Four KC entrepreneurs share lessons they learned from appearing in major media.

Earning the attention of major media can be a blessing for small business owners, but there are things you should do—and things you should avoid—to ensure the experience truly benefits your company.

Thinking Bigger Business talked to four local entrepreneurs about their time in the spotlight and the advice they would give other small business owners.

Be Ready to Tell Your Story

“Have a plan,” said Shanita McAfee-Bryant, the owner of Magnolia’s restaurant. “Know what you’re going to do and how you’re going to
promote yourself.”

Appearing on Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen” has led to great things for Magnolia’s, including news coverage and the chance for McAfee-Bryant to write a cookbook. But she thinks she might have missed some opportunities because she didn’t have a formal plan to promote her TV appearance.

At first, it could feel a little weird to talk about yourself, but business owners need to get comfortable with it.

“If you don’t tell your story,” McAfee-Bryant said, “who will?”

Be Ready to Respond to the Unexpected

Kid Rocket Studios prepared press releases, social media and a plan to contact reviewers about its debut app, Kung Fu Robot.

Before the campaign could really launch, though, the app received a glowing review from Stuart Dredge, a top tech writer with the UK’s Guardian newspaper. Within a couple weeks, Kung Fu Robot recorded more than 20,000 downloads.

Kid Rocket Studios quickly incorporated the positive comments into its promotional campaign. The startup also thanked Dredge and asked if there was anything it could do to make his job easier.

That’s one reason why Kung Fu Robot’s site includes a thorough press kit, complete with high-resolution photos and icons.

“We wanted to make it as easy as possible for them to talk about us,” said John
Kreicbergs, president at Kid Rocket Studios.

Be Ready to Sell and Ship

Business has boomed since SwimZip’s Betsy Johnson pitched her line of sun-safe swimwear for kids on ABC-TV’s “Shark Tank” last year.

Her advice: Be prepared to handle an influx of orders. More people will want to buy your products, so you need to have inventory on hand and possess the ability to ship quickly. That extends to your website.

“We put a lot of resources into this, and still our website crashed and slowed,” Johnson said.

She also recommends taking a break from the Internet.

“Don’t read anything for a few days,” Johnson said. “Everyone will have an opinion about you—just avoid reading them. And just know you’re awesome and move forward!”

Be Ready to Say “Hello” and “No”

Make it easy for people to contact you after they see you in the media, said Hailee Bland-Walsh, owner of City Gym. Your social media channels need to be up and running, and your website should have a working, easy-to-find contact form.

The gym was recently in a commercial for Google My Business. The ad featured Bland-Walsh’s fitness program for transgender men. “We received hundreds, hundreds of messages of support,” Bland-Walsh said.

Since then, Bland-Walsh has been approached about everything from essential oils to reality TV. But entrepreneurs should say yes only to opportunities that fit their values and their plans.

The attention can be flattering, but if you pursue the wrong things, you could get sidetracked from what really matters, said Bland-Walsh.