Business Focus Weekly
A publication focused on helping your business to grow and become more focused.
Table of Contents
Interviews:
Candis Parker with De-Vine Wine
Rachael Flores with Fiori Marketing

Videos:
Facebook Ted Schmidt - Ted's Catch Phrases
Useful Business Thought of the Week - Working with organizational charts

Upcoming Events:
ActionClub
Interview with Candis Parker
De-Vine Wine
 
AC: Tell us about your business.
CP: We were the first building to open and we are one of the only two businesses that have survived in our town (Mill Creek, WA) for the last 17 years. Extensive wine club that features different wines each month from all over the world. Word of mouth is how people know about us. They also do frequent tastings.
  
AC: Who is your target customer?
CP: 40years old to 70 years old. The younger crowd has been showing up to try out different wines lately too. Customers who have no problem spending $100 on a bottle of wine, then sitting down to enjoy it.
  
AC: What has been the greatest impact of covid-19 on your business?
CP: The biggest impact is the wine club numbers have increased. People aren’t getting out there, so I was able to keep the doors open with those increases. I had to let one employee go, but I also saved a lot of money on overhead.
  
AC: What are one or two actions you have taken to make a difference?
CP: I started selling beer in addition to the wine. I also let everyone know that I was available for curbside pickup, they could call at any time for what they need. We even started our own delivery service.
  
AC: What is one mistake you have made along the way that other people can learn from?
CP: I used to jump on purchasing a wine too fast, but then worried about whether or not I would be able to sell it. In the first couple of years, I bought a lot of wines I shouldn’t have. So, I took a step back, then learned how to buy smarter. Strategizing through which wines to buy, looked closer at margins, researching, then making decisions more slowly helped.
  
AC: What is inspiring to you today?
CP: I’ve been giving a lot of thought to retirement and am selling the business to new owners. I am a huge Peleton fan, so spent the morning with a cup of coffee and a good workout. Then I got to come in and do the books, so got to see how much income came in over the past three weeks, with only working 10 hours per week, which was exciting! The support that people who come through is just amazing, they support a female-owned small business, which has been thriving for the past 10 years!
Contact:
Candis Parker
425-357-6200
candis@de-vinewines.com
de-vinewines.com
Interview with Rachael Flores
Fiori Marketing

AC: Tell us about your business.
RF: I do digital marketing and social media for small businesses. I provide training, guides, consulting, or take on the burden so they don't have to worry. I have been doing this for a year now. 
  
AC: Who is your target customer?
RF: I tend to work with small or medium-sized businesses who are overwhelmed with social media or don't even know where to start with their digital marketing. I love to help come up with fresh ideas and make the process easier so business owners don't have to worry about their marketing efforts. 
  
AC: What has been the greatest impact of covid-19 on your business?
RF: I started my business during COVID-19 so I haven't known life without it quite yet. I will say there are plenty of businesses that are starting to realize they need a way to communicate with their audience digitally.
  
AC: What are one or two actions you have taken to make a difference?
RF: When making a difference for my clients, I want to make marketing easier for them. By focus on the things that bring them the biggest ROI instead of trying to do every marketing tactic in the book. Regarding COVID, I've always been remote so it's easy for me to work that way and help clients with things. 
  
AC: What is one mistake you have made along the way that other people can learn from?
RF: My mistake is not managing my stress earlier on. I used to just think of stress as something that would go away when a big project finished or I hit some milestone. I learned that stress never really leaves so being able to manage it with meditation, workouts, and regular breaks have made a difference in my overall health, happiness, and productivity. I think people have this idea that taking time away from your desk when you're overwhelmed will make it worse but often it makes things better.
  
AC: What is inspiring to you today?
RF: Today and every day, I'm inspired by my mom. She works in medical research and during the pandemic worked long hours to help with vaccine trials and then vaccine distribution. She's one of the smartest and most giving people that I know. 
  
Contact:
Rachael Flores 
(509) 557-0534
hello@fiorimarketing.com
fiorimarketing.com
Ted Schmidt - Ted's Catch Phrases
Current & Future Events
Useful Business Thought of the Week