We're Making Small Business Harder Than It Needs To Be (EP#67)
A frustrating customer experience sparked this episode about sales, communication, and the way small business owners make things harder for themselves. Many businesses unintentionally lose trust, connection, and sales momentum during the inquiry process.
From proposals and follow-ups to personalisation and communication, this episode of Money Secrets is packed with practical reminders about what actually helps people feel confident enough to buy.
Listen to Episode 67
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
Why leads should be treated with more care and attention. A new enquiry is a real opportunity, and communication shapes whether someone chooses to work with you.
How poor communication can quietly lose sales. Sending invoices too early or failing to answer questions can create friction and reduce trust.
Why a proposal can strengthen your sales process. A thoughtful proposal helps clients feel confident and understand what makes your business different.
The importance of making clients feel seen and understood. Personalised communication and thoughtful follow-up help clients feel supported and respected.
How follow-ups can build trust instead of pressure. Great follow-ups answer questions, offer reassurance, and strengthen the relationship.
How small tweaks can make making money easier. Simple improvements to your systems and communication can significantly improve the client experience.
The role of customer experience in standing out from competitors. The way you guide people through the enquiry process matters more than you think.
How small business owners unintentionally make things harder for themselves. Many businesses focus on getting leads, but not enough on nurturing them.
Why respecting the size of a client investment matters. Clients spending thousands of dollars want to feel informed, reassured, and looked after.
How better systems can create calmer, more sustainable growth. Thoughtful sales processes reduce confusion and help business feel more intentional.
We're Making Small Business Harder Than It Needs To Be (EP#67)
Introduction
We've made a lot of progress as a society in many areas, but one thing that hasn’t changed enough is our relationship with money. If we want to tip the scales in favour of marginalised people, we need to understand the secrets to making money in small business.
The more we talk about money — especially the secrets that usually stay behind closed doors or on the golf course — the more empowered we become. My mission is to get more money into the hands of good people, specifically business owners like you.
Because I believe small business can change the world. And to do that, we need to be making more money.
Acknowledgement of Country
This episode was recorded on the lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation. I’d like to acknowledge them as the Traditional Owners and custodians of this land and water that I live, work and play on.
I pay my respects to Elders past and present, and recognise that sovereignty has never been ceded. This always was, and always will be, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land.
The Sales Process Starts Earlier Than You Think
When Fi reached out to enquire about a winery tour for the Ripple Retreat, she expected a conversation. Instead, after a brief email exchange and a few unanswered questions, an invoice for more than $5,000 landed in her inbox.
No proposal.
No detailed information.
No reassurance.
No real effort to guide the booking process forward.
And while the business likely thought they were being efficient, the experience actually created hesitation and uncertainty.
Fi explains that many small business owners focus heavily on getting leads — but not enough on what happens once those leads actually arrive. A new enquiry is a real opportunity, and the way you communicate during that process shapes whether somebody feels confident enough to buy from you.
Why Thoughtful Communication Matters
One of the biggest takeaways from this episode is that communication is part of the customer experience.
Instead of immediately sending an invoice, Fi shares how the business could have:
offered a phone or Zoom call
sent through a thoughtful proposal
answered FAQs proactively
explained their point of difference
included testimonials or social proof
clarified cancellation policies and logistics
reassured the client throughout the process
These small touches build trust.
And importantly, they don’t necessarily require more work every single time. Fi points out that many of these resources — like proposals or FAQs — can be created once and reused repeatedly throughout your sales process.
Why Thoughtful Communication Matters
One of the biggest takeaways from this episode is that communication is part of the customer experience.
Instead of immediately sending an invoice, Fi shares how the business could have:
offered a phone or Zoom call
sent through a thoughtful proposal
answered FAQs proactively
explained their point of difference
included testimonials or social proof
clarified cancellation policies and logistics
reassured the client throughout the process
These small touches build trust.
And importantly, they don’t necessarily require more work every single time. Fi points out that many of these resources — like proposals or FAQs — can be created once and reused repeatedly throughout your sales process.
Your Clients Want To Feel Seen
One of the strongest themes throughout this episode is the importance of making clients feel understood.
Whether somebody is spending $500 or $5,000, they want to feel:
respected
looked after
reassured
understood
confident in their decision
Fi reminds listeners that people are not just comparing you against competitors in your industry — they’re also comparing you against every other possible way they could spend their money.
That means the experience you create matters.
The way you communicate.
The way you answer questions.
The way you follow up.
The way you guide somebody through the booking process.
All of it contributes to whether someone feels safe enough to invest.
Small Tweaks Can Make Money Feel Easier
A huge message from this episode is that many business owners are already closer to improving sales than they realise.
Fi acknowledges that small business ownership is hard. There are endless moving parts — marketing, visibility, pricing, hiring, outsourcing, finances, operations — but she also challenges the mindset that everything has to feel difficult all the time.
Sometimes, making more money isn’t about working harder.
Sometimes it’s about:
improving communication
refining systems
strengthening follow-up
creating clearer customer journeys
making clients feel genuinely cared for
These are often small tweaks with very big outcomes.
Good Money Club
If this conversation resonated, you don’t have to figure it out alone.
Good Money Club is open right now.
Inside Good Money Club, women business owners:
Learn to understand and manage their own money
Build financial roadmaps
Develop sustainable pricing strategies
Get accountability and support
Increase revenue and take-home pay
Make bold, ethical money decisions
If you’re ready to:
Earn more
Pay yourself properly
Build a sustainable business
Reduce money stress
Close your own revenue gap
You can learn more about Good Money Club while doors are open.
Final thoughts
This episode is such an important reminder that sales is not just about getting leads — it’s about what happens after somebody reaches out.
Thoughtful communication, stronger systems, and a more intentional customer experience can dramatically improve trust, connection, and conversion. And often, the businesses that stand out aren’t necessarily the cheapest or the loudest — they’re the ones that make people feel genuinely supported throughout the process.
If this episode resonated with you, share it with another small business owner who might need the reminder that sometimes the easiest way to make more money… is to stop making things harder than they need to be 😊
Outro
Thank you for listening to Money Secrets. If you loved this episode, please subscribe, share it with a friend, or leave a review. Your support helps us get these conversations into the hands of more good people who deserve to thrive in business.
We’ve come so far as a society in many ways, but money is one of the areas where progress hasn’t been enough. If we want to tip the scales in favour of marginalised people, it starts with understanding the secret: money in small business.
In this podcast, Money Secrets, host Fiona (Fi) Johnston—Chartered Accountant, small business advocate, and impact enthusiast—dives into the conversations we need to have about money. The secrets that once stayed behind closed doors (or on the golf course) are finally out in the open.
Fi’s mission? To get more money into the hands of good people, like you. She believes small businesses have the power to change the world, and the key to making a bigger impact is to make—and manage—more money.
________________________________________________________________________
Thank you to everyone involved for bringing this podcast together. We are excited to hear from you with any questions, feedback or suggestions for future episodes that you might have. Send a Direct Message to @peach.business
If you are excited for what’s to come, please like this episode, follow the podcast and share it with your friends. We are thrilled you're here.
Want to find out more about Good Money Club? It's for female and non-binary business owners ready to make more money and impact. Join us?
Check out my FREE Pricing Training you need to set your prices for profitability.
________________________________________________________________________
This podcast episode was recorded on the lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation and I'd like to acknowledge them as the Traditional Owners and custodians of this land and water that I live, work and play on. I'd like to pay respect to elders both past and present, and note that sovereignty has never been ceded. This always was and always will be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land. Productivity and automation aren’t the answer
Enjoyed this episode?
Subscribe to Money Secrets on your favourite platform so you never miss an insight:
If this episode helped you shift your thinking, I’d love it if you left a review — it helps more small business owners discover the show, and I read every single one.
Have questions or ideas for future episodes? Send me a DM over at @peach.business on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you.
Ready to take this work further?
Join the Good Money Club — my 6-month experience for business owners ready to earn more and make a bigger impact.