Scrappy and Sappy: How Being Resourceful Turns Around Misadventure

Tales of Misadventure with Nicole Donnelly

B2Btail founder, Curt Anderson, opens up about the one misadventure that forced him to reevaluate his entrepreneurial journey and convince his accountant that he was not the biggest train wreck he ever worked with. Together, Nicole and Curt, shed light on the necessity for manufacturers, entrepreneurs, small business owners to be resourceful in today's market.
Show Notes

• JANUARY 20, 2023
• SCRAPPY AND SAPPY, EP 1

IN THIS EPISODE:

Are you being scrappy with your small business or manufacturing venture? How about your marketing efforts? On this premiere episode, Nicole chats with e-commerce legend, Curt Anderson about his own entrepreneurial journey, his love of dogs, the importance of having an open mind with your marketing strategy, and how failing to maintain two business locations led to his biggest success so far. Curt also shares his advice on lessening the pain of making business mistakes and discusses the power of marketing on LinkedIn for B2B businesses.

ABOUT THE GUEST

Curt Anderson is a legend in e-commerce. He had the vision to see how e-commerce would change the way people buy way back in the 90's before Google became a household name. Out of pure resourcefulness, he moved his floral supply company, online and never looked back. Eventually landing on the list for top e-commerce retailers three years running.

Today, Curt and his team at B2Btail consult with manufacturing businesses through federally funded Manufacturing Extension Programs or MEP's to help them improve their web presence through SEO, web design, and e-commerce strategies.

Curt is a proud girldad, and baseball fanatic who has been to every MLB stadium multiple times over.

KEY TOPICS

• Knowing your why builds dedication and understanding within you and for your business. Curt talks about the why behind one of his early businesses. [12:50]
• Curt shares one of the biggest failures he faced running a wholesale business and how it opened the door to his e-commerce legacy. [16:11}
• Nicole spotlights the successes in Curt’s story, resourcefulness, a.k.a scrappiness, and partnership. [19:16]
• Creating a successful partnership requires “out sacrificing” your partner. Curt shares how. [24:59]
• Don’t miss out on marketing opportunities because you’re afraid to try something new. Learn to leverage social media platforms like Linkedin. [30:47]
• What preventative measures can we make as entrepreneurs to avoid or lessen the pain of making mistakes? [36:48]

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

RESOURCES & LINKS

• Connect with Curt Anderson on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/curtanderson-b2b or [e-mail]
• Find the Small Business Development Center nearest you by visiting https://www.sba.gov/local-assistance/resource-partners/small-business-development-centers-sbdc
• Join the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Linkedin group, https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4215296/
• Connect with Nicole on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/nico

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