On this episode of The Small Business Radio Show…
SEGMENT 1 with Sean and Thora Dowdell, starting at 0:00: During the height of the pandemic, a lot of small business owners pulled back to preserve their capital. Tattooed millionaire Sean and Thora Dowdell did the opposite- they risked all but some reserve capital to remodel and improve their stores and keep their hard-earned brand identity strong and their staff intact.
SEGMENT 2 with Victoria Jones, starting at 18:30: It’s hard to believe that about 15 months ago, the unemployment rate was at a record 15%. Now the number one problem small businesses are having is finding qualified team members.
SEGMENT 3 with Leslie Tayne, starting at 37:45: New reports came out that in June that inflation rose 5% – the most since 2008. What does a small business owner need to know and what can they do about it?
More on each segment below.
Segment 1: Sean Dowdell is known as the Tattooed Millionaire, which is also the title of his first book (2017). In addition to his role as founder and CEO of Club Tattoo, he is a drummer with Grey Daze. Thora Dowdell was formerly in marketing and sales before becoming a business partner with Sean, initially in the music recording industry and later in Club Tattoo. Together, the husband-wife team have authored the new book, “Brand Renegades: Our Fearless Path from Startup to Global Brand” (Entrepreneur Press, May 25, 2021).
1:30 – You’re the Tattooed Millionaire, but why risk your reserve capital to remodel and improve your stores at the height of the pandemic?
3:45 – What made you confident that the tattoo industry would come back?
7:00 – How much money went to paying staff and improving your store during the shutdown? Why was it important to keep paying your staff while you weren’t bringing in income?
8:45 – How did you decide to keep paying staff and how did you handle that decision with them?
12:45 – How have your improvements affected your brand and niche in the market?
13:45 – How will any future mask mandates and lockdowns affect your service?
Segment 2: Victoria Jones is an Evangelist on Zoho‘s customer advocacy team. She is a frequent speaker and trainer on digital collaboration, AI, and privacy. Victoria focuses on creating Zoho centered educational content to support and empower customers.
18:30 – Why is it so difficult for small business employers to find staff for their company?
21:00 – Why are people reevaluating their relationship to work?
23:30 – The culture in your organization becomes critical as people return to the office.
24:30 – Are 5-day workweeks in the office a thing of the past?
26:00 – What has Zoho done to build and solidify their culture of worklife balance during the pandemic? What can small businesses learn from this and take to their companies?
31:00 – Why your employees might not be there a year from now!
32:45 – What tools can we provide team members to make their job more satisfying?
Segment 3: Leslie Tayne is an award-winning financial attorney and author of the book, “Life & Debt”. She has over 20 years of experience in consumer and small business financial debt solutions. She is the founder and managing director of the Tayne Law Group, P.C., a law firm headquartered in New York dedicated to debt solutions and alternatives to bankruptcy for individuals and businesses.
37:45 – What’s fueling the rise of inflation? Is it short term or long term?
39:45 – How inflation could impact small business owners.
42:15 – How to mitigate the effects of inflation on your business.
43:45 – The importance of budgeting and managing cash flow right now.
45:00 – The dangers of fast cash lending tools.
48:30 – What good role does debt play in the life of a small business owner?
49:30 – What is your economic outlook for small business?
