In this episode of Small Business Quick Wins, host Jay Schwedelson talks about the power of customer segmentation and how to use  it as a game changer for your small business. He outlines three key customer segments that your business should focus on ASAP — new customers, lapsed customers, and your biggest spenders.Best Moments:(02:16) New Customers and how to approach them to keep them from churning (03:06) Lapsed Customers and how to WIN them back(04:03) Biggest Spenders and how you can improve that relationship to keep them spending BIG(06:00) Businesses that use segmentation strategies experience a 760% increase in revenue(07:16) Using segmentation to identify niche markets and tailor products to your customers' needs, resulting in a 33% increase in new product success ratesTry Thryv For $1?!?Click HERE to get this $1 offer for 1 month using Thryv's Business Center!

In this episode of Small Business Quick Wins, host Jay Schwedelson discusses the importance of "secret shopping" your own business to uncover any leaks in your sales and marketing funnel.Jay shares a startling statistic that 50% of small businesses fail by their 5th year. The #1 reason cited? A lack of demand. Or is the real issue a lack of follow-up due to undetected leaks in their pipeline?Best Moments:(01:02) Why you should "Secret Shopper" YOUR business(03:45) You have 3 hours to get back to a potential customer that fills out an online form or you'll lose 40% of those opportunities(06:27) 22% of businesses fail within the first year of their business(07:23) Only two outcomes can come from "Secret Shopper" strategyINSANE VALUE From Thryv:Click HERE to get this $1 offer for 1 month using Thryv's Business Center!

In this episode of Small Business Quick Wins, host Jay Schwedelson discusses the importance of "secret shopping" your own business to uncover leaks in your sales funnel. He shares alarming statistics about small business failure rates and how lack of follow-up is the main reason businesses fail, not lack of demand.Key Discussion Points:- Secret shop your own business by calling your phone number, filling out web forms, and replying to emails as a mystery shopper to evaluate customer experience- You have just 3 hours to respond to a web lead before losing 40% of opportunities- 22% of small businesses fail in the first year, 50% by year 5 (00:05:40)- #1 reason small businesses say they failed is "lack of demand" but it's really due to lack of follow-upClick HERE to get this $1 offer for 1 month using Thryv's Business Center!

In this episode of Small Business Quick Wins, host Jay Schwedelson shares an easy and free tactic small business owners can use to increase engagement on their social media posts and email marketing campaigns. The tactic is to incorporate curiosity by framing things as questions instead of statements.Main Discussion Points:- Humans love questions and answers. Incorporating curiosity triggers interest and engagement- Framing social media posts as questions leads to over 50% more engagement- Framing email subject lines as questions leads to over 25% higher open rates- Curiosity helps marketing stand out instead of blending into the background- It's easy to turn any promotion or offer into a question to spark interest

In this episode of Small Business Quick Wins, host Jay talks with Mickey Kennedy, founder of press release distribution company Ereleases. They discuss strategies for testing new ideas in your business, best practices for press releases, and advice Mickey has received over his 25+ year career.Key Discussion Points:- The origin story of Ereleases and how Mickey fell into the press release business- What A/B split testing is and how Mickey applies it to different aspects of his business- Tips for developing newsworthy press releases that earn media coverage- The benefits of press releases for search engine optimization (SEO)- Examples of bad advice Mickey has received from customers that led him down the wrong pathGuest Bio:Mickey Kennedy: Founder and CEO of Ereleases, a press release distribution service for small businesses. He has over 25 years of experience in PR and earned media. Mickey also has a background in creative writing and poetry.

In this episode of Small Business Quick Wins, host Jay interviews entrepreneur and author Ramon Ray about mindset, personal branding, and advice for small business owners. Ramon shares tips on managing the voices in your head that may be holding your business back, letting go of perfectionism, firing bad customers, building your personal brand, and more.Key Discussion Points:- Recognize the negative voices in your head but don't let them hold you back from moving forward and launching your business or product- Perfection is the enemy of progress - don't get stuck chasing perfection, get your product or service out to customers to get feedback- It's okay to "fire" rude, unpleasant customers that negatively impact your business- Humble self-promotion, highlighting others, and ensuring your branding looks professional are key for building your personal brandGuest Bio:Ramon Ray is the publisher of ZoneOfGenius.com and author of 5 business books. He has built multiple successful companies and interviewed many high profile entrepreneurs and business leaders, including President Obama and the Sharks from Shark Tank. You can learn more about him or contact him here!

In this episode of Small Business QUICK WINS, host Jay Schwedelson discusses how small businesses can use personalization to improve their marketing and promotions. He explains different easy personalization tactics beyond just using someone's first name, such as leveraging geography, targeting specific homeowner types, and calling out upcoming seasons.Key Discussion Points:- Using geographic locations in subject lines and posts increases open and engagement rates by 30-50%- Calling out if content is for "new homeowners" or "older homes" also improves open rates- Personalized landing pages have over 20% higher form submission rates- Referencing the upcoming season, whether actual seasons or things like hurricane season or summer, boosts engagement by 40%

In this episode of the Small Business Quick Wins podcast presented by Thryv, host Jay talks about the importance of capturing website visitors' contact information through pop-up forms. He shares statistics showing that even with minimal inconvenience, these pop-ups can help convert a significant percentage of first-time and repeat visitors into newsletter subscribers or contacts in your database.Main Discussion Points:- Pop-up contact capture forms can help convert up to 9% of repeat website visitors into contacts or subscribers- People rarely abandon a site due to pop-ups - they just close them and continue browsing- Capturing contacts builds your database which is crucial for promotions, renewals, etc.- Always be asking "How can I grow my database?"- 5% of first-time website visitors will fill out pop-up forms- Thryv's website widget makes adding pop-ups easyThryv provides an all-in-one platform to help small businesses manage operations and grow.Try their Command Center for FREE!https://www.thryv.com/command-center/

In this episode of Small Business Quick Wins, Jay interviews Danielle Hayden, CEO of Kickstart Accounting, about common pitfalls and best practices for small business accounting and bookkeeping. Danielle shares tips for properly separating personal and business finances, hiring qualified bookkeepers, and understanding financial reports.Main Discussion Points:- Importance of separating personal and business finances- Qualities to look for when hiring a bookkeeper- Bookkeeper roles vs payroll, HR, benefits, taxes- Getting organized with the help of your accounting team- You don't need to be an expert in everything to outsource tasksGuest Bio: Danielle Hayden is the CEO of Kickstart Accounting, a leading bookkeeping and accounting firm for small businesses. She started the company 9 years ago after working as a CPA and CFO for large corporations. Her mission is to help entrepreneurs grow healthy, sustainable, and profitable businesses through proper accounting and financial management. Check out her podcast, too!

In this episode of Small Business Quick Wins, host Jay interviews David Barnett, an expert on buying and selling small businesses. They discuss how to determine the value of a business, what makes a business attractive to potential buyers, common mistakes sellers make, and tips for successfully exiting a business.Key Discussion Points:- What buyers look for when evaluating a business to purchase - strong cash flow that will continue under new ownership (00:01:42)- Importance of having systems, processes and organization in place to prove the business can operate without the current owner (00:02:06)- Tips for maximizing business value before selling: focus on increasing profits first (00:05:33), benchmark against industry standards (00:06:07)- Keeping plans confidential when selling to avoid employees and customers leaving (00:09:17)- Selling when business performance is declining - it will sell for less but can still find a buyer (00:11:49)Guest Bio:David Barnett is a business sale consultant who advises buyers and sellers on valuations, deal terms, and acquisition financing. He is the founder of David C Barnett LLC and previously worked as a business broker. Check out his podcast on YouTube to learn more about buying and selling businesses, franchise issues, doing private lending deals, and much more!

In this episode of Small Business Quick Wins, host Jay shares an important email marketing tip - making sure your first email communication with a new prospect or customer gets opened. He explains why that first email open rate is so critical for future deliverability and customer lifetime value.Key Discussion Points:- The first email you send to a new prospect or customer is the single most important one. Getting it opened helps receiving systems (like Gmail) learn that the person wants to receive your emails.- Most businesses mistakenly send a plain "thank you" as the first email. But people don't open these because there's no incentive. Low open rates on the first email hurt future deliverability.- To increase open rates, create an intriguing subject line promising exclusive offers, discounts, or special content. Give them a reason to open it.- Getting the first email opened can increase lifetime customer value by 80%, because it enables more communication long-term.

In this episode of small business Quick Wins, host Jay Schwedelson interviews Hank Ebeling, founder of the fitness and training company H4 Train Me. They discuss key customer service tips, strategies, and philosophies for small business owners, with Hank drawing on his decade plus of experience running his own fitness studios. Listeners can expect to gain actionable and cost-effective customer service tactics that can make an immediate positive impact.Discussion Points:- Focus on being highly responsive to customers and prospects (00:03:45)- Communicate with customers even if you don't have all the answers yet (00:05:15)- Train staff on service philosophy and standards early in onboarding process (00:06:42)- Create 8-12 concrete and consistent service standards for your company (00:08:28)- Regularly solicit feedback from clients and staff to audit your customer service level (00:10:04)Guest & Company Bios:Hank Ebeling is an entrepreneur, author, and customer service expert. He founded H4 Train Me, which operates two fitness studio locations, over 10 years ago. Hank previously gained customer service experience working at luxury hotel company Canyon Ranch spa and popular fitness chain Equinox. If you want to give his book a read, you can find it here!

In this episode of Small Business Quick Wins, host Jay Schwedelson interviews franchise expert Giuseppe Grammatico about choosing, buying, and operating a franchise business. They discuss common myths and misconceptions around franchising, key factors to consider when selecting a franchise, best practices for validating the opportunity, and tips to set yourself up for success as a franchisee.Key Discussion Points:- Debunking the myth that buying any popular franchise will automatically make you money (00:01:35)- Focusing your franchise search criteria around ideal daily roles and operations rather than just product/service (00:02:00)- You typically don’t need direct industry experience to buy a franchise since they will train you on their system (00:08:26)- Talking to existing franchisees is critical validation before committing to purchase (00:06:48)- Buying multiple territories at once can be advantageous but is not always necessary (00:09:55)- “Follow your passion” can actually be bad advice if your passion doesn’t align with your goals (00:13:40)Guest Bios:Giuseppe Grammatico ("GG The Franchise Guy") is a franchise coach and advisor with years of experience in various franchise operations. He owned a family restaurant previously and has bought multiple franchises in the building services industry. Giuseppe now helps guide prospective franchisees through the process of picking the right opportunity. Check out his YouTube Channel to listen to his podcast on all-things-franchising!

In this episode of Small Business Quick Wins, Jay interviews Nancy Harhut, Chief Creative Officer at HBT Marketing and author of "Using Behavioral Science and Marketing". They discuss practical marketing tips and techniques based on behavioral science that small business owners can use to increase engagement and response rates to their marketing.Key Discussion Points:- The "endowment effect" and how giving customers a coupon makes them value it more than just offering a discount (00:03:33)- Using "motivating uncertainty" like scratch cards or spin the wheel offers to get 68% more engagement (00:05:47)- "Eye magnet" words like new, free and you that attract attention (00:08:36)Guest Bios:Nancy Harhut is Chief Creative Officer at HBT Marketing, a marketing firm specializing in professional services and financial services. She is also the author of “Using Behavioral Science and Marketing”, where she shares proven techniques for increasing marketing effectiveness.

In this episode of Small Business Quick Wins, host Jay Schwedelson interviews Dr. Kizzy Parks, founder of Govcon Winners, about the $800 billion government contracting industry. Listeners will learn the basics of getting started with government contracting, how any business can participate, and the huge opportunities that exist.Main Discussion Points:- What got Dr. Parks started in government contracting (1:13)- How to register on SAM.gov to become eligible for contracts (5:07)- Deciding if you want to go niche or broad in the types of contracts you pursue (6:48)- Searching for contract opportunities related to your business/expertise on SAM.gov (8:28)- Applying for open contract opportunities (9:44)- Leveraging a niche to then expand to other government agencies (13:14)- How you get paid reliably and quickly by the government (6:12)- Example of tutor-turned government contractor growing revenue to over $20M per year (12:12)Guest Bio:Dr. Kizzy Parks has over 15 years of experience in government contracting. She started out by accident while working on a military base as a grad student. Her firms now have over 100 employees. She teaches others how to successfully win profitable government contracts at Govcon Winners. She has authored a book and offers consulting services if you want to dive into the world of government contracting! And if you want to explore some current contract opportunities, check out these federal government listings or search for your specific local and state government listings!

In this episode of Small Business Quick Wins, host Jay Schwedelson interviews Scott Jeffrey Miller, a 7-time bestselling author and leadership expert. They discuss practical strategies for small business owners to build strong company cultures, lead their teams effectively, and focus on the right customers.Main Discussion Points:- Build a strong company culture even with a small team of 3-4 people (00:04:29)- Lead by example - your team will follow your lead when it comes to effort, punctuality, commitments, etc. (00:06:11)- Assume employees are always looking for new jobs - you need to constantly re-recruit (00:09:38)- Hire people smarter than you - your job is to develop others' talents (00:11:12)- Define your smallest viable market - go deep with a focused niche first (00:12:14)Guest Bio:Scott Jeffrey Miller has over 30 years of experience in the leadership development industry. He spent 25 years working with Stephen Covey, eventually becoming the CMO. He's authored 7 books on management, marketing, and career development. His talent agency represents authors, speakers, and thought leaders. You can find Scott's books, podcast, and more right here!

In this episode of Small Business Quick Wins, host Jay Schwedelson talks about the power of using social proofing to improve business performance. He shares tips on how adding customer testimonials and reviews in emails, websites, and other marketing materials can increase open rates, conversions, and purchase probability.Main Discussion Points:- Putting a testimonial in email subject lines can increase open rates by 35% (00:02:25)- Using a testimonial headline in emails boosts impact (00:03:15)- Placing a testimonial near website form submission buttons lifts conversions over 15% (00:03:55)- Social proof builds trust and shows reliability (00:05:27)- Reviews, before & afters, awards, and community involvement also work (00:05:38)- One testimonial can improve purchase probability by 270% (00:08:40)

In this episode of Small Business Quick Wins, host Jay Schwedelson discusses the power of "day in the life" content for small businesses. He explains what this type of content is and why it resonates so much with audiences, leading to high engagement. Listeners can expect to learn easy and effective content creation strategies to grow their business.Main Discussion Points:- What "day in the life" content is and real examples for different businesses (00:00:58 - 00:02:05)- Where to distribute this content - website, email, social media platforms (00:02:05 - 00:02:14)- Why it performs so well - shows expertise, feels "real", fascinates people about everyday lives (00:02:46 - 00:03:18)- Staggering engagement stat - 300% higher than standard content (00:05:01 - 00:05:09)