Jane Hamill | Podcast

No matter where you are in your entrepreneurial journey, you probably wish your business was different in certain ways.  There are 2 things that frustrate my clients and I hear versions of them each and every week.  Entrepreneur #1) "I really, really want to be making more money -- more money in my pocket, more sales, more profit." #1 wants more sales, or at least more profitable sales. Entrepreneur #2) "I just wish it was easier. I feel like I work all the time, I'm hustling for every sale, and I just wish it wasn't so hard." #2 is getting sales but feeling exhausted and probably overwhelmed. They may be burning out. Today's episode walks you through 4 ways to increase revenue in your business.  In fact, I believe these are the ONLY four ways to increase revenue. It's not complicated once you break it down. The problem is that most of us are trying to work on all four of these strategies at the same time.  That will not work.  I think this will help you no matter what stage of business you're in or what you

"Soooooo...MailChimp and Shopify are breaking up. What should I do?"  That's the questions one of our members asked me the other day.  This episode explains what's going on between MailChimp and Shopify, what it really means to you, the small business owner, and your options for moving forward.  janehamill.com/wtfmailchimp

What do you do if you're feeling overwhelmed by your business?  This morning I woke up feeling great. But then, for whatever reason, I immediately started getting in a bad mood. Just thinking of all the work that had to be done, the taxes, the  emails, the content, the podcasts, the client follow up. Oy. Can't I just crawl back in bed?  Everything was stupid. I hated everything. Drivers on the road were stupid. My work was stupid. My coffee was stupid. (Who picks on coffee?)  I was in a FUNK. Does that ever happen to you? If you ever feel overwhelmed by your business, your life, your coffee...you're not alone.  Let me tell you how to get out of it. That's what this episode is for. How to get to work even when you don't feel like it and what everything around you is stupid. :) https://janehamill.com/realfeels/

  Today's episode will help you understand why more people aren't buying from you and what you can do about it. Yesterday, a client told me something that disturbed me. She didn't say anything wrong, but she told me about a key learning point that she JUST learned. A real aha moment. She's actually happy about it because it explains to her why more people aren't buying from her site and she's making a plan to fix it. But I'm like... You JUST learned that? I've been preaching and teaching that concept, ad nauseam, for years!! Where did I go wrong that she only really "heard" it yesterday? Where did I go wrong??? So I'm gonna shout out the "why they don't buy" concept in today's episode so there's not one more person who doesn't get it - 'cuz it could be hurting your business. If you're not selling as much as you'd like, you may be having the same issue my client was having. If you only listen to ONE podcast of mine ever, evah, EVAH, MAKE IT THIS EPISODE!

This is Part 2 of my interview with Jen Geale of MTB Direct an 8-figure mountain biking e-commerce store in Australia.  Today is all about scaling the business and how Jen and her partners grew from $1 million in sales to 8-figures. :) Jen is SO HONEST about the successes and the struggles and doesn't hold back with what they've done to grow. I love how she refers to the struggles as the "valley of despair". Here's what we discuss in this episode: The power of an email list - especially when there's a small budget for marketing Why she and her partners have resisted building a HUGE list Using giveaways to grow the business Why they're focusing on the on-site experience Increasing conversion rates Why it's so important to define your own version of success Switching the business from a "lowest price" focus to a site with true expertise in the niche and customer service Show notes and links: janehamill.com/jen

Imagine you start an online store and grow sales to $1 million pretty quickly. How fun would that be? And everyone around you thinks you’re successful and doing great. But you know differently. Yes, sales are rolling in, but there’s no money left over and you’re not making a profit. Now what??? You either need to shut down your e-commerce site completely or figure out a way to get profitable in the next 5 months. Period. Thise are your only 2 choices.  In this episode, I interview Jen Geale, one of the owners of Mountain Bikes Direct. This is the story what they did when faced with a $1 million dollar business that wasn't making money.  You're going to love Jen and her business journey. This is Part 1 of the interview. Show Notes and Links:  www.janehamill.com/mtbdirect1    

I’ve chosen 7 women who knocked my socks off this week. Each of them executed on an idea to help grow their business quickly and professionally. The most successful clients I work with are the ones who take fast action when they get a good business idea. The ones who can barely stay on the line until the end of a coaching session because they’re dying to start IMPLEMENTING what they just learned. You will learn a TON from this dream team of seven. Enjoy! Get links to each of the entrepreneurs: janehamill.com/female/ Free class about selling MORE online: janehamill.com/class/

Do you ever feel like you're falling behind? Sometimes you just feel like other entrepreneurs are passing you by. "Why does their site get more traffic than mine?" "I feel like this should be getting easier by now." "They have more wholesale accounts than I do. What's wrong with my line?" If you've said or felt any of these things, this episode will help.  www,janehamill.com

When you're approaching wholesale buyers, there's a tricky balance of contacting them enough to stay on their radar without feeling desperate for the sale or appearing stalker-ish.  In this episode, I answer a question from a clothing designer... "Hi Jane, I reached out to Nordstrom via LinkedIn and the buyer responded with a message with her email and interest to check out my line sheet this past Saturday. I responded via LinkedIn the same day that I have sent her the linesheet and information via Gmail. It's been five days but I don't want to come off obnoxious or desperate. When would you say would be an appropriate time to follow up? Next Monday? Thank you!"  Having been a buyer and boutique owner for so long, I'll give yout the truth about how often to approach a buyer and what to expect.  Enjoy! Show Notes and Links:  janehamill.com/followup  

I recently got this question from a Shopify store owner...  "My sales are growing steadily (we did almost 300K online last year) but we’re still not very profitable. I need to grow my sales to have better cash flow. What’s the BEST way to grow my business so I can be profitable? Maybe I need to focus more in Instagram?” *Is it Instagram stories?  *Is it getting more Press?  *Is it viral YouTube videos?  *Is it FB ads? *Is it hiring an SEO expert? All of these things CAN work - and they do. But it's not any of these that will help you truly take your business to the next level. The BEST way to grow your online store is to bring your focus to 4 specific aspects of your business. This podcast covers the four ways.  Enjoy! Jane

No one says entrepreneurship is easy. But when you’re the one who creates the products and then relies on them to support yourself, your team, and your family… now that’s a whole different thing. People who own other kinds of business, regular businesses, just don’t get it. There’s a unique set of crazy–brain stuff that goes on when you make a living off of your creativity. Two different entrepreneurs asked me the same question this week— what if my next season’s collection doesn’t sell? And the funny thing is that one of them has been in business for years and is quite successful, and the other one is just starting out. Yet they’re both worried their product won’t sell next season. It’s amazing how we’re all different yet we all struggle with the same stuff.  This podcast will help you deal with the unique fear of "will it sell".  - JH Show notes and discussion on the blog: janehamill.com/whatif/ Courses and coaching membership:  janehamill.com/courses  

If you own a product-based business, there are tasks you're probably doing that you shouldn't be doing. I know because I've wasted a lot of time doing these things when I owned my boutique and clothing line.  Sometimes I felt I was the "only one who could do it", or I "didn't know where to find someone" or the classic -- "by the time I train someone how to do it I could have done it myself".  All BS excuses, BTW.  Today's episode tells you the 4 most important tasks you should outsource immediately.  There's a lot of generalized business advice out there about outsourcing so I'm not covering the basics like bookkeeping or scheduling social media posts. This is ONLY for entrepreneurs who sell physical products - retail store owners, online boutique owners, makers, fashion designers, jewelry designers, etc... LMK what you think of this episode back on the blog, OK?    janehamill.com/outsourcing  

Are you running Facebook ads? Today I share the 3 biggest mistakes my clients make with their ads that are killing their results. This is for product-based businesses.  Enjoy! Jane   Show Notes: www.janehamill.com/FBads  

I get this question all the time...  "How do I create content and keep up a blog when I have so little time?" If you're running a product-based business you know how many details there are to take care of all the time -- shipping, customer service, packaging, social media, inventory control...the list goes on. This episode covers how to create content for your brand without having it take over your life. I share all my quick-and-dirty secrets for content marketing that doesn't overwhelm you.  Show Notes and Links:  janehamill.com/content Ready to get serious about your marketing and sales?  The "Sell More Products Online" course: janehamill.com/smpo  

I did a live training this week. Best EVER! I can’t even tell you how thrilled I am that the emails I received said it was “excellent”. In today's episode, I’m pulling out THREE things that helped people the most. You're going to set ONE goal for the next 12 months. That’s it. The goal you choose will make all the other goals irrelevant or unnecessary. My mission is for you to have a simple, do-able PLAN for the next 12 months of your business. How great would it be if you knew exactly what you wanted? How unbelievable would it be to know what you should be doing quarterly, monthly, weekly - even daily.  Amazing, right?  Let's do it.  Show Notes:  janehamill.com/outrageousgoal/ Workshop - Goals and Planning for Product-Based Businesses: janehamill.com/goals

There's a lot of information out there about setting goals and planning for 2019. This will be different. In this episode, I take you through a simple exercise to really focus on your sales - not your overall business health right now – just what happened in 2018. You'll use this info to inform your decisions and actions for 2019. This is a super simple exercise. It's going to take you maybe 30 minutes.  I did mine a one sheet in my notebook - no big deal. It's extremely important to review and reflect upon what happened last year before you start working on this year. That said, you don't need a gazillion spreadsheets or complicated stuff.  You need a sheet of paper and 30 minutes.  Let's do it.  Show Notes and Screenshot Example: www.janehamill.com/plans

The end of the year is fast approaching and we’re all getting busy with holiday stuff. It’s tempting to start zoning out on your business right now. I get it, that’s my inclination too. But before you get too distracted with holiday cheer, take a little time to finish the year strong. In this episode, I give you3 ways to end the year strong - and none of these strategies will take you too long. Seriously, listen to this episode and DO WHAT IT SAYS. If you do, you’ll feel better and you’ll have more fun relaxing through the holidays. Show notes and links are on the blog: www.janehamill.com/finish    

What if you could do the same amount of work you're currently doing - or even less - and sell WAY MORE products? It's absolutely possible if you tweak a few simple things in your business. In today's episode, we're going to look at what's already working in your business so you can Maximize and Monetize it. We'll focus on 3 areas: What products are currently selling What you're doing that results in money How you can be the most productive you've ever been I guarantee you're working on stuff in your business that's NOT important to your bottom line - we all are. (That's why I have a business coach who often has to slap the stupid out of me so I stay on track - and I mean that in the best possible way). Show Notes and discussion on the blog: https://janehamill.com/monetize/ Learn how to SCALE your business in my monthly business coaching program: https://janehamill.com/membership/ My STARTUP course for clothing and accessory brands: http://fashionbrainacademy.com/ndp/  

I could have called this episode, "How NOT to Blow the Sale at Holiday Markets". Or maybe, "The Five Dumbest Things I've Ever Said to Lose the Sale at a Craft Show". I'm pretty sure I'm uniquely qualified to teach you how to blow a sale at a direct-to-consumer selling event, craft fair, art show, retail pop-up...because I've said and done the DUMBEST things right in front of potential customers that made them give me a perplexed look and turn on their heel and walk away from my booth. And then I learned. And kept learning, and kept trying other things to say. And finally figured it out. And then became a BOSS salesperson with money in my pocket. This episode teaches you what NOT to say so you can end up with a bucket 'o cash at the end of a show. :) Show Notes and Checklist Download: www.janehamill.com/markets

Black Friday Weekend. Love it or hate it, it’s happening. In a few weeks, our bellies will be full, the football games will be nonstop, and the kids will be hopped up on candy corn. Let the stampedes begin. What are you going to do about BFCM? Skip it? Offer a heavy discount? Just do Small Business Saturday? What about Giving Tuesday?  Find out how to deal with the craziness in this brand new episode. Show notes and discussion:  janehamill.com/blackfriday - JH If you're an established brand and you want business coaching, click here: janehamill.com/membership/ If you want to start a clothing line from scratch, click here: fashionbrainacademy.com/ndp