Dawn Ellinwood opened her first small business just 7 months ago - a high-end hair studio in Northern San Diego County. In this episode, we talk to Dawn about the challenges of getting started, how she's bootstrapping her way, and the difficulty in starting a small business in a down economy. We also talk about how she is getting business from reviews at Yelp.com and Kudzu.com. Find out more about Dawn and her business at www.UbuntuHairStudio.com.
Richard Parker has bought and sold several businesses of his own and now assists others with education and consulting on buying a business. Here we discuss the current buying environment and why it is a great time to make a purchase. We also discuss how the lack of traditional financing is affecting the industry. We then discuss how to approach a competitor you may be interested in buying, when to get the seller out the door and when to keep them on board, the importance of confidentiality and when buying a business different than your current business is a smart move. Find out more about Richard Parker at www.diomo.com.
Calvert Thompson started her spa just nine months ago and is getting a lot of business referrals from her positive reviews on Google Maps. Here we talk about other forms of word-of-mouth marketing, her desire to own a business that provides a life and not just a job, and her plans for the future.
