1 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome back. This is a bonus episode of Big Business. 2 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:08,160 Speaker 1: And you know what, Xander, we need to come up 3 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:10,760 Speaker 1: with a little name for these kinds of episodes where 4 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:13,160 Speaker 1: people have sent ins like a DM to us and 5 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:16,520 Speaker 1: then we're answering, you know, like the Advice series or whatever. Yeah, 6 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 1: the Business the BBA. 7 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 2: What's that Big Business Advice? 8 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:25,079 Speaker 1: Yeah, the BBA Advisory Board with Brittany. And but it's 9 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:27,640 Speaker 1: not just for business. You know, if you're an employee 10 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:29,920 Speaker 1: or if you're wanting to start a business, you can 11 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:30,960 Speaker 1: send in your questions as well. 12 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:33,839 Speaker 2: If you've got a nasty coworker, send me. 13 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:37,320 Speaker 1: Tell er, if you've got a workplace drama. 14 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:38,199 Speaker 2: Was like, ask the. 15 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 1: Way, this is the BBA. 16 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 2: We want to give you the advice, but also know. 17 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:47,720 Speaker 1: That the details. Okay, so we've got another message today, Xander. 18 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, does say so? It says, Hey, britt I'm a 19 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 2: big fan of the podcast, thank you, and was wondering 20 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 2: if you could offer advice. I am an emerging designer 21 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:00,800 Speaker 2: with my own business that is completely so funded. I 22 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 2: have grown from using any spare income from my normal job, 23 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 2: pouring that into the business, and now having the sales 24 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:10,520 Speaker 2: from my business fund the business itself. My question is 25 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 2: where the heck do I go from here? How do 26 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:16,560 Speaker 2: I keep scaling the business forward? Much loved you always. 27 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:18,959 Speaker 2: I really hope I'm submitting my question in the right place. 28 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:23,000 Speaker 1: You have, yes, And by the way, send your questions 29 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 1: to our Big Business podcast Instagram account, because that's where 30 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:29,640 Speaker 1: we see all of your dms and we collect them 31 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:34,319 Speaker 1: and screenshop them and we use them for episodes. This 32 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:42,120 Speaker 1: is a really kind of hard question to answer, frag you. 33 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:50,279 Speaker 1: This is hard for me to specifically answer without knowing 34 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:53,160 Speaker 1: the details of what kind of business that you have. 35 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:57,520 Speaker 2: In the context of fate, for example, you wouldn't have 36 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 2: been making a ton of the money in the beginning 37 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 2: that would completely self fund the business. Like I know 38 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 2: you poured like fifty grand into it when you started, 39 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 2: and that all came from your pocket. 40 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:09,680 Speaker 1: Ye. 41 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 2: Now she's in the spot where she can actually pour 42 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:14,360 Speaker 2: all the money she's earning from the business to. 43 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:16,120 Speaker 1: Fack into the business into it. 44 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 2: So, like, what are some steps you would have taken? 45 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:22,600 Speaker 1: My step from there? This is me assuming that she 46 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 1: is still the only one working in the business, because 47 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:28,399 Speaker 1: she hasn't mentioned if there's staff or anything. I would 48 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 1: say the next step there for your business is to 49 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:38,360 Speaker 1: keep ramping it up, whether that is hiring someone. And again, 50 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:39,919 Speaker 1: I don't know if you have the kind of business 51 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:42,079 Speaker 1: where you can just have someone come in and help, 52 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:44,720 Speaker 1: because I'll just use a reference of like someone who 53 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:46,960 Speaker 1: does like nails. You can't just have someone come in 54 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:49,800 Speaker 1: and help to do all the day to day tasks 55 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 1: because you have to train someone a lot and they 56 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 1: had to be like qualified or whatever. But like with me, 57 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 1: for Fate, it was hiring that first person to take 58 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:02,440 Speaker 1: some of the tasks off me so that they could 59 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:05,680 Speaker 1: keep the day to day stuff going, like packing the orders, 60 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 1: processing returns, you know, writing stuff on our website in 61 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:13,240 Speaker 1: the product descriptions, so that I could then focus on 62 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 1: doing bigger picture things, which was going to in turn 63 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:19,919 Speaker 1: make the company more money. I could then focus more 64 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 1: on the marketing. You know. My next suggestion would be, 65 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: whatever you are going to do, take it slow and 66 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:31,080 Speaker 1: don't make any huge jumps because you're feeling confident in 67 00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 1: this moment. It's great to see momentum in a business, 68 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: and it's amazing that you know, you were funding it 69 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:40,360 Speaker 1: from your outside job and now the business is kind 70 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 1: of funding itself, which is a great position to be in. 71 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:47,560 Speaker 1: Be very careful with every step you take from here. 72 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 1: And let's say, for example, the next step for you 73 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:53,440 Speaker 1: isn't hiring someone because they can't do what you do 74 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 1: kind of thing. If you need to still be really 75 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 1: hands on with your designs, it would be I guess 76 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:04,280 Speaker 1: building your client tell And again this might be hiring 77 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 1: someone that is going to build the client tele with 78 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: and for you, whether that's through organic social media, Like 79 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 1: I'm not sure if you're looking for more clients, I 80 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:16,000 Speaker 1: don't know exactly how your business works, but it might 81 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:21,360 Speaker 1: be worth you investing some money into paid marketing if 82 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:24,320 Speaker 1: that's going to work for your business type, whether that's 83 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 1: like Facebook Ads or Google. You might want to take 84 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:31,560 Speaker 1: your social media to the next level. Again, I don't 85 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:33,520 Speaker 1: know what your business is or if it's suited to 86 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:35,800 Speaker 1: social media, but in saying that, every single business can 87 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:38,320 Speaker 1: benefit from being on social media. If you're wanting more 88 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:40,880 Speaker 1: eyes on your business, maybe this is the time where 89 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:44,479 Speaker 1: you invest more time of your own into your social media. 90 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:47,039 Speaker 1: Or maybe you can have that first hire come in 91 00:04:47,279 --> 00:04:50,080 Speaker 1: and they're going to work as a social media assistant. 92 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:52,640 Speaker 1: Maybe they've got a really good eye for content creation, 93 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:55,599 Speaker 1: you've got the eyes for the designs. Both of you 94 00:04:55,640 --> 00:05:00,800 Speaker 1: could come together and work together to bring eyes onto 95 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:06,080 Speaker 1: your brand through posting organically on Instagram and TikTok. I 96 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:08,080 Speaker 1: think that would be a great spot if you're wanting 97 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 1: to grow and have more eyes on your business and 98 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:17,400 Speaker 1: maybe get new clients. And another point would be in 99 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:19,360 Speaker 1: your position. Again, it's really hard for me to answer 100 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:23,279 Speaker 1: without knowing exactly what your business is. I wouldn't suggest 101 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:28,400 Speaker 1: hiring any external companies. That's a big tip for all 102 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:30,400 Speaker 1: of you out there, if you're in those early days, 103 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:32,560 Speaker 1: don't go and sign up to like an agency that's 104 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:34,440 Speaker 1: going to charge you eight thousand dollars a month to 105 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:37,640 Speaker 1: give you the best PR and marketing ever or like ads, 106 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 1: because I've been there, done that. A lot of business 107 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 1: owners have been absolutely burnt by that. But they're like 108 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:48,640 Speaker 1: my main two things, Like, if you're wanting to scale 109 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:50,960 Speaker 1: from where you are, you're obviously wanting to get more 110 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:54,000 Speaker 1: customers or clients. However, your business is set up and 111 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:57,640 Speaker 1: it's it's thinking about whether it's hiring and all rounder 112 00:05:57,760 --> 00:05:59,960 Speaker 1: to come and help you with the designs if that work. 113 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:03,600 Speaker 1: But I know that's so specific or hiring someone to 114 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:06,479 Speaker 1: come in that's going to help with your marketing to 115 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 1: build your business bigger across paid media and organic socials. 116 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:17,240 Speaker 1: You might be able to explore working with content creators 117 00:06:17,279 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 1: and influencers. That's another great way to get exposure. Again, 118 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:21,919 Speaker 1: you kind of got like a lot of options, but 119 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:23,640 Speaker 1: it's really hard for me to answer. I know I 120 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:26,520 Speaker 1: keep saying this without knowing the full context of your business. 121 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:29,000 Speaker 1: Can we like tap on her profile and see what 122 00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:29,400 Speaker 1: it is? 123 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:38,560 Speaker 2: Yes, it is eoshop spelled eeyo dot shop on Instagram. 124 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:41,240 Speaker 1: So show me the Instagram page for one second. Okay, 125 00:06:41,279 --> 00:06:43,120 Speaker 1: I've got this all wrong. I thought you were like 126 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:47,839 Speaker 1: a freelance designer, but now that we've looked at your website, 127 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:50,359 Speaker 1: you're a clothing brand. I thought she was like a 128 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:54,000 Speaker 1: freelance graphic designer or something. So now I can answer 129 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:56,920 Speaker 1: this exactly from my own experience. Hire that first employee 130 00:06:56,960 --> 00:06:58,840 Speaker 1: that's going to be the one packing your orders, that's 131 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 1: going to be doing your emails, going to be doing 132 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:03,800 Speaker 1: your returns, so you yourself can focus more on the pieces 133 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:06,559 Speaker 1: that you're coming out with and your marketing. Another great 134 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:09,080 Speaker 1: hire for you will be that social media person. Let 135 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 1: me go look just quickly at your TikTok and your Instagram. 136 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:19,040 Speaker 1: She's already doing great. Oh and she's making it herself 137 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:21,640 Speaker 1: as well, sewing it by hand. I can see you're 138 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:25,640 Speaker 1: sewing things at home. So again that's a hard thing 139 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 1: to hire someone to come and help when she's got 140 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:31,840 Speaker 1: the art of the craft with her hands. My advice 141 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 1: would be all of the above that I've said, keep 142 00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:38,680 Speaker 1: going with your organic marketing on Instagram and TikTok, which 143 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:40,840 Speaker 1: you're already doing. From what I can see like you're doing, 144 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:44,400 Speaker 1: making and packing orders on TikTok, I feel like you've 145 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:47,440 Speaker 1: already got the right idea. The next step for you 146 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:51,520 Speaker 1: once you feel like you're nailing your organic social content, 147 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:53,320 Speaker 1: which you're already doing, I would just say do it 148 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:55,080 Speaker 1: more and more and more. Then you need to be 149 00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:59,480 Speaker 1: looking into those paid ads taking it to the next level, 150 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:01,920 Speaker 1: learning how to do meta ads if you don't already know. 151 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:06,000 Speaker 1: But make sure your organic social media is super super 152 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:10,480 Speaker 1: strong before you start investing in paid ads. The thing 153 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:13,520 Speaker 1: with like running Facebook ads is what a lot of 154 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:17,360 Speaker 1: people get wrong, I believe is just say you launch 155 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:20,800 Speaker 1: a brand and straight away you go to Facebook and 156 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:23,040 Speaker 1: meta and you set up ads and you start spending 157 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:26,000 Speaker 1: money in hopes to get customers. People don't realize how 158 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 1: much organic content plays a part in that, and like 159 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:33,640 Speaker 1: your brand awareness in general. And when I do my ads, sorry, 160 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:35,600 Speaker 1: when I do my videos on my reels and stuff 161 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:38,720 Speaker 1: about my ads, people see how well our fate ads 162 00:08:38,760 --> 00:08:41,600 Speaker 1: perform and think, how, like, how are you getting these results? 163 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:46,040 Speaker 1: It's because we have such strong social media presence and 164 00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:49,920 Speaker 1: brand awareness. So for you, there's so many things that 165 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:52,680 Speaker 1: you could do, but I would focus on fostering a 166 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:57,079 Speaker 1: community even more on your organic socials. Build a strong 167 00:08:57,200 --> 00:09:00,520 Speaker 1: community around your brand. Keep going with those behind the 168 00:09:00,559 --> 00:09:03,319 Speaker 1: scenes videos. You're on the sewing machine at home, you 169 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:06,199 Speaker 1: doing all the things people love seeing that. They love 170 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:08,560 Speaker 1: seeing the behind the scenes, So I would say spend 171 00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:11,880 Speaker 1: even more time on doing that, even if it's hiring 172 00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:13,840 Speaker 1: that social media person that's going to come in and 173 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:15,679 Speaker 1: film all of that for you. Because you're the one 174 00:09:15,679 --> 00:09:18,000 Speaker 1: that's doing the work. You're using your hands to make 175 00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:21,200 Speaker 1: your tops. I would say do more of that and 176 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 1: have someone else even edit and put all the videos together, 177 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:25,160 Speaker 1: because I know how time consuming it is. 178 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:27,760 Speaker 2: The close a sleigh, Yeah, I'm just looking out. You 179 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:31,800 Speaker 2: might actually get they because I sometimes like buy women's 180 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 2: clothes and wear them. It's like yummy, Like everything is 181 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:37,400 Speaker 2: yummy on here, and I've seen I can see you 182 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:39,960 Speaker 2: on here. You in some of your like marketing and 183 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:43,760 Speaker 2: stuff and photoshoots. You've actually got food with the clothes, 184 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:47,560 Speaker 2: which is so the thing right now. Actually, we're going 185 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:50,240 Speaker 2: to get someone on the pod brit and have a 186 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:55,440 Speaker 2: chat about the way food is used in marketing at 187 00:09:55,440 --> 00:09:55,839 Speaker 2: the moment. 188 00:09:55,920 --> 00:09:58,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, love that, But yeah, I would say keep doing 189 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:02,000 Speaker 1: what you're doing, keep hosting that organic content on your 190 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:05,360 Speaker 1: Instagram and TikTok, especially TikTok the behind the scenes taking 191 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:07,680 Speaker 1: people on the journey. And if it's getting too much 192 00:10:07,679 --> 00:10:09,320 Speaker 1: for you, because I know how hard it would be 193 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:11,320 Speaker 1: to be sowing all of your clothes and packing all 194 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:13,760 Speaker 1: the orders and then making all the content, have like 195 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 1: a freelance social media person, even if you're not ready 196 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:19,000 Speaker 1: to hire someone else, Hire a freelancer to come in 197 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:21,920 Speaker 1: once every two weeks and just bulk film a heap 198 00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:24,800 Speaker 1: of videos with you, just anything that's going to take 199 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:27,600 Speaker 1: that time off you so you can focus on what 200 00:10:27,679 --> 00:10:30,920 Speaker 1: you actually need to do. That would be my advice, 201 00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:36,240 Speaker 1: but I think it's amazing that you are at where 202 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:38,600 Speaker 1: you're at in your journey right now. You've started this 203 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:42,280 Speaker 1: business whilst working another job. You've funded it to the 204 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:45,160 Speaker 1: point where it is now the business is paying for itself, 205 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:49,439 Speaker 1: which is amazing. And I think slow and steady wins 206 00:10:49,600 --> 00:10:53,760 Speaker 1: the race, but you're doing bloody awesome and just keep 207 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:56,680 Speaker 1: going and don't forget to ask for help when you 208 00:10:56,720 --> 00:10:58,720 Speaker 1: need it. That's a really important one as well.