The wonderful people at The Poutinerie have given our audience a beautiful 20% discount.
To get hold of the BEST POUTINE IN TOWN, head over to https://the-poutinerie.myshopify.com/ and add the offer code SPENANDNICK at checkout
Covid-19 has decimated so many businesses. Hospitality and retail have been particularly hard hit. But just because your business as usual has suffered, it doesn't mean there's nothing you can do.
The Poutinerie was hit seriously hard during Covid. It was close to having to stop trading altogether, but they pulled through by shifting what they sell and how they sell it. We talk about what they did to turn their food truck business to an online offering that sells out every week.
Special thanks to Nikesh Ashar for his support on this one.
Over the last few months, I've has started getting a lot more inbound sales leads on LinkedIn which has been my goal for ages.
In this episode, I share some really straightforward things you can try out that will put you in a much stronger position to get inbound leads too.
1. 📢 • Headline - update your headline to include the keywords people are searching for that relate to your expertise or service i.e. business coach, innovation consultant, Lean Startup, business models, value propositions.
2. 📝 • Content - try to create content as much as you can but don’t over think it. There are things that go through your mind all the time that other people will find super interesting, you just need to capture them in your Notes app and then post them on LinkedIn.
3. 💻 • Webinars - do webinars regularly especially right now. That’s how you expand your network.
4. 💌 • Personalised messages - after webinars, connect with everyone personally. Add a message to your connection requests and make them personal to the individual you are sending them to.
5. 🗓 • Schedule time - Create a calendar entry in advance so you have time to connect with everyone after a webinar and send them a message.
What tips have you got for levelling up your LinkedIn game?
💬 Connect with us on
LinkedIn:
Nick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholashimowicz/
Spen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerayres/
How to get inbound leads on LinkedIn without posting everyday(Don't forget to add a message to your connection request!)
It’s way too easy to get caught up worrying about the technology that you don’t actually use the tech for what it was design for - in this case sharing stories and hopefully useful information about business, innovation, design and learning.
Spencer and Nick are both recovering tech/equipment addicts and they talk through their experience on this week’s episode.
Over the last few months, I've has started getting a lot more inbound sales leads on LinkedIn which has been my goal for ages. In this episode, I share some really straightforward things you can try out that will put you in a much stronger position to get inbound leads too.
1. 📢 • Headline - update your headline to include the keywords people are searching for that relate to your expertise or service i.e. business coach, innovation consultant, Lean Startup, business models, value propositions.
2. 📝 • Content - try to create content as much as you can but don’t over think it. There are things that go through your mind all the time that other people will find super interesting, you just need to capture them in your Notes app and then post them on LinkedIn.
3. 💻 • Webinars - do webinars regularly especially right now. That’s how you expand your network.
4. 💌 • Personalised messages - after webinars, connect with everyone personally. Add a message to your connection requests and make them personal to the individual you are sending them to.
5. 🗓 • Schedule time - Create a calendar entry in advance so you have time to connect with everyone after a webinar and send them a message. What tips have you got for levelling up your LinkedIn game?
💬 Connect with us on LinkedIn: Nick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholashimowicz/ Spen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerayres/ (Don't forget to add a message to your connection request!)
Sir Ken Robinson shaped the thoughts & lives of millions of people.
Most widely known for his incredible TED talks, he inspired us to question the things we take for granted. For some people, like Spen, he not only inspired new thoughts, but also action.
We’re doing business model breakdowns of some of the most successful businesses to see what we can learn and apply to our businesses.
This week we look at Gousto, the meal kit service and explore what makes their business so special.
Great ideas are hard to come by
They're even harder if you're waiting for them to come to you.
"An object at rest will remain at rest unless a force is acted on it" - this is as true for ideas as it is for physical objects.
So how do you create great ideas? Get into the habit of generating loads of them, all the time. Most of them will be rubbish, so bin them. But some will come back, recycle them and turn them into something great!
If you prefer YouTube, don't worry we've got you covered - https://youtu.be/qe2wl03_CFQ
Where do you come up with your best ideas?
Nick recently did a great Instagram carousel looking at where successful entrepreneurs did their biggest thinking. Check it out here - https://www.instagram.com/nickhimo/
Then the other day, Spen realised where he comes up with ideas. Listen to find out where & what you need to do when you think BIG
Where is your favourite place to think big?
#ideas #businessideas #ideasmachine #instagramideas #instqgramcarousels #mba #altmba
Instagram is one of the best sources of inspiration and value.
There are so many people doing awesome things, but there's so much noise too.
Here are 5 people we love right now that we think you'll love too:
1 - Dave Talas - https://www.instagram.com/davetalas/
2 - Dain Walker - https://www.instagram.com/dainwalker/
3 - Visualize Value (Jack Butcher) - https://www.instagram.com/visualizevalue/
4 - AJ & Smart / Jonathan Courtney - https://www.instagram.com/ajsmartdesign/
5 - Russel Brunson - https://www.instagram.com/russellbrunson/
There are a few extras in the video, so go check it out!
If you prefer Video, don't worry we've got you covered - https://youtu.be/du0O3Q_1dDo
#instagrambusiness #peopletofollow #designinspiration #innovationleaders #businessinnovation #trafficsecrets
The Lean Startup is probably the most important book to read if you're thinking about starting a business. Although it's almost 10 years old, it's still as relevant today as it was all those years ago.
This week we were lucky enough to hear from author, entrepreneur and all-round startup guru, Eric Ries, as part of ThePowerMBA webinar series. We got so much from the webinar, we decided to record a short summary of the most important things we learnt from Eric Ries.
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/w0kFr88r7Cs
#ThePowerMBA #TPMBA #EricRies #Leanstartup #lean #MVP #Buildmeasurelearn #webinar #entrepreneur #theleanstartup
While we were recording the last show, I was amazed at how great Nick's video looked. I wanted to know what he was doing to make it so good! So here it is, a quick video going through some of the equipment he uses to to to record. Check out the YouTube Version of this show to see what we're talking about... https://youtu.be/vxr7tsrfffQ
Here's the thing - we're not saying you need all this stuff; when we first started we had a phone each and not a lot else. But we've aimed to improve things every week for over 6 months now. You can start with nothing more than a phone, but aim to improve every time!
Subscribe to The Spen and Nick Show if you love business, innovation, design and learning. https://www.instagram.com/spenandnick/
Everything has changed.
What used to work just fine before, doesn't work any more. Whether you're a freelancer or a business owner, you must change things up.
In this episode of The Spen and Nick Show, we share three top tips for innovating in a crisis.
We also share a bonus tip and you might be surprised by it's origin!
Let us know what tips you found most useful and which ones you're going to commit to trying out in the comments below.
Spen and Nick are delivering a webinar for General Assembly called How to innovate your way out of a global crisis on 7th July 2020 at 1pm BST. Get your tickets here: https://generalassemb.ly/education/ho...
Subscribe to The Spen and Nick Show if you love business, innovation, design and learning.
If you prefer YouTube, don't worry we've got you covered - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaQ0X4pDaUU
Follow us on Instagram Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spenandnick/
Nick has been busy creating an online course and he's done it exactly by the book.
In this episode, he opens up and reveals the exact process he's gone through.
Check out the registration page for his course here www.nickhimo.com/course (no need to buy just to see and learn from what he's done.)
Subscribe to The Spen and Nick Show if you love business, innovation, design and learning.
If you prefer YouTube, don't worry we've got you covered - https://youtu.be/_Sm-6ZIt3s8
Follow us on Instagram Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spenandnick/ #onlinecourse #creatingacourse #leanstartup #startingabusiness
Business is really hard, but animals are really smart
What can we learn from animals to help is with business?
We present 3 spirit animals that represent different aspects of the Entrepreneur (with a bonus one thrown in for good luck)
Which of these is your favourite?
You can also check this out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wj3WzKm1jBk
Business education is broken. It's too expensive and it's not practical enough. ThePowerMBA launches this month in the UK. Here is our take on the sample module.
Subscribe to The Spen and Nick Show if you love business, innovation, design and learning.
If you prefer Video, don't worry we've got you covered.
https://www.youtube.com/c/spenandnick
Follow us on Instagram Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spenandnick/
5 ways to make sure your new business idea works .
1. 📋 - Do customer interviews
2. 🎁 - Create a Minimum Viable Product
3. 🧪 - Test it
4. 👨🏻💻 - Build a landing page
5. 💳 - Try to get people to pay for it
Also check it out on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A78wbPnIFwY&t=160s
We're influenced by everything around us.
Some things influence us a huge amount, other things less so.
Perhaps more importantly, some PEOPLE influence us enormously. We're not talking about social media influencers - but real people who have had a profound effect on us. Our values, beliefs, attitudes and outlook have been shaped by our experiences and our relationships. It doesn't have to be someone we know well or have ever met, but people who have affected who we are, how we view the world and what we do in it.
On this week's show, we talk through some of the biggest influencers - who they are and what we learnt from them.
But who have you been influenced by? Who's had the most profound effect on who you are?
With everything that’s going on in the world right now, you’re probably thinking about starting a business and that’s totally understandable.
But what you don’t want to do is make the same old mistakes as everyone else when starting up. So here are the top 5 mistakes people make when starting a business and what to do about them.
TOP 5 MISTAKES YOU WILL MAKE WHEN STARTING A BUSINESS
1. 🧠 • Let ideas float around inside your head for ages without taking action.
2. ☹️ • Spend zero time with customers and fail to identify their needs.
3. 💬 • Poorly articulate to customers how your product can help them.
4. 👎 • Not realise that what customers say and do aren’t always the same thing.
5. 💸 • Waste time/money over-engineering the first version of your product.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT
1. 📝 • Get your ideas out of your head and on to paper as soon as possible.
2. 👩🏼 • Speak to customers and get crystal clear on their most important needs.
3. ✅ • Clearly articulate to customers how your product can help them.
4. 💳 • Get customers to show interest, ideally with their credit cards.
5. 🎁 • Make a scrappy prototype first and focus only on the core features.
How many of these mistakes have you already made? What ones have we missed?
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Subscribe to The Spen and Nick Show if you love business, innovation, design and learning.
However you prefer to listen - we've got you covered.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC32LXYZ34sNZfgk0QpdWCxA
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-spen-nick-show/id1488379880
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5DRQpB2g4V3XM8o6fMKh1W
Follow us on Instagram Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spenandnick/
Starting a business is hard.
Building a sustainable business is really hard.
But there are processes that can really help you to get it right and de-risk your venture. We believe that everyone has the ability to start a business. Even those people who really want to do it, often don't make the leap. There are loads of reasons why this is the case, but one big blocker is knowing where to start and what it actually involves.
This episode documents some of our early thinking about what those steps are to go from idea to a sustainable business. It might not be perfect, in fact, parts might be wrong, but it's our first shot of documenting all the steps.
Really hope you enjoy this if you do, please like and share. But even more helpful will be if you let us know what you think of these steps - do you agree? Which one have you had the most difficulty with?
#startingbusinesses #startingabusiness #entrepreneur #startup #startingstartups #buildingbusinesses #futurebusiness #futurebuilders #businessbuilders #venturebuilder
We don't need to tell you that it's the strangest of times - that much is very clear & it's something we can't change.
But what we can change is how we react and what we do during these times.
In episode 18, we talked about things that you can do to come out of the crisis stronger than you went it and we've been reflecting on this and helping other people with this ever since.
However, Spen felt there was more he could do, so he's looking to pivot his company Future Builders to being something that helps people to get back on their feet if they're work has been affected by Covid-19 or disruption more generally.
In this episode, Nick uses his mastery of Value Proposition Design to help Spen articulate and create his value prop for the new incarnation of Future Builders. As a spoiler, Future Builders will be all about helping people build things - business, apps, podcast series, media, prototypes, online shops etc. Basically, anything that includes tech, design & potentially business.
This is very much an experiment, so please let us know what you think about the concept and this show.
You can also watch this show on YouTube -
https://youtu.be/Bqy8aCk_phE
Don't forget to subscribe, like and share
#valuepropositiondesign #valueprop #valuepropositioncanvas #futurebuilders #buildingbusinesses #covid19 #vpd #venturedesign