Small Business Quick WINS w/ Jay Schwedelson l Presented By Thryv

In this episode, host Jay Schwedelson sits down with Brian Luciani, Chief Growth Officer at SMB Franchise Advisors and Stadium Ventures. They dive into the world of franchising and explore its potential for small businesses, covering everything from business readiness to trending franchise categories.===================================Best Moments:(01:35) Brian shares his journey into franchising, starting from his teenage years and evolving into a career in investment banking and venture capital(03:36) Who franchising is suitable for and what business readiness looks like(05:52) How to evaluate whether a business is ripe for franchising(08:25) Current trends in the franchising world and which categories are gaining popularity(10:22) Economics of Franchise Ownership: The financial dynamics of owning single vs. multiple franchise units(11:03) The importance of franchisee profitability to the overall success of the franchisor(12:25) Exploring the complexities and opportunities in operating multiple units and brands within the franchising ecosystem===================================Guest Bio:Brian Luciani is the Chief Growth Officer at SMB Franchise Advisors and Stadium Ventures. He brings a wealth of experience in franchising, investment banking, and venture capital, having been involved in the industry since he was 14 years old. Brian and his team at SMB Franchise Advisors have successfully helped over 550 brands franchise their businesses, providing invaluable expertise in growing franchise systems across various industries.===================================Try Thryv For $1?!?Click HERE to get this $1 offer for 1 month using Thryv's Business Center!

In this episode, host Jay Schwedelson discusses referral marketing with Stephanie Love from Thryv.===================================Best Moments:(00:56) Jay and Stephanie discuss the importance of referral marketing and its benefits(02:04) Stephanie explains what referral program marketing is and its effectiveness(03:04) The first step to setting up a referral program is understanding the incentive(04:23) The second step is ensuring a way to track referrals(06:43) The third step is clearly communicating the referral program to customers(09:03) The lifetime value of a referred customer is 16% higher than a non-referred customer===================================Try Thryv For $1?!?Click HERE to get this $1 offer for 1 month using Thryv's Business Center!

In this episode, host Jay Schwedelson chats with Steve Jones from Microsoft about how small businesses can effectively harness AI to boost efficiency and enhance customer experiences. They explore practical, accessible AI tools and strategies that don’t require extensive technical expertise.===================================Best Moments:(02:51) How AI can augment human capabilities, making business processes more efficient(04:28) How AI chatbots can revolutionize customer service and sales for small businesses(06:10) How AI can help create personalized marketing campaigns that resonate with customers(07:37) Steve gives an overview of Microsoft's Copilot and how it integrates with Office tools to streamline operations(10:37) Understanding the significance of prompt engineering in optimizing AI interactions(12:44) Exploring AI applications in managing inventory and improving operational efficiency(13:52) How AI can be used for tasks like logo creation and email writing, making these tools accessible for small business owners(16:17) Jay announces an upcoming webinar focused on AI tools and strategies for small businesses===================================Guest Bio:Steve Jones is a Principal Group Engineering Manager at Microsoft with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is passionate about AI and its potential to transform businesses. Steve has been with Microsoft for the last 4 years and is deeply involved in the company's AI initiatives, particularly with Microsoft's Copilot. He also has a side business in real estate investing, where he applies AI tools to enhance his entrepreneurial endeavors.===================================Try Thryv For $1?!?Click HERE to get this $1 offer for 1 month using Thryv's Business Center!===================================Free Webinar?!?AI can feel like a buzzword that’s just not meant for small businesses. But what if it could actually make your life easier? Join the experts from Microsoft and Cyclotron for a free webinar on September 18th at 1:00 pm ET / 12:00 pm CT. They'll unpack artificial intelligence and teach you how it can fit into your small business plan. Save your spot today!

In this episode, host Jay Schwedelson interviews Dan DeGolier, CEO and founder of Ascent CFO Solutions, to explore the critical role of having a financial expert in your small business. Dan shares invaluable insights on managing cash flow, securing lines of credit, and the benefits of engaging a fractional CFO.===================================Best Moments:(03:08) The most common pitfall: not understanding cash flow and its associated risks(04:24) How and when to approach getting a line of credit(06:10) Why even small businesses should have someone dedicated to finances(07:27) The rising trend of fractional CFOs and outsourced business roles(10:26) Common scenarios where businesses seek fractional CFO services(13:20) The assessment phase when onboarding a new client and analyzing their financial processes===================================Guest Bio:Dan DeGolier is the CEO and founder of Ascent CFO Solutions. With extensive experience in finance, particularly with technology companies and entrepreneurs, Dan's company offers fractional CFO services, providing businesses with the financial expertise they need without the commitment of a full-time hire.===================================ascentcfo.com, Resources hub page: https://ascentcfo.com/resourcesLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascent-cfo-solutions/Insights by Ascent CFO is a custom data visualization solution for founders, entrepreneurs, and executives that consolidates data sources, tracks key metrics, and displays business performance in real-time. https://ascentcfo.com/insights===================================Try Thryv For $1?!?Click HERE to get this $1 offer for 1 month using Thryv's Business Center!

In this episode, host Jay Schwedelson discusses when and how to fire a client with Stephanie Love.===================================Best Moments:(01:25) Is it okay to fire a client? When should you fire a client?(02:52) Signs to look for when firing a client: nightmare clients vs. misaligned vision(04:36) Importance of firing rude clients to maintain team morale(06:28) How to actually fire a client: have a direct conversation and document everything(07:17) Dealing with potential negative reviews after firing a client(08:35) Try to salvage the relationship first before terminating, if possible===================================Try Thryv For $1?!?Click HERE to get this $1 offer for 1 month using Thryv's Business Center!

In this episode, host Jay Schwedelson sits down with Debra Corey, Chief "Pay It Forward" Officer at DebCo HR and acclaimed author, to identify the top traits of BAD BOSSES and how small business owners can navigate common HR challenges without a dedicated HR department.===================================Best Moments:(01:14) Debra Corey’s background in HR and her mission to help leaders(03:37) The 10 types of "bad bosses" and the common pitfalls like micro-managing(07:51) Why delegation and trusting your team are crucial(09:01) HR strategies for small businesses without an HR department(11:05) The profound impact of showing appreciation to employees(12:13) How to deliver feedback without being harsh or inconsiderate(13:24) Where to find Debra Corey's work, including her website and books===================================Guest Bio:Debra Corey is the Chief "Pay It Forward" Officer for DebCo HR and an author of six books on various HR topics, including leadership, company values, engagement, and recognition. With a long career in HR roles across different organizations, Debra's mission is to share her experiences and learnings to help businesses and leaders improve their practices.===================================Try Thryv For $1?!?Click HERE to get this $1 offer for 1 month using Thryv's Business Center!

In this episode, host Jay Schwedelson interviews Todd Caponi, the founder of Sales Melon, best-selling author, and sales expert. They discuss the importance of transparency in sales, how to guide customers through the buying process, and how to negotiate effectively.===================================Best Moments:(01:39) Todd Caponi's background and how he became interested in sales and behavioral science(03:35) The importance of negative reviews and how they can actually increase sales(08:36) Advice on how to approach the sales process and guide customers through the buying journey(11:37) The importance of giving salespeople leeway in negotiating and providing a "toolbox" for closing deals(15:54) Todd's favorite movies and books about sales===================================Guest Bio:Todd Caponi is the founder of Sales Melon, a best-selling author of The Transparency Sale, and the host of the "Sales History Nerd" podcast. He has held seven different sales leadership roles, including a $3 billion exit to Salesforce in 2013. Caponi is an expert in sales and behavioral science, and he is passionate about helping businesses sell more effectively by embracing transparency and guiding customers through the buying process.===================================Try Thryv For $1?!?Click HERE to get this $1 offer for 1 month using Thryv's Business Center!

In this episode, host Jay Schwedelson discusses the importance of analyzing your competitors and shares tips on how to effectively do so with Stephanie Love from Thryv.===================================Best Moments:(01:00) The importance of analyzing competitors and how to do it(01:43) Three places to research competitors: website, social media accounts, and Google search(04:11) Using AI tool Gemini to analyze competitors' websites and create a graphical comparison(06:12) Competing on awesome customer experience rather than price(06:46) Secret shopping competitors to identify areas for improvement(07:55) Potential for finding partnership opportunities through competitor research===================================Guest Bio:Stephanie Love is a representative from Thryv, a company that provides software and services to help small businesses succeed.===================================Try Thryv For $1?!?Click HERE to get this $1 offer for 1 month using Thryv's Business Center!

In this episode, host Jay Schwedelson discusses inexpensive marketing tactics for small businesses with Stephanie Love from Thryv.===================================Best Moments:(01:51) The importance of having a complete and updated Google Business Profile(03:14) Providing value on social media by sharing tips and advice related to your business(04:28) The benefits of email marketing and sending frequent, even short, email campaigns(05:38) Taking advantage of ad credits offered by platforms like LinkedIn and Meta(07:04) Building a referral network with complementary businesses===================================Guest Bio:Stephanie Love is a representative from Thryv, a company that provides software and services to help small businesses grow and manage their operations.===================================Try Thryv For $1?!?Click HERE to get this $1 offer for 1 month using Thryv's Business Center!

In this episode, host Jay Schwedelson talks to Oscar Subirats, sales expert and author of "Closing Intelligence," about how to improve sales and get more people to say "yes."===================================Best Moments:(03:07) The importance of having a sales structure and scripting in place(06:45) Using an "intent statement" to set the tone for a sales conversation(07:40) Asking the right discovery questions to uncover the customer's needs(10:09) Getting customers engaged by having them talk and share information(11:10) Believing that everyone can be a salesperson with the right training(15:13) The importance of reacting quickly to leads and follow-up opportunities(16:12) Categorizing leads and assigning them to the right salespeople(18:31) How to follow Oscar Subirats and get his book "Closing Intelligence"===================================Guest Bio:Oscar Subirats is the founder and president of Closing Intelligence, and the author of the Amazon top ten bestseller book "Closing Intelligence: How to Get Others to Say Yes in Life and Business." With over two decades of experience in various sales situations, Oscar has become an expert in teaching people how to structure their sales process and ask the right questions to get more yes's from customers.===================================Try Thryv For $1?!?Click HERE to get this $1 offer for 1 month using Thryv's Business Center!

In this episode, host Jay Schwedelson interviews Teddy Cheek, the marketing leader at The Escape Game, a national escape room company with over 30 locations across the country.===================================Best Moments:(01:56) How Teddy ended up in marketing(04:15) The best use of marketing dollars for local businesses: start with SEO and Google Business Profile(07:00) What makes a great Google Business Profile and why reviews are so important(08:04) Tips for getting more reviews, like having staff ask directly and using QR codes(10:24) Strategies for new businesses to build initial reviews(12:23) Handling negative reviews and trying to redeem bad experiences(14:33) Marketing tactics that didn't work for Teddy, like brand name ads and direct mail(16:21) How well Teddy performs in escape rooms himself (spoiler: he asks for clues!)===================================Guest Bio:Teddy Cheek is the marketing leader at The Escape Game, a national escape room company that has served over 5 million guests across its 30+ locations. With a background in music and digital marketing, Teddy has been instrumental in driving The Escape Game's local marketing efforts for the past 8 years.===================================Try Thryv For $1?!?Click HERE to get this $1 offer for 1 month using Thryv's Business Center!

In this episode, host Jay Schwedelson interviews Kevin Ring, the lead workers' compensation analyst at the Institute of Work Comp Professionals, to dispel myths and provide insights on workers' compensation insurance for YOUR small business.===================================Best Moments:(03:16) Do you really need workers' compensation insurance if you have a small staff?(05:00) Addressing the myth that workers' compensation insurance is super expensive(06:36) Exploring the misconception that workers' comp is only needed for dangerous jobs(08:04) Understanding the process of reporting an incident and its impact on premiums(10:43) Clarifying the need for coverage when hiring contractors or independent workers(13:11) How to connect with Kevin Ring and access resources on workers' compensation===================================Guest Bio:Kevin Ring is the lead workers' compensation analyst at the Institute of Work Comp Professionals. With extensive experience and multiple certifications in the field, Kevin is an expert in workers' compensation and provides training and mentoring for independent insurance agents.===================================Try Thryv For $1?!?Click HERE to get this $1 offer for 1 month using Thryv's Business Center!

In this episode, host Jay Schwedelson discusses effective pricing strategies for YOUR small business. He shares insights and research-backed tips on how you can better frame discounts, offering multiple pricing tiers, and using the "pennies per day" approach to increase conversions and sales.=================================================================Best Moments:(01:45) Displaying discounts by crossing out the original price can increase conversions by 200%(02:42) Offering three pricing options (high, medium, and low) can boost conversions by over 100%, with customers often choosing the middle option(04:18) Framing prices as "pennies per day" instead of a lump sum can increase conversion rates by over 25%(06:38) Discounts of 15-25% have a 30% higher click-through rate than offers with discounts over 50%, due to perceived value=================================================================Try Thryv For $1?!?Click HERE to get this $1 offer for 1 month using Thryv's Business Center!

In this episode, host Jay Schwedelson focuses on the importance of soliciting customer feedback for YOUR small business. Jay gives you an effective tactic for business owners to directly ask customers and prospects for input on things like:- New products/services- Industry trends- Overall satisfaction levels===============================================================================Best Moments:(00:56) Importance of customer feedback: Using positive feedback for testimonials and reacting to complaints(02:01) Tactic: Email with "Question" subject line to ask for new product/service ideas and general feedback(03:58) Benefits: High 10% reply rate, instant market insights, fostering customer dialogue, and addressing negativity(05:17) Expect some negative responses: A chance to turn complainants into advocates(06:28) Shout-out to Thryv all-in-one platform: Streamlines operations for small businesses(07:37) Personal experience: How this tactic led to new opportunities from his own customers==============================================================================Try Thryv For $1?!?Click HERE to get this $1 offer for 1 month using Thryv's Business Center!

In this episode, host Jay Schwedelson interviews Stephanie Love from Thryv again to discuss the importance of customer reviews for small businesses, how to proactively get good reviews, the value of testimonials, and how to deal with negative reviews.=================================================================Best Moments:(02:05) The reality is people often leave bad reviews more readily than good ones, so you can't just hope good reviews come in automatically(03:04) You need to proactively ask customers for reviews, whether via QR codes in your business, links on invoices, or follow up emails/texts(03:59) It's okay to incentivize reviews with giveaways or promotions, as long as you don't directly pay for EXCLUSIVELY positive reviews(05:29) Leverage great customer testimonials beyond just listing them online by featuring them prominently on your site, email footers, and even getting video testimonials(08:42) If an unhappy customer tries to "review bomb" you with multiple fake negative reviews, you can report them to Google as spam=================================================================Guest Bios:Stephanie Love leads content at Thryv, an all-in-one small business software platform.=================================================================Try 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 interviews Connor Jeffers, founder and CEO of Aptitude 8 and Happily, about improving processes and operations in small businesses.They discuss starting processes from scratch, documenting procedures, building accountability, and overcoming common scaling challenges.=================================================================Best Moments:(08:06) Identify tasks that take your time but don't require you personally, and consider delegating those first(13:39) Documenting processes sets expectations and enables accountability(12:06) An "operating rhythm" combines regular meetings, purposes, reviews, roles and expectations into a documented process(11:09) Common "scale blockers" happen from 4-7 employees when tribal knowledge disappears(16:04) Hire those who think like you instead of seeking diversity of thought and opinions=================================================================Guest Bios:Connor Jeffers is the founder and CEO of Aptitude 8, a services firm focused on HubSpot implementations, and Happily, a SaaS app development company. Previously he helped scale an EdTech startup and worked in venture capital.

In this episode, host Jay Schwedelson interviews Stephanie Love, who leads the content strategy team at Thryv. They discuss valuable tips for how small business owners can get their business featured on local news programs to gain credibility and exposure.=================================================================Best Moments:(03:56) Getting on local news provides a “third party endorsement” that builds trust with potential customers(04:56) Pitch a story idea that provides VALUE TO VIEWERS, not just promotion of your business(06:22) Identify topics related to your business that tie into holidays, current events, etc.(08:17) Email the news desk, anchors, and producers separately with your pitch to increase chances of a response(12:19) Focus the pitch on helpful tips that viewers can IMMEDIATELY use(14:10) Going on the news can lend great credibility to build an entire marketing strategy around=================================================================Guest Bio:Stephanie Love leads the content strategy team at Thryv, an all-in-one software and services platform for small businesses. She also has an extensive background in local television news production.=================================================================Try Thryv For $1?!?Click HERE to get this $1 offer for 1 month using Thryv's Business Center!

In this episode, host Jay Schwedelson discusses why awards can create HUGE value for small businesses like yours.He shares stats on how awards increase customer trust and willingness to pay more, as well as make a business stand out from competitors. Jay then offers tips on where you can find local awards to apply for AND win (local chambers of commerce, media outlets, and civic organizations).=================================================================Best Moments:(01:52) 92% of consumers are more likely to TRUST an award-winning company — 68% are willing to pay MORE for their products/services(02:10) Awards DIFFERENTIATE and brand you compared to your competitors(04:11) It's easier to win local awards than you may think?!?(05:50) Potential places to find local awards you can WIN(08:12) Winning awards results in 22% more job applications on average=================================================================Try 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 provides tips on how to write effective email subject lines that WIN you business!He shares specific techniques based on data from over 15 MILLION subject lines analyzed, explaining that strong subject lines dramatically increase open rates. You'll learn simple but impactful tactics to implement in your own email campaigns!=================================================================Best Moments:(02:54) The first few characters of a subject line are most important for capturing attention(03:13) Starting subject lines with a number like "The 5 things..." lifts open rates 20%(03:36) Capitalizing the first 1-2 words grabs ATTENTION in crowded inboxes(04:26) Using an emoji as the first character boosts open rates by up to 25%(05:32) Turning subject lines into questions increases opens over 30%(07:45) Ending subject lines with ellipses ("...") creates suspense and lifts opens 30%=================================================================Try 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 talks about how small businesses can leverage AI tools to save time and resources. You'll hear about some great free AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity that YOU can use to easily generate content, ideas, and insights as a small business owner!=================================================================Best Moments:(01:15) AI is simple to use and accessible for small businesses — you just need basic internet search skills(01:37) AI can save small businesses significant time and resources in creating content, ideas, and insights(03:06) How to use ChatGPT to effortlessly create social media content calendars, find local partnership opportunities, develop website FAQs, and more(05:32) Gemini can summarize YouTube videos into bullet points to reuse content(06:41) Perplexity provides suggestions to improve your AI queries(08:24) 67% of small businesses are already using AI in their businesses=================================================================Try Thryv For $1?!?Click HERE to get this $1 offer for 1 month using Thryv's Business Center!