Q&A from a small business owner

Small businesses are the heart of America, but what would it look like to start a small business in the post-pandemic world of today? Life in corporate America has changed drastically since the start COVID-19 pandemic. Turnover rates have skyrocketed and a growing sense of burnout has people looking for flexible, fulfilling enterprises. So, when the 9-5 isn’t cutting it anymore, why not become your own boss?

Turn a passion into a money making machine that pays the bills and gets you out of the office. My personal friend, MJ, did just that. She created Ambrosia and Honey, an online art shop specializing in fantasy novel merchandise. I got the inside scoop on how MJ turned her drawings into a successful, growing company, as well as the hardships and victories she encountered along the way. 

1. What made you want to start your small business?

I started to read again after graduating college. I loved reading as a kid but school took up too much of my time and that passion got put on the back burner. A few months after graduation I got a job as a concept artist and was living with my parents. I had tons of free time after work and was burning through several books every week.

After 6 months working I realized that I really don’t like working for a company. No matter how cool the assignment was, I found that I could never bring as much passion to my job as I did to my personal work. I got into a bit of a bad place where I wasn’t sure what I truly wanted anymore. My goal was always to become a concept artist so why wasn’t I happy?

That was when I discovered the bookish community on TikTok and Instagram. I found so many other people that loved to read as much as I did, as well as other artists who created amazing bookish shops. I thought to myself “well I could do that.” And so I did!

2. How have your priorities changed from when you first started?

I don’t think my priorities have changed as much as my goals have. Originally I started the shop with the goal to share my art and maybe make a few extra bucks on the side to pay for gas, seeing as I drove 45 minutes to and from work every day. I was already creating fanart for myself, I figured other people might like to see it too.

Well as it turns out a lot of people like to see it and the shop is now my full time job! My current goals are more in the realm of expanding the company so I can keep up with the demand and creating even better products. My small business priority has always been quality over quantity. 

3. Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently when you were first starting out in your small business?

I would have done preorders from the start. I didn’t realize that social media engagement didn’t equal actual sales so I ordered way more product than I actually needed.

4. What has been the hardest thing about starting your own business? 

The hardest thing has probably been the accounting and business side of things. The art comes easy but the legal things you have to take care of are incredibly frustrating and time-consuming.

5. What is unique about your small business?

I think the fact I make art based on books is pretty unique. Most fan artists make work based on tv shows, films, or anime but the bookish community is relatively niche. My work itself is another thing that separates me from other bookish shops. The majority sell apparel, candles, or jewelry while I sell decor.

I combine digital painting with 3D elements to create something that’s never been done before. Of course this isn’t to say those shops are bad — on the contrary! My fellow bookish shop owners have become some of my dearest friends. I just mean to say mine is slightly different from the rest.

6. What do you look into when making a new product for your business? 

I have an entire notebook full of ideas I can’t wait to show everyone! Often times they come to me while I’m driving or when I’m about to fall asleep. That’s the easy part; scheduling is the main problem.

Due to how time-consuming each launch is, I’m only able to do one every few months so I have to be very strategic when they’re placed throughout the year. Seasons, holidays, book release dates, etc. all play in to what I choose to design and when. I definitely get inspired by my fellow bookish shops but my work is different enough from them that I generally just to my own thing.

7. How do you market your business? What is the most useful/successful?

Social media is essential to my small business! I personally use both TikTok and Instagram. Understanding how the algorithm works is the best skill you can learn in terms of marketing. Good lighting, engaging captions, and posting at the right times will take you far. If you don’t know where to start, look at other accounts to get inspiration. 

8. Any advice to someone starting a small business?

My biggest piece of advice is to be approachable! Let your followers get to know you and create a community. Post relatable content with insights into your personal life. Pull back the curtain and show what’s behind the scenes. People want to follow people, not brands.

Are you ready to start your own small business?

Starting a small business is no easy task, but it might be just what you need if you’re feeling bogged down by the corporate machine. They say if you’re good at something you should never do it for free, and if you’ve got passion and determination it can take you where you need to go. We’ve even got more tips for marketing your small business to help you get started.

Hopefully these tips can help you or someone you know who is looking to start their own small business! Huge thanks to my friend MJ. Remember to check out her shop Ambrosia and Honey online, and don’t forget to shop small!

How Do You START Marketing Your Small Business?

Marketing your small business can be an overwhelming task if you’re starting from scratch. Where do you start? What’s the most important thing? What are the marketing steps to take to get to success?

Over the years, Front Porch Marketing has written a ton of articles to help small businesses succeed — on everything from social media to marketing plans. Today we’ll gather those up in a helpful list that you can use to start marketing your small business. Even if you’re starting from scratch.

Start Your Marketing With a Plan

Before you start doing anything, you need to have a big, bad marketing plan. Why? This steering document will help you know who your audience is and what your goals are. It will help you develop strategies to succeed, and tactics to reach those people.

As months pass, though, don’t forget you’ll need to continue to cultivate your marketing plan to make it grow, much like weeding and feeding a garden. Weed out what’s not working, and do more of what is working. A Marketing Plan is a living document.

Make Your Business Look Like It Means Business

To present the best face of your business to the world, you’ll need a logo. This visual symbol of your business’ legitimacy will be a reminder everywhere — your email, your website, your invoices, your staff’s golf shirts. Designing a strong logo and implementing it is key to a strong brand voice.

Can Your Customers Find You as You Are Marketing Your Small Business?

Most businesses have a website, as their home-base on the internet. This is the first place customers will go to find you and learn more about your business. Is yours up-to-date? Or do you need to build your first website? Maybe you just need to expand your presence by adding a social media channel or two after a social media audit. Depending on who your customer is, you might choose Facebook or LinkedIn, Twitter or TikTok, to reach them.

You might also want to consider email marketing to reach your customers. Engage and connect with customers. Make their lives easier by helping them solve problems. Email marketing has power, and building your email marketing list can build your business.

Grow Your Audience With Advertising!

Reaching your consumers wherever they may be is important. So your marketing plan might likely include some form of advertising. Do you need digital advertising to reach new customers on the internet? Maybe text message marketing and advertising (SMS) to build loyalty with your existing customers. Would testimonials on your website convince others to try your company?

Establish Your Authority With Media Relations.

Some businesses benefit from having the news media write about them in editorials, reviews and interviews. Effective media relations can get great results for your business goals when done properly. Customizing your news to each publication can benefit both parties.

Start Your Small Business Marketing from Scratch By Taking the First Step

Read through some of our articles to help you get started on the journey of marketing your small business. Remember that it’s a marathon, and that you can continuously improve your approach to get better and better results. Need help with any part of your journey? We’re here to help.

LinkedIn mistakes can be avoided with careful branding and strategy.

LinkedIn continues to be a powerful tool for brands, B2B, B2C and nonprofits, as well as business leaders — and instead of LinkedIn mistakes your company can make LinkedIn a tool for driving your bottom line. Often, companies and nonprofits as well as business leaders approach us to partner with them on LinkedIn strategies and execution. But a few things need to be in place before we start.

When and How to Get Started With LinkedIn

Front Porch Marketing first looks at the brand architecture, target audiences, and competitive environment. For a LinkedIn strategy to be successful, there has to be a good marketing foundation. Therefore, if the branding and strategy isn’t right to begin with, we will not be able to help. We believe in being stewards of our Clients’ budgets and brands, so we consider a one-off LinkedIn initiative to be shooting money into the wind. And that LinkedIn mistake isn’t brand- or thought-leader building.

With that said, these are the five most common LinkedIn mistakes we are seeing companies make right now:

1. Brand pages reposting individuals’ content on its feed

Individuals should share brand content on their feed not the other way around. Content should lead back to the brand.

2. Brand pages posting once or maybe two times a month is a LinkedIn mistake

People cannot see the posts without regular consistency. Be consistent to create connections with your audience.

3. Brand pages only posting what is happening with the company

But what’s in it for your followers? To be truly successful on LinkedIn, provide value and insights no matter where they come from. It’s not what’s all about you you you.

4. Brand pages are not being social

LinkedIn members are commenting and liking your posts. Are you engaging them and doing the same in return? Talk to your followers and this will lead to insights that will inform future content.

5. Business leaders are not convicted about the network

They say that people are only trying to sell me things, or that social media is a waste of time. And the worst of all, *that* isn’t worth sharing. Your followers want to know more about your company, what it stands for, how it can help them, what it’s like to work there and more. LinkedIn is not a mistake — it’s a platform for engaging with your employees, your future employees, your peers and the larger business world.

Want to chat more about LinkedIn, and not make a LinkedIn mistake?

We are happy to do so, to help your company understand how LinkedIn can be a business-driving tool for their industry online. Let’s have a real conversation on the Porch.

Seasoned Business Leaders: You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know

As a seasoned business leader, the old adage, “You don’t know what you don’t know,” has been replaying as a reminder in my mind over and over again for the last year. Sometimes when you’ve been doing a certain thing for a long time, you might become insulated from innovation by doing things the way you first learned them. You might even forget the best practices you learned at the beginning in favor of doing what works at the moment in your business. At this point, reminders for seasoned business leaders can be helpful to continue to grow.

So this week I’m sharing here some reminders for business leaders who may need a refresher on the must-dos and must-haves when things are rockin’. And even before they’re rockin’. These apply whether you are a start-up or veteran. I was reminded this week of what I don’t know when I launched a new business of sorts, and finally brought it to life.

Seasoned Business Leader Turned Start-Up (again)

As most of those who know me know, my son is in college in Central Florida. After his freshman year and countless visits to Florida, more for my sake than his, I had an idea. Buy a place in Florida. I’m there all the time to see my son, and when I’m not there I could rent it out to others who would enjoy the beach as much as my family does.

So, I did countless hours of research. Ran numbers backwards and forwards. Consulted my business advisor. Then, did more research. Then, I contacted several owners of rental properties and local small business owners in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Next, I refinanced the house. In addition, I had to take out another significant loan to get this idea off the ground.

As I last blogged, this is not my first rodeo. But, I am here to tell you old dogs do forget the new tricks. As a seasoned business owner, I was reminded in the course of this new project, just how much these business basics matter.

Business Leader Basics to Remember

1. Finances

Make sure you have extra in the budget for unexpected expenses during start-up. Money isn’t made in the first and sometimes second year of business. Remember that. Another thing going through my head these last few months is that real estate is a long term investment, as most businesses are. Seasoned business leaders know to endure the short term pains for the long-term gain.

2. Time

Remember that time is your inventory. Don’t go down rabbit holes. Overthinking and questioning yourself aren’t necessary. Stay focused on what matters. Make decisions and then move on. Most of all, be efficient in all you do.

3. Support Network

Partner with the experts. I don’t know construction. Or anything about the short-term rental space. Nor do know much about HOAs, (but I do now) so I found and made friends with the BEST in these categories. I am so grateful for them and their expertise. Also, my family and friends were there when I needed to vent, cry, scream or say queue #5.

4. Front Porch Marketing Team

If you have two businesses, make sure each of the business teams are in support of the other. The Front Porch team kept the Porch rockin’ while I was bobbing and weaving in and out so I could get Calming Corner (our new beach space) up and running. Seasoned business leaders build teams they can count on in crunch times.

5. Saying Uncle

Yes, you can have too much on your plate. So ask for grace. Be nice to yourself. Realize you do have physical and mental limitations.

6. Good Enough

Our first renters were to arrive at 4 p.m. on the 1^st of April. There was cleaning to be done. Some pictures were not hung, etc. But the place was beautiful. It was time to finish the cleaning and save the rest for the next time she was vacant. Good enough is sometimes perfection.

“The Calming Corner” is Up and Running

I am proud to say that as we are building this rental business, we are also supporting other local businesses. The new couch is manufactured in Florida by a Florida-based company. The patio furniture is manufactured in Volusia County and the business is owned and operated by a local husband and wife duo. And our boutique vacation rental company, Florida Vacay Rentals, is owned by a local female rock star who is also my “Florida Anchor.” And I am honored to call her my friend.

So here is my shameless plug for Calming Corner, our new Front Porch view! Please note, NEW photography coming soon, because there are all new floors, paint and furniture. And there is a fabulous remodeled master bath. Shorehom by the Sea, Unit 54, also has a new bedroom pocket door, a new pantry, a new washer dryer closet and more.

Oh, and, as of April 6, it has a brand new air-conditioner, that was not in the budget … sigh.

Front Porch Marketing is now 12 years old, thanks to you. What are our marketing take-aways from the past 12 years? We value your support and confidence in us over the years! You and your brands are our jam.

Marketing Take-Aways to Help Your Business Grow

Reflecting back on client trends and opportunities, on our pearl anniversary, we share common pearls of wisdom we saw at the beginning and continue to see today. We hope these marketing take-aways spur some thinking for you!

1. DIY Marketing

It only gets a brand so far. And, once your brand is established and has credibility, DIY marketing is no longer good enough. Time to take your garage band to the main stage. Hire a professional or firm.

2. Hiring One Marketing Person to Do All the Marketing Things

There are only a handful of unicorns on the planet that can do all the things marketing. If you go this route, know they need support. A marketing generalist isn’t your graphic designer, copywriter, webmaster, etc. Give them the resources they need to do their jobs.

3. B2B Websites

We hear from business owners their websites aren’t a priority and aren’t a sales and marketing tool. Not true. What we see most often is that you aren’t closing the sale or getting to the next round of meetings because you are getting the veto vote when potential clients go to your website to validate your credibility. Important marketing take-away: your website is your virtual office. Optimize it!

4. Marketing Take-Away for CEOs, C-Suite Executives or Managing Partners

Your role is strategy, operations, finances, and managing people. We have experienced too many times when you want to get too far in the weeds managing marketing. At that point, bottlenecks happen and marketing doesn’t happen at its best or consistently.

5. Brand Architecture

Without brand architecture, your branding is inconsistent. Define your brand mission, personality, positioning and affiliation. Let all things marketing flow from there. This becomes the filter and guidepost for branding and marketing strategy as well as execution.

6. Shiny Objects

You have Salesforce, but your team isn’t utilizing it. Then you get Hootsuite and ZoomInfo and, and, and. Stop right there. Marketing operations take-away: Make sure whatever technology you currently have is being utilized to its fullest. Then, if needed, build upon that with other tools.

Marketing Take-Aways to Take You Through the Next 12 Years

Cheers to you! Thank you for trusting in us, believing in us and getting us to our 12^th anniversary. Without your support, we wouldn’t be rockin’ on the Porch today and lovin’ every minute of it. We hope these 6 marketing take-aways will be helpful for your business as we grow together over the next dozen years!

Whatever your industry, you can no longer afford to ignore the importance of optimizing your website for mobile experience. Google recently revealed that more searches take place on mobile devises than on desktop computers in 10 different countries, including the United States and Japan. That means failure to optimize your website for mobile could leave you with as much as 30% fewer conversions!

How to Increase Your Mobile Conversion Rate

So, where do you start? You’ll need to decide whether your website will be responsive. This means it will automatically adjust based on whether the visitor is on desktop or mobile. Or if you’ll have a separate, mobile-friendly site you direct customers to. Regardless of how you get them to your site, designing your web pages with mobile users in mind is key to avoiding abandoned carts and a high bounce rate.

Optimize Your Website’s Bounce Rate with UX

A ”bounce rate” refers to the “percentage of people who visit [your] landing page and then ‘bounce’ without converting on a form or making a purchase.” Here you want a low number. Design is key to keeping potential leads and customers on your page for as long as possible. HubSpot completed an experiment by re-designing one of their content landing pages, placing an emphasis on UX design, and saw their bounce rate decrease by an average of 27%!

User-focused pages designed with mobile in mind tend to focus on simplicity. Good UX (User Experience design) can help. If a form is too long, there’s too much text to read, or the physical navigation of a page is overly difficult, visitors are likely to become frustrated and leave the website altogether. Poorly formatted pages are also more than aesthetically displeasing, as they tend to feel less reputable than their well-designed counterparts.

Safety Optimization Keeps Visitors On Your Site

It’s important that visitors feel safe while exploring your site. “Mobile users are more likely to have their passwords, app login info, and financial details sorted on their phones,” making them extra vigilant about the websites they visit. Optimize safety on your website. Make your website secure with HTTPS and displaying trust badges. This will put users’ minds at ease. Further, payment method mistrust results in 19% of customers abandoning their carts. If you don’t already make use of e-wallet payment methods like Android Pay, Apple Pay, and PayPal, consider adding them to your payment offerings.

With mobile traffic contributing to the highest percentage of global web traffic, businesses need to optimize their online presence for mobile use. The information here will get you started on the right track.

Oh, Marketing. How Do We Love Thee?

In honor of Valentine’s Day today, we wanted to share some of the things that we absolutely LOVE about marketing. We cover many aspects of marketing in our day-to-day business with clients. We use tried-and-true marketing strategies and tactics that are the bedrock of a solid marketing plan. And there are also trends that we love, so we take advantage of those for our clients as well.

These Marketing Things Are Both Tried-and-True and Also On-Trend

Incorporating these marketing things (strategies, tactics, platforms, approaches) in your business of marketing for a client, is a win-win. First, your clients see results. Then, you look smart. And finally, you’re both successful at growing the business.

Email Marketing

Clients are reaping results from email marketing campaigns. So having the right content and creative are critical. Companies can build a relationship with their customers when email marketing is executed with the reader in mind. Be informative and helpful vs. direct selling, and see an impact on business.

Strategic Paid Traditional and Digital Media Campaigns

Linking these two strategies (traditional and digital) is more effective. First and foremost, invest to meet the target where they are. Approach them in the right mediums. Earn more quality customers by thoughtfully targeting your messaging to impact sales more effectively.

Marketing Leaders Asking the Right Questions

We love this marketing thing: smart leaders. Our clients are smart marketing leaders who are thoughtful in their approach. To start with, we see them asking the right questions. But then we’re asking them the right questions too. This collaboration pays off for both businesses. They want a plan over time, not a one-off initiative. Thus, they are in it to win it for the long haul, and so are we.

Re-evaluate the sales funnel

The sales team might be engaged in selling one-on-one. But it might not be utilizing technology, processes and other tools to continue to engage and grow the engagement. Successful customer engagement and retention includes tactics at every point in the sales funnel. And utilizing powerful tools to scale and automate in conjunction with smart, thoughtful strategies make sense.

Client Loyalty and Retention

It is easier to grow existing business than gain new business. Enter the customer loyalty program. The trend in loyalty and customer retention programs will continue, blurring the lines between physical and digital as 2023 progresses, making customer retention a seamless experience. Loyalty programs incorporate email, text messages, and even print. Clients can grow their infrequent shoppers into brand fanatics using loyalty programs.

Ready to Love Your Company’s Marketing Things?

Think deeper in 2023. Really focus your attention on your customers. Ultimately, create a marketing ecosystem that keeps them informed. Give them insider information. And make their lives easier. This approach is a sure way to see your business grow this coming year. And we would love that for you!

Why Staying on Top of Public Relations Trends is Valuable

Public relations professionals play an integral role in a client’s online reputation. Part of a PR professional’s job is to stay atop the latest public relations industry trends. Trends can play an important role in managing a client’s account.

What was important to consumers in the past might look different today. PR is all about cultivating an image in the minds of consumers. So certain tactics and strategies may resonate with an audience at any given time.

According to the online media monitoring company Meltwater, the five top PR trends that should pilot brand strategy in 2023 are:

Data and Analytics:

In 2023, tracking the impact of a client’s public relations efforts will be key. PR teams need, at a minimum, basic KPIs like brand awareness and favorability, social media engagement, and quality web traffic. With today’s analytics and PR reporting technology, data will play an increasingly essential role in PR strategies. It is an important public relations trend to stay on top of during the year.

Diversity and Inclusion:

More companies are doubling down on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and for good reason. When employees can show up in a workplace where they can be their true selves they are more engaged. Employees are productive, and satisfied in their jobs. It is more than a public relations trend. It’s a shift in the way business will be done. As more consumers and employees raise their expectations of brands to embrace DEI at work, PR teams can expect it to be a recurring theme in their PR campaigns.

Influencer Marketing:

In 2023, focus on maintaining good relationships with existing influencers and connecting with new influencers. To fully leverage influencer marketing, PR teams need a good understanding of the influencer’s audience, niche, and content. These aspects go several layers deep and are full of nuances that can vary from one influencer to the next.

Without learning about these nuances, a company could end up doing more harm than good to its online reputation. One way to avoid potentially damaging influencer experiences is to add dedicated influencer resources to a PR team.

Personalized PR Pitch:

Tailoring PR pitches to individual journalists or influencers helps create messages that speak directly to their interests. It steers away from one-size-fits-none pitches. Instead it presents an eye-catching idea that’s hard to miss, even in an unpredictable news cycle. This helps to create instant trust and credibility. When pitching new sources you deepen the trust with media outlets and professionals. Keep this public relations trend top-of-mind when you practice media relations this year.

Authenticity:

As more marketers and PR professionals are using technology to develop custom experiences, it’s essential to maintain the human element. This makes personalization authentic. Consumers have increased their expectations of the companies with whom they do business. They expect brands to be transparent about ethics and values. Go beyond “marketing speak.” Authenticity is the intersection of these things. It’s no longer enough to spew generic phrases like “We’re in this together,” but back up your statements with actions. The bottom line: people have had many months to re-evaluate what’s important to them. They’re more discerning over how they use their time, which brands they engage with, and how they’re spending money.

Utilizing Public Relations Trends Helps Build Brands

Paying attention to PR trends can assist brands know the who, how, and when in addressing challenges and opportunities. This helps companies recognize and then embrace PR opportunities.

Reminder: its almost Gratitude Week — or as most people call it, Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is one of our favorite times of the year. Why? Because there is much to be grateful for and so many blessings to celebrate. So here’s your gratitude reminder!

Gratitude for Those Around Us

On the Porch, we are thankful for our team, supportive families and friends, clients and advocates. We are always looking for ways to show our gratitude to our village. In doing so, we often have opportunities to create new, authentic connections as well.

Five Ways You Can Share Your Gratitude to Clients and Customers:

1. Share experiences. Host an event or invite them to attend events with the team. The time spent together is invaluable in building relationships and expressing gratitude toward one another.
2. Share socially. Acknowledge loyalty on your company’s social networks.  Follow, like and comment on others’ posts.
3. Share financially. Donating to a cause they care about signals your attentiveness to what is important to them.
4. Share milestones. Commemorate birthdays, business founding dates, anniversaries together. Celebrating success is motivating and boosts confidence. We can all afford to celebrate more in life!
5. Share simply. Thank them at each touchpoint and in every interaction. A simple “thank you” goes a long way. Gratitude is a gift you can share any time of the year!

A Big Thanks from The Front Porch

Your clients and customers play huge roles in your success and should be reminded of your gratitude at every opportunity. So from all of us on the Porch, thank you to our own clients, customers, and readers of this blog. We appreciate you and wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Put Your Marketing Must-Have Plan in Place Now.

Are you ready to tackle your company’s marketing must-have plans for next year? You’re in luck! We’ve simplified that list for you, to get you started. Your business success can be mapped out ahead of time with these five guideposts put in place to execute against.

Having a plan means you know what to do to build your business according to seasons, holidays, business cycles, trends and more. And, if you need help formulating any of these must-haves — or executing them, please ask us!

The Marketing Must-Haves:

1. Marketing Plan

What are your 2023 business and marketing goals? Define them now. Make a marketing plan. Then add in audiences, competition, SWOT, strategies and tactics. Know who you are and what you’re doing. Know what makes your company unique, and what your brand’s biggest benefit is.

2. Content Calendar

This important calendar includes social media and blogging as marketing initiatives. Know what you’re going to talk about every month and every week using this calendar. Take advantage of social media trends. Every content strategy needs a roadmap with dates, and this calendar is super helpful for engaging your consumer on a regular basis.

3. Marketing Timeline

Calendarize key events pertinent to your business, down to the day. Know what events to capitalize on for business success. Plan out when you will carry out campaigns for advertising, digital or print, as well as event pushes, PR and media relations, holiday and event marketing and more.

4. Marketing operations — including people, technology and analytics

Do you have the right team in place? Do you have enough team to get the job done next year? What tech and analytics tools do you need to execute and then evaluate the effectiveness of your strategies against your goals?

5. Marketing Budget

Once the four above have been defined, put numbers to each of them. Create a marketing budget that maximizes your impact. Plan for this budget quarterly, and then, manage to it monthly. Staying on track will pay off.

No matter the size of your business, start on your marketing must-haves now.

Take the guesswork out of what to do next week, next month, or just next with these five marketing must-haves for planning your next business year! We’ve seen our clients grow year over year when we help them set these must-have marketing goals in place. Then, we work together diligently all year to execute against them for business growth and success. It can work for you too.