Up The host, Michael Kerr, concludes the episode, encourages listeners to subscribe, and offers personal assistance through the website. He also announces the release of new episodes every couple of weeks.
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Bill Lang from Small Business Australia on the critical importance of a flourishing small business economy.
06 Jan 2021
00:27:50
Bill lives & breathes small business.
He takes us through his work as Executive Director of Small Business Australia https://www.smallbusinessaustralia.org/ which has a simple philosophy that he believes boils down to three things;
To see things simpler
To see things fairer, and
To see things better
In this episode Bill talks about;
His own small business background, including the legendary Doctor Dog, founding fathers of the Melbourne street food scene
What he learnt at Harvard University that is useful to all small business owners
What small business owners can do to educate themselves and improve their business performance
His top tips to survive challenges brought on by Covid19
The importance of communicating with staff, suppliers, financiers and others important to the business
The important role that small businesses have in local communities
The #buylocalcampaign recently launched by Small Business Australia
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Tim Hoopmann from Beyond Blue on dealing with mental health issues in small business
06 Jan 2021
00:27:51
Tim Hoopmann is a speaker for www.beyondblue.org.au, a national organisation that works to raise awareness about anxiety and depression, reduce the associated stigma and encourage people to get help.
He became a beyondblue speaker because as a small business owner he struggled with his own mental health. He learnt ways to mange this and wants to share his stories of hope.
In corporate life he initially lived a double life and this caused stress and anxiety. Being brave enough to come out, he wants to help others struggling in similar situations.
In this epsiode we discuss;
Tim's personal experiences as a small business owner with mental health issues
Tim's personal mission to take what he had learned through that journey and share it with other people
The ongoing efforts to take away the stigma around mental health
Identifying some of the common signals and triggers that may indicate someone has mental health issues
How owners and their family can deal better with the pressures in small business that can lead to later mental health issues
The particular challenges faced by regional small business owners in recent past
The value of support groups and networks for small business owners
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
John Hall from Cactus Country on managing a family business.
06 Jan 2021
00:27:51
Cactus Country https://www.cactuscountry.com.au/ was inspired by John's dad who while traveling in England saw the Chelsea flower show.
When he came back to Australia, he came back with the vision of tourism being something that would eventuate in Australia.
Everybody told him it would not work, especially given we are three hours north of Melbourne in the middle of nowhere. Everyone said 'you are mad'. So he was always on the back foot in a sense but got to prove everybody wrong. Probably in hindsight made him even more determined because I think he loves the challenge. He started with a quarter acre and bought a large collection from South Australia and traveled the world in the 50s collecting cacti and succulents, bringing them back to Australia at a time where there were no restrictions on what you could bring in.
John described the last few years at Cactus Country as "nuts". In the episode John talks about;
The transformation from a cacti farm to a large tourism-based destinations business
The day to day challenges of finding staff to run the business
How the business managed and thrived during Covid19
How they used social media and PR so successfully
How they diversified their revenue streams
The opportunities for collaborating with other businesses to the benefit of both businesses and the local economy and region https://richglenoliveoil.com/ and @Cafe3641
The opportunities in social media for regional businesses @murrayfarmgatetrail
The dynamics of working in a family business
Succession planning and transitioning from one generation to the next
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Jo Palmer from Pointer Remote Roles on outsourcing to regional Australia.
05 Jan 2021
00:27:51
Jo Palmer saw an emerging opportunity to reshape the outsourcing industry. Where outsourcing had traditionally used offshore personnel Jo saw the opportunity to match highly skilled and underutilised people based in regional Australia with local businesses needing help.
How the business idea came to her at a BBQ when she realized that I had all these very clever girlfriends who had married farmers and were not putting their skills and experiences that they had gained over their careers before moving to farms
Her own professional background and business experience
How outsourcing helps businesses and business owners
The difference in outsourcing locally vs offshore
How local outsourcing helps local communities
What work you should outsource and what you shouldn't
How to go about working out what you should and shouldn't outsource
The opportunities for living and working in regional Australia
Stopping the 'brain drain' from regional Australia
What business owners need to do to make the most of outsourcing
Running a global business from anywhere
Work flexibility
New ways of working
New ways of employing
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Matt Vitale from Birchal talks equity crowdfunding.
05 Jan 2021
00:27:51
Matt Vitale is a co-founder of Birchal https://www.birchal.com , a leading Australian equity crowdfunding platform.
Equity crowdfunding is a fast growing alternative source of finance for small business.
In this episode we cover;
Matt's professional career leading up to co-founding Birchal
His own hands-on experience as a small business owner
How one of these small businesses led to Matt (and his wife) competing in the world BBQ championships in the USA
What crowdfunding is
How crowdfunding works
Which businesses can take the most advantage of crowdfunding, and why businesses with a consumer-facing business model are well placed to take advantage
Why customers are so important in the process
The process and timeline for raising crowdfunding
What the owners of a business need to know and do if they want to raise crowdfunding
What changes once you have some investors in the business
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
This campaign supports the local independent craft industry by gifting a case of 16 independent beers to essential workers including nurses, police, aged care workers and many others who have been dealing directly with the spread and impacts of Covid-19
The struggle of bootstrapping a small business
Social Entrepreneurship
Collaborations
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Tim Reid, from the Small Business Big Marketing Show, on helpful marketing.
05 Jan 2021
00:27:51
Marketing is one of the greatest challenges facing small business owners.
In this episode Tim Reid, host of Australia's number one marketing podcast, Small Business Big Marketing https://smallbusinessbigmarketing.com/ talks about how to overcome the fear that many owners have about marketing.
This fear is driven by 3 limiting beliefs;
Marketing costs too much
Marketing takes too long
They themselves lack the knowledge
He explains how owners can overcome these 3 limiting beliefs and start achieving greater success.
Tim's methodology for taking advantage of opportunities and achieving marketing success is simple. He calls it 'Helpful Marketing'.
Like never before all the tools exist to run low cost and effective marketing programs. So forget all the jargon you've ever heard. Implementing 'Helpful Marketing' involves;
Listening to prospective clients and customers to hear (and understand) what problems they have and what questions they need answers to.
Solving problems and answering questions for your clients and customers.
Writing down the answers to common questions down in your marketing and on your website in your FAQ section.
Continuously and actively asking clients and customers about the problems and questions they have.
Some other really helpful and practical tips Tim had to make your marketing successful;
Adopt a helpful mindset.
Review your brand and all the different marketing touchpoints for consistency.
Understanding the difference between Push and Pull marketing.
Allocating regular time.
Learn to love it and treat it as a hobby.
Don't persist with any marketing that isn't working.
Social Media is only part of the marketing mix, it's not all your marketing.
And if you only had 20 minutes a day for marketing Tim suggests you FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR EXISTING AND PAST CLIENT BASE - there are always latent opportunities in there!
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Deborah Halpern, celebrated sculptor, and Jon Michail explain how to make a business out of a creative pursuit.
03 Dec 2020
00:27:51
Deb and Jon just scored a major international coup. Deb was recently selected as the leading artist to feature in a new sculpture park @Taipeimuseum.
Jon and Deb struck this global deal from Australia during Covid19.
How did they do that? Why shouldn't other creatives aspire to the same?
Deb and Jon have worked worked closely and effectively for many years to bring Deb's creative business to it's full potential. They bring their unique and rich experiences to this discussion on a business approach to creative pursuits.
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Rebecca Domorev, MD and co-founder Tielka, on starting and growing an innovative tea business.
06 Nov 2020
00:27:51
Bec talks about how Tielka got started and where it is today. There were up's and down's along the way. She talks openly about her personal approach to dealing with the challenges that arose when personal and business priorities intersected. It's a family business and we also talk about how to get the most from the unique talents of business and family partners,
Tielka participated in GrowCoastal, a food accelerator program, run by the Innovation Centre at SCU Sippy Downs for food businesses that show high potential for growth, product innovation and entrepreneurial tenacity,
There are exciting times ahead for the tea industry and Tielka.
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Joe Formichella from Bendigo Bank on making the most of your small business banking relationship.
05 Nov 2020
00:27:51
Joe Formichella runs the small business banking team at Bendigo Bank, Australia's fifth-largest bank.
Joe is a highly experienced, career business banker.
He does an excellent job of outlining how best to deal with your bank, (even if it's not Bendigo :)).
In these challenging times the keys are to;
Communicate with your banker so they know how you personally as well as the business are going i.e. don't stick your head in the sand
Demonstrate that you as an owner are pro-actively adapting your business e.g. by cutting unnecessary expenses or finding new ways to produce and sell your product or service
Demonstrate that you are using any spare time created by a slowing business to undertake planning to give your business the best chance of success. Your chances of securing the help you might need from your bank will be enhanced when it is clear you have a solid business plan and you as owner understand deeply how the business operates and where the future opportunities are
SpecificallyJoe reinforced the need for a;
Robust business plan
Clear description of the purpose of a new loan or lending assistance when discussing finance with your bank
Detailed summary of historical financial performance and credible forecasts for your business to establish viability and serviceability. He noted however that given current challenges his bank, at least, understood that your current financial performance may be severely affected by uncontrollable, external influences and would take that into account in their assessment
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Shane Cheek owns Continua Software and shares his deep experience from starting, selling, buying and operating multiple software businesses.
11 Jan 2024
01:13:02
@ShaneCheek is the CEO of @ContinuaSoftware which is a private company that specialises in acquiring, operating and growing B2B software companies.
Shane is an experienced founder, builder, business seller and investor. His expertise and practical insights make this episode a must-listen for #businessowners who are potential sellers looking to understand the best strategies to sell their business, especially when they are selling to an industry buyer. In this episode we cover;
how to best manage the process of selling your business to an industry buyer
the fast growing trend of #searchfund buyers making direct approaches to business owners
how to best prepare for a direct approach
preparing for sale negotiations
understanding the value of your company
the importance of building relationships with potential acquirers
how to effectively qualify incoming inquiries from a search fund or industry buyer
navigating negotiations with #privateequity buyers like a pro
preparing for a fulfilling life after selling
the crucial role of trusted advisors in the selling process
"People are messy, businesses are messy, people are imperfect, and businesses are imperfect as well. Acknowledging that and then approaching any potential transaction or sale with that as a realization makes things smoother and hopefully more enjoyable and fun along the way as well" - Shane Cheek
Visit @continuasoftware.com to learn more about Continua Software and their focus on acquiring businesses in the software and technology space.
Contact Shane at Shane@continuasoftware.com to connect with him regarding business opportunities or discussions related to small businesses in the software and technology sector.
Timestamped summary of this episode:
00:00:06 - Introduction to Small Business Banter podcast
Michael Kerr introduces the Small Business Banter podcast, highlighting its focus on business owners and their advisors at various stages of business ownership.
00:02:34 - Continua Software and Outreach Model
Shane Cheek discusses Continua Software's focus on acquiring B2B software companies and their outreach model to directly connect with business owners. He emphasizes the importance of building relationships and understanding the people behind the businesses.
00:10:14 - Reasons for Considering an Exit
Shane highlights the reasons why business owners consider selling their businesses, including reaching a plateau, feeling tired, and personal factors such as upcoming travel or personal fulfillment.
00:14:30 - Importance of People in Acquisition
Shane emphasizes the significance of prioritizing people in business acquisitions, focusing on aligning values and building rapport with business owners. He discusses the importance of understanding owner's goals beyond financial aspects.
00:17:22 - Flexible Operating Model and Partnership
Shane explains Continua Software's flexible approach to business acquisition, accommodating varying levels of owner involvement post-acquisition. He emphasizes the importance of aligning owner's strengths with the business's needs for mutual success.
00:20:46 - Challenges in Business Transition
Shane discusses the tensions and challenges in making new business decisions, especially for sellers who have built successful businesses.
00:23:39 - Key Elements of a Good Business Opportunity
Shane highlights the importance of consistency, predictability, and clarity of roles and responsibilities in evaluating a business opportunity.
00:27:28 - Importance of Building Relationships
Shane emphasizes the importance of building a relationship with the owner of the business, comparing it to dating and marriage, and the role of a good advisor in the process.
00:31:48 - The Role of an Advisor in Selling a Business
Shane discusses the significance of having an advisor to guide the seller in the sale process, and the impact of having an advisor on the certainty of closing the deal.
00:39:32 - Managing Inquiries and Interest
Shane addresses the increasing inquiries to owners from various sources, emphasizing the need for credibility and genuine interest in potential buyers, and the importance of managing the pipeline effectively.
00:41:47 - Qualifying Inbound Inquiries
The owner needs to quickly validate the quality and intentions of inbound inquiries. Key questions to ask: Why do you want to buy my business? What is your capital source? What are your values and alignment?
00:44:28 - Evaluating Potential Buyers
It's important to assess the track record and intentions of potential buyers. Owners should approach incoming inquiries as they would a long-term sales prospect or a potential business partner.
00:47:48 - Initial Steps in the Sale Process
After an initial conversation, gathering historical financials, customer lists, and staff lists is crucial. Advisors can help prepare the business for sale by cleaning up and organizing key information.
00:55:53 - Reflecting on Business Performance
Owners should reflect annually on their business performance, similar to the process of preparing for an exit. Making 1% improvements in the business can have a significant impact over time.
01:01:34 - Understanding the Buyer
Understanding the motivations and playbook of potential buyers, such as private equity firms, is crucial in the sale process. Each buyer may have a different approach and set of expectations.
01:02:14 - Private Equity Playbook
Shane explains the private equity playbook, including initial approach, attractive evaluation, period of exclusivity, and strict due diligence process.
01:03:24 - Understanding the Buyer
Shane emphasizes the importance of understanding the type of buyer and being prepared for potential retrading, annoyance, and invasive due diligence process.
01:04:50 - Post-Sale Considerations
The discussion focuses on the emotional impact of selling a business, filling the void after the sale, and the importance of planning for life after the sale.
01:07:18 - Setting a Walk-Away Number
Shane advises on setting a walk-away number and emphasizes the significance of understanding the cash flow implications of the headline offer.
01:13:03 - Embracing Imperfections
Shane discusses the importance of acknowledging the imperfections in businesses and how being upfront about them can lead to smoother transactions and problem-solving approaches.
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Leah Armstrong & Jane Pound from First Australians Capital on the fast growth indigenous business sector
19 Oct 2020
00:27:51
The indigenous business sector is growing fast and includes a wide range array of types and sizes of businesses. First Australians Capital is at the forefront, playing a leading role in helping startup and established businesses to fulfil their potential.
This week we talk with Leah Armstrong (Managing Director) & Jane Pound (Executive Director) from www.firstaustralianscapital.org
Over the past four years FAC have worked with nearly 400 businesses across Australia, with a demonstrated track record that businesses supported by FAC report better resilience, stronger revenue growth, a blue-print for expansion and increased employment opportunities.
In our discussion we cover;
the exciting prospects ahead in #indigenousbusiness
the different ways FAC helps #Indigenousentrepreneurs
some of the exciting #smallbusiness and #startups FAC are working with
the 65,000 years of ingenuity & sophisticated networked governance underpinning #indigbiz
how non-indigenous can learn from indigenous business
the opening up of new productive agricultural land from new #agventures
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Carly Flecknoe from #madethegrampiansway explains how her small business focus led to a successful tree-change.
11 Oct 2020
00:27:51
@carlyflecknoe has been busy since moving to Halls Gap a few years back. With her husband she co-founded @dotandfrankie & @raccoltopizza. She headed up the Halls Gap music festival .
Carly also spearheaded #madethegrampiansway to showcase the best products and produce in the region. She's done this in collaboration with @thegrampians. The objective of the campaign is to draw consumers attention to and support local produce #buylocal
She loves being involved and is passionate about the place she lives in.
In our discussion we cover;
Jumping in 'boots & all'
The change from a big city and a corporate job to life in Halls Gap with a family and a few small businesses to run
How #smallbusiness is a pathway for other potential tree-changers
How #regionalbusinesses are so vital to creating jobs and learning and skill development opportunities for youth and young adults
Her favorite networking groups @likemindedbitchesdrinkingwine and @ladystartup
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
Kerry Anderson, regional Agent-For-Change, explains how regional communities can become more sustainable.
03 Oct 2020
00:27:52
Business, and especially small business, is central to the ongoing sustainability and vitality of regional and rural communities. Getting it right requires a community-led, and 'whole of community' approach.
Kerry Anderson www.kerryanderson.com.au and @ruralentrepreneurs is an author, speaker, and facilitator. In 2018 she was named as one of Australia's Top 50 Regional Agents-for-Change. Her mission is to empower businesses, groups and communities to embrace change and take control of their own destiny.
Kerry champions the critical role business plays in regional and rural communities. She encourages a 'whole of community' approach in dealing with local businesses as a better way to ensure long-term viability for everyone in the community.
In this episode we talk about;
why you shouldn't put all your business eggs in the big business basket! Or put another way, why encouraging a strong, local, #smallbusiness eco-system is a better, less risky strategy for the community
her approach to helping communities take control of their destiny, from working with school students, local community groups, local government as well as #smallbusinesses
her current optimism for #smallbusiness in #regionalaustralia
what she has learned from studying how local communities engage with their local #smallbusinesses in the USA
how learned innovation (from overcoming past challenges) will continue to help businesses adapt
the pathway to #selfemployment in #ruralandregionalaustralia by buying an existing business or starting a new one
why 'Entrepreneurship: It's Everybody's Business' the title of her 2016 book really sums it up
Thanks for listening. Visit the Owner To Owner Podcast website to subscribe, listen back, or check out any resources or information mentioned on the show.
Search @ownertoownerpodcast on your favourite podcast player to subscribe and listen to the episodes.
Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.