How To Prepare For A Grant Application And Why You Need A ToC (Theory of Change) With Sandy Blackburn

Have you spent years crafting your professional identity, building a solid reputation, and networking with industry peers? But when you look at your LinkedIn profile, it's a relic of the past, a dusty snapshot that fails to capture the dynamic professional you've become. 

Sound familiar? You're not alone. Many of us have neglected our LinkedIn presence, unaware of its true potential as a powerful personal branding and business growth tool. 

Joining us is Lynnaire Johnston, the founder of Link*Ability and an internationally regarded expert on leveraging LinkedIn for professional success. With a background in journalism, broadcasting, and copywriting, Lynnaire brings a unique perspective on using some not-so-well-known LinkedIn features to stand out.

We also talked about:

• How Lynnaire's journey led her to become a LinkedIn expert
• The power of LinkedIn as a publishing platform for writers and content creators
• Tips for optimizing your personal LinkedIn profile to attract potential clients and opportunities
• Strategies for creating and managing a LinkedIn company page that drives business growth
• The benefits of using LinkedIn newsletters and collaborative articles to boost visibility and authority
• Insights into LinkedIn's new features, including the revamped "Services" section and skill endorsements

Ready to unlock the full potential of LinkedIn and take your personal brand and business to new heights? Listen to this insightful episode, and learn from Lynnaire's wealth of expertise. Want to be notified when new episodes come up? Sign up here.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• Lynnaire's books: 
• "LinkAbility: 4 powerful strategies to maximise your LinkedIn success" (affiliate link) 
• "Business Gold: Build Awareness, Authority, and Advantage with LinkedIn Company Pages” (affiliate link)

• LinkedIn’s Collaborative Articles Hub: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/topics/browse/a 

Want regular access to tips, techniques, and advice from experts about growing your business? Sign up here: https://onlinebusinessliftoff.com/newsletter/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you in a crowded niche where it feels almost impossible to stand out?  And you’re looking for ways to build your customer base?

Shaunda Necole is an influencer and online business owner who has successfully built multiple blogs, podcasts and monetisation streams around her passion for food and travel.

In just two years, she built her blog The Soul Food Pot into Google's #1 site for Southern soul food. 

Part of the secret to Shaunda’s success was niche-ing down - she took iconic African American recipes and reimagined them using modern kitchen appliances to make them faster and easier for amateur chefs.

But she did more than that … and so can you.

In this episode, Shaunda shares what she did to stand out in a super competitive niche.

We Also Talked About

• How Shaunda grew her Instagram following by engaging with and helping other influencers in support groups
• Monetizing on Instagram through brand partnerships and affiliate links
• Why you have to niche down as specifically as possible - "you have to go small to get big"
• How Pinterest operates as a visual search engine and using its keyword bubbles for content inspiration
• Creating content based on search intent - what your audience is actually looking for
• The importance of compelling visuals and text overlay on Pinterest pins
• Using tools like Tailwind to schedule and automate pinning

Want to hear more of Shaunda's journey to online business success? Listen to the full episode here! And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• Shaunda Necole's website: https://shaundanecole.com
• Her soul food site: https://thesoulfoodpot.com
• Her Las Vegas local recommendations site: https://vegasrightnow.com
• Her podcasts:  The Soul Food Pod and Vegas Right Now
• Shaunda’s Pinterest course:   Pinterest Magic Marketing Masterclass

Want regular access to tips, techniques and advice from experts about growing your business?  Sign up here.  https://onlinebusinessliftoff.com/newsletter/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever felt awkward about asking clients for a testimonial?  Or reached out to a client for a review or recommendation and got back crickets?  

In this episode, Trudy Rankin shares four tips to get amazing client testimonials without having to feel embarrassed about asking.

Trudy helps busy business owners create and sell new online products and services that people want, without having to work harder or hire a big team. 

Want to hear more about getting testimonials to grow your business? Listen to the full podcast episode here.  And subscribe to be notified about upcoming episodes.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Quiz Creators Course:  https://onlinebusinessliftoff.com/quiz-creators-course-plus/ 

Want regular access to tips, techniques and advice from experts about growing your business? Sign up here: https://onlinebusinessliftoff.com/newsletter/

Trudy Rankin has been running her own online business for over 8 years. She is passionate about helping busy online business owners increase revenue and profits without burning out.

Want regular access to tips, techniques and advice from experts about growing your business? Sign up here: https://onlinebusinessliftoff.com/newsletter/

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At age 26, Andrew Guttormsen was living with his parents and took an unpaid internship to get his foot in the door at Teachable. His persistence and great ideas led to him becoming a core team member and he went on to eventually co-found Circle, a community platform now used by over 10,000 businesses.

With experience scaling two highly successful startups, Andrew shares valuable insights on implementing customer feedback as a growth strategy, why having tough conversations matters, and fostering online community engagement.

We Also Talked About:

• Bouncing back after failure on the journey to success
• Getting buy-in and implementing suggestions as a young intern
• Details of a Chief Revenue Officer's responsibilities
• How to shape the culture and interactions in an online community
• The importance of giving direct feedback to help team members grow

Want to hear more startup stories and advice? Be sure to listen to this episode and subscribe to the podcast!

RESOURCES:

• Learn more about Circle's community platform (affiliate link)
• Discover why Circle is the best community management platform out there
• Contact Andrew at andrew @ circle.so

Want regular access to tips, techniques and advice from experts about growing your business? Sign up here: https://onlinebusinessliftoff.com/newsletter/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As an engineer, developer or other IT professional, are you sick of meetings and managers?   And you dream of starting your own business so you can escape your cubicle?

Michael Frew has a unique perspective - after 18 years working as an engineer and architect for top tech companies, he made a big shift to acquire online businesses instead of starting them. 

In this interview, he shares why IT professionals may be better suited to buy (instead of start) an online business, and takes us through his 8-step framework to find, finance and acquire successful online companies.

We also talked about:

• Why it can be hard for IT professionals to make a career change due to "golden handcuffs"
• Tips for building relationships with sellers when acquiring a business
• How to finance an online business acquisition
• Managing teams when transitioning from employee to business owner
• Key steps in the online business acquisition framework

Want to hear more? Tune in to the full conversation with Michael Frew. And don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Want regular access to tips, techniques and advice from experts about growing your business? Sign up here.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Newsletter:  newsletter.michaelfrew.com
• Learn:  videos.michaelfrew.com
• Website:  https://www.michaelfrew.com
• Book on managing a business:  Traction: Get A Grip On Your Business (affiliate link)
• LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelfrew/ 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever wondered what it really takes to sell a consulting firm or an agency?  

In this special evergreen episode from 2023,  we're diving into the secrets behind preparing your consultancy business for growth and eventual exit. And, I pose the question, if you could sell your business someday, what would it take to get it ready?

My guest, Professor Joe O'Mahoney, has over 20 years of experience advising boutique consulting firms on achieving high growth and successful exits. And Joe brings a rare mix of real world consulting experience combined with extensive research on what works.

He's published multiple books on the consulting industry.  And he's written dozens of articles that dispel common myths in relation to that industry. Professor O’Mahoney provides evidence based strategic insights on the specifics of readying a consulting firm for sale. 

And as I talk to him, you'll discover why most boutique firms fail to create lasting value beyond their founder,  the biggest mistakes made when preparing to exit a firm and a step by step approach to boosting your valuation multiple for your business.

So, if you lead a consulting firm and have ever considered selling, you might want to have a listen.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Website: https://joeomahoney.com/
• LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeomahoney/ 
• Book:  https://geni.us/growth-for-consultants (affiliate link)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever wondered if starting a niche website could be a viable business for you? 

In this special evergreen episode from 2023, we're revisiting my conversation with Jake Lang, an expert at starting profitable niche sites.

Jake has an incredible story of building niche sites while working a full-time job, eventually leading to a six-figure business that allowed him to quit and work for himself. 

He shares his step-by-step process for identifying promising niche topics, validating the business opportunities, and ultimately building sites that can be monetized through courses, memberships, affiliate links, and more. 

He also discusses common mistakes to avoid with niche sites and offers advice for maintaining focus when trying to build a business on the side.

If you've ever considered trying to build an income stream through a niche site but weren't sure where to start, this is the episode for you.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• Website:  https://theentrepreneurridealong.com/   
• Book - Step One:  The Surprisingly Simple Process To Research, Validate, and Choose The Perfect Online Business Idea (affiliate link)
• Website:  https://steponebook.com/ 
• Book - Use Your Job To Quit Your Job:  A Proven Blueprint To Forming Your Best Entrepreneur Ideas And Starting Your Business (affiliate link)

Want regular access to tips, techniques and advice from experts about growing your business?  Sign up here. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever wondered how a simple passion can transform into a thriving business? Or what it would take to turn a love for making things with your hands into a profitable venture?

It’s a question that a lot of people ask when they start thinking about setting up their own business.   Or whether they could do something to bring in a bit of extra cash to supplement their day job.

In this episode I am resharing an interview I did earlier in the year with someone who asked themselves this same question … can I turn a hobby into a thriving business.  And for Angie Wilson, the answer was yes.

Angie, from Gnome Angel, is a former government employee turned quilting maestro.  And she shares her incredible journey from blogging about life and IVF to creating a quilt-focused empire. Her story isn’t just about quilting; it’s about perseverance, reinventing oneself, and finding success in unexpected places.

If you’ve already listened to this episode, I would encourage you to listen to it again.  It is truly inspiring.

Resources Mentioned

• Website: https://www.gnomeangel.com/

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Have you ever had to revive a neglected website that was costing you potential revenue? In this episode, Online Business Launchpad host Trudy Rankin talks about the journey of renovating her website The Menopause Effect, which had become neglected over time. 

After a Google update tanked her website's traffic and revenue, Trudy realised she needed to take drastic action to resurrect the dying site.

Trudy brings deep knowledge from running her own online business for over 8 years and helping hundreds of entrepreneurs build their online presence.

Trudy also talks about:

• Her original goals for the website and how they evolved over time
• How she started learning about SEO, content strategies, backlinks and more to improve the site
• The step-by-step tactics she implemented to increase traffic, engagement, and affiliate revenue
• Key lessons learned about improving neglected sites
• Her goals for the next phase of the website's growth

Want to hear this segment of Trudy's story about bringing a neglected website back to life? Tune into the full episode.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• Graham Knight's SEO services (for tree care companies)
• Teresa Edmond's Boss Responses content strategy bootcamp
• SPI Pro Community (affiliate link)

Want to regularly receive tips, techniques and advice from Trudy and other experts about growing your business? Sign up here to get access.

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When you’re a small business owner trying to do it all, how do you find time for marketing without neglecting customers? 

Sarah Noel Block went from working for seven bosses to starting Tiny Marketing, where she helps time-strapped marketers punch above their weight. 

With over 7 years experience streamlining marketing for multi-company corporations, Sarah shares her proven Tiny Marketing framework to help small businesses build high-impact marketing campaigns.

We also talk about:

• Strategies for managing multiple stakeholders and their competing demands
• Making the leap from corporate to starting your own agency
• Quarterly planning frameworks to regularly review and optimize marketing
• Using lead magnets and workshops to attract ideal customers 
• Leveraging AI tools like ChatGPT and BARD so you can work smarter, not harder

Want to hear more? Listen to the full episode and subscribe to get updates on future episodes.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• Sarah's website: sarahnoelblock.com/launchpad 
• On-demand Webinar:  How to Market with a Small Team & Budget
• Tiny Marketing Podcast:  Apple  Spotify 

Want regular access to tips, techniques and advice from experts about growing your business? Sign up here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.