Episode 12

What it takes to make it through a tough economy

Published on: 5th December, 2023

We can guarantee you’re feeling the strain of the economy in your business. 

Instead of feeling like there’s nothing you can do about, we break down 5 practical things that you can do to not only shelter your business but to also prosper in the next year. 


Think of this episode like your tough economy survival guide! 

Head over to iwannacollaborate.com and let us know what you took away from this conversation.

Music credit: The Funkster by Sweet Spot

A Subito Media production

Transcript
Jessica T:

Hello, and welcome back to the eaves drop on us podcast.

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I'm Jessica.

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Hey,

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Susan: I'm Susan.

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Jessica T: And this week, as this

episode will be released at the

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very beginning of December, 2023,

we're going to bring a topic that

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I think has been like, hush, hush.

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It's been the topic that I think every

small business owner has been feeling.

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Thinking about, but I wouldn't say

they've been talking about it as

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much as they probably should be,

and that topic is the economy.

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were especially keen on

talking about this topic.

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So I'm going to let you, I'm going

to toss it over to you and let you

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jump in and start talking about

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Susan: this.

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Well, I appreciate that.

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That's very generous.

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And in fact, am very keenly aware

and committed on this particular

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topic because, you know, it

stems from the great pretending.

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So let's define what

the great pretending is.

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Everything's fine.

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My business is great.

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I'm great.

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Happy days.

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And we're seeing it over

and over and over again.

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Saying it does not make it true.

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And so that's where the phrase,

the great pretending stemmed from.

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And so then a deeper question I thought

needed to be asked, well, what are

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we pretending that's not happening?

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And it's the economy.

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And, great or small,

we're feeling the pinch.

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So that pinch could be

a longer sales cycle.

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That pinch could be vendors

increasing wildly the fees

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for their services and goods.

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And, you know, small businesses are

trying to figure out, okay, on the

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right hand, I have service, I'm getting

charged more just to do the same.

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And then I'm looking at, how do I pass

this on to my clients and my clientele

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and not lose their business in doing so.

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So this is really, you know, downward

pressure onto the small business purveyors

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and professional services, especially.

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So without going on the technical side,

I promise you I'm avoiding that at all

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costs here because there are bigger

messages to share with folks in the sense

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of if you are feeling that pinch and

really are getting sick and tired of the

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great pretending that everything's fine.

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I'm fine.

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So

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Jessica T: we've been

kind of operating like.

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I think that, yeah, I think

it is the great pretending.

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It's like, we're just going to keep

acting and doing the same things and

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like, you know, and I think obviously

with entrepreneurs, there's optimism

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and we're always, we're problem

solvers and we're going to figure this

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out and we're going to correct now

we're going to get through this, but

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Susan: I want to capture

that energy right there.

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You said we see, we see the glass.

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Half full, not half empty.

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I love that optimism.

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We are, can, can do people.

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We can figure this out.

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We can work this out.

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This runs diametrically

opposed to that, doesn't it?

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You know, when we're feeling that

pinch and that, and the pressure

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of a contracting economy, meaning

I'm concerned about losing market

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share clients and I'm getting

charged more to do the same or less.

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That's a, that's a

contracting environment.

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So when that happens, the questions

then become, what the hell do we do?

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Well, and I

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Jessica T: want to just actually

thought just validate, I think what

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a lot of people have been feeling,

which is that shift, you know, we were

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just talking about this yesterday.

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So before we get into

like, what, what do you do?

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How do you, how do you navigate this?

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validating that.

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You're not imagining things

like it actually is happening.

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And, you know, you and I were talking

about this yesterday when we were

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hosting a live training to a group

of surface based entrepreneurs,

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you know, who are professional

services, you know, they're, they're.

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It's not product.

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It's not anything like that.

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And so we were talking about how a

couple years ago, people may have

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prioritized your service as a necessity.

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And now they're sort of looking at

it like, I'm thinking twice and it's

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fascinating because it didn't really,

I didn't necessarily explicitly

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make this connection until we talked

about it, but I was like, Oh my

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gosh, the market that I have served.

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Since 2017 has massively shift and shifted

in terms of what it is that they are

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focusing on what they're looking for.

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And more importantly, what

they're willing to invest in.

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so I'll just give the quick example

for the benefit of the listeners.

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And then I, I, I want to get into like,

okay, so what do we do about this, but.

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You know, back in 2018 when you and I were

on the conference event circuit, we were

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speaking all over the place in person and

I was positioning, you know, online course

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creation and let's, let's, you know,

create this killer course and your modules

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are going to look so great and, and

people ate it up because it was so, it was

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creative and it was fun and people love

their, their quote signature process and

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their acronyms and, you know, you know,

Taking the thing that's in their brain

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and putting it onto, you know, exactly.

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And people had time and the

resources to say, I'm going to

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play with this a little bit more.

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Now it's not even on

the list of priorities.

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It's like, I need to make sales.

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This, this baby needs to make money.

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I couldn't focus on the quality of what's

inside this thing later, but I don't have

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time to spend parsing back and forth.

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So I think it's first.

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You know, I think recognizing in one's

business, where are you starting to

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see the symptoms of the economy or feel

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Susan: yeah.

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And so I love that observation,

by the way, thank you.

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And the sharing there that you just

gave, because I think, you know,

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folks listening in will really.

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It becomes much more tangible, right?

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So, if I may, I'm going

to pivot right into.

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What does this all mean?

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And what's the bottom line here, ladies?

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Jessica T: just have to say, I like

that you're not sitting and they're

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like, let's talk about how this

is showing up in our businesses.

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It's like, no, we, we need to make some

decisions and start planning and thinking

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about what we're going to do in 2024.

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Susan: Yeah, you got to bottom line it.

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So the question becomes, okay.

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What the hell do we do?

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The economy is contracting.

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Now what?

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So here's some now what solutions.

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Step 1, really take a look at

where you're feeling that pinch.

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Are you getting vendors coming

in at you left and right?

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requesting a 12, 15, 20 percent

increase on their services.

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Remember that it's a

negotiating opportunity.

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That's 1 thing I'm always fascinated by.

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You can either have a conversation with,

you know, if it's a larger service like

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keep keep just gave us a fabulous notice.

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And

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Jessica T: keep is keep is

in an email marketing system.

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It's

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Susan: a it's a CRM, large scale CRM.

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And it's really what got me thinking

is like, I see this, I'm wondering how

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smaller purveyors are doing and it's

like, but how do you absorb:

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percent increases across the board.

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So your bookkeeper is

giving you an increase.

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Your software or tech stack

purveyors are giving you an

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increase, so on and so forth.

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So what the hell do you do about it?

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Well, number one, pick the phone

up, have a conversation with them.

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This is a conversation,

not a tutorial environment.

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This is a dialogue.

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I would like to work with you.

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Can we negotiate or have a

conversation about this increase?

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Are you able to grandfather me in?

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Because if they're offering real

sweetheart rates to newbies coming in

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and sticking you with a price increase,

you better have that conversation.

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Right?

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So you're going to pick the phone up

and have a productive, respectful,

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professional conversation.

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That means you need to know

what your outcome win is.

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The outcome win is not to take on that

full impact of their price increase.

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That's one.

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Two, you need to ask yourself,

do you really even need it?

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Have you evolved and

grown and, or shifted?

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Do you need that full or service at all?

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Right?

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It's both ways.

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So, that's one thing

I'm always fascinated.

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Small business providers tend

to be a little bit slow to that.

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And it happens to do

because they have less time.

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Perceived last time.

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And yes, I stuck that word in there.

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Perceived.

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They do have the time.

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They perceive they have less.

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I digress.

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So then we go into the next

thing I always recommend.

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Have conversations with your so

called leads or potential clients.

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You know, it's okay to

spread out payments.

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Some is always better

than none, and I think if

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Jessica T: I could just jump in, I think

the theme of the first two points has

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really been communication, and I think

on the one hand, but the first option,

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it's, you know, when you're receiving

information and news from the vendors

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that you're working with that like

prices are increasing, it's like, well,

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sure, you could just take it and be

like, well, I guess it is what it is.

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But if you're saying like,

actually, you can advocate for

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yourself and have a conversation.

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And I think the second thing is also, you

know, having an open line of communication

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with your clients and customers.

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Yes.

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Susan: A hundred percent

communication always wins the day.

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Always.

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So now, you know, let's

take a look at your pricing.

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And your market share, if you will,

I promise you, you're seeing when

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you purchase goods and services, the

new button that's on every checkout,

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would you like to have after pay?

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Would you like to spread

your payments out?

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Take a lesson from our big

brothers and sisters in corporate

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and medium sized enterprises.

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If they're having to do the

same, well, jump on boat.

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Offer the same to your

clientele or potential clients.

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And I think

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Jessica T: I want to jump in and just

say, because I know so many, I've seen

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this so often in social media scrolling

and some of the Facebook groups that I'm

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part of where service based people will

kind of say like, Oh my gosh, I, you know,

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I spread it into payments and I did the

whole service and the person didn't pay.

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I mean, be smart about it in the sense

that like, you know, creating an agreed

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upon structure for payment and payment

plans, but honors both Parties a

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Susan: hundred percent.

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Jessica T: Thank you.

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I feel like I just had to say that.

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Cause I'm like, okay, someone listening

to this is going to be like, okay, so

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I'll just give someone who's coming in 15

payments and I'll do all the workup for

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like, no, that's not what we're saying.

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Usually it's a

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Susan: beginning, middle and

end payment, you know, by the.

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You recover the last payment on

the last day of services, right?

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It should be, you should be chasing

after payments after the fact.

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Unless they have exceptional, you

know, payment history and that's a

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client that's been with you before.

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And, you know, the ads included,

but, you know, the rule of thumb here

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is, you know, if you're professional

services, so I'm talking to my.

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Dental doctor attorneys, my CPAs.

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You know, folks like that aren't

going to use those services and

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run away and, you know, go and.

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Ghost them there there are

mechanisms to recover and so stay on.

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You know, a healthy footing, but I also

want to address the smaller providers

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and purveyors and insane that that, you

know, what, if they have good credit

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history and yeah, you would have to

take a look at their credit history.

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I recommend you looking into that.

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I don't think it's within the

scope of what we're chatting with.

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Today on, but I do think, you know,

ultimately, I'm going to come back

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to what can you do here are options.

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So it will take you.

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Asking those questions, what can I do?

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What should I do about the payments?

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Well, can I jump in real

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Jessica T: quick I think this is also

something really fascinating that we're

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seeing a lot of business owners feeling

inclined to do right now, which is

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lower their rate for the same service.

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So if we're talking about like payments,

I also think it's it's worthy of us

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talking about Before you feel that desire

to say, well, I feel bad because, you

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know, people are going through a tough

time or it's harder for them to pay or

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whatever it is that excuse that you're

kind of hearing from your clients resist

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the temptation to lower your prices

for the same service because you take

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it away, Susan, like, why is that a

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Susan: challenging decision?

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You're not delivering less value.

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More or less time.

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Yeah.

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Well, I put that in my world, in my mind.

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I always put the two

together, but you're right.

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if I am spreading payments out,

it's not to say that I don't

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believe that this has an X value.

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It just means I'm willing

to extend you a courtesy.

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It's not a pass.

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It's a courtesy.

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So, we would have to agree on X.

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So, let's use a round number.

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You and I just sell something for 100.

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I can break it out into

two payments, 50 50.

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All the time you understand it,

you still owe a total of 100.

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So I shouldn't have to lower my

price because I'm extending you

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even more grace and courtesy.

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Jessica T: you know, I think for

some business owners, there's the.

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I just, I don't want to put, my

clients out or my customers out.

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I don't, I know times are

tough and I think the twisting

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and bending of oneself then

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Susan: they need to get clear on

how essential their services are.

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And if they're absolutely not essential.

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I would recommend that you find

an essential component to it.

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Don't become a one trick pony.

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Yeah, be creative.

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Absolutely.

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You cannot, you cannot in these times.

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Allow yourself to get cornered

into, well, I'm a nicety.

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So if I'm a prioritized by other

financial demands, then that

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means your market has shifted.

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You need to go find where your

market has shifted to, right?

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So, you know, if you are

accustomed to selling X, you know,

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widget or service at set price.

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Well, you know what your margin of

profitability is in that I would recommend

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either spread out payments to allow this

standard ideal client or go to where

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the, you know, the market has shifted.

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It's an important point for small

businesses to understand that.

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Just as people can evolve

and change, markets can too.

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So what do I mean by the market?

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It's the buying community.

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It's where you find your ideal

clients is what we actively refer

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to as the buying environment.

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If it has picked up stakes and

moved elsewhere, well, you better

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darn well do your homework and find

it because things have changed.

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We've often said, if you're doing business

the same way you did pre COVID, In a post

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COVID world, you do so at your own peril.

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It comes with terrific risks.

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So this is where, you know, we

have to break the chains of the

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delusion that everything's great.

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All things are good.

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No, things are challenging and things

are a little bit more labor intensive.

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So we have to commit some more time to it.

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It doesn't mean we have

to get steamrolled by it.

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Not even a little

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Jessica T: bit.

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Well, and what I like

what you're saying is.

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it's being creative in the sense that if

what you had before it's people aren't

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biting at it the way that they were.

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Can you add something a little bit

different in terms of a service

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or attaching a product to it?

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That is going to change how

someone is going to perceive it.

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And that could be.

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You know, something you're already doing.

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It could also be learning something new

or connecting or building a relationship

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with another provider to, to transform

that, you know, and If a business owner

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just wanted to, you know, they're,

they weren't interested in doing that.

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They're like, this is my service.

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This is what I do, but I also recognize

that my target audience, my ideal

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client is going to have a tough time.

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Either investing in this

deciding to say yes to this.

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1 of our clients just went through that

and they said, I'm not going to change my.

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My market.

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I'm not going to go, I'm not going

to go search for a different market.

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What I am going to do with my existing

market and my existing client base is

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I'm just going to change the offer,

reducing the price, reducing the

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investment, simultaneously reducing the.

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Deliverables the, the fulfillment

components so that it's also

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it's a win cost burden, right?

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And so it ends up being, I think, a

win win for everybody recognizing that

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the audience very much needs this.

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They recognize they need it.

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They just, it needs to be repackaged and

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Susan: repositioned.

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Yes.

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And we should be doing that

regardless, quite frankly.

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You know, this is again, the perils

of becoming a one trick pony.

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We honestly have been seeing this

for at least a year and a half with

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clients repurpose, reframe, reuse what

you've pushed out there to the market.

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In other words, understand your content.

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Understand your value, understand

how you can best serve and support

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those that you want to do work with.

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So, you know, we ask

people in a very small way.

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All right, if you create some content,

let's see if we can extrapolate a blog

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post, social media post, and maybe

even an email sequence out of it in

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terms of content creation, right?

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It's no different with

your products and services.

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No different.

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what more can we do with X

or this particular widget?

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Can it be partnered with, to your

point, another vendor in the market

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to basically remind our market share

who may have shifted and moved,

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Hey, we're still here, you know?

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so get creative.

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This is where play to

your strengths, right?

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You acknowledged.

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Earlier that we're optimistic and we're

creative people will tap into that energy.

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Get creative.

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that's what we should do about

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Jessica T: this.

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What I what I'm enjoying about this

conversation is I think it's so easy

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for for so many of us, especially in

the small business world to feel like.

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If there's not much we can do,

we kind of feel powerless and in

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some instances, there isn't much

individually we can do to change the

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bigger decisions that are being made.

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However, what I like about this

is, is that we don't have to

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roll over and just accept it.

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I think it introduces one is sort of

growing that backbone and understanding

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that you can advocate for your

business and watch out for what you're

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investing in, who you're working with.

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Um, and two, I think it also, as we've

been talking about just a few moments

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ago, is, is that creativity that so many

of us have, it's like, well, let's tap

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into that and be problem solvers here.

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Yes.

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Susan: This is where it gets

to be a little bit fun and

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you can use your imagination.

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You can use your ingenuity, tap

into those networks that you

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haven't had an opportunity to.

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So there's a number of

ways that you can pivot.

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And respond, don't

react, respond to market.

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I guess impacts if you allow it to

another thing, I want to encourage

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individuals that are running their

own small businesses and, you know,

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leaders in that is remember to now if

you have team, they're feeling the pain

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and the pinch of the economy as well.

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So small businesses tend

to overlook mainly because

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they're so darn demanded upon.

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The pain and the stress and the

overwhelm of the, the economy on

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their employees and their vendors.

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So, you know, expressing,

hey, look, I see it.

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It's that, you know, acknowledging

the big boogeyman in the room.

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It doesn't mean again we're going

to keep hitting this drum folks.

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You don't have to go out to the

greater world and fix it, but you

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can acknowledge to people in the

room that it exists, and I'm going

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to share with you the power of that.

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I'm a member of, we are, of

course, a member of a mastermind.

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And I noticed a little group thing setting

up that, oh yeah, everything's fine.

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It's all hunky dory.

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I'm good.

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I'm good.

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And so of course I pulled the

pin and I rolled out the grenade.

390

:

Yeah, what about this

economy we're all in?

391

:

How are we doing?

392

:

And it was incredible.

393

:

Everybody was like, Oh, finally,

we're going to really talk about this.

394

:

And it turned into an awesome opportunity

of give and take and suggestion.

395

:

And I found it so liberating

and exhilarating, quite

396

:

frankly, and empowering.

397

:

And here's why.

398

:

Just like in our conversation,

Jessica, where, you know, we're,

399

:

this, or this, or this, or this.

400

:

The group in this mastermind

were on fire with options.

401

:

So to my dear listeners, I would encourage

you find other like minded small business

402

:

purveyors and service providers because

it's what they're going through it to

403

:

have some suggestions or creative ideas.

404

:

And that's the power of community.

405

:

That's the power of good communication.

406

:

So, I wanted to share that because

it was really an enlightening map.

407

:

And then, then you saw a whole

bunch of content and rhetoric come

408

:

out from the mastermind organizers.

409

:

Which, Well, it belongs to a grand

poobah, I'll just leave it at that.

410

:

And it was, it was a little humbled

and gratified, quite honestly, that,

411

:

you know, even our little business

that's fabulous and enjoyable can

412

:

impact and influence the greater good.

413

:

And so being seen, being heard

is so incredibly important and

414

:

being brave in this instance, we

all need to be a little braver.

415

:

Well, and I think that

416

:

Jessica T: this, the idea of having a

community is going to be really important

417

:

because I think we are going to continue.

418

:

I've seen it.

419

:

I know you have seen it.

420

:

The, the notices of people who are closing

things down, closing their business.

421

:

And think that that can be avoided if

that person wants it to be avoided.

422

:

If that's if they don't want

to get to a place where they

423

:

have to close their business.

424

:

I think it's one of those where

hold on, find a community.

425

:

And

426

:

Susan: tap into that goes to,

427

:

Jessica T: yeah, use your vendor.

428

:

Like community can look like

a lot of different things.

429

:

It could be, you know, you

know, a networking group.

430

:

It could be your vendors.

431

:

It could be other business friends,

but people who are committed to being

432

:

creative and problem solving and getting

through this, because I think that energy.

433

:

Is, and that positive, like, can do

attitude is going to be so important.

434

:

Attractive.

435

:

It's so attractive.

436

:

It is attractive.

437

:

And I'm just thinking, like, we're

going to weather and start seeing

438

:

some, some closures of, of things.

439

:

And I think it's like, you know, that

is not going to be my business's story.

440

:

And so I'm going to do what

I can to surround myself by

441

:

other like minded individuals

442

:

Susan: who You have to face it.

443

:

But, but that's the

great pretending, right?

444

:

If we break it down now, I'm not

asking everybody to, you know, go

445

:

into the fetal position and find a

corner and have a good, ugly snot cry.

446

:

I'm saying actually get a chip on to your

shoulder, get, get a little gritty here.

447

:

Get, uh, you know, we can, what the

heck are we going to do about this?

448

:

Can I add one

449

:

Jessica T: more to this that

we haven't talked about yet?

450

:

I think people are going to

have to get a lot braver.

451

:

Yes.

452

:

Yes.

453

:

Okay.

454

:

let me paint this picture.

455

:

I think what was so easy for so

many of us,:

456

:

and even further back, right?

457

:

Yeah.

458

:

I think it was so easy for people to

just, you know, And I'm talking about a

459

:

service based entrepreneur here, right?

460

:

Like post something on social media,

you know, do one little thing, you

461

:

know, send one little email and like

the floods of people would come in.

462

:

Right.

463

:

I think, I think for, for a lot of people,

it was just so easy to do those things and

464

:

it felt effortless and there would just

be surrounded by like tons of easy sales.

465

:

I think people.

466

:

In business right now, when I talk

about being brave, it's doing the

467

:

thing that you wake up and you're

like, I don't really want to do it.

468

:

I'm afraid to do it.

469

:

I've resisted doing it.

470

:

I don't like doing it.

471

:

No, your business needs you to do it.

472

:

It's like, go pick up the phone, go

do the thing that you've been avoiding

473

:

doing because it's easy not to do it,

but your business needs it right now.

474

:

So I think there's, I, I read something.

475

:

It was, it was kind of vulgar.

476

:

It was like you got like,

uh, what, what was it?

477

:

It was something like, um, I like vulgar.

478

:

Vulgar.

479

:

I mean, it was, it's, it's, it was

something to the effect of like, your

480

:

business needs you to have balls right

481

:

Susan: now.

482

:

Right.

483

:

I don't know of a moment where our

business didn't require that of

484

:

us to have a straight, straight

backbone and a small attitude.

485

:

You know, you have to feel like the runt

of the litter at all times, just, you're

486

:

just going to get in there and grab

it, you know, you have to be scrappy.

487

:

Jessica T: Well, I think scrappy

looks like, you know, there is

488

:

an element of requiring bravery.

489

:

It's like, for example, it's the,

I haven't been speaking a lot,

490

:

or I've been avoiding speaking.

491

:

It's like, well now go book

yourself a speaking gig.

492

:

I haven't been engaging

with my email list.

493

:

We'll go write the email

and send it to your list.

494

:

Right.

495

:

Go ahead.

496

:

Susan: Yeah, and I love that you're

going down that lane and this is really

497

:

important and this actually ties back

to our webinar yesterday in terms of.

498

:

You know, the focus is now

on money and time, right?

499

:

Time.

500

:

And money, by the way, did I say

money and time time and money?

501

:

Did you did you share that with

you time and money money time?

502

:

So, how does that show up?

503

:

Well, it's called business 101.

504

:

you're very basics and wherever you're

weak on your basic and slack or, you know.

505

:

Forward slash fundamentals.

506

:

It's going to show up a little bit, but

don't get wigged out by that though.

507

:

Don't, don't worry.

508

:

Jessica T: Well, I'm actually going

to put a caveat because if you're

509

:

listening to this and you're like,

Ooh, I don't know if I am the most, the

510

:

last episode, the solo episode I did

talked about those foundational pieces.

511

:

And if those are a little shaky,

it's going to kind of show up

512

:

in some other places for you.

513

:

Yeah.

514

:

So,

515

:

Susan: Yeah, as small businesses, you

know, we do a lot that is lean and

516

:

just in time, and that's not a failing.

517

:

A lot of folks, when you start going to

10 to 15 employees, it feels like it's

518

:

kind of Overstayed its welcome that kind

of business model and you get a little

519

:

bit more formal and you have much more

systems and processes and frameworks I'm

520

:

talking to the us true small businesses,

you know, where you may have less than

521

:

five employees and you have a fabulous

lifestyle business and you're really

522

:

all in, you're really committed and

you're worried about your, your business

523

:

staying open and, you know, finding

centers of profitability for yourself.

524

:

Well, first thing, kick that

habit of refine all's good.

525

:

No impacts.

526

:

Pick that delusion to the corner

and then, you know, take 1 or

527

:

2 of our kind suggestions here.

528

:

And I, you know, when I talk about

money here, I'm talking about,

529

:

you know, your ones and zeros.

530

:

Because as we're asking vendors to

extend a little courtesy and a break

531

:

in that percentage, because I can

assure you, those small to medium sized

532

:

enterprises and corporate have really

kicked out how long they could go before

533

:

they passed on that price increase.

534

:

They're low to pass on price

increases just as we are.

535

:

They're at the at the end of the line.

536

:

They have to do it because they're

feeling it from their employees.

537

:

Hey, we need pay raises.

538

:

It's not keeping up with the economy.

539

:

So it's, it's a catch 22 here.

540

:

Okay.

541

:

So, you know, it's okay to ask, Hey,

look, can we have a conversation.

542

:

So knowing your ones and zeros,

that's your magic, the time, fine.

543

:

Well, you know, If you can shorten up

your time in terms of deliverabilities,

544

:

what once upon a time you had a six

month offering, and I'm talking to

545

:

coaches, authors, and consultants,

if it took you six months, take a

546

:

look at offering it for three months.

547

:

What could you do for three

months if it was three months?

548

:

Look for two and a half

months or two months.

549

:

You see where I'm going.

550

:

I'm shaving time off of the

deliverable because why?

551

:

People need.

552

:

Outcome now, not tomorrow.

553

:

I need quote unquote more

sales now, not tomorrow.

554

:

I need more time to get more

sales when now, not tomorrow.

555

:

And many purveyors really need to

tune into that of their market share.

556

:

Well, I

557

:

Jessica T: think that this has just been,

I don't want to say uplifting because I

558

:

feel like that's not the right word, but

I think it's been so I think it's, it's,

559

:

well, it's been positive in the sense

that I think, as I mentioned earlier,

560

:

rather than just paint the picture of

like, here's why the economy sucks.

561

:

Here's why it feels so hard.

562

:

You know, we're, I'm glad that

we tapped into let's be creative.

563

:

Let's be problem solvers.

564

:

Let's be communicators and let's work

our way through this because, you

565

:

know, focusing on the doom and gloom

is not going to do anybody any good.

566

:

You

567

:

Susan: know, that's not why

you went into small business

568

:

Jessica T: and that's not why.

569

:

Yeah.

570

:

I mean, if you're interested

economics and history, and you

571

:

want to geek out about that.

572

:

Sure.

573

:

Go down the, go down the rabbit hole.

574

:

But I think as far as like, you know,

when we sit down with our clients,

575

:

it's like, we're not going to let you

roll over and just struggle with this.

576

:

So Susan, I'm so glad that we, we took

this conversation the way that we did.

577

:

And so I think with that, yeah, it

was, it was, it was actually very

578

:

fun considering it was a very.

579

:

It's a serious topic, serious topic.

580

:

It is.

581

:

So, so yeah.

582

:

So thank you so much for tuning

in, Susan, thank you as always

583

:

for such a great conversation.

584

:

Susan: It's a joy.

585

:

We'll see you next time.

586

:

Bye.

587

:

Bye.

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About the Podcast

Eavesdrop on Us
Less how-to's. More real business conversations!
The honest business podcast YOU NEED IN YOUR LIFE!
We talk about what it's really like to be in business: the good, the frustrating, the "am I the only one going through this?!" kind of topics.

You're in the right place if you're looking for less "how to's" and more real conversations about what you're going through as an entrepreneur.

Come eavesdrop on our conversations-it'll be like joining us at the kitchen table after working a full day in your business.

About your hosts

Susan Terzakis

Profile picture for Susan Terzakis

5 Things to Know About Susan:


1. I traveled the continental U.S. playing hornline with the famed 27th Lancers drum and bugle corps.

2. As a family we’ve lived coast to coast, moving over 12 times!

3. Born and raised in historic Salem, Massachusetts, while working in our family restaurant, I was able to meet people visiting from all over the world and learned about their cultures and perspectives.

4. While working in the United States Senate as a staffer, I went to every city, village, town, and incorporation in New Hampshire. Every single one! I listened and learned about micro small businesses in our state.

5. I've taken four $100k businesses to over $2 million in annual sales, and I've helped lifestyle brands create revenue that gives them the freedom to spend quality time doing what matters most to them.

Jessica Terzakis

Profile picture for Jessica Terzakis
1. I won the Alfred Ernest Richards award for promising potential in literature and teaching, which started my 15-year career in teaching, curriculum design, and storytelling.
2. My favorite drink is tequila on the rocks. It's a definite conversation starter.
3. I love adrenaline. Whether it's roller coasters, speaking in front of an auditorium full of people, or getting on camera, that rush of energy makes me unstoppable at work.
4. I know how to captivate a room and sell from the stage, and I can help you see yourself doing something bigger than you ever thought you could.
5. At a recent event, one of my clients sold over a million dollars based on the curriculum we built together, and I can help you do the same!