Small Business Success Highlights

Small Business Success Highlights.

Featured business owners share their Small Business Success Highlights, and host Henry Lopez shares popular resources from The How of Business.

On this special episode Henry Lopez (Serial Entrepreneur, Business Coach, and Host of The How of Business podcast) shares some information about The How of Business podcast and popular resources to help you start, run and grow your small business. He also features a few of his small business coaching clients as they share their small business success highlights – they share some of the challenges they have overcome this past year and insights on how they have grown their small businesses.

Thanks to all of you for listening and supporting The How of Business podcast. Since its inception in 2016, this podcast has been focused on the HOW of small business – it’s about sharing information, knowledge, experiences, and resources to help you start, run and grow a successful and profitable small business. This show is enjoyed around the world, including The United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore, South Africa, Ghana, the Philippines, and many more!

You can also listen and watch on The How of Business YouTube Channel.

Small Business Success Highlight: Eva Stoeger, owner of Maui’s Finest Gifts

“A Slice of Paradise – Delivered: Share Aloha with Maui’s Finest Gifts”

Maui’s Finest Gifts specializes in Individual (Shipping in Hawaii and across the US) and Corporate Hawaiian Gifts (welcome gifts, client gifts, serving Maui primarily), and is a Women-Owned Small Business based on Maui, Hawaii.

Question: Your business, and your life, were significantly impacted by the recent Maui fires. What are a couple of things that you did to begin to get through this natural disaster and continue operating your successful business?
“I knew immediately that I had to pivot as tourism, our main target market, had come to a standstill. At the same time, I wanted to help my community and knew that people on the mainland were also looking for a way to contribute. I created a selection of care packages comprised of essentials, such as blankets, pillows, toiletry kits available for purchase on our website. We matched these purchases with donations of more products. The efforts were very successful, and we were able to contribute more than $10k worth of essentials to the people affected by the Maui fires.”

Question: What’s one tool or system that you use in your business that you find indispensable?
“Coaching! As a first-time small business owner, receiving guidance and being able to bounce ideas off someone who has been a longtime successful entrepreneur, has given me more confidence and brought me more success than I could have ever achieved if I were to figure things out on my own.”

Question: What’s your high-level business forecast for next year? Are you planning for continued growth?
“Yes, I am always planning for continued growth. Specifically, I see some of this growth coming from further expansion into the corporate gifting market.”

Small Business Success Highlight: Kaiden Routh owner of Routh Sales & Rentals

“Helping You Build the Foundation for Tomorrow.”

Routh Sales & Rental operates stores that sell and rent farm and construction equipment, including earth moving, aerial, and other general equipment.
They operate two locations in Broken Bow, Oklahoma and Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Kaiden Routh, owner of Routh Sales & Rentals — Kaiden Routh – Routh Sales & Rentals

Question: What was one big business challenge that you overcame in 2023?
“Opening our second location has been one of my hardest challenges. I have learned a lot through the mistakes I have made. Everything is more complicated than expected once you start doing it. Luckily, I was able to add some fantastic employees that have the same goals that I do and we were able to push through these obstacles and keep everything going strong.”

“Another one of the biggest challenges we faced during 2023 was the rise of interest rates. We provide retail and rental equipment to the commercial and consumer industry, and we noticed a large shift in the market. Consumer purchasing in our industry was down almost 40% year to date. Luckily, we were able to capture a larger portion of the commercial market and make up the difference.”

Question: What’s makes your business different? Why do your customers come back to you for their equipment needs?
“We try to provide excellent service to our customers after our initial business interaction. Whether it’s a customer renting or purchasing we try to provide them with the greatest support possible. I believe that is why our customers keep coming back.”

Question: What’s one tip you would share with other business owners who are also balancing a busy family life and a demanding growing business?
“The biggest tip that has helped me is that you cannot do everything yourself. A good team will help the business grow faster than you will alone.”

Small Business Success Highlight: Haley Johnson owner of Whatley Swim

Whatley Swim provides private mobile swim lessons to students ages 2 and older in the Austin, Texas area (Travis, Williamson, Bastrop, Hays, and Burnet counties). Their instructors can come to your pool! Whatley Swim is a Women-Owned small business.

Haley and Tracy Johnson owners of Whatley Swim. — Haley & Tracy Johnson – Whatley Swim

Question: What was one big business challenge that you overcame in 2023?
“Early into the busy season, I realized that I was experiencing a cash crunch due to over hiring…big mistake! I was able to get back on track with the help of the How of Business and Henry’s coaching sessions (She attended the Cashflow Management Online Workshop). I now understand cashflow much better and can forecast and plan well, but these lessons came with the painful decision to let go of some of my staff. I’m happy to be on the other side of that struggle.”

Question: What’s one marketing method that was effective for you this past year?
“We partnered with neighborhoods who wanted our services by sponsoring community events. The community managers then promoted our services to residents.”

Question: Why do your customers continue to choose Whatley Swim for swim lessons over the competition?
“We have the most flexible offerings of any swim lesson provider in Austin. The logistics can be difficult sometimes, but we allow our clients to choose the time, day, location, and frequency of their swim lessons. We also have 16 providers and 4 substitutes, which adds up to a lot of available time slots for them to select!”

Episode Host: Henry Lopez is a serial entrepreneur, small business coach, and the host of this episode of The How of Business podcast show – dedicated to helping you start, run and grow your small business.