Podcast

Michael and Mary Ruth Hanna

Michael and Mary Ruth Hanna are entrepreneurs.  They have ventures in real estate and currently have a successful mattress business.

Real Estate

You have to be willing to get down and dirty. The best opportunities are houses that most people might not be willing to take on.

Be cautious.  You need to discover towns or neighborhoods that haven’t been fully discovered or find smaller towns where the real estate hasn’t fully come back yet.

They bought the building where the mattress business is located; this is long term investment for them.

Mattress Business

Got the first load of mattresses Nov 2009 and started looking for a place that they could rent on a temporary basis.  Set up and opened their doors January 2, 2010.

Important factors were pricing, location, and initial costs.  Customer service is very important to run a successful business.

Started working with local manufacturers and that became their hallmark as they live in an area where buying local is important; people in their area tend to steer away from big brand names.

Portland, Oregon sells 140 million dollars a year in mattresses.  They only need a tiny percentage to make a living.

Try to have no debt on the business. Avoid living off credit; pay as you go.

Don´t overspend on things you don´t need to.

Live within your means.

Expect to work hard the first couple of years.

Ensure you can trust the employees you are hiring, try to treat them as well as possible, it pays off in the end. Attract the best; keep the best!

Michael and Mary Ruth Hanna, long-time Eastside Portlanders, founded The Mattress Lot in late 2009.  We wanted to go into business for ourselves and deliver high quality products to our neighbors and community.  We shopped for mattresses and quickly became frustrated by high prices, high pressure sales pitches, and lack of customer service.  

We’ve developed partnerships with local mattress manufacturers, which means we can provide our customers with truly high quality mattresses for every budget.  We do not have commissioned sales people, which means your shopping experience will be relaxing, fun, and more economical for you.

Contact Information

Website:  www.mattresslot.com

Email: buylocal@mattresslot.com

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Ronnie Bincer – Expert at Google Hangouts.

Retired Expert Florist

Baby boomers can become consultants. Get the information out to the right type of people so they will know that they need to hire you.

Create website and/or blog and use SEO, meaning use a website and make that website show up higher in search results.

Use social media – Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.  All these are ways for you to communicate what you think is important and when people decide they like what you´re posting they can start to follow you.

Make sure that your work in social media becomes active or important to the search engines.

Baby boomers are used to seeing people face to face. Making a video is like a face to face interaction, people get to see your face, mannerisms, to build trust with you.

How to build an audience on Google Hangouts: The first thing is learn how to make a good Hangout. Go look for other florists and look and see what they´re doing. Put your self-promotional information on your profile.

YouTube is the second largest search engine.

Advantage to Hangouts on Air is a lot people use it for weekly shows so they can decide if they like what you´re saying. If you get into a structured schedule then people will know when to join you. Hangouts on Air has the ability to bring live interaction and comment tracking directly on the screen.

A couple of things need to happen simultaneously:  Comment on people´s shows that are related to your area of expertise and at the same time view how other people are creating their Hangouts. Find things that make a great Hangout.

Ronnie Bincer offers:

Training at All About Hangouts, Training you for Hangout Success.  It has a structured course, self- guided and printable study guides.  It can take 3-weeks to learn.

Hangout Mastery, a community based training – thehangouthelper.com

One on One Consultations

People really like to see you; they trust you when they see you.

Informality:  Nowadays online, people tend not to trust a picture that is polished. They will trust you more with an unpolished picture, connect more with you. It also depends on your audience. If your target audience is professional people, you want to spend the money to look professional.

Pinterest, Instagram, and Google+ are ways to display images.

Videos Tips:  If you have recorded a longer video, you can download it and cut it down to shorter segments and create several shows.

Do videos once a week. It can be overwhelming for your customers if you have more.  However, go ahead and shoot any breaking news concepts as frequently as they come.

Ride on the coat tails of breaking news.  Use similar words in your title, to attract your customers.

To be successful and start generating income, have your website set up well and have a clear marketing message.

Start by giving away information.

Build your audience by sharing other people´s material.

What you are selling or offering has to be of value to your viewers.

Niche down!

Baby boomers can do consultations anywhere in the world!

Start on the lower end until you get busy, increase it until the sales decrease, never lower than $50 per hour for consulting.

You have got to be known as a trusted expert for people to pay you money for your time. Hangouts on Air will help you with this and the best of all, it is free!

Do you want to build trust and authority while effectively communicating your message? Of course you do and that is what Google’s Hangouts on Air can do for you (for Free)!

-Do you want to build trust and authority while effectively communicating your message? Of course you do and that is what Google’s Hangouts on Air can do for you (for Free)!

-Do you want to have more productive meetings with remote associates without wasting time on travel? Google’s Hangouts can make that happen easily with Free Video Conferencing.

-Google’s Hangouts tool-set allows for private video meetings, public webinar-type presentations, and much more in-between. The Hangouts on Air (HOA) tool will automatically capture the meeting or presentation as a YouTube video (Public, Unlisted or Private). So you’re not only having an effective meeting or presentation, you can also create video content using the same tools.

-Get in touch if you want to learn more 1 on 1 via http://TheHangoutHelper.com/contact-me or look into the self-paced structured Hangout Training I offer at http://AllAboutHangouts.com

-Hangouts on Air and Hangouts. Online Marketing, Internet Marketing, Video focused, Google+ Tips, YouTube Tips, Interactive Live Events, Engaged Communities.

Specialties:

HOA – Hangouts on Air, consulting/training/coaching/guest speaker

Google+ – Google Plus

Social Media

Video Conferencing

Technology Training

Building Engaged Communities with the power of Live Interactive Events

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David Meerman Scott is the author of The New Rules of Marketing and PR.   He started writing blogs in 2004, has written 1300 blog posts, recorded 150 videos and published 15 eBooks.

Newsjacking is the art and science of injecting your ideas into a breaking news stories. Look around to see what is happening in the news and then as that news is breaking if you have some kind of expertise or some kind of tie to that story, you then create a blog post or YouTube video and in some way create a piece of content that talks about that particular news story and that is great for your clients or potential clients.

The most important thing for baby boomers to do is get on the web and create content. Put out information that will serve as a way for people to find you in search engines or serve to showcase how smart you are about your industry.

Content writing is best because all words that you write are indexed by the search engines.

When you do a podcast or video, only the description gets indexed by the search engines.

The reason that you create content is to showcase who you are; you talk about the fact that you have this tremendous expertise and you create information that would be valuable for the potential customers that you are trying to reach.

The key is that it´s not a world like it used to be where you network your way into consulting arrangements; the new way is that you showcase your expertise, you write a blog about the industry you are in, videos, interviews and podcasts.

Get on to Twitter, and also create LinkedIn groups. Content serves as a way for people to find you and serves as a way for you to show people that you are smart and interesting.

Make content your full time job.

David has 3 lines of business that generate income:  He does paid speeches all over the world, gets royalties from his books, and sits on advisory boards for companies.

He wrote for his blog for a period of three years before writing his book “The New Rules of Marketing and PR” and most of the came from blog posts that he wrote.

David Meerman Scott Contact Information

Twitter: DMScott

Free Book:  World Wide Rave

Website:  http://www.davidmeermanscott.com/

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Steve Richardson – Problem Solver, Motivator. He is the author of Become a Better Leader in 30 days.  He helps people that are starting businesses, business plans and things of that nature.  Through Cerritos Foundation, an affiliate of the Kauffman Foundation he does training on business growth and entrepreneurship.

Success is nothing more than a series of failures that we learn from.

He really liked a book “Linking on Leadership” by Donald Phillips. It was really helpful and stuck with him for a long time.

Managing Transitions by William Bridges is a very practical book.

What is important to remember that things build on each other!

It takes a combination of passion and the ability to risk but also that same ability to measure things out so that your risk isn’t crazy. You have all these life experiences and that helps you to measure it all out and that helps you to make the next step.

Before writing his book, his roadblock was he doesn’t like writing and he thought he was going to write a big chapter. Gave himself permission to write short chapters.  This made writing the book easier.

He took the route of self-publishing.  He edited his first draft, asked a friend that was knowledgeable with the topic to review it, and then had a circle of people that volunteered to edit the book.  Also have a circle of people to read your book before going to the publisher because what you think you said isn’t always what people hear you said. Do some testing, readers that will give you honest feedback.

You can do Kindle, digital, soft cover. He did his soft cover with a self-publishing division of Thomas Nelson Publishers called WestBow Press.

Try a social media marketing approach to keep expenses down and start a grassroot following; set up a YouTube channel, Twitter, Facebook. It takes time to build.

Doing podcasts can open up a new audience.

Thinking about starting up a Medical Mission Charity:
1. Find out if you have a circle of people that share your passion or support you personally.
2.  Check to see if pharmaceuticals companies would be willing to donate materials to do this.
3. Legally form the non-profit and examining cost.
4.  Think about donations, circle of supporters, cost to deliver in other countries for a 3-year period. Always do 3-year projections.

Fill a niche and have staying power. You have to have enough funds for a 3-year period and have identified support mechanisms for the 3-year period. Can apply for a grant 501C3.  Expand on the people that want to support you in the long term, use word of mouth to multiply the relationships.

Thinking about starting up a Profit business:
If you want a for-profit business and want to still help these foreign companies with medical supplies, set up a business plan.
Test their idea by running a pilot, do market research.

Keep in mind that even if you make profit one time, asks yourself if the profit is repeatable.

Solopreneur profits happen much more quickly.

No matter what you do, nothing happens as quickly as you would imagine it would. If you have a plan, you need to start planning today. Don’t wait! Try to be realistic. Map a plan out what you think would happen and see if that plan looks comfortable for you to work it.

Age doesn’t matter!

Entrepreneurs and solopreneurs are more risk accepting than most people, more willing to have a persistence or tenacity to keep at it.

Since 2000, we live in more volatile work environment. Most people won´t work for an organization for 25 years anymore.

When you are on your own as a solopreneur, all initiative is self-driven.

There is never a better time to take a risk than today if there is something that you really want to do. Never let fear stop you from doing something. There is always a way to find a way.

Steve Contact Information

Email Address: havenlaw@gmail.com

Cerritos Foundation: srichardson@cerritos.edu

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Marianne Costello: honest, enthusiastic, direct and fun loving. She is the founder of VA Collaborative and is ideal for companies that are starting out and have no idea how to do social media, computers, etc…

It´s not what you know that gets it, it´s what you know that gets you.

You can only get so far if you don´t take risks.

You have to plan for the ups and downs.

Nobody is an expert at everything. That is the number one mistake that people make.  They try to be an expert at everything and there is a flaw in that logic process.

An entrepreneur says, “I have a talent, I have a gift, I have a great idea, this is something that solves a problem for people or transforms their lives in some way and people will pay for this.” “How do I make this a business and price it correctly so I can sell enough and pay for the help that I need.” People who follow that model gets much further than people who try to do everything themselves.  The next problem that comes in is where to find all the people to do these things for me. Hire a VA.

“It´s the collaboration of experts together; People who like doing what they´re doing, what you don´t like doing.”  She built Virtual Collaborative around those principles. She follows all the principles of online marketing; she does the foundation laying, social media and asks for referrals.

Virtual assistants can do all the administrative stuff that brings all the people to you and brings more people to you; the selling part should be done by you. The trick is to get people coming to you that are pre-qualified; they need what you are offering them.

People pay for solutions every day of the week, so if it is something that is presented to them in the right way, presented to the right audience and you follow the principles of influence and marketing, people will pay you to help them get over that rough patch in their lives.

Strategy on defining how is really your client, where are they, how do we reach them, what kind of things do they say, what do they worry about, what are they willing to pay for and if you position it correctly, you will get matches.  When you deliver it, they will spread the word.

VA can make business owners quite wealthy.

People that have been working in corporate America have the talent, you have just been doing it for somebody else’s profit, but you have the talent. Take that gift and parlay it into some other gift. Find people that want to get it from you and not a big business company.

With a gift or genie zone and zero technical ability, you can have a business and get it off the ground.

Do not discount what you learnt.

Climate is changing; people are paying other people who have the gift.

It is more advantageous to hire people that give you a personal feel to it.

Focus on value.

Hire different types of people to match with your different type of clients.

VA Collaborative offers:

Virtual assistant referrals, she brokers out talent to people

She has clients that needs virtual assistant

Program that says if you have a gift, it´s a short $2,000 a way, $19.97 and then you can sell one program and get the money back for the program, how to get an online business going.

If you are retired, have a gift, have an idea, need some help email Marianne Costello

Marianne Costello Contact Information

Website: www.thevacollaborative.com

Email: info@thevacollaborative.com

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Lou Bortone:  Video Marketing Success Secret, How to create great videos that engage your prospects and create raving fans.

You can make a lot of money on your own without a big corporate parent or without somebody telling you what to do, 9 to 5.

Video is probably the best and easiest way to get your message out and build a business around it.

YouTube is now the second biggest search engine next to Google. When people are looking for answers and solutions, they go straight to YouTube.

For those people that don´t like to be on camera, you don´t have to be on camera to create great video; you can create narrated PowerPoints, animated videos, PowToon, goAnimate, etc.

Retired Landscaper: consulting on how to create a landscaping business, illustration videos, etc. Create a website with video, offering a freebie or some kind of incentive.  As people sign up for the incentive, now you can build a database/list you can market to, so when you have a video, you will have someone to sell it to.  These people will already know, like and trust you as you have been sharing valuable content.

You can create a one page website, who you are, what you do, etc… 

Build visibility and credibility.

Tip videos are better if they are short, 2 minute videos are good.

With video, you want to have a call to action, telling the viewer what to do next. At the end of the video, ask the viewer to visit your website. You can add an annotation at the end of the video to link back to your site.

You can also monetize your videos on YouTube by enabling your account to have ads on your video; you get a small percentage of revenue from the ads.

The best way to monetize is create 8 video courses on your website or Udemy.

Later on you can move to being a coach or consultant.

If you make the effort, you can expect returns on YouTube within two months.

Establish your niche. Specialize.

You can target your audience with YouTube.

You can put pre-roll ads, ads that run at the beginning of videos, overlays, etc…

Business videos are not about what you´re wearing or who you look like, it´s more about the content and the message.

Main thing to remember is that although people can be intimidated by video, it´s a lot easier than it was. If you have a smartphone, iPhone, you have the capability to do that. You don´t need a lot of equipment to get started or a big investment to get started, start with what you got.

Lou Bortone offers a wide range of products, starting from DIY to Coaching.  Check out his Free Video Survival Kit which includes video tutorials, checklists, etc.

Lou Bortone Contact Information

Website: www.loubortone.com

Email: vip@loubortone.com

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Try using materials that you have readily available and then apply them to your product.

Don’t be afraid of people who might steal your idea. They’re not going to.

Small business development centers and the agency SCORE are great free resources.

Don’t spend money on things that don’t make you money

Do research online. What similar products are there?

She believes it takes one or two years research before going into production.

Get a focus group of women and offer free food and wine. Have a friend bring friends you don’t know so that you get a better, more fair evaluation. Teachers are good for focus groups. 10 people in the group is the maximum.

Ask focus ideas, color, improvements, styles, that they would like to suggest.

Get participants to sign a release form.

Facebook groups can be a good place to get opinions.

Go to websites that identify health problems that your product might solve.

Forms are fine as long as you are not trying to sell anyone anything.

Where will you buy the raw goods? Who will make the product? These are two huge questions and it takes time to find the answer.

Designers can be found in trade journals.

Some pattern makers are also designers. You get a two for one.

Community colleges can also help with cheap labor.

Sell direct to consumers and wholesalers.

Haralee started selling her products on her own website.

You will need to set up a website.

At this point you could do a kickstarter campaign. You can also raise money through family and friends or take a loan from a bank.

It will take $7k-$10k to get a clothing product to this level.

Don’t do TV unless you have enough product.

You better plan in advance how quickly you can get to certain level.

Market in local newspapers and get exposure.

The fact that you are a baby boomer is a good story for newspapers.

You make 10 products. Test them and then redesign when necessary.

At this point you could order $2k-$3k of product. Not more.

Decide how you’re going to sell. Resellers, Amazon, EBay, specialty shops etc.

Sell your product in every way you can think of.

You can offer your product on consignment if needed.

You need to get all the exposure you can and as quickly as possible.

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