WMTW 032: Mike O’Hagan – Mini Movers Marketing and Philippines Outsourcing

Posted by Toby Jenkins

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Updated on January 4th, 2017

“”I have lots of crazy ideas and then test them as cheaply as possible” Mike O’Hagan (Tweet this)

The guest today is Founder and CEO of Mini Movers, Mike O’Hagan.

Mike started Mini Movers 27 years ago with $200 and a single ute into an award winning business that turns over $23 million today. He has never lifted a piece of furniture in his life. He’s a huge systems guy and a massive fan of experimentation and measurement.

Mike has also built a reputation for international outsourcing over the last few years and now runs regular trips to Manila in the Philippines to help business owners understand the details of Business Process Outsourcing.

He’s been a friend and mentor over the years to our business and an incredible online marketer.

Enjoy the show!

Show notes:

• Founder of Mini Movers – 27 years ago
• Earn a crap load of money for himself and his family
• Always worked on the business not in it
• “Test, measure and duplicate” – one of Mike’s favourite concepts of business
• “Test, measure and duplicate” Mike O’Hagan (tweet this)
• “I invented Mini Movers so I could choose how I spend my time.”
• Running – 6-8 business.
• During GFC had too many eggs in one basket – that basket might be Australia
• Other businesses: lead generation, deep sea diving lights out of China.
• Enjoy the game of business
• Lots and lots of crazy ideas
• Test them as cheaply as possible.
• Doesn’t forward plan
• Wants a lifestyle with big houses and jets
• Doesn’t like to guess

World is changing

• Buy things, sell things, now employ anywhere in the world.
• World’s Best Value – any one can get the products from anywhere and sell them anywhere.
• As long as you are sourcing products and manufacturing at the best prices in the world, the business will always be very viable.
• Australian businesses are world competitive.

Mike’s Manila Business Tours:

• Used Philippines to save Mini Movers – outsourced administration and marketing
• 60% reduction in market size
• Mentorees were keen to learn more
• every 2-3 weeks
• “I believe you can learn entrepreneurship.”

Mini Movers’ web marketing journey:

• 2007 – spending $1.3M in the yellow pages and generating 18 million in business
• Started building websites all over the place – hundreds
• Access to dataminers in the Philippines
• Allows them to find people thinking about moving
• Cross checking databases
• Phone, email, mail
• Web developers
• Marketing Team
• 30 people
• Back office process
• Last year $19,000 in yellow pages
• 1.2 M people servicing businesses
• Supports growth of business and therefore creating Australian jobs

Outsourcing in the Philippines:

• Extremely good at following processes
• Over expectation of what people will get
• Cultural differences inhibit innovation across cultures
• Expat on top, Filipino managing Filipino works well
• 2 expats
• 7 different ways of outsourcing
• Seat leasing – ramp up or ramp down
• Learn to deal with cultures
• Voice has worked really well
• Accent is not an issue
• Improve what we do with our customers – increased contact and organised and confirmed
• Security is not an issue
• Americanism is his biggest challenge

What’s next:

• The future of Australia is through entrepreneurs
• Embrace globalisation

Learn from:

• Verne Harnish

Connect:

• Mikesmanilatours.com
• Email – mike [at] ohagan.com.au
• Linkedin

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About Toby Jenkins

Toby Jenkins is co-author of Web Marketing That Works. He also released 33 free marketing templates, is CEO of Bluewire Media and co-hosts an iTunes podcast and has written for Fairfax Media, ProBlogger, Jeff Bullas and many other blogs. Toby is an Athens Olympian.

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