✉ shawna@thebuyerinsider.com | ☎ 651-470-0066
📅 MEETING PLANNER RESOURCES

HARD TRUTHS AND EASY TIPS FOR EVERY SMALL BUSINESS OWNER

(Plus lots of bonus 1980s pop culture references!)

LATEST INSIGHTS

36 Posts
Over-decorated store exterior with rainbow Pride decorations and tumbleweeds

5/24/26

Pride Month Marketing Without the Cringe: How to Be a Real Ally and Not a ‘Target’

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Two people looking skeptically at a World's Best Pizza sign

5/17/26

How Can My Small Business Build Trust with Customers?

Consumer Behavior Marketing Strategy
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Market vendor serving customers at an outdoor stall -- real relationships built transaction by transaction

5/13/26

Customer Brandships: Why Your Best Customers Are Your Brand Partners (Not Just Repeat Buyers)

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AI and human decision-making in search visibility

5/10/26

SEO vs GEO: Why Your Small Business Is About to Become Invisible (And What to Do About It)

AI & Tech Marketing Strategy
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Are You Wasting Small Business Week? (Probably. Let's Fix That.)

5/1/26

Are You Wasting Small Business Week? (Probably. Let's Fix That.)

Small Business Ops Marketing Strategy
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Laptop showing anti-hype content with dog typing, representing authentic marketing

4/27/26

Stop Trying to Be Perfect. Your Customers Are Over It.

Consumer Behavior Marketing Strategy
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Anti-Corporate Sentiment Is Peaking—Small Businesses Are the Beneficiaries

4/24/26

Anti-Corporate Sentiment Is Peaking—Small Businesses Are the Beneficiaries

Consumer Behavior
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Dark storm clouds gathering -- economic uncertainty facing small businesses

4/22/26

The Storm Is Coming... Small Businesses That Act Now Won't Just Survive It

Consumer Behavior Small Business Ops
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Dog peeking over edge looking worried about the economy

4/17/26

The Economy Just Hit a Record…and It’s a Bunch of Thawing Dog-cicles 💩

Consumer Behavior Small Business Ops
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Serious businessman in suit representing tax strategy for small business

4/15/26

17 Tax Strategies to Max Out Tax Savings, and Keep the IRS from Throwing Poo 💩

Small Business Ops
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Person whispering to another person

4/14/26

The Word-of-Mouth Myth: Why Hoping Isn’t a Strategy

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Small business owner talking with a loyal customer

4/13/26

Why Small Businesses Win on Reputation (Not Budget)

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Large retail store vs small local shop

4/10/26

What Big Retail Gets Wrong About Loyalty (And How You Can Get It Right)

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Chef working in a small Japanese restaurant -- the kind of small business that builds real customer loyalty

4/9/26

What the Heck Is a Customer Brandship and Why It Makes Small Businesses Uncopyable

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TikTok creator Sam POV showing cafe owner reminding world why small businesses matter

4/8/26

One Guy With a Phone Is Reminding the World Why Small Businesses Matter

Consumer Behavior Marketing Strategy
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Burnt matchsticks -- a visual metaphor for small business owner burnout

4/7/26

The Thing Nobody Talks About at Networking Events

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Customers lined up outside a small local business

4/6/26

The Shop-Small Tailwind Is Real -- Here’s How to Ride It Before Big Brands Notice

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Small business owner organizing and refreshing their workspace

4/5/26

Spring Clean Your Business: The Fresh Start Your Marketing Actually Needs

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Two businesses competing -- storytelling wins over features every time

4/4/26

You’re Not Losing to Better Products -- You’re Losing to Better Storytelling

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Small business pricing notes and calculator on a desk

4/1/26

The 3 Pricing Mistakes That Make You Look Small (Even If You’re Not)

Sales
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Two receptionists at a hotel desk, one on the phone

3/30/26

The Follow-Up Gap: Why Small Businesses Leave Money on the Table Every Single Day

Sales
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Woman small business owner in her shop, confident and engaged

3/28/26

You’re Not Too Busy to Market. You’re Marketing the Wrong Things.

Marketing Strategy
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Target with bullseye representing focused audience strategy

3/27/26

You Don’t Need a Bigger Audience. You Need a Better One.

Marketing Strategy Sales
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Woman small business owner standing confidently in her shop

3/26/26

Five Marketing Myths That Are Quietly Costing Small Businesses

Marketing Strategy
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Barber giving a straight-razor shave in a small barbershop

3/25/26

Stop Trying to Attract Everyone

Marketing Strategy
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Marketing Strategies for Small Business 2026

3/23/26

Marketing Strategies for Small Business 2026: Ditch the Playbook Everyone Else Is Using

Marketing Strategy
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AI Personal Operators: Why Your Small Business Needs a Digital Chief of Staff

3/16/26

AI Personal Operators: Why Your Small Business Needs a Digital Chief of Staff

AI & Tech
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Retro 80s aerobics style photo showing up on your own terms

3/9/26

DIY Marketing for Small Business: What Actually Works Without a Big Budget

Marketing Strategy
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How to Increase Sales in Your Small Business

3/2/26

How to Increase Sales in Your Business Without Feeling Like a Used Car Lot

Sales
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What does your customer really want

2/24/26

What does your customer really want?

Consumer Behavior
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Woman entrepreneur managing her small business shop

2/16/26

Business Advice From Successful Entrepreneurs: What They Actually Did

Small Business Ops
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Problem Solving Business Ideas

2/9/26

Problem Solving Business Ideas: How to Turn Customer Frustrations Into Revenue

Small Business Ops Sales
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How to Improve Your Small Business

2/2/26

How to Improve Your Small Business: Start With What You Can Actually See

Small Business Ops
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Our People Make the Difference

1/28/26

“Our People Make the Difference” is a statement that’s hurting your business

Marketing Strategy Consumer Behavior
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Okay hand gesture representing mediocrity

1/22/26

The One Word That’s Costing Your Business Customers

Sales Consumer Behavior
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Marketing myths and lessons learned by a small business marketing expert

1/15/26

Marketing Myths I Used to Believe (And Boy, Was I Wrong)

Marketing Strategy
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Stop Selling Features. Start Giving Proof.

1/9/26

Stop Selling Features. Start Giving Proof.

Sales Marketing Strategy
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Stop Trying to Say Everything

12/24/25

Stop Trying to Say Everything. Start Saying Something Memorable

Marketing Strategy
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2025

Woman reviewing notes and reflecting at her desk

12/18/25

The One Marketing Question Worth Asking Before the New Year

Marketing Strategy
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Happy customer at a small local business

12/10/25

Why Your Best Customers Are Your Best Marketing Strategy

Consumer Behavior Sales
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Why Acting Big Is Hurting Your Small Business

12/4/25

Why Acting Big is Hurting Your Small Business (And what to Do Instead)

Marketing Strategy
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Stop Selling Services, Features, and Benefits

11/24/25

Stop Selling Services, Features, and Benefits. Do this instead.

Sales Marketing Strategy
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Small business owner greeting a returning customer at a local shop

11/17/25

Why Small Businesses Lose Repeat Customers (And the Simple Fix Most Owners Miss)

Sales Consumer Behavior
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Small Business Saturday: 5 Easy Wins

10/31/25

Small Business Saturday: 5 Easy Wins for Small Biz Success

Small Business Ops
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The Masks We Wear as Small Business Owners

10/20/25

The Masks We Wear as Small Business Owners

Marketing Strategy
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People connecting and sharing information face to face representing referral marketing

10/14/25

How to Get More Customers Without Spending Money on Ads

Marketing Strategy Sales
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How Word-of-Mouth Marketing Still Drives Small Business Growth

10/8/25

How Word-of-Mouth Marketing Still Drives Small Business Growth

Marketing Strategy Sales
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Why Customers Choose Local Small Businesses Over Big Chains

7/14/25

Why Customers Choose Local Small Businesses Over Big Chains

Consumer Behavior
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How Eliminating Half Your Market Can Skyrocket Growth

5/21/25

How Eliminating Half Your Market Can Skyrocket Growth

Marketing Strategy Sales
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⭐ #1 Amazon Best Seller in Starting a Business

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SMALL IS YOUR
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