047 – Tyler J. McCall on Business Strategies to Help Deal with COVID-19 / Coronavirus

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On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization characterized COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, as a pandemic.

Needless to say, this announcement sent a shockwave around the world, leaving many of us wondering what’s going to happen next, especially when it comes to our business.

Here at Making It in Asheville, both Tony and I (this is Sarah by the way) began deeply pondering how this might affect our own business and local Ashvelile community. We started asking ourselves things like, “What tools can we use during this time? What new skills can we learn? How can we continue talking with local businesses, customers, and friends?”

Then we noticed that Tyler was offering a community for online business owners to come together and ask questions related to coronavirus and how it impacts there business. And we knew we had to know more.

Whether you’re a purely online company or a brick and mortar store that relies on foot traffic, you’re likely thinking about what’s going to happen to your business over the next coming weeks and months. We hope that this episode gives you some new and productive ideas to reconnect with your online audience.

Here’s What You’ll Learn in the Episode

  • The number one thing Tyler says NOT to do during this time period
  • The five main social media platforms Tyler recommends to most businesses and ideas for the type of content you can be sharing right now
  • A game-changing switch you can make on Instagram to increase engagement and gain more followers
  • Ideas on how your business can go digital, even if it has traditionally been brick and mortar
  • How you can use Facebook groups to reconnect with your audience
  • Why finding your niche is important (especially in a time like this)

P.S. We recently put together a list of resources for small businesses in Asheville to help during these uncertain times. Read Coronavirus: Resources for Small Businesses in Asheville (and Beyond).

Show Notes

Tyler J. McCall helps online business grow their business using Instagram. Learn more at www.tylerjmccall.com

Tools & Resources

Places

  • White Duck Taco
  • Smoky Park Supper Clube
  • Pescados Burritos
  • West Asheville Yoga

Miscellaneous

Music by Commonwealth Choir

Curious to learn more about what we do?

Making It in Asheville is a podcast where we go behind the scenes with artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs in Asheville. We learn about what they’re making and how they’re making it in Asheville.

Making It in Asheville is powered by Making It Creative, our boutique marketing and business consulting agency. We help passionate small business owners build and improve their sales and communication strategies. Learn more here.

We appreciate your support!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, like, review, and/or share. Each review means than you might think as they help this episode get discovered on podcast players.

To recommend an interviewee, visit MakingItInAsheville.com/podcast

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046 – Clint Spiegel of Industry Nine (i9) on Innovation and Keeping Your Edge

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I’ve always tried to relentlessly focus my thought process to [something that is] reality-based. Get out of your own head and see what the world is valuing.

– Clint Spiegel

When we met Clint for the podcast interview, we began by taking a tour of his 70,000 square feet factory. There are big machines and lots of metal parts everywhere you look. In between each machine, is a handful of employees wearing protective face gear, working away to keep the parts moving through the system. The floor is covered in what can only be described as “metal sawdust.” Oh, and it’s loud. Very loud.

Clint yells over his shoulder, “I’ve been walking on metal shards all my life.”

He’s not joking.

Since the day he was born, Clint has been surrounding by manufacturing. Many years ago, his dad had established a machine shop in Asheville that manufactured parts for a variety of industries throughout the world. At age five, Clint began to join his dad at work, learning the ins and outs of the industry. After graduating from college with a degree in Computer Science, Clint found his way back to his family’s business, eventually taking it over and making it his own. Although the business has evolved since then, he and his dad continue to work together on certain aspects.

Clint identifies as a “constant innovator” with an “overactive mind.” Over the years, he’s started numerous businesses, from manufacturing knives to building engineering software and industrial robotics. Some of these businesses failed and faded away, but some of them—like Industry Nine (appropriately name “nine” because it was his ninth business)—have been wildly successful.

During our interview with Clint, which feels like an MBA-level course on entrepreneurship, we try to unpack what he thinks has contributed to Industry Nine’s success and how he’s thinking about the future.

Here’s What You’ll Learn in this Episode

  • How the idea for Industry Nine came about
  • Clint’s insight on innovation, invention, and entrepreneurship
  • What makes Industry Nine’s cycling parts different from others in the industry
  • What client identifies as “the perfect mix” for entrepreneurship
  • Key milestones and turning points in Clint’s business
  • The importance of focus and keeping your edge when running a business
  • Tips for managing employees (Clint has about 90 currently)

Show Notes

Industry Nine manufactures and hands build custom cycling components. They’re based in Asheville, NC. Connect with them via their Website, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube page.

Places

Miscellaneous

Music by Commonwealth Choir

Curious to learn more about what we do?

Making It in Asheville is a podcast where we go behind the scenes with artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs in Asheville. We learn about what they’re making and how they’re making it in Asheville.

Making It in Asheville is powered by Making It Creative, our boutique marketing and business consulting agency. We help passionate small business owners build and improve their sales and communication strategies. Learn more here.

We appreciate your support!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, like, review, and/or share. Each review means than you might think as they help this episode get discovered on podcast players.

To recommend an interviewee, visit MakingItInAsheville.com/podcast

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031 – Appreciation, Money, and Three Ways to Price Your Product (Thanksgiving Episode)

“Appreciation means two things: It means to grow and it means thankfulness. And I do believe that appreciation is a form of currency and people can show that they appreciate you with money. One of the ways to allow for that, as a business owner, is to tell really meaningful stories about the work that you’re doing.”

In this episode, the two of us sit down and talk about the meaning behind “gratitude,” money, and three different ways to price your product or service.

Here’s What You’ll Learn

  • Why Tony doesn’t like the word “gratitude” and the word he prefers to use instead
  • A technique that can help you prioritize what to spend your money
  • Three different ways you can price your product (and why you want to understand the first two but use the third)
  • What we’re most thankful for this year

Show Notes

During this episode, we mentioned two of our favorite “money” books.

Busting Loose from the Money Game by Robert Scheinfeld – We know, we know —the title of this book is quite cheesy. Nevertheless, this read has completely transformed Tony’s relationship with and perspective on money. We highly recommend it to anyone who has ever experienced “money shame.”

I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi – Another finance book with a cringeworthy title but fantastic information. This book should be required reading for all adults! A personal finance guru, Ramit teaches you how to get your personal finances in order and shares so many genius money hacks. Open it to a random page and read for a minute and the book will have already paid for itself.

Top-Down Pricing: Revenue-focused pricing based on the market

Bottom-Up Pricing: Profit-focused pricing based on lifestyle

Appreciation-Based Pricing: About massive value creation and storytelling

Curious to learn more about what we do?

Making It in Asheville is a podcast where we go behind the scenes with artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs in Asheville. We learn about what they’re making and how they’re making it in Asheville.

Making It in Asheville is powered by Making It Creative, our boutique marketing and business consulting agency. We help passionate small business owners build and improve their sales and communication strategies. Learn more here.

We appreciate your support!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, like, review, and/or share. Each review means than you might think as they help this episode get discovered on podcast players.

To recommend an interviewee, visit MakingItInAsheville.com/podcast

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