The SmallBizChat with Melinda Emerson

Alfred Mai is the Founder and CEO of ASM Games, a card game company in San Francisco that aims to make tabletop games that build connections and bring people together. Alfred has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business and Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Following a career in digital marketing—specializing in mobile campaigns—Alfred started ASM Games in 2019.

Today, Alfred joins me to share his journey in creating his card game business and why he chose to start selling on Amazon instead of his own site. He reveals some of the pros and cons of selling through Amazon and explains why it’s important to do your own marketing when trading on the platform. He offers tips on driving traffic to your Amazon listing and promoting products without buying ads. Alfred also outlines the best practices for creating an Amazon listing and getting reviews from buyers.

“Amazon sellers need to be prepared for this new reality: that it will be more and more pay to play—that it will cost you to get visibility.”- Alfred Mai

This week on SmallBizChat Podcast:

Resources Mentioned:

Connect with Alfred Mai:

This episode is sponsored by Amazon

Amazon knows small businesses have many options when deciding how and where to sell their products.

Amazon works hard to be the best small business partner to drive their success - like investing over $30-billion dollars in logistics, tools, and programs to foster their growth.

Because when small businesses thrive, customers benefit from the products and services they offer.

Visit www.amazon.com to learn more on how Amazon can help your small business grow.

Let’s End Small Business Failure - Together!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of the SmallBizChat Podcast - the show on a mission to improve small business success. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review. Help us spread the word and end small business failure by sharing your favorite episodes with your friends and colleagues on social media. Visit our website or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, or YouTube for more great content, tips, and strategies to improve your small business.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Chloe Carmichael is a Leading Clinical Psychologist and TV Expert. She heads a successful practice in New York City working with people on stress management, relationship issues, and career coaching. She has appeared on ABC, CBS, VH1, and other media outlets to share her expertise, is on the Advisory Board for Women's Health Magazine, and writes an expert blog for Psychology Today. Dr. Chloe holds a Master's Degree and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Long Island University and graduated Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude, with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Columbia University. She is also the author of Nervous Energy: Harness the Power of Your Anxiety, a roadmap for high achievers to channel their restlessness, distractions, and roadblocks productively.

Today, Dr. Chloe shares the trends she has noticed on how people are dealing with stress during the pandemic and how stress can affect highly successful people. She reveals what it means to be a high-functioning person and how many people fit into this category without realizing it. She shares some of the tools you can use to harness your anxiety and put your nervous energy to productive use. She also shares the mental shortlists that can help high-functioning people, why it's good to schedule a time for your worries, and how you can clear your mind for the more important things.

“Take that stress and use it as a springboard for healthy activities.” - Dr. Chloe Carmichael

This week on SmallBizChat Podcast:

Connect with Dr. Chloe Carmichael:

This episode is sponsored by... Plastiq

People and businesses everywhere use Plastiq to pay for virtually everything using their credit card, even where cards aren’t accepted. From business expenses, suppliers, rent, taxes, raw materials, and more - Plastiq makes it fast and easy to pay for purchases.

Plastiq allows you to rack up points from your credit card reward programs and offers global payments, the ability to pay in cash from your bank account, and more!

Take two minutes and make a payment with Plastiq today at www.plastiq.com.

Plastiq. It’s the smarter way to pay.

Become Your Own Boss Book GIVEAWAY!

The 2020 pandemic has been so hard on America’s small businesses - and America in general. If you’re ready to start your dream business, then look no further!

I’m currently giving away 1,000 free copies of my best-selling book: Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months. This book has helped over 100,000 people like you to start, build, and grow their small businesses... and now it’s your time to shine.

All you have to do to get your hands on a free copy is head over to www.beginmybiz.com/freeoffer to sign up for your free offer. You only pay shipping.

Let’s End Small Business Failure - Together!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of the SmallBizChat Podcast - the show on a mission to improve small business success. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review. Help us spread the word and end small business failure by sharing your favorite episodes with your friends and colleagues on social media. Visit our website or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, or YouTube for more great content, tips, and strategies to improve your small business.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dianna Geairn, aka The Irreverent Sales Girl, is the founder of Trade Show Makeover, a company that helps clients with generating business leads from the trade show floor. Her company has been featured in media publications like Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and SellingPower. She is the host of the Youtube video series, The SellOut Show, where she shares actionable sales tips, tricks, and advice to help entrepreneurs “get a solid six” in sales.

Dianne joins me today to share how entrepreneurs can leverage live events and trade shows to grow their businesses. She discusses the business opportunities that are available exclusively at trade shows and explains how attending trade shows can help small business owners reduce their cost-per-appointment. She also shares tips on how to decide which live events are the right shows to attend for your small business, the biggest mistakes many entrepreneurs make when attending trade shows, and how to create memorable experiences for those who visit your trade show booth.

“It’s a really expensive thing to do - but if done well, there are some huge benefits.” - Dianna Geairn

This week on the SmallBizChat Podcast:

Your SmallBizChat Action Point for the Week:

Connect with Dianna Geairn:

Enter for Your Chance to WIN!

Do you love winning amazing prices?

In celebration of launching the SmallBizChat Podcast, for the next 30 days, I’m giving away some amazing prizes! Enter for your chance to win!

To enter:

Each week, one lucky winner will win one of the following prizes:

What are you waiting for? Enter for your chance to win today!

Let’s End Small Business Failure - Together!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of the Small Biz Chat Podcast - the show on a mission to improve small business success. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review. Help us spread the word and end small business failure by sharing your favorite episodes with your friends and colleagues on social media. Visit our website or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, or YouTube for more great content, tips, and strategies to improve your small business.

Small Biz Chat Podcast is produced by Auxbus Media. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donna Maria is a certified entrepreneur mentor, attorney, podcaster, and author. After working as an attorney, she launched the Indie Business Network, a coaching, mentoring, and training company serving American maker entrepreneurs. In her new role as the Lifestyle CEO, Donna mentors entrepreneurs. She trains business owners to design and build a solid business platform and create happiness and success to generate income for a lifetime.

Today, Donna shares her journey from being an attorney to becoming an entrepreneurial mentor. She details the Indie Business Network and describes the types of members it has. She reveals what it means to be a lifestyle CEO and the core values you need to consider. She provides tips on escaping the cycle of stress that owning a business can cause and creating a company that will generate income for life. Donna also describes recommended business models for recurring revenue, tips on managing remote teams, and how to engage your customers uniquely.

“You create a life that you want, and you build a business on top of that.” - Donna Maria

This week on SmallBizChat Podcast:

Resources Mentioned:

Connect with Donna Maria:

Join the Small Biz Lady University

Are you ready to start - or grow - your online business? At the Small Biz Lady University - we’ve got you covered. All of our courses are about two specific things - how to become your own boss or how to make money online.

It’s what we do!

Whether you want to learn about email marketing, sales funnels, and social media selling - or you’re just getting started with ecommerce - we have a course for you.

So, if you want to learn how to become your own boss - and do it well - join us at the Small Biz Lady University.

Visit www.smallbizladyuniversity.com to learn more and sign up.

Let’s End Small Business Failure - Together!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of the SmallBizChat Podcast - the show on a mission to improve small business success. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review. Help us spread the word and end small business failure by sharing your favorite episodes with your friends and colleagues on social media. Visit our website or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, or YouTube for more great content, tips, and strategies to improve your small business.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bridget Brown is the Owner and Lead Web Developer of Pages and Post, a digital design agency based in Alabama. Bridget—a mechanical engineer by profession—served in the energy and aerospace industry before founding Pages and Post. She served as an engineer for the Southern Company and as a staff engineer and flight controller for the United Space Alliance. Bridget graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Mississippi and completed her Master of Business Administration at the University of Houston-Clear Lake.

Bridget joins us today to discuss her strategies for running her service-based company. She shares how she combined her technical and creative skills to build her business and divulges the tactics she uses to attract customers for Pages & Posts. She explains how the COVID-19 pandemic increased the demand for Pages & Posts’ digital marketing services. Bridget also offers advice for hiring employees at the right time and reveals how she overcame pricing challenges early in her business.

“Pricing can be tricky for a service-based business. To overcome that, I looked at my competitors and ensured I was up-to-date with them.” - Bridget Brown

This week on SmallBizChat Podcast:

Resources Mentioned:

Connect with Bridget Brown:

Become Your Own Boss Book GIVEAWAY!

The 2020 pandemic has been so hard on America’s small businesses - and America in general. If you’re ready to start your dream business, then look no further!

I’m currently giving away 1,000 free copies of my best-selling book: Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months. This book has helped over 100,000 people like you to start, build, and grow their small businesses... and now it’s your time to shine.

All you have to do to get your hands on a free copy is head over to www.beginmybiz.com/freeoffer to sign up for your free offer. You only pay shipping.

Let’s End Small Business Failure - Together!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of the SmallBizChat Podcast - the show on a mission to improve small business success. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review. Help us spread the word and end small business failure by sharing your favorite episodes with your friends and colleagues on social media. Visit our website or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, or YouTube for more great content, tips, and strategies to improve your small business.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.