If you're a fan of the BS-Free Service Business Show, check out Duped. Duped is a limited series podcast hosted by myself and Dr. Michelle Mazur, where we talk about the dark side of online business that you need to know about, and more importantly, how to protect yourself from falling prey to these tactics and tricks.
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Remember when the word expert next to someone’s name actually meant that they were, in fact, an expert in their field?
Yeah, so do we.
Now, in a world where people can literally create any persona they want on the internet, the designation of “expert” can be incredibly misleading. These self-declared experts are out there, giving advice, selling you products and in many cases, they’re influencers — NOT experts.
So how do you parse out the real from the fake?
In this episode of Duped, we’re breaking down the difference between influencers and actual experts, and talking about the dirty truth of what we’re seeing on social media.
If you're a fan of the BS-Free Service Business Show, check out Duped. Duped is a limited series podcast hosted by myself and Dr. Michelle Mazur, where we talk about the dark side of online business that you need to know about, and more importantly, how to protect yourself from falling prey to these tactics and tricks.
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Have you noticed that “ethical” has become the buzzword-du-jour in the 2021 online business world?
Listen. Running an ethical business is important, but doing that can seem pretty challenging when so much of what we’ve been taught about sales and marketing is contrary to ethical practices.
There’s also now a whole cohort of biz owners hopping on the bandwagon and *saying* they’re ethical when they are changing a thing about how they do business. So it’s pretty clear that label themselves as such are ethical in name only.
This is the newest way celebrity entrepreneurs are duping their customers, and that’s what we are breaking down on this episode of Duped.
Learn more about Duped at duped.online
Hands up if you’ve ever been told you need to “hustle harder”.
Keep your hands up if reading makes you want to have a nap, because the idea of hustling is downright exhausting.
The relentless message around needing to hustle is contrary to why we ever started a business.
What we really need and want is more *freedom* with our time.
That’s why I invited my guest Becca Rich, a holistic time management strategist and coach, to discuss the idea of time freedom and so much more.
Get the inside scoop here: smallbusinessboss.co/time-freedom
“I make 7 figures and you can too! All you need is my proven system!”
Bet you’ve seen this sort of claim so many times you’ve lost count and it’s totally eye roll worthy.
The online business world is full of people making BIG income claims. And as the years pass, these claims seem to continuously escalate. First it was 5 figures, then it was 6, and now we’re at 7 or 8 figures.
But you know what? The reality of the online business world is that most people are NOT making this kind of money. They’re simply not.
Even worse, these claims generally have little to no evidence to back them up. But people see these numbers and feel like they’re failing.
In this episode we’re diving into what you, as a consumer, need to know about income claim marketing.
Get the inside scoop: https://smallbusinessboss.co/income-claim-marketing/
Have you ever had a question and thought “hmmm, I wish there was another biz owner I could ask about this”?
Over the past year I’ve had a great time interacting and answering. questions over on Instagram. And that’s exactly why I decided to bring those questions to the podcast and share them all with you.
In this episode, I’m answering listener questions from how to deal with procrastination to what to do about pricing to if wanting to burn down your business is normal.
Get the inside scoop:
smallbusinessboss.co/frequently-asked-questions
Have you ever been given the advice that you need to work on your visibility as a business owner?
While on the surface this is true, one of the things that holds many people back is feeling that visibility = an extroverted, loud, in-your-face approach.
Totally not my style, and probably not yours either. And that’s okay! Because we do, in fact, have alternatives.
In this episode, guest Mai-kee Tsang joins me to talk about her approach to visibility, and pitching yourself as a guest on podcasts.
Get the inside scoop:
smallbusinessboss.co/sustainable-visibility
One of the most common questions I get asked is about how much people should be paying their employees or contractors.
While the actual amount will always vary depending on the role, having a strategy for determining what rates to offer is critical.
An important part of running an ethical online business is about NOT trying to get the largest amount of work for the least amount of money.
It’s time to put people before profits and not listen to the exploitative hiring BS celebrity entrepreneurs teach.
In this episode, we’re diving into what you need to know about paying your team.
Get the inside scoop:
smallbusinessboss.co/paying-your-team
When you’re trying to figure out who to trust online, you can’t just look for something sleazy or sketchy as a sign that you should skip doing business with someone.
It’s much more complex and nuanced than looking at the FB ad with a guy on a yacht and thinking, next.
It’s much more complicated, and sometimes a scammer looks and acts like your BFF or your fave academic researcher. And their marketing is designed to lure you with that image and act.
In this episode, we’re diving into the world of celebrity entrepreneurship with fresh updates for 2021.
Get the inside scoop:
smallbusinessboss.co/2021-celebrity-entrepreneur
Have you ever felt so overwhelmed in your biz that you’re ready to light a match and burn the whole thing to the ground? 🔥
Been there, done that.
The reality of being of a biz owner is that even when things seem to be going great, the tide can turn quickly. Even something awesome like bringing a client onboard can start to make you feel like you're falling apart at the seams if you don’t actually have enough support to get all the work done.
So how do we turn it around so we don’t end up in that position in the first place?
It starts with capacity planning, where you get a better handle on the supply and demand of your business.
In this episode of the BS-Free Service Business podcast, I’m giving you a crash course on the basics of capacity planning.
Get the inside scoop:
smallbusinessboss.co/capacity-planning
Language is always evolving, and with that, so should our marketing and copywriting.
Why? Because the words we choose matter.
If we want to convey the message that our business is inclusive, diverse and equitable, then the language we use needs to reflect that.
That’s exactly why in this episode, Nailah King joins me to talk about inclusive copywriting including what it is, and how to get started on being more inclusive with your copy.
Get the inside scoop:
smallbusinessboss.co/inclusive-copywriting
How many times have you heard the advice that you need to focus on scaling your service business?
While on the surface telling someone to work on growing their business doesn’t seem like bad advice, the reality is that it’s not always time for growth. Being profitable doesn’t automatically mean you have to double or triple in size.
In this episode, we’re going to dig into how to really build a small, simple and sustainable service business. One that’s profitable and that doesn’t drive you into the ground.
Get the inside scoop: smallbusinessboss.co/profitable-service-business
If you’ve worked in the online biz world for more than a hot minute, you’ve probably noticed something —
Nothing is quite like it seems.
You buy a template, a course, mastermind or hire a coach, and once you’ve handed over your hard earned money you quickly realize you are definitely NOT getting what you thought you paid for.
Turns out you’ve fallen prey to the old “bait and switch”. And trust us when we say, so have we.
It was with these sorts of questionable tactics in mind that we decided to do this limited series podcast as a way to explore some of the most pressing and concerning issues we see in online business. In our inaugural episode, we’re tackling the massive bait and switch problem that’s rampant in this industry and sharing ideas on how you can protect yourself.
More details at duped.online.
What’s the worst business advice you’ve ever received?
For me, when I think back on the bad business advice, there’s one thing that stands out — a whole lot of it came from people who didn’t understand very much about running a service business. People who haven’t done it themselves. People who don’t get how creative businesses work.
Unfortunately, this bad advice can lead us to all sorts of places we don’t need to go. It can waste so much time and energy….which is why in this episode we’re looking at two very different types of services businesses and what’s involved with each one.
We’re doing a deep dive into the differences between coaching and creative businesses.
Get the inside scoop right here:
https://smallbusinessboss.co/service-business-model
As a services business owner, have you ever felt overwhelmed trying to figure out what exactly to offer your clients?
Part of that struggle often stems from the world of online business and the revolving door of what’s trending. Some years flat-rate pricing is all the rage, other years it seems like everyone’s preaching the benefits of the VIP day model.
How do you wade through the trends and figure out what *really* makes the most sense for you AND your clients?
In this episode, we’re exploring how to design your services so you provide the right offer for you and your clients.
Get the inside scoop right here: smallbusinessboss.co/client-offers
Hands up if you love a great story!
As an avid reader and a professional writer, I’ve always been fascinated by stories. And while storytelling hasn’t been a topic that I’ve tackled in a while, it hasn’t escaped my notice that the online business world continues to be besieged by an approach to storytelling that’s a weird combination of super basic and ultra toxic.
What’s the alternative? How do you tell your stories in a way that isn’t the same old canned, repetitive trope, or worst yet serving up drama and trauma?
In this episode, I’m talking about how we need to think differently about how we use storytelling in our business and focus on an approach that’s based on being respectful and responsible.
Get the inside scoop right here:
smallbusinessboss.co/storytelling-for-business
The business as usual of online business is broken. But what are the alternatives?
Breaking-Free of the Status Quo of Online Business will help you take a trust-driven approach to your marketing, sales and service as a coach, consultant, creative or creator. (That’s right this isn’t just for service businesses, but don’t worry, you’re still my fave!)
In this free training we'll explore:
- The current state of online business when it comes to sales, marketing, and service. (And why you need to run the other way!)
- An alternative approach where you bake trust into everything you do in your business.
- Specific examples of how to put this into action in your business.
Sign up now at: smallbusinessboss.co/trusted
You’ve got a strategy for marketing and sales — but do you have a strategy for what happens after someone actually becomes your client?
Let’s face it: Clients are the lifeblood of your business. So ensuring their experience is outstanding is one of the best ways to create loyal, repeat customers who’ll help bring more clients to your door.
In this episode we’re looking at how to create a client experience based on trust, and all the things your clients wish you really knew.
Get the inside scoop right here:
smallbusinessboss.co/client-experience
When you hear the word “selling” what’s your gut reaction?
Unsure? Scared? Like you suck? Or that you could be doing much better?
The reality is that for many of us, the entire concept selling has a lot of baggage attached to it. But we can’t get away from the fact that if we want a sustainable business, selling is part of the deal.
How do we move past the nasty and negative style of sales in done in online business and do it in a way that doesn’t feel sleazy or predatory?
In this episode we’re breaking down how to sell your services without being sleazy, and digging into everything that’s made you doubt or question your approach to sales.
Get the inside scoop right here:
https://smallbusinessboss.co/sell-your-services
Picture it: Somewhere in the world, March 2021.
You’ve gotten yet ANOTHER sleazy email from some bro marketer trying to sell you their newest product or service, and the email is hitting you hard in all your weak spots.
And in all the thoughts running through your head, at some point you think, “well at least I don’t do anything like that with my marketing”.
However, if you work online, you’ve very likely had bro marketing baked into what you’re doing — even if that was never your intention.
So how do you know for sure?
In this episode, I’m talking about how to de-bro your marketing, and you may be surprised at how simple this can really be.
Get the inside scoop right here: https://smallbusinessboss.co/marketing-basics/
Have you ever bought a product or service for your business that you didn’t actually really want or need?
You started out browsing because something caught your attention and the next thing you know you’re looking around wondering exactly what happened.
I know because I’ve been there, and many times it was because I got played. I was motivated by fear and didn’t even know what was happening.
In this episode we’re exploring why that happens to us, along with why fear is a terrible strategy and, more importantly, what to do instead.
Get the inside scoop right here:
https://smallbusinessboss.co/fear-based-marketing/
Hands up if you’ve ever heard this common refrain in the online business world:
“You gotta spend money to make money!!”
This “invest at all costs” message is designed to override logical thinking by urging you to take action and purchase, no matter what.
These fear-based tactics are exactly why I decided to conduct a survey regarding the good, the bad, and the ugly of business investments.
In this episode, I’m sharing the results of the survey and digging into what was really happening with people making these investments.
Get the inside scoop right here:
https://smallbusinessboss.co/investing-in-your-business
Have you ever worked with a coach and felt like something was off?
While coaching for business can be a great thing, with the wrong person it can be downright detrimental. And like any close relationship, there’s the possibility that abuse can occur.
What are the red flags you need to look for when choosing to work with a coach? And what should be considered if you’re in one of these toxic relationships and your gut is screaming it’s time to be done?
On this episode, my guest business therapist Nicole Lewis-Keeber joins me for a discussion about coach abuse.
Get the inside scoop right here:
https://smallbusinessboss.co/coach-abuse/
What is it about service business ownership that makes people want to chuck it all in and give up?
For some reason, service businesses are often treated as “less than” in the online business world. They’re treated as though our businesses are just a stop along the way until we can do something “better”.
How do we turn the tide and make sure service businesses start getting the respect they’re due?
In this episode we’re unpacking why people want to quit services, what to do about it, and why it’s time to elevate the service business.
Get the inside scoop right here:
https://smallbusinessboss.co/service-business/
Ever wondered why service businesses get such a bad rap?
Probably because we have our very own anthology of urban legends and myths that have been repeated so many times they’re now accepted as fact.
A lot of these myths and stories are designed simply to sell you something, and in the process, they challenge what we think we know about our service businesses. They mess with our heads. They shake our confidence.
And that’s why it’s time we say NO MORE.
In this episode, I’m exploring seven service business myths, and digging into the REAL truth so we can forget about these once and for all.
Get the inside scoop right here:
https://smallbusinessboss.co/service-business-myths/
Q: What do the online business industry and MLMs have in common?
A: Way more than they should, unfortunately.
Yet for some reason, the online biz world seems to direct a whole lot of vitriol towards MLMs (and really, lots of other business models).
So where’s the disconnect? How do people not see — or maybe not care — that the very thing they judge can be uncannily similar to the things they do?
In this essay and podcast, I’m exploring the crossover between what’s going on in the online business world and the way MLMs are run, and discuss why it’s time for us to recognize how many of the unethical business and marketing practices are foundational to online business.
Get the inside scoop right here:
http://smallbusinessboss.co/online-businesses-and-MLMs