Suzilla: Family Business Podcast

What do you expect.

Everyone has expectations. There are certain levels of trust and distrust with every business and every relationship. How you design your environment and the words that you use can establish expectations. We have some great examples of doing it right and doing it wrong. 

This episode was full of surprises with a first appearance of Shayla a new partner with Wenatchee Insurance Agency,

We also had Brandon Smith of Wenatchee Computer make a guest appearance. 

Along with Matt and Suzie from Suzie Health Solutions. 

It was a room full of small business. 

There is an app for that.

Today is a technology day as we are going to talk about apps and web applications that have changed business.  While we do a lot with Insurance, there is a lot of other industries. We test drove a first ghost kitchen this week. It was a product advertised, ordered, and delivered using an app through an established businesses kitchen. There have been products that we use that has forever changed how we do business. What is some software that we would like to see in the future.  

What does Fall mean to you?

The kids are in school, so the Pumpkin Spice wars have broken out ushering in Fall. There is a lot going  on and a few big things that you want to look out for this year.

Reminder Medicare Annual Enrollment is October 15th through December 7th

Healthcare Open Enrollment is November 1st through December 15th.

We are going to dive into that pile of leaves like we are fully insured on this week’s Suzilla.

What is your story?

It is one of the biggest questions to ask.

 

We ask when we go out to events. We ask ourselves when we set up our office.

The experience is why people recommend businesses.

 

If they feel safe then they go out and actively have an experience. Today we are working on creating stories for ourselves and others.

It’s not car insurance

When you have assisted people enroll in health insurance for nearly a decade in Washington State then you see some things. The last couple of weeks, we have seen some major misconceptions when it comes to health insurance. People not knowing about enrollment periods, agents not knowing what tax credits are, how important a deductible is..etc. We are going to get into some differences between health insurance and car or home insurance. This is the episode that could be played in high school across America.

The lost art of the elevator speech and quick pitch.

Introductions are tough and with heavy use of social media sometimes basic skills are lost. The quick who are you, what do you do and why am I looking at you. The basic sparks of a friendship, a sales or even an election. We are going to get into what makes a good pitch, how to sharpen your skills and what makes a bad pitch.

Student Loan Forgiveness & other means

We have lived a few years literally on the wrong side of town. We are going to get into the student loan relief and other programs that we have seen means tested. Do they work are they important? How does risk play into the picture. All this while waiting for the internet dude.

Work Culture is important.

We are going to talk about a lost art. Esprit de corps is something that I witnessed leaving the workplace in the ‘90s. The lack of parties and bowling leagues. We never wanted to be that way when we set up Suzie Health Solutions. We didn't want to build a workplace that sucked.  Work becoming a dreary chore where people dread Mondays and run out the door 4:45 PM on Friday. Where people must leave to find meaningful work. After a series of Wall Street Journal and a couple of business peer conversations, this week we are going to dive into building work culture.

This is the back to insurance school Special.

We run the Enrollment Center in Wenatchee so yes, it is time to talk about some changes in Insurance. Big changes in the nation and Washington State when it comes to Insurance. $35 Insulin? Does HIPPA need a boost? What about the cost of Health Insurance this Fall? What is going on with Medicare? Why should I set an appointment now for Fall Enrollments.

Small business is not a luxury.

We have run a small business around a decade. Our model will not work for everyone. As folks tighten their belts over inflation some of the first to be hit will be small businesses if people view them as a luxury. We talked to a few over the last week to see how folks are doing and what can be done to improve the local economy. The four things about small business that you should be doing regularly:

1. Use small businesses whenever you can for purchases. 

2.  Talk with small business owners and find out how they are doing.

3. Encourage others to use small businesses. 

4. When you are doing well as a small business then give back to the community. 

If you treat small businesses like luxuries then they will die with inflation.