The Small Business Big Marketing Podcast with Tim Reid

David Silvestri considers himself the most passionate restaurant owner in Brisbane. And for good reason … Arrivederci Pizzeria is ranked #1 on Ubereats, his 150-seat dining room is full every night of the week and his 25 staff wouldn’t work anywhere else.   There’s loads more tips and insights just like this that will help you build that beautiful business of yours into the...

Tie shop owner (and serial entrepreneur) Jeremy Chen was staring business disaster in the face when the global financial crisis lead to a huge decline in tie wearing. But instead of closing shop, he and his business partner made an ever so slight pivot thanks to one customer that walked in at the right time with a request they were destined to fulfill. “We’re on track for over $6M this...

Full-time student Phillip Kuoch fell into the bakery business by accident when his father fell ill shortly after buying the business. Luckily, with 24-hours in everyday, Phillip embraced the challenge and now he’s just launched a brand extension in a donut franchise … and who doesn’t love a donut?!   Here’s the email Phillip sent me requesting to be interviewed. It wa...

Peter Wells is the reason I do this show. Not him personally … but the type of person and business owner that he is, having steadily taken a small fishing tackle store from $660,000 in year one to its current $5M turnover after 9-years. Join me as he shares exactly how he’s done it. “The customer is always right until we have the chance to show them otherwise.” - Peter Wel...

Clearly, SEO is a hot topic amongst small business owners.   Reviews of last week’s episode on SEO included: “Your best yet, Timbo!” And “The most practical marketing podcast I’ve ever listened to!” Well, strap in, because Dana DiTomaso (one of the world's leading SEO experts) continues to answer your most pressing SEO questions to set you up for a profitab...

What’s the first thought that comes to mind when I say Search Engine Optimisation? Let me guess … is it “Frustration?” “Waste of time and money?” “Pain?” Do you get a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach at the mention of this geeky acronym!? Well, however you feel about SEO, it’s critical to your website’s and business’s succes...

Leanne Faulkner launched Billy Goat Soap from her kitchen in response to her son’s eczema. By 2010 she had 20 employees and sold product in over 2000 outlets across Australia. By 2011 Australian retailing had slowed significantly, and this took a huge toll on her mental health. After some time off, she returned to work, selling the business a year later. Today, Leanne is a small business men...

Sir Richard Branson said, “Mick Spencer was a future business leader to watch”. Why? Because by the ripe old age of 27 years old, Mick Spencer had become a globally recognised CEO, a multi-millionaire entrepreneur, and an investor. Mick is the Founder and CEO of On The Go , a multi-million-dollar, global e-commerce company that enables users to design and manufacture their apparel and...

Sam Canning used to be a vegetarian. Now he’s one of Australia’s leading ethical butchers, running six very fancy butchers shops in Melbourne’s most affluent suburbs. His experience in ‘paddock-to-plate’ butcher-shops in the UK inspired him to open his first shop here in Australia - with a focus on animal welfare. In 2010, the first Cannings Butcher Shop was opened in...

Brendan Torazzi is a lifestyle entrepreneur owning a number of businesses that, whilst not providing 100% passive income, certainly place him in a position where he can work on them and not in them, as well as travel the world with his family. The businesses cover a few different industries including OH&S, weddings and holiday rentals! But it hasn’t all been a bed of roses for Brendan as...

I’m often asked which has been my favourite interview, having done over 430 interviews with successful business owners over the past 9-years, That I can’t answer. There’s just been too many of them. However, the one I did in 2014 with Platinum Electricians Founder Joshua Nicholls is a bit of a stand-out for a number of reasons: His business story is inspiring His growth has been...

Saya McDermott is a graphic designer by trade. She then became a pilot for a few years. Obvious career change! Now she’s building a skincare business cleverly called Saya Skincare that’s taking on the world.   We cover plenty of ground in this chat as Saya talks about the importance of following your passion, the power of creating a strong visual brand, why she set up shop in an i...

Scumbags Barber Shop is where I get my haircut. Not just because I’m happy with the cut, but because it’s just so much fun to go there. The staff are all so friendly, it’s an interesting place to hang out, there’s a strong sense of community, plus you get a free beer! What more could you ask for?! Today we chat with Scumbags founder Harrison Mallory about how it all started...

James Castrission has paddled from Australia to New Zealand and walked to the South Pole. Off the back of that, he is now a small business owner himself, starting and running My Adventure Group . The life and business lessons he’s learnt from these two insane adventures are immense … and today he shares them with us so we too can build our beautiful businesses into the empires they de...

“Stand-up comedy gave me an understanding of audience responsiveness. How to work with direct feedback and deliver a great experience. You could quickly ascertain what worked and what didn’t work. This was great in business because you need to be adaptive and responsive to both the client and the market. Also, it gave myself an understanding of the power of face to face contact and rap...

Andrew Banks made a motza from building two of the world’s largest recruitment companies - Morgan & Bans and Talent 2. He’s also one of the original sharks on the Australian version of Shark Tank in which he’s already invested in nine start-ups. He has an infectious attitude towards business that I know you’re going to love.   “In order to build a solid team...

67-year-old Bill Watson is a Noosa legend having sold ice creams and cold drinks on Noosa’s main beach for the past 48 years. How’s that for business longevity?! In this revealing interview, Bill takes us behind-the-scenes of a business most people would kill to own … explaining how it all started, what he’s learned about people over the journey, his simple approach to cus...

Having the right mindset around your marketing goes a long way to ensuring your marketing produces the ROI you're looking for. Today I share a mindset hack that I've been benefitting from for the past 9 years, yet I'm surprised at how many business owners just aren't getting it. PLUS there's plenty more marketing gold in episode 426 of your favourite marketing podcast.   Resources mentioned i...

Being asked "So, what do you do?" is a golden opportunity to pitch that beautiful business of yours. However, so may business owners get it wrong. So, in today's episode, I introduce you to the capstone pitching model, a way for you to convey what you do, how you do it and why someone whould hand over their hard-earned to you. PLUS I have some ideas for a business owenr who's struggling to attract...

Saddleback Leather’s Dave Munson uses storytelling to sell his leather bags. Leather bags he thinks even Indiana Jones would love! He tells stories in his website copy, his videos, his product descriptions … even his voicemail! He believes great storytelling has the power to convert idle prospects into raving fans. So sit back and listen in as Dave explains exactly how storytelling ha...

Jen Geale owns Australia’s largest and most unconventional mountain bike store with her husband Michael and another married couple … with a turnover in excess of ten million dollars a year … and she’s done it all from the comfort of her own home whilst offering exceptional customer service.   “I know deep down that if we worked 80-hours a week we would grow our...

Beer Cartel’s Richard Kelsey walks you step-by-step through a simple content marketing strategy utilising an online survey which: Increased revenues by 34% Added 17,000 prospects to his mailing list Got him thousands of dollars in free publicity And positioned his business as an industry authority THAT’S marketing gold … right there!   “When we used to do market resea...

Carman's Muesli founder Carolyn Creswell is on a mission to create a hugely successful brand, in  Australia’s most cutting-edge workplace, whilst maintaining an enviable work / life balance for herself … and her staff. In this incredibly generous chat, Carolyn talks about how she’s turned Carman’s into a household name, the importance of creating a workplace people lo...

Have you ever been so deeply touched by an idea, that you had no choice but to leave a comfortable existence behind, and pursue it … like nothing else mattered? Well, that’s exactly what happened to sleepbus founder Simon Rowe … and whilst it’s still early days, he’s on a mission to ensure that people who are sleeping rough get a comfortable, safe night’s slee...

If you find writing marketing and sales copy about as much fun as going to the Dentist, then listen up, as award-winning copywriter Joanna Wiebe shows you how to write copy that converts. And it’s not painful at all. In fact, it’s rather fun. Just like marketing should be! “If you can’t afford to hire a copywriter, then at least learn how to do it yourself … Just bec...