Tim Fahndrich is the President & CEO of a digital marketing agency specializing in contractor, legal, and healthcare marketing, and a co-founder of WhirLocal.io, an automated, easy-to-use neighborhood marketing platform designed to help local businesses and organizations build, promote, and manage their online presence, reputation, and reach.

He is a serial “idea guy” who first began working in the internet space when he co-founded one of the first “dot-coms” in the lawn and garden industry in 1996. He and his wife Pam (of 27 years) started their digital marketing agency in 2007. He is a sought-after speaker on topics such as social media and reputation management.

Tim has been an active volunteer leader in the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce and has served as a mentor to other digital marketing agencies around the country.

Tim & Pam have two adult children and reside in Salem, Oregon.

Part of knowing your numbers is to understand the lifetime value of a customer. You can use the worksheet below to find your number.

I’ve been a local entrepreneur as long as I can remember.

When I was 10, I did what any enterprising young man did in the ’70s; I got a paper route. I actually had that paper route all through middle school and high school. I learned some great lessons during my paperboy days. Things like customer service, building relationships with my customers, being reliable and dependable (every single day), and how to sell new accounts.

During the summers, I worked for several older couples in the community pulling weeds and doing yard work. I learned the value and reward of hard work.

When I got older, I joined my brothers in a local landscaping business, eventually becoming a business partner with them. This led to starting an internet business in the lawn and garden space in 1996.

My wife and I also started several ventures during our marriage, including our current business; a local marketing agency.

I have had several “jobs” along the way, including;

• stockboy at a local convenience store
• farmhand at a local grass seed farm
• working in the snack shack in college
• an internship at a credit union
• two summers working in a cold-storage in Alaska
• and six years in outside sales

But, I’ve always returned to being an entrepreneur. It’s in my blood. My dad was a pastor, missionary, and entrepreneur. My grandpa was an entrepreneur. My brothers are entrepreneurs. My father-in-law and brother-in-law are entrepreneurs. It is a way of life.

Entrepreneurs are willing to work 80 hours a week to avoid working 40 hours a week. 

~ Lori Griener

Whether you are just starting your entrepreneurial journey, or you’ve been at it for a while, I hope you find the following “22 Little Marketing Lessons for Local Entrepreneurship” helpful.

Entrepreneurship isn’t always easy. But for most, it IS worth it.

I have to admit. I’m not much of a cook. Measuring this and that and following a recipe in the kitchen is not my idea of fun. My mom was a phenomenal cook. She actually rarely measured anything. She just included a ‘dash’ of this and a ‘handful’ of that … and the dish turned out amazing. Fortunately for me, my wife is a great cook too!

In some ways, however, marketing is much like cooking or baking.

You start with a proven framework (the recipe). You take certain steps to measure the ingredients and get it ready for the oven or stove (the simple action steps). Finally, you see if you like the results (tasting the in-progress or finished product).

If the result is just ‘ok’ but promising, you may just need to tweak it a little bit with ‘dash’ of this or a ‘handful’ of that. If you finish and the end result is a wonderful meal for the family, you store the recipe with your favorites to have again. And, of course, if you hate it … you’ll probably throw the recipe away and never make it again.

Marketing is all about measuring, testing, tweaking, and then rinsing and repeating what works over and over again until it stops working.

Take these little marketing lessons and follow the framework and action plans. Throw in a ‘dash’ of this or a ‘handful’ of that when you need to. Test it for your specific situation to see if you like the end result. When you do, rinse and repeat. Fine-tune it over time.

It’s important to understand that every marketing campaign you do is NOT going to hit it out of the park, just like every meal you make in the kitchen is not necessarily going to be your favorite.

Most importantly, don’t give up. You will fail. But, you can pick yourself up the very next day and start again.

I hope you enjoyed these “22 Little Lessons For Local Entrepreneurship”. I hope we get a chance to connect, in person or online. Thank you for spending a little time with me, and I wish you the absolute best as you strive to grow your local business or organization.

~ Tim Fahndrich

This one sounds painful. Why would I want something to hurt?

In order to make valuable connections and build local relationships, sometimes the best way to do so is by giving.

As my friend Kyle Sexton says, he doesn’t like the term “Giving back”. His preference: “Why can’t we just ‘give’.” I like that. A lot.

Giving actually feels good, most of the time. We are all gifted with time, talent, and treasures. Sometimes, we have more time than money. Sometimes we have more money than time.

When you’re building your business, sometimes giving hurts. Maybe because you don’t really have the time, but you give it anyway. Or, perhaps you don’t really have that extra money right now, but you give it anyway.

Giving creates connections.

When you give your time, you may get to connect with other people in the neighborhood that are also giving of their precious time. These can be positive, lasting relationships.

When you give of your money, you know you are supporting local non-profits and causes that you care about. Get to know the people at these non-profits. Hear their stories. Don’t just give them money. Connect with them.

Sometimes, the best relationships you build are centered around the act of giving. Do it unselfishly, without any cares at all about if it ever ‘returns’ to you … and see what happens. You might be surprised.

Remember, people do business (or refer to others) with people that they know, like, and trust.