Let me tell you a story about why many small businesses fail… Owning several retail locations myself, one of my biggest pet peeves has been sticking to advertised hours. After all, a customer that shows up when you’re Closed – if you don’t make it KNOWN you’re closed (Google, FB, social announcements, website, etc.) – will be disgruntled at the time and energy they just lost making a special trip to your business. That’s why I’ve been a stickler about our retail hours being adhered to… as much as possible. Now, obviously emergencies DO happen, including inclement weather. And in that instan ..read more

Storytelling is the most powerful tool in your toolbox whether you want to touch a heart, motivate or inspire someone, build a new audience, or boost your sales. People love a good story, and when it resonates with them it can drive them to take action like nothing else can. Consider this… Would you rather read an interesting story or a typical sales pitch? Are you more likely to remember a compelling tale or the features and benefits of a product or service? And when you come to the point of making a decision about a purchase, are you more likely to buy when you can picture yourself in the st ..read more

Successful entrepreneurs know that customers don’t buy a product; they buy you. The unique qualities you possess are your personality and experience, and these are the qualities to capitalize on in your business. There was a time not too long ago when “branding” meant having an official logo and a fancy catalog, but in today’s online marketplace—especially for small businesses—the real appeal is not in appearing to be a big, impersonal company, but rather in being personal and approachable. People want to see a business owner they feel they can know and trust. So let your personality shine thr ..read more

It’s easy to get overwhelmed in any entrepreneurial endeavor, whether it’s brick and mortar or online business. It feels like there’s always more to do. There’s always more products to create, more services to offer, more landing pages or opt-ins to build, more blogs to write, and more beyond all that! One thing that adds to the overwhelm is what could be called the “Latest and Greatest Must Have Syndrome.” It’s natural to want to have the best tools, methods, and business models available, but going after every new one that comes along can be a real business killer! The problem with latest an ..read more

No matter how enthusiastic and dedicated you are to your entrepreneurial dream, it’s difficult, if not impossible, to do it all alone. A small business doesn’t become a big business with only a single person at the helm. “It takes a village” to build a successful business—a team of experts to scale your efforts. Having a great team in place will make running your business less stressful, but building your team initially has a few challenges to be aware of. For instance, how do you find individuals you can trust to bring on board? What about finding the time to train? What should you do if you ..read more

[Not Sponsored] One of the best things about traveling is getting to visit small businesses all over. This is our first time checking out our friends’ new rock shop in Blowing Rock, NC! *This video is not endorsed by McCoy Minerals, Inc. and is simply a collection of our personal thoughts regarding first impressions of their shop and what it’s like to do business as a small independent retailer. Note: This video was recorded in late 2020 and due to “life” we got it up on our channel later. (Sorry! We’ll do better, promise!) Do you have a favorite rock shop? Post it in the comments below! Our ..read more

As an entrepreneur (yes, even a casual one) there will come a time when you finally realize you cannot do everything by yourself.  When you’re just starting out you “wear all the hats,” from customer service to scheduler to product creator to janitor! But as your business grows—along with increasing demands and responsibilities—it becomes obvious that the designation of “casual entrepreneur” no longer applies. It isn’t long before you’re feeling frustrated,  overwhelmed, and possibly burnt out by burning the candle at both ends. One of the best to get through the growing pains is wit ..read more

Owning your own business is both a joy and a pain. A joy because you are your own boss, you take pride in what you created, and it gives you greater control and flexibility. A pain because the buck stops with you. You alone are at the end of the day you’re ultimately responsible for all the outcomes—good or bad. Ugh. Also, in the early stages you’re wearing all the hats: customer service, accounting, product development, and marketing, along with a myriad of other duties. It’s rewarding and overwhelming. One of the keys to reduce the stress of entrepreneurship is to develop efficiency in all t ..read more

Are you scaring away potential customers? You just might be, and the real “scariness” is that you probably have no idea it’s happening. Or you’re aware you aren’t getting much business, but can’t understand why. It may be time to take an honest assessment of yourself and your practices so you can identify any mistakes you’re making. Here are the top 3 things entrepreneurs do that drive potential customers away: 1: Vomiting business cards, but not connecting with anyone. Can you envision a cartoon character at a convention opening his mouth and a stream of business cards spilling out? He goes a ..read more

One thing about real-life Ninjas is that they were strategic, precise, and deliberate. They had a mission and knew exactly what was needed to carry it out. As entrepreneurs we must utilize those same strategies, and one of the most crucial components of any effective business plan is networking. You know it’s critical to your success, but are you doing it with forethought and a solid strategy in place or do you just “wing it?” Undoubtedly, most of us fall into the “winging it” category, either because of a lack of knowledge or experience or because of time constraints. However, there are some ..read more