73 episodes
This Is Small Business Amazon
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- Business
This is Small Business explores the journey to success for small business owners by diving deep into the pivotal moments they have faced and conquered along the way. Brought to you by Amazon, this show is delivered through the unique perspective of a curious millennial trying to figure out what it takes to be a successful small business owner today. Episodes feature small business owners and industry experts from all walks of life who offer trends analysis, life lessons, and a different point of view. This is Small Business invites you to dig deep and find the tools you need to start, build, and grow your small business.
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The Growth Tool That Can Help You Increase Revenue: Email Lists - with Jenna Kutcher
Want to build a loyal following of people who are excited to buy what you're selling? Stop spending your valuable time on the wrong marketing channels, and prioritize an email list. So says Jenna Kutcher, a digital marketing expert and host of The Goal Digger Podcast. After attracting thousands of followers on social, but seeing so few convert to customers, Jenna learned about the power of owning an email list - and she hasn't looked back! It's the number one ways she drives sales in her business.
You'll learn how to start a list, where to find your first subscribers, and how to grow and maintain a list. Plus, the surprising benefits of an email list - beyond the high ROI.
(06:40) Where to find your first subscribers
(07:25) How to use your email list to test out new business ideas
(09:40) The TWO things you need to focus on as an entrepreneur
(11:00) Tacticts Jenna uses to drive followers from social and the podcast to her list
(14:30) How to make time for your email list
(15:50) Don't make these two mistakes with your email list!
(18:00) Convinced? Here's how to start your list
Learn how to go from zero subscribers to an engaged list that lasts. Sign up for Jenna's FREE Email Building Master Class at jennkutcher.com/list. It only happens once a year - don't miss out! -
How Your Business Can Have an Impact
Ready to make a difference with your business but don’t know where to start? Just ask Thomas Ling, founder of Kin+Kind, who combined his passion for the environment and love of animals to create eco-friendly pet products. Thomas breaks down what makes a business sustainable, the importance of transparency and authenticity, and how you can start a business that does good in the world.
“It's important that we are running the kind of company that we want to see out in the world.” Thomas says.
Learn what it takes to be a clean business, and the benefits that come with it.
In this episode you’ll hear:
(01:09) Kin+Kind’s story.
(02:56) How Kin + Kind brings transparency and authenticity into their products.
(04:11) What are clean ingredients?
(06:34) Being a clean company is about more than using good ingredients, it’s also about how you treat your employees.
(07:25) What is greenwashing?
(09:15) How to start a sustainable business.
(10:50) The benefits of having a clean business. -
How to Build Your Marketing Strategy
The more people see your products, the more sales you’ll probably get – and a marketing strategy can help you do that.
Just ask Elena Fahrländer, the Chief Commercial Officer of Danish Endurance, a company that sells their products worldwide. She’ll be sharing what they do to find their target audience and how their approach to marketing changed as they grew. You’ll also hear from Elizabeth (Liz) Downing, director of partnerships at The Ecom Cooperative. She’ll give more actionable advice on how to build your marketing strategy using realistic goal setting and data analysis.
“It's really important to look inward, really examine who you are as a business, and then set your goals and your expectations based on what you think you can achieve,” says Liz, “and it all comes down to the data.”
In this episode you’ll hear:
(02:18) Danish Endurance’s story
(04:02) How to find your target audience
(07:02) The importance of clear and realistic goals and budgeting when building your marketing strategy
(11:02) Starting out with a structured marketing strategy
(11:50) How and why Danish Endurance constantly updates their marketing strategy -
Small Business Fun Facts: What to Know Before Starting a Small Business
Your small business (or idea if you haven’t started yet) is a lot more important than you think. Just ask Karen Kerrigan, the president and CEO of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council. She’ll be sharing a ton of fun facts about how small businesses drive innovation, help the economy, and create jobs. You’ll also hear from Kylie Jiwon Hwang, an Assistant Professor at the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management. She’ll give us more insights on how entrepreneurship can help marginalized individuals and how starting your own business can benefit your community.
Get a quick refresher on why the work you’re doing (or planning to do!) is important and learn all the benefits and challenges you might encounter on your entrepreneurial journey.
In this episode you’ll hear:
(01:42) Why Small Businesses are important.
(04:27) Why Marginalized individuals are gravitating towards entrepreneurship and the benefits that come with it.
(07:33) Challenges that you might face when starting a business.
(10:48) How technology has been helping small business owners overcome some of the challenges they face.
(14:41) The importance of being prepared before starting a business. -
How a Small Business Owner Can Do More for Their Employees
Aside from a regular paycheck, what more can you do for your employees? And can going the extra mile for them really help your business' bottom line? Listen in to hear from brothers and founders of Mr. Tortilla, Ron and Anthony Alcazar. Their approach to business was formed at an early age, while watching their parents work hard with no buy-in. And then we’ll speak with Ludmila Praslova, PhD. Professor of Industrial Organizational Psychology, and author of The Canary Code: A Guide to Neurodiversity, Dignity, and Intersectional Belonging at Work.
"Imagine having to walk in shoes that are extremely big or way too small, way too wide, way too narrow" said Ludmila. "That's painful, that's not comfortable, …flexibility just makes sense."
In this episode you’ll hear:
(00:43) Why Mr. Tortilla wanted to take care of their employees
(03:26) How it’s good for business to prioritize a healthy workplace
(04:58) The bare minimum an employer could do for its employee
(06:40) The importance of flexibility and how to implement it into your company
(12:18) How to start a conversation with your employee about their needs -
What You Need to Know About Audits
Dealing with audits doesn’t have to be scary as long as you’re prepared for it. Just ask Erick O. Bell, an accounting professor at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, who used to work at KPMG LLP in the Audit Risk Advisory Services. Erick simplifies everything you need to know about audits – even the IRS audit – so it doesn’t feel as daunting. “Most audits that are happening. They're not audits that are at odds with each other,” Erick says. “A typical audit generally is just, you've made an assertion. Can we verify that that assertion is accurate?”
Learn about typical audits, how to navigate them, and when you might need them.
In this episode you’ll hear:
(01:00) When should you get an audit
(03:45) About IRS audits
(07:36) How to navigate a typical audit