Small Business Stories: Recent Episodes
Finli
Welcome to Small Business Stories powered by Finli. Each episode we will bring to you the story of an inspiring business owner and learn about an industry. Together, we are a community that promote business ownership, celebrate victories, and recognize that their stories need to be told and these every day heroes deserve to be heard.
Another COVID surge can be a small business owner's worst nightmare. This episode covers ways to prepare and features detailed and researched answers from Finli COO Jonathan DiBenedetto. Listen now.
[00:23] - About Finli COO Jonathan
[01:20] - What are things small businesses can do to protect themselves from a COVID surge?
[01:30] - Tip #1
[03:20] - Tip #2
[04:50] - Tip #3
Past due invoices are the bane of a small business owner's existence. This episode covers methods to prevent them, along with tips on how to collect them if it comes down to it, featuring Finli COO Jonathan DiBenedetto. Listen now.
[1:15] - Advice for small business owners on how to prevent past due invoices.
[1:15] - Advice for small business owners on how to prevent past due invoices.
[3:50] - Other suggestions to track down or avoid past due invoices.
Wondering about what it takes to raise your small business's prices without upsetting your customers? This episode covers frequently asked questions on raising prices with detailed answers from Finli COO Jonathan DiBenedetto. Listen now.
[00:00] - About Jonathan
[01:00] - When is it a good time for businesses to raise their prices?
[03:27] - When a small business has decided to raise its prices, what is one of the more obvious ways to do so?
[04:37] - Do you have any tips for those looking to satisfy their customers while still raising their prices?
[06:35] What’s the easiest way to increase your prices without added in bonuses?
Wondering about what it takes to build a successful small business? What does it take for someone to be their own boss and do what they love? This episode covers Jennifer and her husband's journey to opening their Wushu studio and what they learned along the way. Listen now.
[00:00] - Introduction to Small Business Owner Jennifer and Wushu Academy
[11:00] - What is Jennifer’s favorite part of running Wushu Academy?
[14:35] - What is the hardest part of running a service-oriented business?
[26:00] - If you could go back in time and give some advice to yourself before starting your business, what would it be?
Are you holding off on starting your own business because you're wondering about what it takes to build a successful one? This episode covers the top things you need to know as a small business owner in order to simplify and boost your business. Listen now.
[00:30] - Introduction to Lori Shao
[01:30] - Every business needs its support network
[04:15] - Making sure you are financially stable and able to support your business
[08:30] - You need to stay motivated and be self-motivated
[12:15] - Know what you’re selling
[15:00] - Tips for Introverts
[21:00] - When you’re an entrepreneur, your personal and professional selves merge
Not sure how to go about starting to build your small business? This episode dives deep into how to build your business plan and turn it into a successful SMB. Listen now.
[00:00] - Introduction
[01:00] - Lori Shao Introduction: Founder of VC-Backed Startup Finli
[02:39] - Your 7 Day Schedule
[04:07] - Day One: Figure Out What Your Business Is
[07:47] - Days Two Through Four: Legitimize your business.
[16:03] - Days Five Through Seven: Distribution and Amplification
[24:02] - Questions
Not sure if your small business idea is viable? This episode dives deep into when and how to begin and how to recover from failure. Listen now.
[00:00] - Introduction
[01:09] - About Lori Shao
[02:24] - Prerequisites
[07:36] - Identify a Problem
[09:20] - If I've identified multiple problems, which one do I go with?
[11:40] - Introspection
[14:21] - When to start
[16:42] - What if I fail?
[17:29] - Checklist to De-risk
[20:21] - Q&A
Not sure if your small business can benefit from using paid digital ads? This episode dives deep into who should be using paid ads, how much to expect to pay for it, and how to get started. Listen now.
[3:13] - What is Paid Digital Advertising.
[5:19] - What is Paid Media, Social, and Search Engine Marketing?
[14:31] - Tips for Small Businesses on Social Media Advertisements
[19:09] - Is it just ads? More Marketing Avenues
[21:53] - Conversion Rate Optimization
[27:49] - How can SMBs Make sure they're targeting the right people?
[31:42] - What Makes a Good Facebook Ad?
[35:41] - SMB Media and Ad Creator Tools
[37:59] - Should I create an Ad myself or outsource to an agency?
[43:37] - Ending Questions and Thoughts
On this episode of Small Business Stories powered by Finli, Finli CEO Lori Shao and Liquid CEO Saujin Yi talk about what the liquid workforce is and how small businesses can use contractors to their advantage to speed up growth. On top of discussing the pros and cons of hiring contractors, Lori and Saujin also answer live questions from the audience. Take a listen!
Timestamps for Topic Discussions
[00:00] - Introduction to the Podcast and Guests
[02:09] - What is the Liquid Workforce and Its Benefits?
[07:25] - Barriers to Using Liquid Workforce and Best Practices Overview
[10:58] - General Workflow for Onboarding Liquid Workforce
[21:55] - Question: Utilizing Overseas Third-Party Contractors
[30:06] - Question: How Realistic is It to Implement a Liquid Workforce?
[31:36] - Question: How to Handle Independent Contractors in California in Regards to AB5? | State of California EDD
[42.17] - Cost Difference: Employee vs. Contractor
[49.08] - Outro and Closing Remarks
Submit any questions you have about running a small business and our team of experts will get you an answer. | https://finli.com/learn/category/ask-finli/
On this episode of Small Business Stories powered by Finli, CEO Lori Shao and Content Manager Angie Wong discuss the methods small businesses can implement to grow their business, including how to build and grow their social media presence, how to optimize their website, and how to utilize tools that are available to them to make both of these as easy and quick as possible. Take a listen!
Timestamps for Topic Discussions
[00:01] - Introduction: What's next after creating your Website | Finli.com
[01:24] - Utilizing Social Media to Grow your Audience and Awareness
[03:32] - Different Types of Social Media Platforms and Video Repositories
[08:58] - Facebook Use Cases and Whether it is Still Optimal to Host your Community
[11:44] - Recommendations for Companies Entering Into Social Media
[18:35] - How to Drive Traffic to your Business Website And Deliver Meaningful Content on your Site
[26:38] - Best Practices for a Small Business to Increase their SEO Rankings
[29:24] - Message to Viewers | Finli Learning Center | https://finli.com/learn/
[30:46] - How Finli can Simplify Your Business Operations / or What Finli can do for your Business
Tools Mentioned
- Canva
- Wix
- Squarespace
- SproutSocial
- Ahrefs
Be sure to view answers to and submit any questions you may have about running a small business and we’ll get you an answer. | https://finli.com/learn/category/ask-finli/
For this episode, we have a candid conversation about the grit and resilience of Martial Arts Studios through COVID-19 and beyond.
The dog training industry is fascinating. In this episode, Chelsea and I will take you on a journey to understand the customer experience as well as the thriving dog training industry. The business opportunities in this +$10billion vertical is drool worthy and rapidly growing year over year. Although businesses in this category are above average when it comes to embracing technology, there is still plenty of room for innovation and all are patiently awaiting for an industry leader to pierce through the bark.
Goodbye treasury. Hello families.
Follow Cynthia's journey from pursuing a lucrative career in treasury to finding her calling in family therapy. Hear her trials and triumphs, challenges of scaling her business, tips on mental health, research on culture as it relates to embracing therapy, and more.....
So..... what do you do after a decade in Corporate America? You quit your stable job and open a flower shop of course! We could all dream of roses and eucalyptus but to Jenelle, this dream is reality. In this episode, we will follow her through motherhood, rose ceremonies, life's purpose, all the while navigating through a global pandemic.
Love of music + love of people with a sprinkle of grit, a touch of fearlessness, and high dose courage reflect Chelsea's delightful journey into entrepreneurship.