In this episode of the 5-Minute Business Boost, I am unpacking one of the most important tools in your marketing toolkit: your value proposition. It’s the simple, powerful sentence that tells customers who you help, what problem you solve and why you’re the best choice.

If your messaging feels a bit fuzzy or you struggle to explain your business without rambling, this episode will help you sharpen your clarity fast.

You’ll learn:

• Why a strong value proposition matters more than ever

• the three questions every value proposition must answer

• the most common mistakes small business owners make

• a simple framework to write your own one-liner

• real examples across different industries

• a quick exercise you can do in under two minutes

This episode is designed to help small business owners simplify their message, stand out from competitors and create marketing that actually makes sense to customers.

If you enjoyed this episode, hit subscribe, share it with a fellow small business owner, and leave a review. It all helps more people find the show.

While you are on the website, check out my Small Business Kickstart Kit. It includes a one-page business plan, simple social media calendar, marketing checklist, and plug-and-play Canva templates. Instant download at samhicks.com.au.

You can also sign up for the 5-Minute Business Boost newsletter, or explore how we can work together on your business:

small business consulting, marketing strategy, social media and digital marketing, workshops, mentoring, or a focused 1-hour training session.

New podcast episodes and the weekly newsletter drop every Wednesday at 10am.

Follow me on social media (@samhickscomau) and remember: in small business, anything is possible.

#smallbusiness #smallbusinessconsulting #marketingstrategy #businessdevelopment #5minutebusinessboost #podcast #smallbiz #regionalbusiness #samhicks

In this episode, Sam demystifies the buzzword “omnichannel” and breaks it down into something practical, achievable, and genuinely helpful for small business owners.

If your Instagram, website, Google Business Profile, and email list all feel like separate versions of you, you don’t have an omnichannel strategy — you just have a bunch of channels.

Today, we fix that.

Sam unpacks what omnichannel actually means, why customers now expect it, and the simple steps you can take to create a consistent brand experience across all the places your business shows up.

What is covered:

– The difference between multichannel and omnichannel (and why it matters)

– Why consistency beats being “everywhere”

– How to choose the right core channels for your business

– Simple ways to make the customer experience feel seamless

– Light-touch data tips that don’t require complicated software

– How to “create once, distribute smart” to save hours every week

– A 30-day experiment you can try to get started

Who it’s for:

Small business owners, makers, service providers, and anyone juggling multiple online platforms and wanting a clearer, calmer way to market their business.

If you love the episode… subscribe, share, and like. I’d love a review, or let me know about a future topic.

While you’re on the website, check out my Small Business Kickstart Kit — it’s a one-page plan, social media calendar, marketing checklist, and Canva templates, all ready to go. Instant download at samhicks.com.au.

Sign up for the 5-Minute Business Boost ® newsletter, or see how we can work together to achieve your small business goals — whether through mentoring, attending a workshop, or a brief 1-hour course or even your choice of training.

Follow me on social media (@samhickscomau) and remember, anything is possible in business.

In this episode, Sam is joined by Lars Klint — Principal Developer Advocate at Atlassian, long-time Microsoft Azure MVP, author, trainer, community leader, classic car collector, and part-time wrangler of Australian Outback Internet.

Lars works deeply in the world of cloud computing, particularly within the Atlassian ecosystem (including Jira, Confluence, and DevOps tools) and Microsoft Azure’s global cloud platform.

He’s been in the software community for over 20 years and co-organises DDD Melbourne, one of Australia’s most inclusive developer conferences.

He also runs events with Microsoft, creates technical training content, and has spoken at more than 100 tech events worldwide.

And yes — he also lives on a farm in regional Victoria with llamas.

In this episode, we talk about:

• His new tech book — why write one when everyone says it pays little?
• How to run a side business while working full-time.
• How small steps can evolve into a thriving business or a long-term project.
• YouTube: with 200+ videos and over 3 million views, why he chose the platform and how small businesses can benefit from using it.
• Whether the internet is ready for Lars’ next move… rockets?

It’s a fun, honest, practical conversation for anyone juggling work, creativity, side hustles, tech, or big dreams on limited time.

Takeaway - make it fun.

Links

• Website https://larsklint.com/

• YouTube https://youtube.com/@larsklinttech

• Book https://www.manning.com/books/microsoft-azure-in-action

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If you love the episode… subscribe, share, and like. I’d love a review, or let me know about a future topic.

While you’re on the website, check out my Small Business Kickstart Kit — it’s a one-page plan, social media calendar, marketing checklist, and Canva templates, all ready to go. Instant download at samhicks.com.au.

Sign up for the 5-Minute Business Boost newsletter, or see how we can work together to achieve your small business goals — whether through mentoring, attending a workshop, or a brief 1-hour course or even your choice of training..

Follow me on social media (@samhickscomau) and remember, anything is possible in business.