I Almost Quit

This time of year I reflect back on where I’ve been, the goals I achieved, and what I want to accomplish in 2017.

As small business owners, we seem to always be “thinking forward” – where’s our next customer coming from . . . . what marketing am I going to do next week . . . . how can I get better results from my social media . . . etc . . .

Reflecting back on WHAT I HAVE DONE has been very powerful. Especially because I almost quit.

Yup, I almost lost it all and was just going to give up and quit.

I bought a coffee & smoothie franchise 10 years ago because I had my mid-life crisis and wanted something “fun” to do – and what’s more fun than wearing a Hawaiian shirt, saying “Aloha!”, working behind a tiki bar and serving “umbrella drinks”?

Things started great. By the end of my second year, I had 10 mobile units in operation, as well as 2 stores in Dulles Airport and 1 store in a mall. I was the top producing franchisee. The growth was great.

Well, so was the CRASH AND BURN.

You see, this was in 2008 when the economy just stopped. No one was traveling, no one was spending money, and no one was going to the mall just to get a smoothie.

For me, my bills had just started. I had payroll and a big bank loan to repay. I was so broke I couldn’t even afford to buy next week’s inventory.

I was $500K in debt and I didn’t know where my next customer was going to come from. Those were very dark days. I was depressed. I was working myself to the bone so I wouldn’t have to pay employees. I was fighting constantly with my husband. I was sued 6 times – yes, 6 times. I was about to lose it all – literally – my business, my house, my family, was even thinking of taking my own life.

I’ll never forget the day . . . . I was driving down the road and I just started crying. Not just crying . . . full out sobbing so hard I couldn’t even breathe. I had to pull over it was so bad. And after 10 minutes, I took a deep breath and said “Stacey, you’re at that proverbial fork in the road. You can throw in the towel, lose it all, quit and give it up . . . . or you can fight to save your business.” 

I took a hard look at my business to determine if it was a business worth keeping. And it was . . . but things were going to have to change. I couldn’t keep doing what I was doing with a “build it they will come” business model.

I also laugh about it today, but the song playing on the radio at the time was Kelly Clarkson’s “What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger . . . “ I remember laughing when I realized that and it has become one of my mantras when I face difficult times.

So I decided to fight to save my business.

There were 3 things I did  – 3 things that took my business from $500K in debt to a 7-figure profitable business in just 2 years.

1. I literally turned the business model upside down and started taking my business TO THE PEOPLE. I was one of the first food trucks in DC. It completely changed everything. It gave me the opportunity to get my product into so many more people’s mouths. Plus I never had a bad location. If I did, just roll to another location. Try doing that with a brick and mortar store! It was the best marketing dollars I could have spent. I think we caused a lot of accidents because people driving would take pictures of the truck. They’d even call and say “I’m following you, can I get one of those yummy drinks?” Plus it helped drive traffic to the stores because they’d say, “This is so great. Where’s your store?”
2. I transformed a commodity into an EXPERIENCE. Instead of offering a “smoothie” I offered “The Ultimate Hawaiian Getaway Without a 12-Hour Flight”. Which would you rather have? A smoothie – or a Hawaiian Getaway where we come out and setup a tiki bar and professional “tikitenders” blend gourmet all-natural fresh fruit smoothies topped off with a Hawaiian parasol. No wonder people call us a “vacation in a cup!” When I did this, price didn’t matter. Instead of selling a $5.00 smoothie I was selling catering packages starting at $575. A lot more profitability to my bottom line!
3. I did LOTS OF THINGS for marketing. I didn’t just do social media, or email, or direct mail, or content management, or reputation management. I did it ALL. By integrating all of my marketing efforts, they fed off of each other. Someone who may have seen us on social media would then opt in to be on our list – so they’d then get our email newsletters and promotions as well as my famous “smoothie in a box” package. When someone searched on Google for “smoothie bar” or “coffee bar” in DC, MD or VA – I’d show up on the first page. When they visited our site I pixeled them and showed them ads through retargeting. And so much more. Doing LOTS OF THINGS SIMULTANEOUSLY was a key to fast growth.

Today, I still own my coffee & smoothie business – to test different marketing strategies and to take what I’ve learned to help small and local business owners with their marketing. Small Biz Marketing Specialist is my new passion. I’m on a mission to “Save Small Business and Rebuild Main Street.”

I share my personal story with you because I know what it’s like to be a small business owner today. It’s not easy – and you will no doubt face hard times. You will probably face that proverbial fork in the road and have to make a decision.  I hope my story inspires you to accomplish your goals and become a #SmallBizMarketingWiz

About Stacey Riska

Stacey Riska, aka “Small Business Stacey” is a serial entrepreneur who is passionate about saving small business and rebuilding Main Street. She helps small and local business owners become a #SmallBizMarketingWiz by teaching them marketing strategies that get MORE: MORE leads, MORE customers/clients, MORE sales, and MORE money. Stacey is the founder of Small Biz Marketing Specialist, THE go-to place for marketing tips, techniques and strategies that get results. Stacey is also the creator of the Daily Deals for Massive Profits Training Program, an online video training program that teaches small and local business owners how to use daily deal sites like Groupon to skyrocket their business growth and get massive profits. In this program she teaches from experience, as it was the key strategy that transformed her coffee and smoothie business from being $500K in debt to a 7-figure profitable business. When not saving the small business world, she enjoys sipping red wine, eating chocolate (who doesn’t!) and spending time with her amazing husband.