Business Brain Food

Today we hear the amazing story of Dean Taylor; a man who started selling wine as a side hustle but who ultimately cashed in his business for 8m AUD! Since then he has etablished seven other successful businesses. Dean’s story really is an inspiration to all of us.

 

See some of Dean’s top tips below:

**  Find good people to run your business. If you are a serial entrepreneur, you can’t get bogged down in the detail.

**  Hire long, fire fast. Don’t be shy about moving on if it isn’t working out with an employee.

**  Keep your head clear. Do exercise and spend time with your family.

**  Don’t get too hung up on the numbers. There’s more to life than money!

**  You must embrace technology if you are to be successful in business. Scott Farquhar of Atlessian says: “these days you’re either a tech company, or you’re being disrupted by a tech company”

**  Try and avoid purely competing on price. The mass buying power of the likes of Amazon makes it nigh-on impossible for a small business to compete on price.

 

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  Dean’s amazing story

**  How to provide a first-class service to your customers

**  How to stay on top of seven businesses

**  How Dean rode out the GFC

**  The changing dynamics of the online marketplace

**  The potential for Amazon Australia

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Would you like to join MaxMyProfit as a Business Excellerator? Visit us here for more information: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au/about

**  Dean’s company website: http://www.crackawines.com.au

**  The Business Brain Food Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

 

Call to action:

Dean is an example of a man who made is fortune by taking his chance. If you find yourself in the right place at the right time, be ready!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

 


This week we have some straightforward SEO advice from a man who calls himself “just a regular guy”. Like most of us entrepreneurs, Greg Jeffries has done his time trying to master SEO and has wasted a lot of money. But last year was Greg’s first year where he made a 6-figure sum, purely off the back of affiliate marketing using SEO.

 

See some of Greg’s top tips below:

**  Target the longer key-phrase suggestions using a tool like keywordtool.io. These tend to have lower competition than the shorter, more obvious phrases.

**  Location can be your friend. If you have a business that is based in a specific location, you can add this to the end of a long-tail phrase so you can have even less competition.

**  Don’t forget about Youtube. It’s easy to think of SEO in terms of written content in blog posts, but a Youtube video with the right title and description can be worth its weight in gold.

**  Keyword density isn’t everything. Search engine algorithms are a lot more intelligent than simply counting up the instances of keywords.

**  Create a content schedule and stick to it. Discipline and consistency are fundamental to SEO success.

 

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  Affiliate marketing explained

**  How Greg has achieved substantial passive income

**  How to generate leads with SEO marketing

**  When to outsource your blog writing

**  Backlinks explained

**  Is it worth buying social media shares?

**  The optimum length of a blog post

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Would you like to join MaxMyProfit as a Business Excellerator? Visit us here for more information: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au/about

**  Greg’s no-nonsense SEO course can be found here: http://www.seoaffiliatedomination.com

**  The Business Brain Food Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

 

Call to action:

The message that Greg keeps going back to is that there is no dark art to SEO anymore. Create good content, and do it regularly!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF179_Simple_Scalale_Sustainable_SEO_with_greg_jeffries.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

We’re tackling some deep ideology this week with our very esteemed guest, Anne Bahr Thompson.

Anne has been named America’s top thought-leader for 2018, having published a hugely successful book called “Do Good” which explains how modern-day business can do good for the world and still make profit at the same time.

You will have to listen to the show to hear exactly what Anne’s five rules of contientious business are, but keep reading for some additional insight from the show.

 

See some of the conversation points below:

**  Nowadays people want businesses to solve problems with social issues and the environment; not just their own specific customer ‘problem’.

**  Think of how you build trust with your closest friends… this is the way you should shape the relationship with your customer base.

**  Make sure you build a good ethos in your company. If you obviously stand for something, you can relate to your audience.

**  Responsibility begins with how you treat your employees.

**  Business is a social organism - never forget this! It exists in the same society we spend our everyday lives in.

**  Foster a sense of community in your organisation. Shared values amongst employees can be very powerful indeed.

**  Don’t be scared of making mistakes when you run a company. If you are sincere enough in learning from the mistakes, your marketplace will trust you.

 

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  Examples of good corporate citizenship

**  How Apple built trust with its customers

**  How to be clear about your values and culture

**  Why the banks lost trust

**  The ‘stakeholder view’ versus the ‘shareholder view’

**  Social entrepreneurialism explained

**  Courage in business

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Work with one of our business Excellerators: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**  Buy Anne’s book, “Do Good: Embarcing Brand Citizenship to Fuel Both Purpose and Profit” here

**  Anne’s website: http://www.brandcitizenship.com

**  The Business Brain Food Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

 

Call to action:

Remember what Anne said about creating virtuous circles. Now more than ever it is possible for businesses to connect with causes for the sake of the wider good.

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot/ of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

 

Direct download: BBF178_The_5_new_rules_of_business.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

This week our host Ben will share some absolute gold about facebook marketing.

This is the down-to-earth advice of a business owner who’s learnt the hard way, having wasted time and money on it for years.

Now, MaxMyProfit makes millions of dollars from Facebook advertising, but it wasn’t always the case. You’ll have to listen to the show for all 9 tips, but you can read on for a few highlights.

 

See some of the conversation points below:

**  Be wary of agencies. They won’t know your business like you do.

**  Understand the nature of the marketing you’re doing. Is it ‘solution marketing’ or ‘interruption marketing’? With solution marketing, you're dealing with people who know they have a problem and your job as a marketeer is to prove that you can solve their problem. With interruption marketing, the person you’re targeting is not looking for a solution, so your job is to shock them into action. Facebook advertising is interruption marketing.

**  If you’re searching for leads, make sure the information you gather is definitely useful to your sales process. You should be thinking things like, “will I need a phone number, or can I get by with just an email address?”

**  Do A/B testing! Facebook has a multitude of data to help you understand why something works and why something else doesn’t, so make sure you use it!

 

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  The two types of marketing campaigns

**  How your sales process links with your FB advertising

**  Facebook pixels explained

**  When to use lead ads

**  How best to use images for FB advertising

**  The 80/20 marketing

**  Advertising for different genders

**  What is an appropriate advertising spend?

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Work with one of our business Excellerators: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**  80/20 Marketing by Perry Marshall can be bought here

**  The Business Brain Food Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

 

Call to action:

As Ben says, “Facebook marketing is a way for most businesses to make money”. So don’t delay… get on top of it!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot/ of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

 

Direct download: BBF177_9_tips_for_generating_leads_with_facebook_ads.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

We’ve got a real winner on the show this week, so listen up! Tom Kulzer shares with us some great insight on how to build, grow and maintain a large business. Tom is the founder and CEO of AWeber: one of the leading small-business email marketing packages. Originally founded in 1998, AWeber now has over 100,000 customers around the world and a team of 120 people. Another remarkable part of the story is that Tom built up the business entirely from his own funding. Not one dollar of investment has come from an external source.

Read on for Tom’s top tips for business longevity:

**  Really understand the problems your customers have. You may have many different types of customers, so take the time to understand as many different groups as you can.

**  If you’re going to raise funds, make absolutely sure you have a focus on how to spend it.

**  Take away the things that keep people up at night. Look after your team!

**  The majority of AWeber’s money is spent on R & D. It’s a constant battle to stay relevant with your products.

**  If your company is growing, don’t assume you can do it all yourself. Hiring people might seem difficult, but it won’t be as difficult as running an entire business day-to-day.

**  Hire people who are smarter than you. Put your ego aside… you need these people to grow!

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  Tom’s amazing story

**  How to build a business without external funding

**  The business growth stool

**  Hiring the perfect management team

**  How Tom kept his tech company relevant

**  What Tom likes about being an entrepreneur

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  We’re looking for franchise partners. Do you have what it takes to become one of our Business Excelerators? Go to: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au/about

**  Go to http://www.aweber.com for a free trial. This software comes highly recommended from us!

**  Go to http://www.aweber.com/connect for free email marketing bundles.

**  The Business Brain Food Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

 

Call to action:

As Tom says, “if you’re not trying, you’re not growing!”. Don’t get complacent!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot/ of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000


This week we’re going to hear a masterclass from Matt Motil in how you can invest in property using hardly any of your own money. Matt will also share with us the mindset you need to take the plunge and make property investment a career choice.

Matt worked for 20 years in the construction industry, but it was only once he got into teaching that he realised he should leave the rat race behind and become his own boss as a property investor. In his words, he was merely “helping people become employees”, so he strived to find a better way.

Now Matt has a vast property portfolio and a highly successful company that has helped hundreds of property investors around the world. He is also a 3-times bestselling author and hosts the excellent Cashflow King and American Entrepreneur podcasts. He clearly knows his stuff!

 

Read on for Matt’s top tips:

**  When people try and persuade you to stay as an unhappy employee and say things like “keep at it, it’ll get better”, don’t assume this is true.

**  Don’t worry about letting people down. If you want to break out of the system, go for it.

**  Don’t wait for the perfect time to make a big move. Life will pass you by otherwise.

**  The same applies to property. Don’t be so afraid of making that first investment. If you wait for the ‘perfect' property, you won’t find it.

**  There is no secret formula for what makes a successful property entrepreneur. In Matt’s study of property entrepreneurs, the common theme among them is as simple as “getting out of their own way”, i.e. having an abundant mindset where they take assertive action.

**  It is possible to buy property with no money in the bank, i.e. for tax purposes, some owners don’t want the short-term revenue from the sale. They’ll retain a mortgage instead, and you can arrange a payment plan with them privately. As long as the revenue you generate from the property equals or exceeds the payments, you’ll be doing good business.

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  How you can enter the game with minimal cash

**  Matt’s story of how he left the rat race earned himself freedom

**  When is the right time?

**  The value of mistakes

**  How much money you really need to get started in real estate investment

**  The length of time it can take to do a deal

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Work with one of our business Excellerators: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**  Go to Matt’s website and receive a free bestselling book + a load of other great resources to help get you started in property investment: http://www.mattmotil.com

**  The Business Brain Food Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

 

Call to action:

As Matt says quite simply, if you’re thinking about investing in property, “take action”!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot/ of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF175_How_to_start_as_a_real_estate_investor_01.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

It sounds like pure makebelieve, but this week we hear from a guy who has made his fortune by selling fresh air! Troy Paquette is the co-founder and COO of Vanity Air, a company born out of Troy’s desire for the world to breathe the same fresh air as he could in his native Banff in Canada.

From humble beginnings selling zip-lock bags full of air on eBay, Troy has built up Vanity Air to become a global phenomenon. Troy shared some interesting insight about what you need to take an unusual product to market, and how you should approach partnership in business.

 

Read on for Troy’s top tips:

** If you have a truly unique product, your presence can multiply quickly if the right media gets hold of it.

**  Be careful if your business grows organically. Without a business plan from the beginning, you may hit the wall.

** Do what you can to self fund. Doing so keeps a tight discipline on the finances when you’re starting out.

**  Don’t be afraid of working in partnership with a friend. If you both complement each other’s skills then it can work great.

**  Choose your investors wisely. Be careful of investors who will clip your wings.

**  Passion is the absolute key to being a great entrepreneur. Although luck is always a factor, without passion, you will not make your own luck.

**  Don’t worry about the haters and naysayers. If you have a groundbreaking product there will always be negativity. Keep the faith and ride it out!

**  The people who make it are the people who push hard when they’re at rock bottom.

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  How Troy took a leap of faith and started out

**  What motivates an entrepreneur

**  The secrets of a successful global business

**  How Troy courted international investors

**  The importance of intellectual property

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Work wih one of our business Excellerators: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**  Troy’s website: http://www.vitalityair.com

**  The Business Brain Food Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

 

Call to action:

Let’s end this with some sage advice from Ben. If you’re struggling to keep the faith with a unique product, consider this: “…we wouldn’t have flight if it wasn’t for the Wright Brothers!”

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot/ of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF174_How_to_build_a_business_selling_nothing_but_air_with_Troy_Paquette.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

Tara Shelton has made it her business to empower people to tell the right story with their branding. Her company, Dream & Do has the motto “if you can dream it, you can become it” and down the years has helped hundreds of businesses sell themselves to their marketplace. Even if your business and your brand is well-established, you can still benefit greatly from the no-nonsense advice from Tara.

 

Read on for Tara’s top tips:

**  A logo isn’t a brand - there is so much more to it than that.

**  You don’t get a second chance at a first impression!

**  Don’t worry about offending people. Be different and go for it!

**  All successful brands define the USP.

**  Think deeply about every interaction you have with your customers and inject this into your branding.

**  Google yourself and manage your own personal brand. Make sure your headshot is always the same across all different social mediums.

**  Look at what everyone else in your market is doing… what if you did the opposite?

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  How branding is more than simply design

**  How branding can create an experience

**  Branding on a budget

**  When to rebrand

**  Branding success stories

**  Can you get away with cheap logo services?

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Book yourself in for a complimentary business assessment at http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**  Special offer for BBF listeners: Tara’s eBook “42 branding tips for startups”, normally 12 AUD, free giveaway if you email tara@dreamanddo.com.au and put BBF in the subject header.

**  Tara’s website: http://www.dreamanddo.com.au

**  Tara’s instagram: _dreamanddo_

**  The Business Brain Food Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

 

Call to action:

Let’s go back to Tara’s advice from before. If you want one thing that sums up her approach to branding, read this and take note: “Look at what everyone else is doing… what if you did the opposite?”

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot/ of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

Direct download: bbf173_branding_your_business_for_success.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

What a pleasure it is to talk about a monumental Aussie success story. As the founder of Canva.com, Cameron Adams has flown the flag for Aussie entrepreneurs the world over by creating a collaborative online design platform that has literally changed the lives of millions.

The basic premise of Canva was to empower people who were not naturally gifted in the area of design to get creative. Canva succeeded in spades and is now worth over $1bn! As well as telling the story of their meteoric rise, Cameron gave us some brilliant insight that all entrerpreneurs could benefit from.

 

Read on for Cameron’s top tips:

**  Understand what your strength is in business. If you are an expert on product/invention then you need to make sure you have someone alongside you who is more focused on process and management.

**  Get your onboarding right. Don’t subject your employees to too many ‘sink or swim’ situations.

**  When trying to raise investment you should really focus on getting your first investor over the line. Then others will follow.

**  Get your content right. Do that and you won’t need to spend big money on conventional marketing.

**  Creating a great product is your best form of marketing.

**  When doing your marketing campaigns, always work to a KPI, i.e. "cost per new lead”

Think properly about the product you’re building. Stay faithful to your vision by not pandering to fads and investor agendas.

 

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  The sensational rise of Canva

**  The best uses of Canva as a design tool

**  How Cameron raised funding in the early days

**  Is there a formula for being a successful entrepreneur?

**  How Canva gathered intelligence from its customers

**  The best ‘kind’ of investor

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Book yourself in for a complimentary business assessment at http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**  Go to http://www.canva.com for design inspiration.

**  Cameron says that Canva is always looking to hire fresh new talent. Simply google “canva jobs” to see what’s out there at the moment.

**  The Business Brain Food Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

 

Call to action:

Cameron’s success is based on many positive factors, but the quote that really hit home is this one: “Create a culture in your company where your workers are encouraged to be a good human and to empower others."

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot/ of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

 

Direct download: BBF172_How_an_Aussie_built_a_US1b_company_in_6_years_with_Cameron_Adams.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

This week we talk to someone who has used adversity in business to do things a different way. John Abbott lost six businesses during the GFC and went off to Bali with only a backpack to his name, but soon he found a winning formula in business by using giveaways.

John is an inspirational man who has worked with some truly inspirational people, such as Richard Branson, Roger Hamilton and Paul Dunn. As the founder of the Results Platform Foundation and Global Enterprise, John has truly practiced what he has preached and has the results to prove it.

 

Read on for John’s top tips on work/life balance and the power of giveaways:

**  Swift action is the best. It’s tempting to hold onto a failing business for the sake of your staff, but it might actually be better for them to make a change sooner rather than later.

**  Do not hide! Front up to people if you owe them money – then you stand a better chance of  successful negotiation.

**  In Bali, John saw “extraordinarily wealthy people” living with almost no money. Whatever you are doing in business, remember that it is possible to be happy without massive monetary wealth.

**  Giving is a good way of turning what would normally be a sales conversation into something easier.

**  If you offer real value for free and someone makes a commitment to receive it, they are more likely to commit to buying something further down the line.

**  You can offer a giveaway for a limited number of people. Think of all of the people who apply for the giveaway who don’t make it… you can then contact them and make them a special offer.

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  How John coped with losing everything

**  When to let go of a failing business

**  How to use giving to benefit your business and everyone

**  How to manage the demand for giveaways

**  The power of “human to human” marketing

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Book yourself in for a complimentary business assessment at http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**  John’s personal website: http://www.johnabbott.me

**  Further detail on John’s pioneering giving model can be found at: http://www.givingmodel.com

**  John’s book, Freedom By Design can be bought here

**  The Business Brain Food Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

 

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

 

Call to action:

There is a lot you can learn from John. First, that it is possible to come back from a dire financial situation as both a person and a businessman, and second, that giving is an immensely powerful sales/marketing tool.

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

Direct download: bbf171_how_to_grow_your_business_by_giving_products_away_01.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT