[Voiceover]: Welcome to the Checkout. We catch up with previous add to cart guests and ask them five quick questions to get to know them better and leave you with a little extra inspiration to get you through your Friday.
Nathan Bush: Today's checkout features Jen Donovan and Sarah Britz from Spend with Us. Spend with Us is an online shopping marketplace and directory for rural and regional
Nathan Bush: small businesses of Australia.
Nathan Bush: Many who have taken a hit from events like books, bushfires, drought and coronavirus. What a time to be alive. The marketplace showcases the rich crop of talents that operate in the bush. With over 1000 businesses listed and they're selling everything from fashion to art to food to drink. You can even book accommodation.
Nathan Bush: Sarah and Jen, welcome to the checkout. We've heard all about Spend with us in the main episode. Now we're going to learn a little bit more about you guys. Five quick questions. Number one, what's the weirdest thing that you've ever bought online?
Sarah Britz: Okay, so it's quite a hard one. I had to think about this. So I'd probably say the weirdest thing would be three palm trees. Normally I go to the garden center to purchase, but, you know, during the lockdowns, you know. Yeah, that wasn't really a possibility. So, yeah, we're redoing our landscaping of our yard a bit, so we want to make a bit more tropical. So, yeah, just three palm trees online. Yeah.
Jen Donovan: I actually had to really think about this. What was the weirdest thing I thought I needed to listen to all your other guests answers to this question. I think what, I guess the weirdest thing I've bought online. I don't know, clothes that don't fit. I guess that's what I miss the most about, you know, bricks and mortar and that sort of thing is, you know, sometimes you buy your own size and you find out that that really was more like an 8 than what it was, a 14. So lots of returns happening at house.
Nathan Bush: So from a regional and rural perspective, you don't find that you're relying more on online to buy all the kind of the outlier products that you may
Nathan Bush: not be able to find in your community?
Jen Donovan: Yeah, to a certain degree. Yeah. But you probably have your favorites, don't you?
Nathan Bush: Yeah, that's true.
Jen Donovan: Go back and buy from your favourites where you know the quality and quantity of what you're getting.
Nathan Bush: All right, well, speaking of favorites, number two, this is going to put you in a tricky position because you've got so many, but from a personal perspective, not from a spend with us perspective, who is your favorite retailer
Jen Donovan: the obvious answer is spend with us and the 1400 businesses we have on there. But other than that, I like the bird's nest. Yeah, she's a great retailer. She has my envy as far as a business owner, a retailer, but also the quality of her client, you know, products as well. So, you know, I'd love the opportunity to meet Jane one day.
Nathan Bush: There we go. Well, make sure she listens to. I know she's a listener to every episode, never misses one, so I'm sure she'll be in touch. Anything for you, Sarah.
Sarah Britz: This is such a hard one. I've got so many that I love. I really, I can't pick one out. Spend with us.
Nathan Bush: Safe option. I like it. Number three, which retail fad do you wish was History
Jen Donovan: Flairs.
Nathan Bush: Are they in fashion?
Nathan Bush: Come on. They're not even.
Jen Donovan: I think they were, they were last time I looked. Perhaps, you know, last year or something like that. But yes, something like that. They just don't suit short people. They need to go away.
Nathan Bush: Fair. Cool. Can you beat flares, Sarah?
Jen Donovan: I think players have got it.
Sarah Britz: Yeah.
Nathan Bush: All right, number four, can you recommend
Nathan Bush: a book or a podcast that our listeners should immediately get into?
Sarah Britz: I can recommend stories from the bush, that's our own podcast that we've got from spend with us by. From the bush business. There's some amazing stories on there and from rural and regional small businesses.
Jen Donovan: Yeah, clearly add to cart is like the podcast people, but they're already listening to it by listening to this, a book that I would recommend. Probably one for the ladies is by Rachel Hollis and it's called girl, go wash your face. That book really resonated with me as a 40 something year old. It's kind of like a business book. Otherwise the one thing again, another business book. But that one thing, what's that one thing in your business? That's a really good read for business people as well. Right.
Nathan Bush: You've got me intrigued. What did you take out of girl, go wash your face?
Jen Donovan: Well, it was followed up by girl, stop apologizing. So that might give you a bit of an idea of what sort of a book it is. But it's kind of like, you know, you're you. You just need to show up like you do you. No one else does you like you. So, you know, go wash your face and get on with it.
Nathan Bush: Yeah, nice. I had a big conversation yesterday actually with someone who was talking about how they go out of their way to separate their work personality from their personal personality. I'm like, I didn't get it? I didn't understand it one sense because I'm very much the turn up as you are. And you are.
Nathan Bush: I think it's a real struggle for
Nathan Bush: a lot of people at the moment.
Jen Donovan: Yeah, I might swear a little bit more like a wharfy in my personal life, but other than that there's not much difference.
Nathan Bush: Swear more at work.
Nathan Bush: All right, and can we give Jen,
Nathan Bush: you've got three podcasts on the go so this is the perfect time to give them a plug. We mentioned Stories from the Bush.
Jen Donovan: You're a legend. So my business podcast is called Small Business Made simple and my other podcast, which has just been released, which is a passion project, is called along the Murray. So basically that's where I live, along the Murray. So it's interviewing small business owners and just trying to highlight our region because Australia has this really cool thing that we've never had before. Whereas regional travel is like, you know, not many people are going overseas. So coming into Christmas and summer I wanted to do something to highlight my area. So along the Murray, great stuff.
Nathan Bush: Go check them out. Last sentence I've got for you. Last sentence, last question, finish this sentence. The future of retail is online shopping and sports will.
Jen Donovan: Yeah. The future of retail is spend with us. Buy from a bush business marketplace.
Nathan Bush: Never miss an opportunity.
Jen Donovan: But the future of retail is great. I think, you know, we like.
Nathan Bush: Yeah.
Jen Donovan: Supporting small businesses is only going to grow more and more as a sediment from everyone around Australia. So I think the future of small business retail is amazing. Look out like you big commercial frontiers. Small business is on their way.
Nathan Bush: That is a warning shot and I like it. Jen and Sarah, thank you for joining us on the checkout.
Jen Donovan: Thank you.
Nathan Bush: To hear more from Jen and Sarah, jump back into episode 142 where they share how they keep on top of both sets of ux, both from their sellers and their customers. Many who are first time to E commerce. They also share the ingredients that go into a super successful Facebook group. We're talking 340,000 people and how all they want to be is as much of a household name as Amazon. I mean that's not hard, is it? Thanks for listening and until next time, keep adding to cart.
Nathan Bush: All right, all right.
Nathan Bush: I know you're probably sick of me banging on about it, but a really quick message to say that the 10 week E commerce accelerator program kicks off on the 14th of March. So soon, registrations are still open. And don't forget the discount code for add to cart. Listeners use the coupon code add to cart or one word to get $200 off your registration, head on over to learn.esweettalent.com that's learn.esweettalent dot com to secure your place today. All right, I'm off to practice my teacher voice.
Nathan Bush: I'll see you in there.
