Easely Amused is a painting studio that teaches classes every night with 25-30 students per class. Easely Amused teaches step-by-step painting instructions while allowing our students to personalize their painting for their own personality. Easely Amused is entertainment and education in one business, teaching art classes that are fun to those that have absolutely no experience as well as those who are artistic. Bridget Tisdale created Easely Amused in January 2009 in the garage studio of her interior design business.

Andy: How did you get started with the business?

Bridget: We started in January of 2009 in the garage studio of my interior design business. I have taught hands on classes for years with my interior design business, but started with two painting classes a week in January. We easily had 24 a night, so I started adding more classes. We now have two full studio/retail locations – one in Ridgeland and this one in Flowood (Mississippi). We have 6 teachers and just as many assistants.

Andy: What about marketing?

Bridget: This is an accidental business. We gained publicity by word of mouth and Facebook. The first month we were open I had a class where I didn’t know anyone. I started asking how they had heard about us, and it was through Facebook or word of mouth from a friend.

Andy: So Facebook was an accelerant to the referral process of your friends and customers?

Bridget: You can’t buy advertising like that. The key with Facebook is using it in a personal way. That’s what makes it work.

Andy: I looked this morning and you have 4800 “likes.” How did you get that many “likes” on Facebook?

Bridget: What we post is interesting. It’s attractive and visually interactive. I try to give teasers of the calendar, so fans will have to check back to see the upcoming schedule. We always take pictures after the classes and post them on Facebook. People get so excited to see it and tell their friends.

Andy: What other advertising have you done?

Bridget: Other than Facebook, we have t-shirts and a website where we have our calendar and post pictures of our events. We have signage outside of both locations to spark interest.

Andy: Tell us about some of the different angles of your Easely Amused classes and how you are developing your business to keep it interesting.

Bridget: We have school groups and children’s classes, and we have children’s camps in the summer. We have local artists come in as guests teachers. They offer different styles of paintings, and it gives the participants in the class a chance to learn more about them and their art. You may see their artwork around town, but may not know anything about the artist. Now we have customers who leave educated about that artist and their work. We also have people who may already own work by an artist and come to the class because they are already familiar with their work.

Andy: What have been your biggest growing pains?

Bridget: We have a great staff and a lot of inventory. We are amazed at how many canvases we go through each month. We are learning how much we can handle – how many classes, how many locations.

Andy: What about feedback? What do you do when someone gives you negative feedback?

Bridget: I try to be as open and honest as possible. We aren’t the perfect business. Even in circumstances when the customer is not right, they still deserve to be heard and treated respectfully.

Audience question: When was the moment that you realized you had to start thinking about your business, not just managing it?

Bridget: Six months in. You get to the point where it looks like it’s going to work and you have to take the plunge.

On this episode of ResultsRevTV, Marianna interviewed Betsy Liles, founder and small business owner of b. Liles Studio and b. Fine Art Jewelry in Ridgeland, Miss.

During the show, we talked to Betsy about many topics, but initial feedback says that the most popular topic was Betsy’s use of triggered e-mail marketing campaigns. As a relatively new e-mail marketer (she started in March 2010), Betsy is doing innovative things with e-mail marketing that are saving her time on campaign setup AND providing BIG returns for her business. You can watch the full ResultsRevTV episode here (length: approximately 30 minutes).

Following are paraphrased portions of the interview transcript from Marianna’s interview with Betsy Liles:

Marianna: What is the background on your business location?

Betsy: I worked out of my home for 10 years (starting in 1996) and moved to a small building on Jackson Street in 2006. In 2008 we moved to our current location. It was a house across the street from our first Jackson Street location. I had no idea what would happen, but our business tripled almost immediately. We got lots of comments about our great parking and our window displays. People who had always driven by were now stopping in. We remodeled on a shoestring budget with the help of Latitudes.

Marianna: Talk about doing something “different” from everyone else who makes or sells jewelry, tell us about the business itself.

Betsy: We make versatile jewelry that can be worn alone or combined with other pieces. Much of it is made from recycled metals. Customers come in with old costume jewelry and bags of broken pieces of silverware. We can recreate it into something else that they can wear. Our pieces are noticeable, but subtle.

b. Liles Studio is our manufacturing business. I call myself an “accidental business owner.” I initially moved the business from my home because I wanted more studio space. When we moved we turned into a retail business because of the number of customers coming into the store. I hired a business consultant, went to a computerized accounting system, and we started adding other items to our retail mix such as clothing and handbags that were also unique and had a story or were recycled to fit in with our overall business theme.

When we first moved in to the new building I rented studio space to other artists. As we became a more established business I took that space and converted it from studio space into retail and showroom space.

We sell items for people who don’t want what everyone else has. We use recycled materials and some consignment items.

Marianna: You expanded your retail mix in a way that complimented your core business plan. Retail business owners need to remember to stay true to their business. You said that, initially, your best marketing was done by word of mouth. Tell me about that.

Betsy: I didn’t think I had the money to do anything else. I got business from recommendations from friends. When I hired a consultant I took every bit of information they gave me. Some of it was uncomfortable and stretched me too quickly, but I took note of it. When I started thinking about TV advertising I remember hearing people talk about characters on TV as if they were best friends. I thought, “I want them to think of my business that way.” The impact of TV advertising was immediately huge.

Marianna: What value does advertising shelf-life have to you as a business owner and what are the keys to your advertising or marketing success in each media?

Betsy: A print ad in Mississippi Magazine has a much longer shelf-life because the magazine has such a huge following. Readers don’t throw their issues away, and an issue can stay in a doctor’s office for years. People will see it long after it has been printed. The effect is much longer lasting than a weekly publication.

I have also chosen radio advertising at times because of the loyalty people have to the shows they enjoy. A recommendation from a radio personality carries weight. I advertise on programs that share the same target customer demographic that I do.

We just started email advertising not long ago. We have always sent postcards, but I was persuaded to start emailing customers by my sister. The difference has been measurable, and the cost is nothing compared to traditional mail. When someone initially joins our mailing list, I use an auto responding system with coupons in the first three emails spaced apart, so that we stay at the top of their minds. I want my customers to associate our emails with good things right from the beginning of their experience on our list, so that they stick with it. I want to plant that in their heads right away.

Marianna: How has Facebook impacted your business?

Betsy: The immediacy of it is interesting. It is great to send a targeted message. It is “of the moment” and has a small shelf life, but it is great to let people know about product information. It was a little overwhelming at first, but the college student I hired said I should set it up, and I’m working through it with good success.

Marianna: Tell me about your membership to the Mississippi Craftsman’s Guild and its importance to the community and your business.

Betsy: It is three miles from my store, and it is a beautiful resource for our community. Everything they have is different and unique. A lot of artisans operate under the radar, so it is great to have a central location for their work. Studies show that the economic impact artisans have on a community is huge, and the Mississippi Craftsman’s Guild building is used to build tourism for an area.

Guest Question: How do you decide on the staging for the products in your store?

Betsy: Each vignette is a group of different items that complement each other to show options to customers. I trash dive all the time to find cool things to use as displays.

Guest Question: As you transition from artist to business owner, how do you balance the two sides?

Betsy: It’s tough. I use QuickBooks now for the business. That was a huge leap, but it can better manage the growth. I hate that I’ve stepped away from the art, but I get to support other artists with the business.

Marianna: What are the primary metrics you watch in your business now?

Betsy: We measure what time of day we get the most business and the number of customers we have on each day of the week. We measure which times are the most profitable and what products have sold the best. It helps us decide where to put our resources. You do have to balance it and use the data, but not let it wear you out.

Andy: What has been the most rewarding part of your business?

Betsy: Family heirlooms. Helping people turn an item into something they will use. I love being a part of their story and their families.

Check out Betsy’s work by visiting the b. liles studio web site and her Facebook Page.

What did you think of this episode? How does your experience in business match up with Betsy’s? Let us know in the comments section below.

This weekly e-mail is your chance to learn from the experience of other small business owners. In this issue, a 37-year photography studio veteran and her team share the details of their marketing success including their “Give to Get” marketing strategy.

Michele Jakacki, owner of Focal Point Studio of Photography, has been growing her business for 37 years. Michele and her husband Jerry, are truly a mom and pop team who have embraced the idea of a family business, with Michele’s sister Maresa Miller and niece Amanda Coulon also playing key marketing roles in the business. With TWELVE professionally trained photographers, Focal Point Studio of Photography is serving a second generation of customers from their 10,000 square foot studio in downtown Farmington, Michigan and growing in to the digital age by staying focused on what has mattered since the beginning: high touch relationships with their customers and community.

This week on ResultsRevTV, Michele, Maresa and Amanda talked to Marianna about the secrets to their marketing success. Watch or listen to the 30-minute episode archive here.

PLEASE NOTE: The ladies of Focal Point will be answering your questions about small business and marketing on our web site through the end of this week. Submit your questions by posting comments here.

Use “GIVE TO GET” as a marketing strategy.

1. Give to your community! Being involved in the community will increase your word of mouth sales. The more you are involved, the more customers will know your name. Also, work with other businesses to help grow the community as a whole. Michele is an outspoken volunteer for the Farmington Downtown Development Authority. When the community grows and prospers, so will your business.

2. Give generously to non-profit organizations. At Focal Point Studio, they give a minimum $150 gift certificate to any verified non-profit organization that requests a donation, door prize or auction item. They confess that this one of their best and also least expensive forms of advertising. With each gift, the business gets exposure at an event or fundraiser, often with signage and verbal mention. Most gift certificates bring new customers that have not previously been exposed to the business. Of course, some gift certificates are never redeemed, but the business still gets the exposure at the event. And the ones that are redeemed usually spend more than the gift certificate’s face value!

3. Give to other businesses. Focal Point is currently partnering with doctor’s offices to give all expectant parents a gift certificate as a gift from the doctor. They are also partnering with jewelry stores allowing them to give a gift certificate whenever an engagement ring is purchased. This partnership is free to the business and makes them look good to their customers – and earns new business for Focal Point in the form of infant and bridal portraits respectively.

Here are four more marketing strategy ideas that you can use in your business, too!

4. Be in the customer retention business. Michele says that she instills this idea with all of her employees: “Make a connection with each person who walks in the door. Get to know them; learn their name. Become friends with your customers! This will bring them back to you in the future.” Michele says her business is “90% public relations and 10% technical.” She tells her employees that she doesn’t sign their paychecks – the customers do.

5. Use your employees’ skills and life experiences to your advantage. Michele says that she has learned a lot about the needs and desires of her customers by listening to her employees and learning from their lives and current phases of life. This has helped her understand her target audience better and allowed her to more accurately shape her marketing messages – and better serve her customers.

6. Observe other businesses to get ideas for your own customer experience. Michele says that they are always paying attention to how other businesses treat their customers or what other businesses do for their customers. They note bad habits they want to avoid and learn new tricks they can modify for use in their own customer service.

7. Make it right. How you fix mistakes can often be your best marketing. If something goes wrong, it is critical to validate the feeling of your customer and to be empathetic or apologetic. Assure them that the problem can be fixed and NEVER be defensive. It can be stressful knowing that you may lose money to make it right, but you won’t lose your reputation by doing the right thing. Michele told the story of a bride whose wedding day portrait files were lost. While most studios simply offer a financial refund, that is really not adequate considering the personal loss of not having the photographs. Focal Point offered a studio portrait session – and also paid for all related expenses including hair stylist, professional makeup, recreation of the wedding flowers, tuxedos and even a limousine and other special touches to make the photos authentic and the experience extraordinary. They lost money, but the bride and her family referred thousands of dollars in business in the years following.

Want more?
See the full episode here to learn more. Don’t forget! The ladies of Focal Point will be answering questions about small business and marketing through the end of this week. Submit your questions here.

Michele Jakacki is co-owner of Focal Point Studio of Photography, a locally owned and operated, independent photographic studio business located in downtown Farmington, Michigan. Michele started the business with her husband, Jerry, 37 years ago, with the vision to be the home of Michigan’s finest photographers. They believe they have realized that vision.

You may reprint this article in its entirety if you attribute the article to the Results Revolution and include our mission statement and website address in the credits.

A myriad of practical marketing ideas from a budget-conscious, socially aware entrepreneur

Grace Bateman has a revolutionary small business story indeed. She’s not just transforming her business with extraordinary marketing, but she is transforming the lives of sixteen formerly impoverished Peruvian women (and counting) who now have fair wage jobs with potential for growth and development – all while working flexible hours and raising their families in Peru.

On yesterday’s show, Grace shared a myriad of marketing and business advice from her own experience. So much, in fact, that you will definitely be amazed by the examples and stories she tells in the video archive of this week’s ResultsRevTV show.

In the meantime, here are a few bite-sized pieces of advice from Grace that you can go apply in your own business this week:

1. Create beautiful, memorable packaging for your products AND save money! We think this tip applies whether you are a brick and mortar storefront or e-commerce business. How you package your product leaves a lasting impression on your customer. Grace uses a set of three ink STAMPS to create her customized packaging. (Each stamp cost less than $20.) With this inexpensive touch, Peru Paper cards move from a greeting card commodity to a package worthy of giving AS THE GIFT or a box worthy of being displayed on a desktop rather than stored away in a drawer. Now, that’s added marketing value!

2. Use the “Help a Reporter Out” service. Fondly known as HARO, this FREE service connects journalists with sources for stories. Everyone from the Wall Street Journal and the Today Show to local mommy blogs use HARO to find sources for upcoming articles, broadcast appearances, blog posts, e-books, published books, and more. Learn more about the service here.

Grace has, in just a few short months of using this service, been featured in numerous news outlets through her response to HARO queries. Using HARO’s Gift Bag query service, she even got her cards into a high profile swag bag at the Oscars earlier this month – a bag given to more than 40 A-List celebrities including Oprah, Morgan Freeman, Sandra Bullock, James Cameron and many more. All she had to do was respond to a query and donate a few cards. Grace would say that finding 15 minutes a day to read the daily HARO queries and respond when appropriate has paid big returns for her small business.

3. Turn publicity into more publicity. Once you get a taste of publicity, tell all of your local media that you are getting this attention. They might just give you more. Grace had a story done on her business at the local television news level because of her inclusion in the Oscar swag bag. But only because she told the news this was happening. She also uses media mentions to engage her existing audience by including links to these mentions in her weekly e-mail blast, posting relevant links on her active Facebook Page and archiving her press mentions on her web site.

4. Don’t be afraid of web site technology. Grace recommends having a web site or e-commerce site that you can update yourself almost entirely. Grace admits that she was a complete novice who was a bit afraid of this possibility just a few short months ago, and she now adds and deletes pages, products and all the related information, photos, etc. for her web site on a regular basis after just a couple of hours of training. She has full control which allows her to make quick decisions and upgrades from any Internet connection.

5. Pay attention to Search Engine Optimization. Grace explained that even the basic attention given to search engine optimization had paid big returns for her e-commerce web site in terms of increased search traffic in a very short period of time. Her web site software includes fill-in-the-blank fields for such items as meta tags, meta description, page title and more. Grace recommends taking 30 minutes with your web guy to understand what these words mean and how to update them for every page on your web site as a way to significantly increase search traffic. “I just work on my keywords page by page while I’m watching a football game or something,” Grace said.

6. Tell your story boldly. Grace told us of a time recently when she was upgraded to first class on a flight. The guy sitting next to her happened to be a Vice President from the Coca-Cola Corporation. She told the business’ story, and he ordered his Christmas cards from her.

Examples like this are endless for her business, but they can be for your business, too. The first step is to make sure that your products and services are outstanding. Then, with exceptional product or service in hand, tell your story…a lot. No one should be a greater advocate or hold more passion for your business than you, the owner. Tell your story one at a time. Tell your story in your marketing and packaging. Just don’t be afraid to tell your story from the heart. In marketing circles, this tactic is literally called “storytelling,” and it humanizes your business and will increase sales.

7. Use technology to your advantage. Don’t be afraid of it. In the case of Peru Paper Company, technology like Skype allows Grace to develop new products with her Peruvian employees, participate in weekly employee meetings, and handle routine business decisions with her Peruvian manager face to face…using a technology tool foreign to both she and the Peruvian employees not long ago. Whether your business has an international slant or not, Grace challenges you to consider how technology can save you time, money and make your life more efficient – and convenient. Don’t be afraid of technology; embrace the opportunities that it offers.

Want more?

How does Grace choose her employees in Peru? How does she manage an international team of “work from home moms” while keeping a business going at an efficient pace? What other media exposure has she received – and how did she get it? What are her plans for the future? See the full episode archive HERE and learn the answers to all of those questions and much more.

Grace Bateman is owner of Peru Paper Company, a locally owned and operated, independent e-commerce business and wholesale line of 100% post-consumer waste, recycled handmade paper and handmade greeting card line, created and made by formerly impoverished women in Peru. Grace started her business with $100 five years ago.

You may reprint this article in its entirety if you attribute the article to the Results Revolution and include our mission statement and website address in the credits.

Business & E-mail Marketing Lessons from Restauranteur Jeff Good

Have you been revolutionary this week? I hope so… Let’s get started with this week’s marketing lesson on E-mail Marketing.

Consistency. Consistency. Consistency.

Last week, we learned how important it is to be “consistent in the small things” and to “do what makes your heart sing” from small business owner turned publishing superstar, Jill Conner Brown (aka THE Sweet Potato Queen and Multiple #1 New York Times Bestselling Author).

This week, Jeff Good, co-owner of three locally owned and operated restaurants, started off the ResultsRevTV episode again discussing consistency. Maybe moving mountains and finding success means just being consistent and reliable in what you can get done in your business? How can you be more consistent this week in your marketing and customer experience?

Building Blocks for an Effective E-mail Marketing Program

Yesterday, Jeff spent a lot of time talking to us about his highly successful e-mail marketing efforts. Here are a few tips you can apply to find success in your own e-mail marketing campaigns this week:

• Use a robust software solution for your e-mail marketing. This assures you are compliant with Federal spam laws and that you have access to valuable customer insights and analytics.

• Practice using the software by sending test messages to yourself over and over again until you get it right. Don’t practice on your customers, or you’ll hurt your brand by sending out e-mails that look BAD.

• Use an e-mail solution that has a “schedule your campaign” feature. Make sure you know how to use that feature! This will allow you to create campaigns on your schedule – and send them at the best time for your customers. Jeff has learned that Monday afternoon and Tuesday mornings are his best times to send for a great response.

• Collect e-mail addresses consistently and aggressively. They are GOLD to you and will contribute mightily to your business success now and far into the future.

• Accept that the balancing act between e-mailing too much and not informing your customers is a delicate one. When in doubt, make sure your customers are informed. They can delete the e-mail if they wish, but remember that they chose to be on your list.

• Don’t be a spammer. That means NOT collecting e-mails wherever you can (like from the CC: line of a chain e-mail). Only send e-mails to those who requested them. Jeff admitted that he was a recovering spammer, and he recommends again such practices.

• Respect privacy. Always do the RIGHT thing by your customers by never sharing their e-mail address or your list as a whole with anyone, even your closest ally in business. Have thick skin and don’t let it bother you when people unsubscribe from your list – even if it’s your best friend.

• Never send e-mail just to send it. Only send valuable e-mails.

BONUS: Jeff on Customer Complaints & Employees

Jeff also shared some general wisdom that he’s learned from more than fifteen years in the restaurant business:

• Create a vehicle to collect customer complaints. Jeff uses highly visible printed comment cards in his restaurants. They process approximately 200 cards a week – some complimentary; a few not so much.

• Take customer complaints seriously. Create a system that allows you to respond to complaints quickly and consistently. But also nurture an environment with your employees where complaints make it to you, the owner, so that you can ALL learn from these complaints/mistakes together.

• When you receive a complaint, go out of your way and over the top to make it right. When someone praises you, say thank you. Jeff sends a small gift card as a thank you to customers of his fine dining restaurant for every comment card they submit.

• The quality of the business that you build will determine the quality of the employees you will attract.

Want more?
How many e-mails does Jeff have in his database? What campaign has been his most successful to date? How does he consistently sell out events using nothing more than e-mail marketing? Watch the full episode archive HERE and learn the answers to all of those questions and much more.

Jeff Good is co-owner of Mangia Bene Restaurant Group, a locally owned and operated restaurant group in Jackson, Miss. Jeff and his partner Dan Blumenthal own and operate their original, high quality, high touch restaurant concepts Bravo! Italian Restaurant & Bar, Sal & Mookie’s New York Pizza & Ice Cream Joint, and Broad Street Baking Company as well as Mangia Bene Catering.

You may reprint this article in its entirety if you attribute the article to the Results Revolution and include our mission statement and website address in the credits.

Marketing Lessons & Publicity Tips from THE Sweet Potato Queen

This week on ResultsRevTV, we learned from Multiple #1 New York Times Bestselling Author and small business mega-success story, Sweet Potato Queen Jill Conner Browne. Jill had a lot share, especially on the topic of dealing with the public – from her customers to the media. Best of all she offered encouragement to all of us as small business owners to “do what makes your heart sing.” Jill said the best advice she ever received was to “do what makes your heart sing – what you are passionate about – and the money will follow.”

While many of these pieces of advice are simple, few of us apply them consistently in our businesses. Based on Jill’s experience and success, consistency in the small things could mean big returns for your small business. Here’s how you can apply what we learned from Jill to your own small business this week:

1. Improve your customer relations by responding to each and every e-mail you receive. Always. (And Facebook messages, etc.)

2. When the media calls, be confident. You know more about your small business than anyone else. The media is calling you because they need answers – not because they already know.

3. Once a media interview is scheduled, ask for the questions up front. This helps assure that you and the interviewer are on the same page and helps prevents awkward situations and dead air, especially during live broadcasts.

4. When the media calls, be ready to answer. Don’t delay answering the media even for a few hours. And be prepared to answer the onslaught of subsequent inquiries, orders and web traffic that are sure to follow media exposure.

5. Be generous. Jill says the “first thing you do with your business is give away 10% of it to someone who needs it more than you.”

6. When you learn or benefit from another, always give credit where credit is due. Jill is tremendously humble and quick to share the names of those who have helped her along the way; she encourages all business owners to do the same.

After the live broadcast ended, Jill shared some bonus marketing tips with our studio audience. Many in our audience thought they were her best insights of the day. While we can’t possibly recreate the hilariously funny stories that she told while sharing these marketing tips, we thought we’d at least share the advice with you here:

1. At events, always have a notebook out to collect e-mail addresses, so you can stay in touch with customers and potential customers alike.

2. Use a unique business card. Jill’s hot pink, black ink only business card has her vital info on one side and on the reverse it says “Lick You All Over. 10 cents.” Underneath in small print it says “Call to inquire about our other services.” She claims not one person has ever lost her business card, and she has used the same simple card for two decades. While this somewhat risqué approach is certainly not for every business, there is a lesson to be learned. Be memorable, especially on your business card.

ResultsRevTV is the show where small business owners learn how to grow their businesses by marketing smarter. Each and every week, a successful small business owner will teach us how by sharing their own marketing experiences. ResultsRevTV streams live every Tuesday at noon CST. To attend the live broadcast or watch on the web, learn more here.