Grow A Small Business Podcast
Troy Trewin
Our weekly 30 minute podcast helps you, a small business owner with 5 to 30 team members, take your company to the next level. The Grow A Small Business community, weekly cast, blog and leadership email supports leaders get through the pain of growth.
With insights, lessons learned, books and tools as well as habits these experienced small business owners suggest you develop, our interviews unearth tremendous value for anyone wanting to grow their business with less stress.
With insights, lessons learned, books and tools as well as habits these experienced small business owners suggest you develop, our interviews unearth tremendous value for anyone wanting to grow their business with less stress.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 3, 2021 • 53min
Aged 30 in 2010, incorporated Employsure to provide much needed workplace relations advice. Got first client in 2011 and now has in excess of 28,000 clients, $200 Million in annual turnover, and 1,050 FTE (Edward Mallett)
In this episode, I interview Edward Mallett, the Founder and Managing Director of Employsure, a leading specialist workplace relations consultancy based in Australia and New Zealand. Employsure is part of the Peninsula Group of Companies, the largest worldwide provider of employment law consultancy services and related insurance cover to businesses. They work directly alongside businesses, helping them navigate and manage confusing workplace legislation to ensure they remain fair and safe. Edward incorporated the business in 2010 when he was 30 and got his first client in 2011. They now have 28,000 small to medium size businesses as clients and they support the businesses with customized expert advice, documentations, and solutions across employment relations and work health and safety. From being the only full-time employee in 2011 to now having 1,050 employees, the business now generates $200 Million in annual turnover. Edward says the hardest thing in growing a small business is letting go and that the one thing he would tell himself on day one of starting out in business is, "Give it a crack" The value any small business owner will get from this episode is unmatched, so don't miss out. This Cast Covers: Helping businesses with their workplace relations issues. The importance of small businesses treating their employees fairly. Moving away from wanting to be a barrister towards business ownership. Building the business on a subscription-based model and disrupting the industry. Growing both in Australia and New Zealand from 1 full-time employee to 1,050+ full-time employees, and from $0 to $200 Million in annual turnover. Working with over 28,000 small businesses with each paying an average of $500 a month. Enjoying more about the business than just making money. Changing his view of sales and marketing to scale his business to great heights. How they track the happiness of their 28,000 customers Bootstrapping from his savings and the experience of looking for investors. The great opportunities that are still present in their industry. Thriving through the pandemic when other businesses were failing. Understanding the value of hiring people who would do the things he could do himself. Building a culture around mission and vision that will end up being self-sustaining. Why every small business owner must maintain resilience to succeed in business. Rising above the noise without ignoring it to ensure it doesn't suck you down. Testing people's values whenever he is interviewing them for potential hiring. Measuring employees' performance against their company values. Understanding the purpose of your small business so you can develop a kickass culture around it. Why a small business owner cannot separate their personal life from their business life. Delegating to scale by acknowledging that things won't always be perfect. Having the discipline from day one to have a financial reporting framework. Additional Resources: Employsure Principles By Ray Dalio Built to Last By James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras Hard Thing About Things By Ben Horowitz How I Built This Masters of Scale Music from https://filmmusic.io "Cold Funk" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com). License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Feb 28, 2021 • 44min
In her 40s, started The Mind Lab to help people gain knowledge and practical skills for today's rapidly evolving world. From a small incubator with 5 FTE, to now being an award-winning and profitable social enterprise with 80 FTE (Frances Valintine)
In this episode, I interview Frances Valintine, the Founder, and CEO of The Mind Lab and Tech Futures Lab. The Mind Lab is a platform that empowers students, schools, teachers, and principals to develop contemporary knowledge and practical skills for today's rapidly evolving world and the future of work. Frances was named one of the top 50 movers and shakers in technology education and awarded a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to education and the technology sector. She started Mind Lab in September 2013 in her early 40s, The Mind Lab being the 5th organization she has started. From being a small incubator with five full-time team members, they had a very steep growth and now have around 100 people who work with them on a constant basis with at least 80 working full time. The Mind Lab operates as a social enterprise and has been sustainably profitably all through. Before The Mind Lab, Frances had a consultancy business around marketing, got involved with an organization that was geared towards developing talent for the film and creative industries, and also started an Italian food store that she sold eleven months later. She says the hardest thing in growing a small business is knowing when to accelerate and when to put the foot on the brake, and that the one thing she would tell herself on day one of starting out in business is, "Go fast and don't let any naysayers get in your ear" Stay tuned to learn some really valuable small business growth tips from Frances. This Cast Covers: Running the only private graduate school in New Zealand with students who are typically between 35 and 55. Their two brands under one organization and what each is all about. Generating revenue from tuition fees, scholarships (Government funding), short courses/one-day workshops, programs that are paid for by corporate clients, and government contracts. Being a technologist from a young age and discovering the appetite for education centered around technology for the older population. Starting out with 5 people and having a steep growth to achieve profitability and the current 80 full-time employees. Frances' amazing serial entrepreneurship journey and how she loves being involved with impactful businesses and organizations. Her legitimate desire to do good in the world through her work. Working towards the adoption of continual professional development as a culture in New Zealand. Fragmenting their marketing across multiple channels and why small businesses should ensure their marketing is mobile-first, web-based, and highly responsive. Being comfortable with self-funding her businesses using her own assets. Dealing with the different stress levels that come with being a small business owner. Doing well during the pandemic due to their being largely digital and remote-oriented. The challenges they have in finding great talent in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other tech-oriented disciplines. Starting her first business in her early 20s and never working for anybody. The beauty of being able to watch an idea come to life to become a successful business. Developing habits around more of what makes you happy as a small business owner. Hiring for attitude and aptitude instead of putting so much focus on paper qualifications. Why every small business owner should make sure they hire people personally. Building a culture where employees feel that they're trusted. Continuously learning and getting to university after 40. The importance of having a rapport going with board members outside the office. Her experience with exiting a business. Getting out amongst interesting people and learning from others. The value of digitizing as many processes in your small business as possible. Additional Resources: The Mind Lab Tech Futures Lab Wondery Music from https://filmmusic.io "Cold Funk" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com). License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Feb 24, 2021 • 47min
Aged 32 in 2019, started Dashdot with a few properties that led into losses but didn't give up and now averages $120,000 a month in collected fees and projects to hit $1.5 Million by the end of 2020. Grew FTE from 2 to the current 6 (Goose McGrath)
In this episode, I interview Goose McGrath, the CEO at dashdot Buyers Agents, a buyers agency service that specializes in sourcing investment and homeowner properties that are under market value, with net positive yields, strong capital growth prospects, and that have value add potential through various instruments including subdivisions and renovations. Their core mission is to help business owners build prolific, profitable property portfolios so they can buy back their time, build a legacy, and have more fun. Dashdot helps investors build profitable portfolios using their proprietary Holy Trinity Formula – a renegade strategy that challenges deep-seated beliefs and practices in the highly conservative Australian market. Tapping into an untapped niche on the buyer's side, Goose built a profitable business with relatively less competition. It took Goose some time to find real estate, however. Right from when he was young, he ran his own business organizing music festivals. When he started in real estate, he had barely any knowledge or experience in the field and made some pretty serious mistakes. Goose may have achieved his own success now, but it was the turning points in his crazy journey that have given him the biggest learning experiences in his career. He says the hardest thing in growing a small business is mindset and that the one thing he would tell himself on day one of starting out in business is, "Be patient. It's a long game" Listen in and learn a ton about how to grow a small business. This Cast Covers: How he got his nickname "Goose" and why he uses it as his official name. Helping people buy properties as opposed to being real estate agents. The huge difference in the Australian real estate market where buyers' agency services are concerned. Leaving school early to start his own business and the valuable lessons he learned to become an expert in real estate. Building the Holy Trinity Formula to help them find properties that were cash flow positive, high growth, and with value add potential. Currently owning three properties and the financing challenges that they have to navigate. Why it's a big mistake to focus on specific geographies when looking for properties to invest in. From a series of messy spreadsheets to using data science and machine learning to develop a systemized process. Starting out with a few properties and limited cash, and working hard on marketing to grow to as much as $180,000 in collected fees in some months. Surviving through a 96% reduction in revenue during the Covid-19 pandemic to achieve the current $120,000 a month in collected fees. The misalignment in their perspective of success that taught them the most valuable lesson in business. Growing their business despite their cost per acquisition ratio being the lowest it's ever been. Funding the business from sweat equity, revenue, and profit minus any investors or credit. Growing by focusing their time and attention more on running the business than on raising funding. Overcoming burnout to come out stronger and smarter. Having the strength of mind to forge forward despite the constant fear of not achieving business goals. Learning that working harder doesn't necessarily result in better performance. Why the habit of looking into your finances every week is important. Building a sustainable and kickass culture through regular interaction and coaching for their fully remote team. The Vision Catch Up: How Goose ensures that his team is constantly working towards the core vision and goals of the business. Constantly analyzing the six key areas of life to maintain work-life balance. Investing in both his professional and personal development. Additional Resources: dashdot Buyers Agents The Road Less Stupid By Keith J. Cunningham The Ultimate Entrepreneur Podcast with Jay Abraham Music from https://filmmusic.io "Cold Funk" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com). License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Feb 22, 2021 • 23min
Started Valocity which was rapidly adopted by big banks in New Zealand, Australia, India and Singapore within 6 years to become an industry leader, and grew it organically from a small team to the current almost 100 FTE (Carmen Vicelich)
In this episode, I interview Carmen Vicelich, the award-winning founder and Global CEO of Valocity Global, a company that harnesses technology and data to transform and create new and connected digital ecosystems, streamlining the mortgage lending and valuation processes around the world and automating workflow from end to end. Carmen is an entrepreneurial powerhouse passionate about leveraging data and technology to generate impact and transformation. In record time, she has created two multi-million-dollar, industry-leading businesses that do just that. Purchasing a property is often a significant investment, however, before any bank can lend money for a mortgage, they must first assess its value. Carmen's company Valocity has revolutionized this process, by digitally connecting lenders, valuers, brokers, and customers in one smart platform to streamline the valuation and approval process. This makes property-buying faster and more transparent for all parties, delivering huge efficiencies to the estimated $2 Trillion-dollar New Zealand property market. The unique, cloud-based platform is used by some of the world's largest lenders across New Zealand, Australia, India, and Asia. A true Kiwi success story, Valocity has been recognized globally including the prestigious India FinTech Awards 2019 as Fintech Start Up of the Year, and Singapore Top 10 Global Fintech 2018. In parallel to Valocity, Carmen developed a second company, Data Insight, which helps New Zealand's largest business and government organizations leverage the power of data and advanced analytics, enabling data-driven decision-making to improve customer experience, efficiency, and profitability. Outside of founding two data and technology businesses, Carmen mentors several students and business founders, is a regular speaker sharing her innovation success story, serves on several boards including UNICEF, and is a proud mother of four children. Stay tuned to gain valuable insights as Carmen shares her amazing small business ownership journey This Cast Covers: Helping businesses that have data to make data-driven decisions through analytics and helping them leverage the power of that data. How Valocity eases the process of mortgage lending in New Zealand, Australia, India, and Singapore. Starting a business as a mother of four, aiming at transforming mortgage valuations around the world, and the value of getting support from her husband. Having a monopoly by introducing groundbreaking and new technology that was cloud-based, configurable, and customizable. Growing organically and the great partnership they forged with their current investor two years ago. Starting off with a small founding team and growing it to just under 100 full-time employees within 6 years. Winning awards and being driven by collaboration and innovation. Working with your customers to understand their problem so you can solve it better. Being really good at what they do in their first 4 years by growing organically without any external funding. How being agile has helped them navigate even the most challenging of times including the Covid-19 pandemic. Building a great culture and continuously appreciating her employees. The importance of focusing on one product or service that meets customers' needs. Ensuring every team member is aligned with the goals of the business. Work-Life balance from Carmen's point of view: Understanding your values and figuring out what you're prepared to compromise on. Why small business owners should look after their physical and mental health. The valuable support she receives from her advisory board and why she would advise every small business to have a visionary board and a playbook. Additional Resources: Valocity Global Good to Great By James C. Collins Built to Last By James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras Blinkist Podcast Music from https://filmmusic.io "Cold Funk" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com). License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Feb 17, 2021 • 31min
Initially worked for different PR firms to gain experience and in 2012, aged 23, started her own PR business with nothing but her laptop and tons of passion and creativity. Was the only FTE and now has 4 (Alessandra Pollina)
In this episode, I interview Alessandra Pollina, the Founder, and CEO of Quotable Media Co (Formerly Pollina PR), a Boston-based public relations, marketing, and media agency with a passion for supporting female entrepreneurs. Alessandra is also the host of Quotable: a female millennial entrepreneur podcast. She works with business owners and entrepreneurs to build their brand and their business through public relations and marketing. After studying PR in college, she used her passion for creativity and helping promote businesses to venture into the PR space. She started out by interning for PR agencies to gain the necessary experience and in 2012, aged 23, started her own business. She started out with nothing but her laptop, which was convenient because it meant that she didn't have any overhead costs until she could start hiring. Alessandra says the hardest thing in growing a small business is the loneliness of doing things alone and finding the necessary support system, and shares that the one thing she would tell herself on day one of starting out in business is, "Go for the things that scare you first, and make sure that you're consciously thinking about what that might be, and making sure you're going towards it" Join me as I take this small business ownership with Alessandra to learn from her wealth of experience. This Cast Covers: Generating their revenue from promoting small to midsize businesses and offering content in different forms including courses. Why every small business owner should have a marketing budget and invest in an expert who can help with their PR. Tapping her passion for creativity to build a business in the PR space. Gaining the necessary experience from interning for PR agencies and starting her business a year after college. Being inspired by the desire to work for herself and the numerous challenges she had to overcome when she became a small business owner. Hitting $100,000 with the business before she was 30 and what pushed her to grow it in an agency. Providing a great workplace for her team and ensuring that team members can live a life that they love. How every small business owner never really feels like they have succeeded because they constantly have bigger and bigger goals. Why word-of-mouth marketing is the strongest thing for building a business. Dealing with the stress of the changes that a small business owner has to make in their business at different stages. Navigating the ups and downs that come with an entrepreneurial journey. Loving how being in business enables her to bring opportunities to her team members and clients. The importance of every small business owner learning the art of a quick follow-through. Open and constant communication: The backbone of building a great culture. Constantly struggling with trying to achieve some form of work/life balance. A dose of reading constantly to build on her personal development. Additional Resources: Confessions of an Advertising Man By David Ogilvy Girl Code By Cara Alwill Leyba The Marketing Agency Blueprint By Paul Roetzer The BossBabe Podcast Music from https://filmmusic.io "Cold Funk" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com). License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Feb 14, 2021 • 23min
From accounting and finance to digital models and intellectual property expert with a rockstar remote team of 6. How digital models can help a small business owner grow their business and still maintain some freedom (Renée Hasseldine)
In this episode, I interview Renée Hasseldine, the Founder and CEO of the Think RAPT System, an award-winning system that distills consults, experts, and teams' unique intellectual property into Visual Models. Renée helps experts, consultants, and thought leaders scale up their businesses by developing their intellectual property. More specifically, she works with them to co-create their unique methodology or signature system using visual models. Her knack for extracting and unpacking thoughts and turning them into unique intellectual property is sheer genius. Renée is the author of two best-selling books: "Share Your Passion" and "Game Changer", and the host of the "Leveraged and Loving It" podcast. This Cast Covers: From accounting and finance to bar/cafe owner and settling on consulting for entrepreneurs on digital models. Taking the complex thoughts entrepreneurs have and taking them through different processes to turn them into an effective sales pitch. Why ClickFunnels is not a great platform for content delivery. Some of the small to medium-sized businesses that she has worked with. The importance of digital models when growing a small business. How powerful digital models can be: How she helped one of her clients grow their turnover from $300k to $1Million within 15 months. Embracing visual models as a way of solving problems that affect a small business. Delivering the Think RAPT system with the help of her remote team of six. Winning the Stevie Award for innovation for their system. Moving into the corporate market as well as a licensing and certification system. Explaining the four models of the Think RAPT system. Using technology to generate some culture even when the entire team works remotely. Additional Resources: Think RAPT https://ThinkRAPT.com/Video Share Your Passion By Renée Hasseldine Game Changer By Renée Hasseldine Music from https://filmmusic.io "Cold Funk" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com). License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Feb 10, 2021 • 42min
Aged 22 in 2002, started a fitness business with 1 gym and within 3 years grew it to 5 with each generating in excess of $300,000 a year in revenue. Exited the business in 2015 and now helps people live life with passion and purpose (Craig Schulze)
In this episode, I interview Craig Schulze, the Founder of The One Shot Movement, an author, speaker, investor, podcast host, and lifestyle coach. He is a successful global businessman with a wide range of skills and experiences. He launched The One Shot Movement in 2020 with a vision and mission to help inspire and educate people to live life with passion and purpose. His book, "You've Got One Shot" is a book about navigating through a challenge and then the lessons learned to help move me towards living a meaningful life. Craig started out in business in 2002 when he was 22 after leaving his corporate engineering gig to start a fitness club that he grew into five gyms within three years that were individually turning over $300,000+ a year. He navigated the business through the 2008 global financial crisis and exited it in 2015. Craig helped a small South Australian company set up 22 franchises. He also helped Jeunesse Global launch into Australia and has been making over $1 Million a year for five years now as their independent distributor. He says the hardest thing about growing a small business is people. The one thing he feels he would tell himself on day one of starting out in business is, "Make sure you invest in your personal development and growth and mindset, because it's not a matter of if you're going to have challenges, it's a matter of when and how often. So if you've got really good personal development and mindset, you'll be able to navigate your way through those. And build really good relationships with people because you can just open doors for your relationships, help each other out, collaborate, and I think those two things will hold you in good stead" Ladies and gentlemen, join me as Craig gives us a peek into his incredible small business ownership journey. This Cast Covers: Interviewing over 100 of the biggest entrepreneurs in the world and having an incredible journey starting and growing a fitness business that he later exited. Building his personal brand and raising awareness about the One Shot Movement. Starting with one gym and growing it to five within three years after which he set up 22 very successful franchises. Earning over $1 Million a year for five years distributing with Jeunesse Global. The great feeling of hitting seven figures from all his hard work with the business. Why every small business owner should use all the features of all the social media platforms to market their business. The importance of physical businesses ensuring they have a strong online presence. Getting funding from his parents to get started and the diverse fundraising methods he uses now. How navigating the harsh business environment that Covid-19 created taught him to leave enough margin for error when taking risks. Always enjoying the fast growth of his businesses. Ensuring you grow and constantly evolve as a small business owner by embracing new technologies and best practices. The value of having good people and good systems and processes. Hiring people based more on their personality than anything else. Why every small business owner should be empathetic with their team members. Always learning how to sell better, market better, and create content better. The lessons he learned from exiting a business. Additional Resources: The One Shot Movement The One Shot Movement Podcast You've Got One Shot By Craig Schulze The 4-Hour Work Week By Tim Ferriss The Next Millionaires By Paul Zane Pilzer Good to Great By James C. Collins Principles By Ray Dalio Jack Delosa Podcast Music from https://filmmusic.io "Cold Funk" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com). License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Feb 7, 2021 • 27min
Aged 34 in 2012, left her marketing job to set up a British-made only gift business. Combined her brick and mortar store with eCommerce, doubled her sales year on year for the first 3 years, and grew from 1 FTE to 3 (Kate Tompsett)
In this episode, I interview Kate Tompsett, the Owner at Happy & Glorious, a small family-run business that sells a variety of British-made gifts. Inspired by the wonderful products that are made in Britain, Kate set-up the business in 2012 when she was 34 to support British manufacturing, applaud British talent, and keep her carbon footprint to a minimum. In 2015 she opened a store in Ashford, as part of Ashford Borough Council's regeneration scheme, moving to larger premises in 2017. The arrival of COVID-19 pushed Kate's focus online as she developed her website and social media to compensate for the restrictions of lockdown. Kate sources her products from all over the UK; finds them at trade shows, through social media, or made by talented friends. She also creates her own collection of products, designed and made by Happy & Glorious in-house. When she started out, she was the only full-time employee for the first three years and now has three and expects them to be five by the end of 2021. The business doubled in sales for those first three years and it now sustains a 100% growth every year. Kate says the hardest thing in growing a small business is the pace at which everything changes. The one thing she says she would tell herself on day one of starting out in business is, "Don't listen to the voices that are telling you can't do it or that you're moving too fast or that you're too ambitious, because the external voices are warning through love or worry or placing their own fears and anxieties upon you. Fluff up, try things out and trust your gut. Take risks and take responsibility. Celebrate and take a step back to see how far you've come. Be patient because it's not gonna happen overnight. It's like growing a tree. You've got to nurture it and look after it, protect it until it's tall enough to look after you" Join us as we follow Kate's journey to becoming an independent retailer selling only British-made goods. This Cast Covers: Leaving her marketing job to take the leap of starting her business. How the opportunity to take a shop in Ashford, Kent enabled her to grow her business. The fast growth she has experienced all through and the sustained 100% growth she has enjoyed the last 3 years. Surviving the pandemic from the immense support the business received from local customers. 27% sales from online and 73% from the brick and mortar shop. From one full-time employee to the current three and the expected five by the end of 2021. Making her first online sale that wasn't to a relative and designing/selling her own range of mugs. Building great relationships with over 50 UK based suppliers. Making the most of what the UK has to offer by sourcing and manufacturing all her products in the UK. The importance of creating and sustaining personal relationships with customers. How she navigated through the effects of the pandemic by focusing on what she could control. Focusing her attention more on growing the online part of the business so it can grow more. The joy of designing her own products and seeing people buy them. Planning and bullet journaling: The two things that have enabled her to be an effective small business owner. Applying instinct in finding the right people and looking into what their strengths are. Investing in coaches that are specialized in life and retail. The importance of humility and continuous learning. Keeping up with the constant changes that take place in the world of business. Additional Resources: Happy & Glorious Small Giants By Bo Burlingham Conversations of Inspiration Kindness Economy Music from https://filmmusic.io "Cold Funk" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com). License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Feb 4, 2021 • 20min
Worked as a medical rep and later started a marketing firm aged 27 to help medical practices. Earned £115K in year 1 using only a laptop and investing her time doing everything solo. Now has team of 5 and hit £220K in year 2 (Lucy Nelson)
In this episode, I interview Lucy Nelson, the Founder, Director, and CEO at 2xN Limited, a healthcare marketing, and business development agency. Lucy is also the Founder and Personal Trainer at The Life Plan, where they provide customized fitness, nutrition, and wellness online. She is an expert at managing branding, strategy, and opportunity for clients looking to grow in their sector. Her strengths focus on managing overall brand direction and business growth, marketing, and development of private practices and clinics across London and the UK. She is experienced with marketing, coordinating, and delivering events, and has a proven track record of delivering brand growth and business development. Lucy had worked in healthcare since she left university and she identified a need for the kind of services that 2xN offers, so at the end of 2017, she registered the company and started with a bang in 2018. She started out as the only full-time employee and achieved about £115,000 in revenue in year one. By the end of the second year, the revenue had doubled to £ 220,000 but faced a slump in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The business now has a full-time team of three with two people working part-time. Her advice for every small business owner is that they should fight their self-doubt and believe that their business can work. Lucy feels that the hardest thing in growing a small business is achieving balance and being able to delegate. The one thing she says she would tell herself on day one of starting out in business is, "Keep going. Hold on tight. There are some serious ups and downs but you're going to love it all" Stay tuned to learn from Lucy's business journey. This Cast Covers: Working on an agency basis as a marketing firm specifically for the healthcare industry. How she identified a need for the services that 2xN offers. Helping patients decipher the tons of healthcare information they get online and ensuring that doctors are accurately represented online. From medical sales representative to full-time small business owner who has been positively impacting the healthcare industry. Growing the business from one full-time employee (Herself) to the current three full-time and two part-time employees, and sustaining upwards of £ 200,000 in annual revenues. Surviving the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic to sustain growth into 2021. The success of a small business owner achieving financial growth and being able to work on their own schedule. Maintaining a high customer retention rate by focusing on relationship marketing and word of mouth. Funding the business with nothing but her laptop, time, and tireless hard work. The challenges of doing everything in her business and how she has worked hard on delegating to achieve some balance. Why every small business owner should overcome their self-doubt and believe in the potential of their business. The value of focusing on personality types when hiring new employees. Exercising every day to be able to switch off and unwind. Building the confidence to thrive in a male-dominated industry. Additional Resources: Lean In By Nell Scovell and Sheryl Sandberg Experts Podcast with Lauren Armes Desert Island Discs Music from https://filmmusic.io "Cold Funk" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com). License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Jan 31, 2021 • 42min
After earlier start-up success started a sales-training focused online business in 2020. From 1.5 FTE in 2019 to now 20. During COVID applicants skyrocketed from 100 per month to over 1,000 each month (Joseph Fung)
In this episode, I interview Joseph Fung, the Founder, and CEO of Uvaro, an online tech sales training program that has no-upfront-tuition offering. Joseph is a serial entrepreneur who's launched six startups and gone through a few successful exits. In 2013, his startup TribeHR was acquired by NetSuite, which ended up being acquired by Oracle four years later. He is also the founder of Kiite, a sales enablement software. Uvaro launched its first class at the beginning of 2020 and went from having 150 applicants per month to a thousand per month by the end of the year. They help people sell software and introduce themselves to tech companies, and they don't charge tuition until the candidate gets a new gig. He endured anxious times deciding whether to sell the company or not. Joseph funded the business through private and venture capital from both Canada and the US. He says he felt he had succeeded when he started seeing customer testimonials from customers whose lives were changed by their program. He shared that the hardest thing about growing a small business is doing the right thing at the moment when you're not prepared. The one thing Joseph would tell himself on day one of starting out in business is, "It's more fun than you think it's going to be" Enjoy the interview. This Cast Covers: Introducing us to the Uvaro program and how it works. A view of Joseph Fung's entrepreneurial journey and his different business ventures. Anchoring success on the idea of creating a work environment where people feel engaged and fulfilled. Creating, writing down, and understanding the desired company values and policies before launching a business. Figuring out what story to share as a way of marketing your business. Recruiting based on values and behaviors that are in alignment with the business culture. Focusing on the customer first and their perspective in order to provide a great experience. Handling disappointments on the rapid growth journey. Developing a habit of personal development through learning. Implementing a well-defined process and system of bringing the right people into his team. Nurturing talent and training a fire team to create value from within. Creating a system to recognize adherence to company values. Achieving work-life balance by being passionate and present in the different aspects of life. The value that having a board brings to a small business. Keeping your operations clean from the start by making sure your accounting system is good, records are up to date, and efficiently organizing files and contracts. Additional Resources: Uvaro Kiite Built to Last By James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras The Effective Executive By Peter Drucker Revisionist History Podcast by Malcom Gladwell Vidyard - Online Video Platform for Business First, Break All the Rules By Marcus Buckingham Music from https://filmmusic.io "Cold Funk" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com). License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/


