Small Town Business with Erika McInerney
Want practical marketing strategies, real-world business lessons and honest conversations from people building successful businesses in small towns?
You’re in the right place.
Small Town Business shines a light on the people building big things in small places and pulls out the practical insights you can actually use in your own business.
Each week, I bring you conversations with business owners, regional leaders and everyday operators growing dream businesses surrounded by community. And sometimes, it’s just me - Erika from Mac&Ernie - sharing honest thoughts, practical strategies, what I’m seeing work right now and what's going to work into the future.
I’m a marketing specialist and customer experience strategist with 30 years working with businesses who want growth that feels sustainable, not stressful.
I'm focused on regional, suburban and small town businesses because, outside the big cities, things work differently. Relationships matter. Reputation matters. Community matters.
Small Town Business is about marketing, customer experience and driving sales in a way that feels authentic and not pushy. Strategic but not overwhelming.
If you’re building a business in a small town (or thinking about it), this is your space.
If you want help building your business, head to www.macandernie.com.au/contact and tell me what you need - I'm here to help.
Episodes
33 episodes
Erika on ‘transition’
If you own a business, one day you’ll be faced with the decision of what to do next - what’s your exit strategy? In this episode, I cover a lot of ideas, meant to be thought-starters, for you to get started on an exit strategy now. I think it’s...
Sara on ‘beyond solo’
Sara Howard is a copywriter, content marketer, and founder of Writers Australia, a copywriting and content agency she spent 18 years growing into the go-to writing team for major corporates and not-for-profits.While growing her agency f...
Erika on ‘social enterprise’
If you’ve identified a problem you’d like to solve or help to solve, you’ve got a number of great choices to make towards that end. One of those choices is to create a successful, sustainable business that contributes in some way to the greater...
Simone on ‘advocacy’
I’ve always thought that the best business ideas come from noticing something that’s missing in the world. Something important and necessary. Simone Eyles did just that. She noticed that the media and marketing channels are seriously light on f...
Erika on Resilience
When crisis hits your town or your business, it’s hard to know where to start. This episode is packed with practical ideas to prepare for disaster or down time, but also advice on what to do and how to approach marketing and promotion whe...
Andy on ‘Resilience’
Andy McCarthy is an entrepreneur, best known for building a renewable energy business from a tiny town called Mirboo North in South Gippsland Victoria. He later sold his company ‘Gippsland Solar’ to the RACV but he hasn’t lost his passion for r...
Erika on 'changing hands'
I’m sure we’ve all been there - seen a sign on a window or a post in a local facebook group with that ‘business for sale’ headline. It starts you thinking…what if?? In this episode I’ve pulled together five key things to consider, to lo...
Kate from Umina Beach Book Nook on ‘changing hands’
Kate Toon is a multi award winning entrepreneur, author and speaker. In the circles I work in, she’s well known for her commonsense approach to complex beasts like SEO and digital marketing. And then in 2...
Small Town Business is back!
How do you grow a thriving business in a small town, regional or rural area? One way is to learn from others and this podcast is a great place to do just that.If you’ve ever wondered how to make big things happen in a regional or rural ...
Alex from Plant a Seed for Safety: Why Safety Matters
Alex Thomas is a rural health and safety specialist and advocate for safety and wellbeing in regional and rural areas - especially on farms. In this episode she tells us her very personal ‘why’ and...
Erika on The Tree Change
Sometimes to make a treechange you have to leave your career behind and start something new. There are so many pros to building a local business - especially to support your lifestyle or family goals, if commuting back and forth to the nearest ...
Kristy from Green Hills Farm and The Ridge House: The Tree Change
Kristy Plumridge is the owner of Greenhills Farm and The Ridge House in Yarragon, West Gippsland. She and...
Erika on 'Not Social' Media
Even though I believe there is usually a place for social media in your marketing, I will rarely encourage anyone to JUST focus on it. Having a healthy spread of promotional and marketing activity allows you to reach a broader audience and miti...
Kimberley from OAK Magazine: 'Not' Social Media
How much time and effort do you spend working on your business’ social media? Is it at the expense of other media? There’s increasing pressure from all around us to believe that social is the only way you can build your business or promote your...
Erika on "Building in Public"
If you’re in a small business, chances are you’re wearing the marketing and social media hat. Being close to the heart of your business makes you the best person for the job, but sometimes it can be hard to share the type of content that really...
Amy from The New Red: The "Pivot"
My guest, Amy from The New Red, is no stranger to a good pivot, having traveled a winding road in her career and life. More recently in her small business she went into battle against her local Council to keep her successful woodworking and eme...
Erika on Learnings
Are you a lifelong learner? I am! Learning comes with success and failure and, in small business, it comes from listening to others’ experiences. In this episode I open up about some of my learnings and challenges to date. I hope it helps - eve...
Jackie from Soilz Alive: Learning
My guest, Jackie Yong from Soilz Alive, describes herself as a curious human, compost enthusiast and hair lover…three things that you wouldn’t think you could turn into a business. But she has and it’s great. It wasn’t all smooth sailing though...
Erika on Passion
This week I’m talking about passion. How to find it when you’re feeling stuck or how to know what you could or should be doing. I give you a few thoughts on how being passionate about your business can backfire and some tools to try and prevent...
Alli from Walker Events: Passion
Does your small town have a calendar of events that you attend regularly? If not, do you wish it did? Conceptualising, creating and running events is no small feat and it requires a lot of hard work and passion.My guest, Alli ...
Erika on Purpose
Purpose-driven, for-purpose, heart-led, social-enterprise, profit-for-purpose…There are a lot of ways to describe businesses that have a purpose or a mission, but there’s also a common misconception that business that have a p...
Jason from ETCH Sparkling: Purpose
Just a few years ago, Jason and Andy Quin conceived, developed and launched a really special range of alcohol-free, inclusive drinks, called ETCH Sparkling, that celebrate health and native Australian fruits and herbs. Special for those reasons...
Erika on Family Business
There’s a lot that can be said about family when it comes to business, especially small business. It’s very hard to run your own business without involving your family - whether directly or indirectly. Setting boundaries and having clear intent...
