The Small Business Big Marketing Show | Insanely Effective Marketing Ideas

Business is absolutely booming for a small, family-run sandwich stand that was established in 1954 in downtown Philadelphia. It's roast pork, provolone and broccoli rabe sanga was recently awarded The Best Sandwich In America by the Travel Channel's Man vs Food show. In this episode, I have a fireside chat with fourth generation owner Tommy Nicolic who runs Tommy DiNics with his son Joey (make that five generations!). This was such a great interview on so many levels - Tommy is a guy who's been running his business the same way for decades. His marketing mantra is quality, quality, quality. He does very little promotion. Has limited distribution. And only raises his prices every 18-months or so, whilst expenses go up anyway. Tommy is a business owner passionate about delivering a quality product every time - and as a result everything else takes care of itself. He may not make millions doing it, but he has the loyalist of customer bases, loves what he does, is full of pride ... and recently sold a sandwich t

In 2008 Rebecca Scott left her long-standing job as a Scientist at the CSIRO and co-founded Streat - a Melbourne-based social enterprise that sells delicious food and coffee whilst providing homeless young people with hope, self-belief and the opportunity to get qualified in hospitality. As Streat's tagline suggests - Streat stops homelessness the delicious way. Whether you're looking to start a social enterprise yourself, wondering how you can integrate some social responsibility in your small business or just love an inspiring story then you're going to love hearing what Rebecca has to share. This is a wonderful story of how you can start a business, make some money and do the world of good along the way. Listen up! The post #103 How to make money and do a world of good. appeared first on Small Business Big Marketing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode Andrew Griffiths and I launch in to our second Funny Business segment in which we: - Share a Modern Family moment we both had in an upmarket pet shop recently. - Cogitate over a first world marketing problem Timbo had in a 5-star hotel. - Discuss the importance of backing yourself. - Pose the question Is it enough to meet your customers' expectations? - And share some of our biggest business mistakes. PLUS I respond to a listener who, up until now, has felt intimidated by the idea of marketing his business. Listen in as I share some advice on how to squash the intimidation ... and discover how my Online Marketing Communications Masterclass also helped him overcome it. The post #102 – It’s time for Funny Business with Timbo & Andrew Griffiths. appeared first on Small Business Big Marketing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eugene Tan started Aquabumps in 1999, when as a frustrated Creative Director he combined his three passions: photography, surfing and the web. In the nineties blogs hadn’t evolved yet, but Eugene, better known as ::uge (yooj), thought he’d provide a nice daily break for his mates to see a bit of surf at work. The daily updates started flowing more consistently and the first handful of friends became thousands of people logging on from all over the globe. Even Aquabumps’s Facebook page is a hive of activity with 58,000 followers (as at Sept 2012). This is a great story about one guy's decision to follow his passion. And it's paid off big time. PLUS I go off on another content creation rant PLUS I share my top 5 ways of creating awareness on a shoestring budget. The post #101 Aquabumps – Sydney’s most popular retail attraction. And it’s a small business! appeared first on Small Business Big Marketing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James Tuckerman is best known for launching Anthill Magazine, in 2003, from the spare bedroom of his parent's home. He was 26 years old. In 2004 and 2005, he was named Best Small Publisher in Australia by Publishers Australia. Not a bad achievement! Then, in early 2009, he reinvented the Anthill business model, abandoning its print origins in favour of a 100% digital product. (A couple of years ahead of Fairfax and News!). Within six-months Anthill Online was listed by Neilson Online Ratings among the Top 50 Business & Finance websites in Australia. Things are going well! What few people know is that James made this digital transition on a budget of just $900. Listen up and discover how he did it ... The post #100 Anthill’s James Tuckerman – How he conquered the web (on $900!). appeared first on Small Business Big Marketing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since starting the Messages On Hold business in 1988 from his bedroom in Perth, Kym Illman has generated tens of millions of dollars worth of free TV and press exposure at some of Australia's (and the world's) largest sporting events. His marketing tool of choice is the little understood strategy of Guerrilla marketing (AKA ambush marketing). Sacked from a cushy TV station job in 1988, Kym has achieved unpaid coverage at major sporting events including Cathy Freeman's run at the 2000 Olympic Games, AFL grand finals and Melbourne Cups! Whilst they've got him in to some hot water, they have also contributed to the success of the Messages On Hold business which is now turning over sixteen million dollars annually. Listen in as Kym explains how he has (and you can) use guerrilla marketing to successfully increase the awareness of your business. Enjoy! The post #99 How To Get Millions Of Dollars Of Free Exposure. appeared first on Small Business Big Marketing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa

In this special episode (it's spesh 'cause it's the first of many), I hook up with Andrew Griffiths (Australia's #1 small business author) to have a good old fashioned yarn about business and marketing issues, developments and current affairs that are on our collective mind. In this inaugural chat: - Andrew suggests that someone has to be the most expensive, so why not make it you? - Timbo is inspired by a bed store in New York that lets customers take a nap for free! - Andrew identifies a new consumer trend called Newism (and Timbo questions it!). - We both tackle a listener question about publicity from Sonya at Born Country Baby. - Timbo talk about his experiences with Bullshit Bingo! PLUS we seek your help to gives these episodes a name. So whack on your thinking cap and come on in ... The post #98 Crazy product demos, a publicity conundrum and some Bullshi* Bingo! appeared first on Small Business Big Marketing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine, if in the space of 3 years, you had a thriving business with a major retail presence, a major online presence, the #1 selling book in your industry, were about to launch a second book, had a major joint venture with your city's biggest public space and were absolutely in love with what you did. Life would be pretty good, huh? Well, that's the story of this episode's guest, Fabian Capamolla, one of the founders (Matt Pember is the other) of the Little Veggie Patch Co. In this interview Fab shares exactly how they went about achieving so much, so fast. Enjoy! The post #97 A Little Business Achieving Seriously Big Things (In Just 3-Years). appeared first on Small Business Big Marketing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Geoff Harris is one of the original founders (and still current owners) of Flight Centre ... one of the world's largest travel agents. Certainly Australia's largest by a long shot. I shared a small part of this interview about 6-months ago. It was part of another series of interviews I intended doing with creators of iconic Australian brands. Alas, time wont allow me to indulge in that idea, so I'm releasing these interviews on the Small Business Big Marketing show. Others (already released include chats with Rip Curl founder, Bryan Singer and Beechworth Bakery Founder, Tom O'Toole. The post #96 Flight Centre founder, Geoff Harris, openly shares his business insights. appeared first on Small Business Big Marketing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's between you and your major competitor. You're both submitting on a big tender that, if you win it, will set your business up for a good 12-months. You're both comparable on price and service delivery, so there's not much in it and the client is having a hard time deciding who to award the deal to. Then the client remembers the book you'd written (that you'd personally signed and given them instead of a business card) and BOOM you win! A glorified business card is a great way to view having a book that helps market your business and win business. Listen in as Andrew Griffiths, Australia's #1 small business author explains why you should and how you can have a book to market your and grow your business. The post #95 How To Write A Book With #1 Small Business Author, Andrew Griffiths. appeared first on Small Business Big Marketing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a story of how and why it's so damn important to build a brand and have the guts to stick to it through thick and thin. In 2006, Andre Eikmeier started an online forum called Qwoff, a place where the average Joe could discuss wine without all the fancy talk. Three years later, and not a cent richer, he (and his business partner) launched VinoMofo, an online, in-your-face wine retailer that (in their own words) "...offers a small selection of hand-picked wines and wine-like things ... at very mofo prices." Hear how Andre took VinoMofo from zero to hero using the power of branding, and was subsequently bought by Catch Of The Day, Australia's biggest group buying site last year. If the idea of taking your business from bland to brand appeals then listen up ... Andre shares some absolute marketing gold. The post #94 VinoMofo – An In Your Face Brand That’s Kicking A**! appeared first on Small Business Big Marketing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. David Urpani (a doctor of Artificial Intelligence) co-founded iSelect - Australia's largest and most successful online insurance comparison portal ... turning it in to a multi-million dollar powerhouse. He is now on to his next venture, which he's named moneytribe. Listen in as David shares his insights in to: How he went from being an architect to a doctor of artificial intelligence to starting iSelect. How a tennis match and a freak roller blading accident lead to the creation of moneytribe. The importance of tapping in to social capital in getting an idea off the ground ... or for that matter - basing an entire idea around social capital. The rise of the social search engine. Why it made sense to create moneytribe as an app and not a website. How he plans to monetise moneytribe without losing it's independence and objectivity. During the interview, we talk about the soft launch moneytribe did recently. To tis end, here's the email David sent to some freinds and family to softly launch MoneyTri

Bryan Singer co-founded Rip Curl in the 1960s and today it's one of the worlds most iconic surf brands. In this revealing interview Bryan takes us deep inside the Rip Curl tent where he shares how he started the business, where the name came from, how they managed extreme growth, and how at one point, they were looking down the barrel of Rip Curl existing no more. Oh, and the quote of the interview? When asked how Rip Curl began, Bryan responds ... "We were just looking for a quid to fund our next surfing holiday." The post #92 Rip Curl founder, Bryan Singer on how to build a global surf brand. appeared first on Small Business Big Marketing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tom O'Toole  is the larger than life founder of the famous Beechworth Bakery chain. Not only is he the creator of some of the finest sweet and savory treats going around, he is also an incredibly inspiring small business owner who tells it like it is. He also happens to be one of Australia's most motivational speakers. Not bad for a bloke who grew up in extreme poverty. The post #91 Beechworth Bakery founder, Tom O’Toole, shares his very personal business journey. appeared first on Small Business Big Marketing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrew Griffiths is Australia's #1 small business author, with 11 books published in over 50 countries. Yes, he's prolific! His ability to create relevant, easy to understand and implement content laser-targeted at growing any small business is unmatched. He's also an all round good guy. My initial intention for interviewing Andrew was to discuss how a small business owner should and could go about writing a book as part of their overall marketing strategy. However, very early on in our chat, it became bleedingly obvious that quality time should be spent discussing the overall importance of creating useful, engaging content in all its forms - not just a book. So that's what this interview is all about. This is right up there with one of my favourite interviews. I hope you agree. The post #90 How To Create Killer Content With Small Business Author, Andrew Griffiths. appeared first on Small Business Big Marketing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's episode I have a fireside chat with Adrian Swift, the Nine Network's Executive Producer of The Voice - one of the most successful TV shows Australia has ever seen. At the time of the interview they were getting 2.5 million viewers per episode - by the end of the series, this had skyrocketed to 3,000,000 viewers ... just slightly more than Australia's #1 small business marketing podcast ;0) Now, you may well be wondering what can us small business owners learn from the marketing of a hit TV show like The Voice. The answer is PLENTY! The post #89 ‘The Voice’ – A Runaway Marketing Success Story. appeared first on Small Business Big Marketing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three years ago BlackMilk Clothing didn't exist. Then one day in 2009, James Lillis sold a pair of leggings for $10 that he'd stitched together around his kitchen table. The dream was launched. Two and half years later BlackMilk Clothing is a multi-million dollar, 100% Australian-owned business employing 130 people and selling out of everything they make ... bought by an unbelievably loyal following of raving fans - 160,000+ of them on Facebook, alone! Not to mention the tens of meet-up groups that connect globally, all manned by volunteers who live for BlackMilk's next product. Oh, and did I mention they've done this on a modest marketing budget of ZERO DOLLARS! Yep, nudda. Zip! The post #88 A Million Dollar Business in 2.5 Years on $0 Marketing Budget. appeared first on Small Business Big Marketing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Larry Bloch co-founded Netregistry in 1997 - right in the high diddle diddle of the dot com boom. Things were going swimmingly with the business doubling every couple of months ... until mid 2000 when the boom went bust. BUT that's where it gets interesting ... really interesting. You see, marketing a business in boom times is relatively easy - there's plenty of money and eager buyers - especially in the area of domain names and websites where every one was trying to stake their claim. But how do you manage a business through the down times, and come out the other end shining? In fact, in 2012, Netregistry is now Australia's most trusted provider of online services. The post #87 How To Market A Business In Tough Times. appeared first on Small Business Big Marketing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Danial Ahchow founded Service Central in 2005 and has built it to become Australia’s leading online marketplace for finding all sorts of service providers. This online business now hosts millions of visitors and generates hundreds of millions of dollars of work requests each year. Listen in as Danial takes us on the journey of where the idea came from and how he managed to bring it to life after quitting his day job as an Industrial Relation lawyer and cleaning office buildings in order to pay the bills. PLUS I welcome into the Small Business Big Marketing community my new sponsor Netregistry who are the experts when it comes to sorting small businesses out with all your online marketing needs. Exciting times, folks! The post #86 How to build a multi-million dollar online business. appeared first on Small Business Big Marketing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tania De Jong AM is one of Australia’s leading Sopranos - no, not the gangster type - and also manages to run a variety of very cool businesses including an innovations workshop business, a talent agency and a charity that helps disadvantaged people find their voice. In this fireside chat, Tania reveals how she manages so many businesses, where the ideas come from, what drives her to succeed plus her opinion on why so many businesses find it hard to be creative. PLUS she has a very big surprise for us at the end. (Dare you not to fast forward!). The post #85 Talking business building & creativity with Tania de Jong AM. appeared first on Small Business Big Marketing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.