Listen to “#579 Becoming a Small Business Owner by Accident” on Spreaker.
On this episode of The Small Business Radio Show…
SEGMENT 1, starting at 0:00: Many of us become a small business owner by accident. We never set out to be a small business owner, but along the way things happen that lead us down that path – we’re frustrated with our bosses, we get laid off, we want more control over our time, and so on. Accidental entrepreneur Marcus Babcock is here to share what he’s learned about running a business and which tools he would (and would not) use again to help him.
SEGMENT 2, starting at 19:15: The good news about digital marketing is that you can easily find out what’s working and what’s not working, and you can know what the return is for the money spent. The bad news is that digital marketing can often be a black hole where a lot of dollars go in and not many come out. Here to help is RJ Huebert, founder of HBT Digital Consulting, which specializes in search engine and social media marketing.
SEGMENT 3, starting at 37:00: One of the best ways for prospects to find your business on the internet is through a search engine. But how do you make sure that you show up on the search results page when they are looking? Here to help is Chris Rodgers, founder and CEO of the specialized SEO agency Colorado SEO PROS.
Sponsored by Nextiva, LinkedIn, and vCita
More on each segment below.
Segment 1: Marcus Babcock started out as a personal trainer at a big box gym when he was 20 which eventually led into him striking out on his own, running a mobile “studio” and eventually forming a partnership with a fellow personal trainer by the time he was 24. Marcus is now a sales manager at business management app vcita.
1:30 – How did you find yourself becoming a small business owner?
3:15 – The dream versus the reality of being a small business owner.
4:00 – Marcus shares the process for how he began managing his business.
6:15 – The problem with having too many apps helping you run your business.
8:00 – Which solution did you choose to run your business?
12:30 – If you could go back and do it all over again, what would you do differently?
Segment 2: RJ Huebert is the founder and managing principal of HBT Digital Consulting, which specializes in search engine and social media marketing for B-to-C companies looking for lead generation and online optimization.
19:15 – Where do you start in using digital marketing for your small business?
21:15 – How do you start generating online leads for your small business?
24:15 – Should I start by targeting keywords on Google or audiences on Facebook and LinkedIn?
26:00 – How do you put together a compelling offer to market online?
27:45 – How do you know if your digital marketing is working?
29:15 – When your company needs a digital marketing expert.
30:15 – What kind of budget do you need to have in order to hire a digital marketing expert?
Segment 3: Chris Rodgers is the founder and CEO of the specialized SEO agency Colorado SEO PROS.
37:00 – What is the definition of search engine optimization (SEO)?
39:15 – What are the most common mistakes small business owners make when it comes to SEO?
42:15 – What does it mean to have website pages that are “search engine optimized”?
43:30 – What SEO trends should small business owners be aware of?
45:30 – How is voice search different than typing in a search?
49:15 – How important are the Google Search Console and Google Data Studio tools for small businesses?
Sponsored by Nextiva, LinkedIn, and vCita
