The Small Business Big Marketing Show | Insanely Effective Marketing Ideas

Today's episode is a masterclass in successful brand building. Ex-Swiss banker David McQuillen, is the founder of Sufferfest and CSO (that’s Chief Suffering Officer) of the mythical country ... Sufferlandria. Bored with conventional ways to get fit on a bike, David taught himself how to edit video, and after negotiating rights with major cycling races (like the Tour de France!), he created his first Sufferfest training video and inflicted it on the world. And the world responded very favourably. So much so that he took it down as quickly as he put it up! You’ll find out why shortly. He then had his confidence boosted after being called an assassin, and a sadist, and realising his true calling was to spread agony and misery, David quit his well-paying career, and escaped the cubicle to focus fulltime on building Sufferfest. It’s now a multi-million dollar brand run out of his home in Tasmania. Now do not fear, this isn’t an episode for middle aged men in lycra! Uh-uh, I think you’re gunna love this, as we

Every industry is ripe for disruption. That’s the view of today’s guest, 29 year-old Dominic Holland of tow.com.au. Launched just two years ago, tow.com.au has completely disrupted the long-established and tightly held towing industry. The business did 7-figure revenues in year one and grew in year two by 350%. Listen in as Dom explains how to disrupt any industry. [Tweet "This business did 7-figure revenues in year one. And grew by 350% in year two! Here’s how."] [Tweet "'We’ve found something that clients are demanding and begging us for.' @dommholland"] The amazing thing is, software engineer Dom, knew nothing about towing. What he did understand was that technology is shaking the foundations of every industry. That every industry has massive potential, and it’s just about working up the right model that delivers customers what they want, and makes it incredibly easy for them to use you. [Tweet "'Everyone coming to your site looks for the same thing – give it to them immediately'@dommholland"] Dom him

Hey team. Bonus episode today, and a different kind of one at that. No marketing gold, no business lessons (well maybe a couple), just an inspiring conversation with a couple of homeless people, and a fellow for whom volunteering has enabled him to see his work life in a whole different way. By the way, there’s a language warning on this one. Nothing outrageous, but I do get a little fired-up. You may recall a couple of episodes back I interviewed Lucas and Nic, the founders of Orange Sky Laundry – a mobile clothes washing service for homeless people. If you haven’t listened to it then I suggest you do. Nic and Lucas’s idea and passion touched me big time, so following that interview, I went and volunteered for them, spending a couple of hours at an Orange Sky Laundry parked on Collins Street in Melbourne’s CBD. I loved every bit of it. The chance to give back to people in need. The chance to learn some life lessons from those less fortunate. And the conversations I had with one of their volunteers, a

It is so easy to discount, to undercut your competition to get the business. Although it's an easy strategy it is quite simply a race to the bottom. Once you have the lowest price there is nowhere left to go. Tune in this week as I chat with Tas Moulis of QPaint about how to charge full freight and see your business thrive because of it. This one's all about how to avoid discounting. [Tweet "'How and why to avoid discounting in your business"] In this fireside chat with Tas we cover: Tas's 3 effective strategies on how to avoid discounting Why building relationships is crucial in business The power of getting off the tools and focussing on what's going to generate the big bucks Some serious business courage   PLUS I head back to last week's interview with Orange Sky Laundry and my night out onsite with them. I capture a bit of a chat I had with Matt, one of Orange Sky's brilliant volunteers and Herb one of Orange Sky's homeless friends. Herb is one seriously beautiful human being. The first thing he did

Every now and then I do an interview which not only changes the way I look at business, but changes the way I view things … A bit woo woo I know, but get ready for a thoroughly inspiring interview with the founders of the social movement Orange Sky Laundry, who have become our 2016 Young Australians of the year, no less. One day they had a crazy idea to throw a washing machine and a dryer in the back of a van and go and help out the homeless by doing their washing. Orange Sky Laundry was born. Not only did they not realise that this crazy idea was a world first but it was what happened between hitting the go button on the washing machine and the load being finished and dried is what makes the real difference … conversations. I spent a night out on the road with Orange Sky Laundry and I had some really powerful conversations which I will bring to you in the coming weeks.   Here’s Orange Sky’s Why... Now I am seriously motivated to help these guys and you can help too. Here are 3 ways: You can volunteer

This episode was recorded on the second Small Business Big Marketing Outsourcing Tour to the Philippines. Now before we get started I know that outsourcing means different things to different people and I've covered my thoughts on Australian businesses outsourcing to the Philippines on the blog. This episode is all about looking at the glass half full. I share my thoughts as I taxi down the runway in Manilla, ready to take off back to Melbourne and I also captured some of my guests thoughts, opinions and 'aha' moments in the minibus after the tour as well. Here are some of those insights. 1. Adam Longhurst from Leather Italia Why did you join the tour? Adam has felt the full force and effect of fluctuations in the Aussie dollar. He attended the tour with his eyes wide open to see what opportunities there were for outsourcing any of the labour components of his business. Aha Moment? Outsourcing bookkeeping and accounting. When Adam sat back and really thought about it, he realised he was spending a dispr

I LOVE it when I get seeded! I was seeded a little while back from long time listener Steve Keil from The Laser Group to go to a corporate race day with a Porsche V8 Supercar that The Laser Group sponsors. I think it's fair to say that this episode is the highest octane, adrenalin pumping full throttle show I have ever produced. Have you ever wondered what the ROI on sponsoring a race car is? I've often wondered what the point was in having your logo on a race car that was belting down the race track at 200 km/hr. Is it really good brand awareness? Is it really worth the money? How much does it cost anyway? In this episode I take you along for the ride (literally). I had a microphone on me all day and interviewed Steve Keil about why he decided to sponsor a race car, and it may not be the reasons you think. I also had the chance to interview V8 supercar racing legend Steve Richards about his car which is his business and his approach to obtaining great sponsors. I spoke to some Laser Group staff and some

Have you ever thought to yourself… Should I sell my business, pack everything up and just hit the road? Well I have found a guy that has done just that and is literally living the dream. He and his wife owned and ran a printing business for 12 years. They were in the daily grind, employing staff, constantly keeping the wheels turning to pay the bills. Then one day they decided to pack up, sell up and go on a 16 month road trip around this beautiful country with their two young children and you wouldn’t believe it… This trip spawned a whole new business. In this fireside chat we cover: The motivation behind creating the documentary 'The Big Lap" How to create content even when you have no experience Content marketing on steroids How to use Facebook advertising to drive traffic to your website then sales Re-marketing on facebook Building a community I also cover a marketing question from ME. I've been bugged by a particular SEO question for months. When you create a piece of content for your website you shoul

It is not very often that you get to meet an authentic business owner who is part of the fabric of an entire culture. James Young lives and breathes rock and roll. James bought Melbourne's Cherry Bar originally as a vanity purchase so that he would always be able to get into his favourite rock and roll bar. Since then he has re-named the street on which it resides to AC/DC lane and attracts some of the biggest names in rock and roll to perform side shows in his dark and shadey, 200 person bar. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10 years ago I had an idea to create a co-working space. My idea was along the lines of Qantas Club meets your home office. This interview is with a guy who not only had the same idea but has executed with passion and courage. And now … I'm a client of his! Work Club is redefining the whole idea of co-working, serviced offices and business clubs by focusing on the workspace as a whole. Owner and founder Soren Trampedach is passionate about functional design, diversity and furniture. Soren has consulted  and continues to consult on workplace optimisation and trends for some really big players like Google, Microsoft and Deloitte so he knows a thing or two about how to create an inspirational place to work. He also has a tonne of courage. Ever since the beginning of Work Club they have remained exclusive, only taking a limited number of people from any given industry. That has meant saying no to a lot of potential clients. Soren reminds his staff that compromising on their values is like peeing in your pants.

You know how much I love a cubicle escapee story … someone who leaves the corporate life and starts their own business. Well, let me introduce you to two that opened their first business without any prior small business experience. Steve a finance man in the gold industry and Natalie a lawyer moved back home to Melbourne from New York with a vision to create one of Australia’s first organic cold pressed juice brands … Greene St. Juice Company. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nigel Godfrey - raconteur and owner of the rights to Miss Universe New Zealand has taken a toxic business that had a globally recognised brand and turned it around. It has been described as the greatest turn around of any territory in the last 25 years and he's done it all in under 3 years. We also discuss how as a culture we don't celebrate entrepreneurs enough. We go crazy over sports and hold them up as role models and we don't do that for business owners and entrepreneurs but we should. In this fireside chat we talk about: How to fix a toxic business Why entrepreneurs should be celebrated How to attract sponsorship when you have little to offer The power of Facebook to attract sponsors and build a brand The bigger picture - how Miss Universe has become rewarding for Nigel and the contestants Plus I have another testimonial for my book The Boomerang Effect and I crowdsource a listener question: What’s the greatest tip you have seen for a ‘hair on fire’ emergency business such as an emergency plumber or

Listen up as Dan Tarasenko from Crowd Carnivore explains how he’s using crowdfunding to connect farmers and consumers. We also explore how they are getting great coverage in some huge media and it all started on Facebook. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You’ve heard the saying - ‘Build it and they will come’ but we all know that’s rarely the case. However, if you build it and market it then they are much more likely to come. This week we have Marcus Nicholls from Akuna Pet Resorts who is not scared of taking big risks; and he’s able to because he now understands the power of marketing and of being crystal clear on his perfect client. But that wasn't always the case. The post 311 – Beef ice-cream, Mercedes chauffeured pick-up, a water fun park … All for your Dog. Woof woof! appeared first on Small Business Big Marketing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My guest today helps ex-crims get jobs. And in doing so, he's created a very nice little side business with a passive income - who doesn't want a bit of that?! Plus in today's epsidoe I share the three podcasts I'm loving right now. Let's go! The post 310 – Getting Ex-Crims Jobs Has Proved a Profitable Little Side Hustle For Ron Stefanski of Jobs For Felons appeared first on Small Business Big Marketing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nick May of Walls by Design is mixing the old with the new. He has managed to get a 12X ROI on his Facebook marketing spend plus a 45% ROI on an old school direct mail campaign. Not to mention countless PR opportunities and recognition from his podcast The Chase Lounge. Oh, and he's a long time listener of Australia's number 1 small business marketing show and a forum member... coincidence? The post 309 – 12x ROI With These Facebook Marketing Tips By Ignoring All The Rules With Nick May Of Walls by Design appeared first on Small Business Big Marketing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finding the time and money to work on your business is hard - particularly in Australia where the costs of running a business can spiral out of control very quickly. Wages, rent, staffing issues, paperwork plus plus plus - all stop you from building that beautiful business of yours in to the empire it deserves to be. Well, it doesn't have to be like that. In fact, let me (and today's guest - David Warne of Cornerstone Business Solutions) put an end to the struggle immediately. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen in as Sarah-Jane Dunford from Riskology explains step by step how to run a great corporate event. In this episode we talk corporate sonsorship, media partners and all those one per center's that make events and experience. The post 307 – How to Run a Suucessful Event with Sarah-Jane Dunford of Riskology and The Hunter Safety Awards appeared first on Small Business Big Marketing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn how to use influencer marketing in your small business with TV star turned Entrepreneur Jules Lund. The post 306 – Jules Lund of TR|BE talks Social Influencer marketing and how to access them appeared first on Small Business Big Marketing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen into this fireside chat with Edible Blooms founder Kelly Baker-Jamieson. In this episode you will learn how to master online retail marketing and learn the techniques Kelly uses in her business to keep her website up to scratch and her customers loving them. The post 305 – Online Retail Marketing: How Edible Blooms Founder Sells 1000 products a day, with 20% growth and still has plenty of time for her kids appeared first on Small Business Big Marketing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.