Friday's Featured Entrepreneur - Elizabeth Case - Yellow Dog Consulting
Each Friday meet a featured entrepreneur, all are trusted colleagues, most I am honored to call friends, the others I just stalked mercilessly until they said YES, and some are even current clients or graduated ones.....but I'll let them decide if they want to share that! You'll learn a thing or two and likely laugh a bit. They are all as candid in real life as they are here!
Describe yourself – I’m the marketing consultant who refuses to join Facebook. I started my business because I’m totally unemployable. I have places to go, dogs to hangout with, and beers to discover. And, I happen to adore working with small business owners and helping them grow their business. I’m a big pop culture nerd, and blog about my latest pop culture obsessions each month on my blog. I was lucky enough to rescue Hank, the Yellow Dog mascot and have 8 great years with him, and Norm recently joined our home, despite his terrible puppy manners.
Describe your business – I LOVE to help small business owners who love what they do, but the
sales and marketing part of their job sucks their will to live. That’s what I’m here to help with.
Target Market identification, newsletters, setting up your online presence, and working with speaker marketing are some of my favorite things. Most of my work with clients is around lead generations and putting together systems and schedules so you can actually grow your
business!
What are the stunning results clients/customers get when they hire and work with you?
A plan of action. It might be a monthly newsletter that makes sense, has flow and goes out regularly. It might be better networking because you’re spending time at the RIGHT events, and you have follow up systems in place. I’m a big fan of follow up and consistency, and help brainwash my clients to also be fans.
What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve ever received?
WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WAITING FOR JUST START YOUR OWN THING ALREADY? Or something like that…I had a great group of supportive friends when I launched my company, I knew I wanted to do my own thing but it took me a while to discover WHAT that would be. Once I did, we were off to the races.
What’s the biggest challenge you ever faced in your business and how did you resolve it?
In Q4 of 2015, we lost Hank, our mascot and founder of Yellow Dog Consulting. It was awful, and I really did the bare minimum in my business. On top of that it was the holidays, so I spent Q4 phoning it in. The income proved it, so I hired a business coach (you may know her from blogs such as this one) and got off my ass to start networking again. And just like that the
sales pipeline and new clients are full again
What’s the one question you wish clients would ask you but they never do?
What’s the best TV show you’re watching right now
Best time saving business tool you use?
Freshbooks – I used to waste too much time on my invoicing each month. Then I outsourced it to a VA. Then I discovered Freshbooks and I’ll never look back.
Current book you are reading?
Fellside by MR Carey – I loved his last book, The Girl with All the Gifts. I’m not a business book reader, sorry. Except not really, it’s just not my jam.
What book do you recommend the most to other entrepreneurs?
It depends on what they like – but I think it’s important people read for fun. Usually it’s Ready Player One by Ernie Cline, it’s a top 5 favorite book ever.
What is the best piece of business advice you’ve ever received and who
gave it to you?
I have received a ton of advice from a ton of people, and heard a lot of folks talk about their own journey to entrepreneurship. A couple of key points I always noted:
You won’t be happy until you’re doing what you love
Being your own boss is amazing
Starting your own business is the scariest and greatest thing you’ll ever do (except kids I
hear)
Stay Connected! Website and Social Links
Website – http://yellowdogconsulting.com/
Facebook – f**k that shit
Twitter - https://twitter.com/ejcase
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethcase
