Every entrepreneur needs a community - people who inspire us with their stories and share practical advice to help us make a decision or take the next step (or leap!).

This is Small Business is that community. We hear from a diverse group of small business owners about how they found success, and the challenges they faced along the way.

Not only will you feel inspired, you'll get tips you can apply to your own business right now. Whether you're trying to grow your business through social media, find a manufacturer to bring your idea to life, or figure out how to price your product - we got you!

Hosted by Andrea Marquez, an aspiring small business owner, This is Small Business brings a diverse group of entrepreneurs and experts together to help you along your journey.

New episodes are out every week. Follow the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen. You won't want to miss an episode!

Are you trying to figure out if it’s the right time to launch your first product? Just ask Trinity Mouzon Wofford, co-founder and CEO of Golde, who’s going to give us a look into all the behind-the-scenes work she put into their brand as she prepared to launch. She’ll teach us how to prepare your MVP (minimum viable product), tips on how to have a successful launch, and how to know that your product is ready to be on the shelves.

In this episode you’ll hear:

(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 always 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

How do you nail the perfect price for your product? Just ask Mark Stiving, Chief Pricing Educator of Impact Pricing, who will share insights on pricing strategies. He’ll explain how understanding your business strategy and customer decision-making process can help you value your products and how to find out how much your customer is willing to pay.

In this episode you’ll hear:

(02:05) How figuring out your business strategy will influence your pricing.

(03:00) How to find out how much your customer is willing to pay.

(04:52) Should you start selling your products or services at a higher price point?

(06:05) The benefits of a subscription model and how to build one.

(07:50) How understanding the customer decision process can help you set prices.

Identifying your target market, without a plan, can be a struggle. Just ask Amber Murray, the founder of Fidget Stickers, who’s going to break down the customer journey into 5 simple steps and show you how you can improve it so your customers keep coming back for more. Amber also gives advice on how to find customers for your products in places you wouldn’t expect. After you’ve identified your ideal customer, Darian Kovacs, founder of Jelly Digital Marketing, spills the secrets on how to reach them. Darian tells us what social media platform might work best for you (spoiler: it’s all about trial and error) and breaks down how you can use SEO to get the right people to notice your business.

In this episode you’ll hear:

(02:50) Why Amber started Fidget Stickers.

(06:05) Amber uses her business as a case study to explain the five phases of the customer journey: awareness, consideration, decision purchase, retention, and advocacy.

(10:12) Questions you should ask yourself when you evaluate your customer journey.

(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 customers..

(20:36) How to figure out what social platform you should be using to reach your ideal customer.

(23:48) How to use SEO to be more discoverable.

(25:59) Andrea's key takeaways for understanding your customer journey.

Wondering how to navigate common entrepreneurial pitfalls and ensure the success of your business? Just ask Christina Wallace, senior lecturer at Harvard Business School, who’s going to tell us the top three mistakes (or lessons learned as Christina calls them) early stage entrepreneurs make and how you can avoid them.

In this episode you’ll hear:

(01:18) Why you shouldn't do everything yourself. Christina recommends ways to overcome the entrepreneurial urge to do it all.

(04:32) Why cash flow is important and the consequences of ignoring it.

(06:11) How to manage your cash flow by putting liquidity in place before you need it, keeping an eye on any lumpy cash flow throughout the year, and being creative.

(07:41) How to avoid scaling prematurely.

Trying to figure out how and when you should start scaling your side hustle? Just ask Max Ash, the young creator and founder of MAX’IS CREATIONS, who managed to start his business at just 8 years old (with the help of his mom, Jen) and grew it into a successful business. Max and Jen will share their own experiences with protecting their intellectual property, licensing, manufacturing, and evaluating the future of their business. You’ll also hear from Verne Harnish, Founder and CEO of Scaling Up and the Entrepreneurs’ Organization, who shares actionable steps you can take to scale your business.

In this episode you’ll hear:

(02:15) How Max'is Creations started.

(05:19) When Jen and Max realized that Max'is Creations could be more than a side hustle.

(08:18) Jen talks about their experience with licensing – a way for you to partner with other companies without needing to do all the work yourself.

(17:33) Verne emphasizes the importance of marketing and finding influencers to talk about your product or idea if you want to scale your business.

(22:28) Having a routine can save you time.

(23:48) Surround yourself with other like-minded entrepreneurs or mentors.

(27:09) Verne tells us how being bold can land you opportunities.

Are you trying to figure out if a rebrand is worth the high price tag? Just ask actors turned entrepreneurs David McGranaghan & Julian Miller, co-founders of McMiller, a company that creates games designed to make you laugh, who went over-budget to rebrand their business. “Strong design [...] turns a four-star review into a five-star review, and I think that's definitely what we've learned, and it's money well spent [...] I would encourage people to put money into design," says David.

In the season finale of This is Small Business, you’ll hear how Julian and David’s love story sparked the idea to start their business, the challenges and benefits of being married to your business partner, and how design can elevate your products. They’ll also talk about the importance of taking it slow when you’re first stepping into entrepreneurship.

In this episode you’ll hear:

(01:23) How David and Julian met and started Mcmiller

(06:11) Why David and Julian wanted to get into entrepreneurship despite being professional actors

(09:55) The challenges and benefits of starting a business with your romantic partner

(12:28) How you could use reviews to improve your products

(15:12) How design can elevate your products

(22:36) How success can hurt your business if you’re not prepared for it

(23:54) How to add sustainability into your business – Andrea mentions two This is Small Business episodes about sustainability. If you want to learn more, check out this season's bonus episode “How your business can have an impact” or an episode from season 4 called “How to Grow a Sustainable Business.”

(25:58) Julian and David give us a look into their future goals and their upcoming game

(26:55) Julian and David emphasize the importance of taking things slow when you’re starting your business – it’ll help you avoid mistakes and give you time to work on the best version of your product

Are you planning on selling your business but don’t know where to start? Just ask Emmet Apolinario, President of the International Resource Group. Having transitioned into becoming a business broker after navigating the pitfalls of selling his own business, Emmet offers insights on how to evaluate your business to spare you from the same mistakes he made.

“Selling a business is not like selling real estate. It's not going to sell tomorrow.” says Emmet, “[...] preparing and planning is very important.”

Learn how you can increase your business value, who you may need on your team, and when you could be selling your business.

In this episode you’ll hear:

(01:41) Why and when you could be selling your business

(02:40) Challenges that might make your business difficult to sell

(03:26) Who you might need on your team to sell your business

(04:36) How to figure out what your business is worth

(06:27) How to increase your business’ value