How an iconic guitar maker manages its global online business

Hello from the VanBassador! My wife and I recently headed through Memphis and, as with most drives, my wife makes lots of calls to local companies that she thinks could inspire all of you to stay local and sell online and everywhere! As you can imagine, Memphis was chock full of cool companies and great stories. We had a great time with this one!

We booked an interview with the founders of the world-renowned St. Blues Guitar Workshop, Greg Mitchell and Robert Fisher. They have built guitars for icons including Bono, Erick Clapton, and Glen Frey.

An understated rockstar duo, Greg Mitchell and Robert Fisher, have been the strings behind our mind-altering music since the '70s. In our discussion they talk about their point of sales (POS), which is 100% ONLINE, and how they have a strong presence in the U.S., Australia, and Europe.

Modern Business Mantra

"Don't try to sell millions of units, only to be burdened with massive overhead such as machinery, space and hundreds of people. Sell the right amount to keep everything in balance to have a wonderful life!"

Hear their story and learn from their successes and challenges! They talk about how to drive brand awareness and leverage word of mouth, advertisements, influencers, and social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and more.

We also discussed an ideal social media budget that a company of their size should spend. Furthermore, they share their most beneficial social media platform, followed by some of the common challenges faced across other channels.

We also dove into ways to deliver a positive customer service experience via their online store.

Chapter breakdown

• 0:00 The ORIGIN STORY of Saint Blues Guitars
• 5:16 Current Point of Sales (How much to spend on social media and where)
• 15:00 How to choose which markets to enter
• 17:26 Optimizing your Shopify website
• 24:40 How to grow the right parts of your business
• 30:00 Advice for fellow entrepreneurs