Every step you need to take to get your book in front of an audience - learn the process of publishing with Naibe Reynoso, a journalist and the founder of Con Todo Press. And Jane Friedman, a publishing industry expert, shares her secrets to ensuring your book is as discoverable as possible.—(05:32) What are the steps to publishing a book?(13:21) What's the ISBN and how do I get one for my book?(18:12) Considerations an aspiring author should make if they want to make a profitable business out of writing books.(19:50) What Business model works best for someone who just wrote their first children's book?(21:04) Technical elements that you need to know before trying to sell a book.(24:15) Andrea lists the key takeaways from the episode.—Click HERE to leave us a message!By submitting your voicemail, you’re granting us permission to use the recording in episodes of This is Small Business. Please note, voicemails will not receive direct responses. For help with other questions to Amazon unrelated to this show, you can reach out to Amazon’s customer service team at amazon.com/contact-us.

Are you ready to make your first hire? Learn how to find the right fit, and why retention is so critical. Keirsten A. Greggs, the Founder & Principal Talent Acquisition Consultant of TRAP Recruiter, tells Andrea what small business owners should consider at this important stage of growth.—(02:22) Considerations small business owners should make when they hire. (05:24) How to find the right fit when evaluating applicants.(07:08) Andrea lists the key takeaways from the episode.—Click HERE to leave us a message!By submitting your voicemail, you’re granting us permission to use the recording in episodes of This is Small Business. Please note, voicemails will not receive direct responses. For help with other questions to Amazon unrelated to this show, you can reach out to Amazon’s customer service team at amazon.com/contact-us.

What happens if you don't protect your IP, and is it worth all the paperwork? Jeannell Darden, CEO of Moisture Love, shares her story of battling trademark and copyright issues, and how she overcame it. Learn when and how to start the process, what to consider when rebranding, how to avoid trademark disputes, whether you should register your logo, and where to find legal support for small businesses. Cynthia Dahl, Practice Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, offers her insights. Stay tuned to the end of the episode where host Andrea Marquez lists her key takeaways!—(07:04) Considerations to make when rebranding.(14:54) Considerations for founders regarding trademark and protection.(16:47) When should small business owners start considering intellectual property (IP) protection.(18:08) Mistakes to avoid when protecting your brand.(20:16) How to avoid confusion among consumers and trademark disputes.(22:09) Should you register your logo?(24:18) Andrea mentions the cost of legal help for small businesses and points out free resources recommended by Cynthia. She also lists the key takeaways from the episode.—Click HERE to leave us a message!By submitting your voicemail, you’re granting us permission to use the recording in episodes of This is Small Business. Please note, voicemails will not receive direct responses. For help with other questions to Amazon unrelated to this show, you can reach out to Amazon’s customer service team at amazon.com/contact-us.

Are you preparing to launch your first product? Andrea learns how to prepare your MVP (minimum viable product), and how to know when you're ready to go, with Trinity Mouzon Wofford, co-founder and CEO of Golde. Trinity also gives us a look into all the behind-the-scenes work she put into their brand as she prepared to launch.—(05:56) How distinctive packaging and vibrant colors helped Trinity's brand stand out in a crowded marketplace (07:58) Copying big businesses' marketing tactics doesn't work! Trinity explains how she found success by staying true to her vision(09:10) How to leverage friends and family to gather early feedback on your product - before you launch (09:42) Trinity explains how she knew she was ready to launch her business (11:06) Andrea's key takeaways for launching your MVP—Click HERE to leave us a message!By submitting your voicemail, you’re granting us permission to use the recording in episodes of This is Small Business. Please note, voicemails will not receive direct responses. For help with other questions to Amazon unrelated to this show, you can reach out to Amazon’s customer service team at amazon.com/contact-us.

Are you struggling to identify your target market? Or maybe you’re wondering where you can find your ideal customer? Andrea breaks down the customer journey into five simple steps with Amber Murray, founder of Fidget Stickers. Once we've figured out who our ideal customer is, Darian Kovacs, founder of Jelly Digital Marketing, tells us how to reach them. Stick around to hear Andrea's key takeaways at the end of the episode.—(05:51) Amber breaks down the five phases of the customer journey: awareness, consideration, decision purchase, retention, and advocacy (12:54) How to identify your ideal customer BEFORE launching your product(18:31) Tools that small business owners can use to learn more about their customer's journey(25:59) Andrea's key takeaways for understanding your customer journey —Click HERE to leave us a message!By submitting your voicemail, you’re granting us permission to use the recording in episodes of This is Small Business. Please note, voicemails will not receive direct responses. For help with other questions to Amazon unrelated to this show, you can reach out to Amazon’s customer service team at amazon.com/contact-us.

Are you an aspiring or early-stage entrepreneur with a product to sell? Learn how to grow your small business from a diverse group of entrepreneurs and experts. By the end of this season, you'll understand how to:→ define your target market→ secure funding→ set prices→ protect your intellectual property→ position your product→ expand to new markets→ hire for success→ secure a supply chain→ differentiate with stellar customer serviceThis is Small Business is an original podcast from Amazon. It's hosted by Andrea Marquez, an aspiring entrepreneur who is on a journey to learn all she can about how to start and grow a small business. Every week she dives into a new topic with a successful business owner or expert to help her on her entrepreneurial journey. We know you have a busy schedule. That's why we started releasing "minisodes" - with valuable insights for growing your small business in just ten minutes. Or for a deeper dive into the stories of our diverse slate of entrepreneurial guests, tune into our regular episodes.

In this special bonus episode of This is Small Business, Andrea Marquez travels all the way to Las Vegas for Movement Evolutions where she hosts a panel of inspiring and diverse voices in podcasting. Andrea engages in insightful conversations with Mike Sargent, co-host of Brown & Black Podcast, Kulap Vilaysack, co-host of Add To Cart, Lee Adams, Audio Producer of The Midnight Miracle, and Lori Lizarraga, host of Code Switch. Together, they explore the importance of diverse storytelling and its impact on various communities and share their thoughts on how individuals in positions of power can foster and encourage diverse storytelling. Join Andrea as she points out all the key takeaways from these talented storytellers that’ll get you excited to share your own stories through your branding as an entrepreneur.Did you know that we have a voicemail line? If you have questions – or maybe a small business story you’d like to share – all you have to do is click HERE and leave us a message!By submitting your voicemail, you’re granting us permission to use the recording in episodes of This is Small Business. Please note, voicemails will not receive direct responses. For help with other questions to Amazon unrelated to this show, you can reach out to Amazon’s customer service team at amazon.com/contact-us.

In this special bonus episode of This is Small Business, host Andrea Marquez goes to the Veteran Edge conference by the Institute for Veterans and Military Families, an event dedicated to Veterans and military spouses who are small business owners, to sit down in a live interview with Matt Butler, the founder of Rollers and co-founder of Tally Tumbler. Matt shares his story as a veteran-turned-entrepreneur or as he likes to say Vetrepreneur, and talks about all the transferable skills he learned during his service that enabled him to succeed in building his businesses. He also delves into the importance of being passionate about your business, trying to solve a problem with your business, and making sure you go in with a plan. Join Andrea as she writes down all the important takeaways from this inspiring interview that’ll get you motivated to start, build, and grow your business.Did you know that we have a voicemail line? If you have questions – or maybe a small business story you’d like to share – all you have to do is click HERE and leave us a message!By submitting your voicemail, you’re granting us permission to use the recording in episodes of This is Small Business. Please note, voicemails will not receive direct responses. For help with other questions to Amazon unrelated to this show, you can reach out to Amazon’s customer service team at amazon.com/contact-us.

On Episode 28 and the season finale of the second season of This is Small Business, Andrea explores what it means to be a Latinx entrepreneur by talking to a Latino business owner that she admires: Miguel Leal, the Co-Founder and CEO of SOMOS Foods. Miguel shares all of the learnings he picked up along his entrepreneurial journey and talks about the importance of representation, sharing your brand’s story, and how to leverage your community. Join Andrea as she wraps up this season and fills her small business playbook with a bunch of advice and lessons that’ll help you no matter where you are in your small business journey.Did you know that we have a voicemail line? If you have questions – or maybe a small business story you’d like to share – all you have to do is click HERE and leave us a message!By submitting your voicemail, you’re granting us permission to use the recording in episodes of This is Small Business. Please note, voicemails will not receive direct responses. For help with other questions to Amazon unrelated to this show, you can reach out to Amazon’s customer service team at amazon.com/contact-us.

On Episode 27 of This is Small Business, Andrea looks into what could be the future of your business, that is, if you eventually want to merge your small business with another business. Andrea talks to a familiar guest from season one, Danyel Surrency Jones, the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of POWERHANDZ Inc., about her own journey merging POWERHANDZ inc. with another business as well as Danyel's newest role as Director of Amazon's Black Business Accelerator. Danyel talks about how to make your business more appealing to potential partners like making sure you have a solid financial model and a marketing strategy. Next, Andrea talks to Kison Patel, the CEO and Founder of DealRoom, FirmRoom and M&A Science, about how to set up your business in a way that’ll lead you to a successful merger. They talk about the many different reasons why you might consider a merger and the importance of a good M&A lawyer to help you through the process. Join Andrea as she fills up yet another chapter in her small business playbook with info that might help you pull off a successful merger.Did you know that we have a voicemail line? If you have questions – or maybe a small business story you’d like to share – all you have to do is click HERE and leave us a message!By submitting your voicemail, you’re granting us permission to use the recording in episodes of This is Small Business. Please note, voicemails will not receive direct responses. For help with other questions to Amazon unrelated to this show, you can reach out to Amazon’s customer service team at amazon.com/contact-us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Episode 26 of This is Small Business and the seventh of our This is Small Business Minisodes series, Andrea continues her discussion on product iteration but this time we dig deep into how you can work on different versions of your products without breaking the bank. Founder of Princeton Popcorn Company, Robert Ralph aka Farmer Bob, talks about how you can iterate without needing to create an entirely new product and how to mitigate any financial losses that might pop up from failed experimentation. Join Andrea as she jots down key takeaways from this delightful conversation that will leave you feeling satisfied and ready to start experimenting.Did you know that we have a voicemail line? If you have questions – or maybe a small business story you’d like to share – all you have to do is click HERE and leave us a message!By submitting your voicemail, you’re granting us permission to use the recording in episodes of This is Small Business. Please note, voicemails will not receive direct responses. For help with other questions to Amazon unrelated to this show, you can reach out to Amazon’s customer service team at amazon.com/contact-us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Episode 25 of This is Small Business, Andrea discusses product iteration – more specifically how do you find out when it’s time to offer additional products? First up, President of Hot Taco Inc. Leslie Pierson (who’s running this business for her son who created a card game called Taco vs Burrito when he was 7 years old) walks us through the process of creating a second product and why they decided to launch a second game. Next, CXO and Dean of Rocket Club Academy Aicha Sharif explains how pivoting could help you replicate what worked in your first product while also making sure you create something new for your customers. Join Andrea as she points out all the key takeaways that will help you decide if you’re ready to iterate your product.Did you know that we have a voicemail line? If you have questions – or maybe a small business story you’d like to share – all you have to do is click HERE and leave us a message!By submitting your voicemail, you’re granting us permission to use the recording in episodes of This is Small Business. Please note, voicemails will not receive direct responses. For help with other questions to Amazon unrelated to this show, you can reach out to Amazon’s customer service team at amazon.com/contact-us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Episode 24 of This is Small Business and the sixth of our This is Small Business Minisodes series, Andrea talks about how you can ensure diversity within your business. Jennifer Kim, Founder and CEO of Workflow, talks about how you can create a workplace culture that supports diversity, equity, and inclusion and how to implement diversity into your hiring process in a way that’ll ensure you’re hiring the best employees possible. Join Andrea in this informative conversation that’s filling up another chapter in her small business playbook.Did you know that we have a voicemail line? If you have questions – or maybe a small business story you’d like to share – all you have to do is click HERE and leave us a message!By submitting your voicemail, you’re granting us permission to use the recording in episodes of This is Small Business. Please note, voicemails will not receive direct responses. For help with other questions to Amazon unrelated to this show, you can reach out to Amazon’s customer service team at amazon.com/contact-us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Episode 23 of This is Small Business, Andrea talks to two inspiring entrepreneurs who have successfully integrated social impact into their business model to find out how you can make a positive impact in your community while growing your business. First up, Founder & CEO of Iya Foods Toyin Kolawole walks us through her journey of giving back through her business and how that helped her stay afloat and even supply her competitors during the pandemic. She also talks about how giving back to the community includes making sure your customers receive the best product possible because they’re the one’s funding your efforts to give back. Next, Nadia Martinez, Founder & CEO of Kallie & Co, talks about all the creative ways you can give back to the community without spending too much money – or any money at all – and how to deal with the guilt that you may feel when you’re benefiting from your donations. Join Andrea as she lists all the key takeaways that’ll help you grow your business through giving back.Did you know that we have a voicemail line? If you have questions – or maybe a small business story you’d like to share – all you have to do is click HERE and leave us a message!By submitting your voicemail, you’re granting us permission to use the recording in episodes of This is Small Business. Please note, voicemails will not receive direct responses. For help with other questions to Amazon unrelated to this show, you can reach out to Amazon’s customer service team at amazon.com/contact-us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Episode 22 of This is Small Business and the fifth of our This is Small Business: Minisodes series, Andrea discusses all the pros and cons of a business partnership and whether you should consider getting one with sisters and co-founders of Easy Peasie Dorielle Price and Jamelah Tucker. And because business partnerships aren’t always so easy peasie, Andrea also talks about how to approach conflict resolution like finding a mediator or a third-party, and how to protect yourself legally – even if you’re family. Join Andrea in this informative but lighthearted conversation filled with key takeaways that are going into her small business playbook.Did you know that we have a voicemail line? If you have questions – or maybe a small business story you’d like to share – all you have to do is click HERE and leave us a message!By submitting your voicemail, you’re granting us permission to use the recording in episodes of This is Small Business. Please note, voicemails will not receive direct responses. For help with other questions to Amazon unrelated to this show, you can reach out to Amazon’s customer service team at amazon.com/contact-us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Episode 21 of This is Small Business, Andrea takes on a topic that not a lot of people like to talk about – parting ways with a business partner. First up, Founder and CEO of SwiftPaws Meghan Wolfgram talks about her own experience parting ways with her business partner, the many conversations that took place, and how she kept the business running during that process. Next, Naveen Thomas, Director of the Business Transactions Clinic at the NYU School of Law and a previous guest that shows up in season 1, breaks down all the legal procedures that could come up in a separation agreement, how to protect yourself, and why you should prepare for a separation early on in your business journey. Join Andrea as she simplifies all the intimidating legal jargon and fills up another chapter in her small business playbook.Did you know that we have a voicemail line? If you have questions – or maybe a small business story you’d like to share – all you have to do is click HERE and leave us a message!By submitting your voicemail, you’re granting us permission to use the recording in episodes of This is Small Business. Please note, voicemails will not receive direct responses. For help with other questions to Amazon unrelated to this show, you can reach out to Amazon’s customer service team at amazon.com/contact-us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Episode 20 of This is Small Business and the fourth of our This is Small Business: Minisodes series, we continue our conversation on shipping and fulfillment with a twist – what if you want to start manufacturing your own product? Epic Water Filter’s Co-founder Ash Heather gives us the inside information on when you should consider manufacturing your own product, how to protect your business when you start to do so, and all the pros and cons that come with that decision. Join Andrea as she points out all the key takeaways that’ll help you decide if manufacturing your own product is the right choice for your business.Did you know that we have a voicemail line? If you have questions – or maybe a small business story you’d like to share – all you have to do is click HERE and leave us a message!By submitting your voicemail, you’re granting us permission to use the recording in episodes of This is Small Business. Please note, voicemails will not receive direct responses. For help with other questions to Amazon unrelated to this show, you can reach out to Amazon’s customer service team at amazon.com/contact-us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Episode 19 of This is Small Business, Andrea talks about sourcing your products with Chevalo & Monique Wilsondebriano, co-founders of Charleston Gourmet Burger. More specifically they dive into shipping and fulfillment considerations you should make when you aren’t manufacturing your own product. Chevalo & Monique discuss where to find suppliers when you’re first starting out, questions to ask while vetting them, and how to keep your customer’s trust through a solid relationship with your supplier  – even if it means paying a little extra. Next, Serguei Netessine, Senior Vice Dean for Innovation and Global Initiatives and Dhirubhai Ambani Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Pennsylvania, fills us in on all the different types of suppliers and what you need to consider when choosing one – like thinking about the returns process, price, service, and shipping time. Join Andrea as she fills out another chapter of her small business playbook.Did you know that we have a voicemail line? If you have questions – or maybe a small business story you’d like to share – all you have to do is click HERE and leave us a message!By submitting your voicemail, you’re granting us permission to use the recording in episodes of This is Small Business. Please note, voicemails will not receive direct responses. For help with other questions to Amazon unrelated to this show, you can reach out to Amazon’s customer service team at amazon.com/contact-us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Episode 18 of This is Small Business and the third of our This is Small Business: Minisodes series, Andrea dives into why it's so hard for us to take time off, even when we know we need it. She speaks with Professor of Psychology and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, Art Markman about why vacations are a crucial part of your business and how to set up your business in a way that allows you to take some much needed time off.Did you know that we have a voicemail line? If you have questions – or maybe a small business story you’d like to share – all you have to do is click HERE and leave us a message!By submitting your voicemail, you’re granting us permission to use the recording in episodes of This is Small Business. Please note, voicemails will not receive direct responses. For help with other questions to Amazon unrelated to this show, you can reach out to Amazon’s customer service team at amazon.com/contact-us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Episode 17 of This is Small Business, Andrea talks about setting goals and mechanisms for your business in a way that lead to success with Renee Manzari, founder and CEO of Livity Yoga. With big goals like diverting a million yoga mats from landfills by 2026, Renee breaks down all the planning and mechanisms that go on behind-the-scenes in order to make big goals like that less daunting and achievable. Next, serial entrepreneur and senior lecturer at Harvard Business School, Christina Wallace joins Andrea once again to talk in depth about how to set goals in the first place, different types of mechanisms you could set, and steps that are often overlooked but can make a big impact. Join Andrea as she points out all the important takeaways that are going into her small business playbook.Did you know that we have a voicemail line? If you have questions – or maybe a small business story you’d like to share – all you have to do is click HERE and leave us a message!By submitting your voicemail, you’re granting us permission to use the recording in episodes of This is Small Business. Please note, voicemails will not receive direct responses. For help with other questions to Amazon unrelated to this show, you can reach out to Amazon’s customer service team at amazon.com/contact-us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.