good morning. coming up on msnbc's "your business," her yarn store is a mecca but refuses to sell online. can an old school philosophy work for an old school product in the digital age? thinking of changing your business's name in branding. think how this pennsylvania golf course did it without losing customers. that plus five spending hats to make your company more profitable and efficient all coming up next on "your business".

♪ hi, everybody, welcome to "your business", the show dedicated to helping your growing business. many entrepreneurs are embracing the internet to boost sales but to say that everyone is doing it would be wrong. a virginia entrepreneur refuses to set up shop online because she believes that would be doing her business and clients a disservice. this yarn store owner prefers to interact with her customers on the phone, by e-mail or face to face any day of the week instead of trying to manage her sales through a website.

>> i really don't want anything to do with selling online. we love to talking to people on the phone. i don't want to process web orders, it's not the nature of what i set out to do. >> danielle already knows what other business owners say about her. >> they absolutely think i'm crazy. >> the creator is used to the shoulder shrugs, the head shaking and puzzled looks from her pierce. >> it's suggested almost daily from anyone in the business world. why don't you sell online? she says it frankly doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, she's never going to sell on fibrespace.com. >> it was something that i examined and studied and talked to other shops who did sell online and made a conscious

decision to not sell online and i'm simply raising my gross sales by 5% or 10% for an awful lot of work. >> the company's website is only about information, if someone wants to buy something, they have to come into the store. >> on the website if all they did was search for the thing they wanted and don't see it, they never come in the shop. we've actually lost the sale. if they come in and ask for it, i probably have three substitutes for it. >> what's interesting about this yarn, it actually stripes as you work with it. >> walking through the door transports you to a world of texture and patterns, it's an experience that doesn't translate gitally. >> all about the feel of the yarn and color of the yarn. i have a hard time communicating that through a wsite. they may think they want pink yarn but you see it next to the other colors, they may change their mind. >> while everyone else is building up their e commerce platforms, danielle is focused on foot traffic. fibre space is also a gathering place. there's obviously plenty of yarn

to buy but you can also come to get help or knit with others. >> when we opened i made a decision what i do is sell community. there are people sitting in our lounge that wouldn't otherwise be friends or know each other who are connected through the craft. knitting is really about bringing people together who would otherwise never ever be in a room together. they would never cross paths. >> the secret to her seven figure sales is our social footprint, she interacts by taking advantage of their addictions to smartphones and laptops. >> social media gets people in the door and it's where you get people excited about what's here and new. >> instagram and facebook have the biggest reach, a yarn focused social network ravelry has benefits of his own. >> we have a large presence there as well and a forum just for our fans, fans of fiber space and a place where our customers can pose questions, there's an entire thread for do you carry where people will comment do you carry this or that and we can respond to them

all day while we're at the store. >> the store also has another secret weapon that gets people to make the trip in, it carries some highly sought after names. in our industry there are some brands only in eight or ten or 12 stores, we happen to have several of those. that helped up grow rapidly and quickly. >> hosts of new arrivals get people commenting and sharing but no sale is ever just a mouse click away. as soon as a picture goes up, danielle's customers start calling, e-mailing or walking through the or. >> sometimes they'll open and it was on the instagram or i saw this on ravelry and that helps us narrow it down. >> i love two of the three colors, can you find a third color that's more of a jewel tone, that's what i like. we love doing that. we love picking out colors for people and texting them photos. >> these are crucial sales

moments. phone calls last five or ten minutes and walk-ins get more attention. >> the interaction can be 30 minutes to 60 minutes, our staffing is our largest expense for sure. >> if you put the time and effort into this, you need to have a yarn you love and end up with a fabric you love and color that looks good on you. >> the selection is so large that it can be exciting and overwhelming for shoppers who visit from around the country. >> they come in and go -- yeah, isn't it great. >> employees greet returning customers and welcome new ones. either way, it's an opportunity to show them around. >> one of the things we do here is give a yarn tour. we want to let them know we're here to answer questions, we love the yarns and want to show them the yarns. here's the yarn that just came in from a local supplier and

here's the softest yarn on the planet. >> when customers leave they always get a parting suggestion about a good way to keep in touch and keep the relationship going. >> they'll stop and say we'll probably never be back. i have to say, we do ship. if you see something you love on instagram, just call us. >> no matter how much grief danielle may get, she won't budge. she's sticking to her mission to sell an experience instead of a transaction. >> i don't ever want to do it. i say to my customers flippantly, if you see me selling online, things got really bad. i really don't want to sell online. >> the trump administration is pushing hard for american companies to bring jobs back to the u.s. from overseas, particularly manufacturing jobs. around 5 million american jobs have gone overseas since 2000 but many companies are starting to invest in t made inhe usa movement. as nbc's stephanie ruhl reports, there are still some obstacles. >> it's 10:00 a.m. and the competition at this cross fit

studio is just heating up, but the big winner isn't taking part in the jumps squats or races, it's the company behind the equipment these competitors are using. the company's name, rogue fitness. and it's all made right down the street in columbus, ohio. >> we're showing all of our secrets. >> bill henninger is the founder of rogue, a company he started in his garage. and exploded as cross fit fitness programs took off around the world. but what isn't all around the world, his factories. they are all right here at home. >> made in the usa means to me that we've done it the right way. >> henninger is bucking the trend of companies moving manufacturing jobs offshore to lower costs. his company employees more than 400 workers in ohio. almost all of them factory jobs. >> we own the process, we own the parts. we know exactly how they are made. bob made that piece or joe made that part. it's not just something made by someone else we're selling.

>> made in america is a priority for president trump. >> we're having our products made everywhere in the world so much, but we're bringing that all back, coming back fast. >> what are the facts? >> well, since 2000, 5 million american manufacturing jobs have gone overseas. president trump himself has been criticized for manufacturing trump-branded ties and clothes in china. but he's not alone. 98% of the clothes sold in the united states were made overseas last year. so how does that 2% made in the usa survive? we went to middlesex, north carolina to find out. a once booming textile town, these factories lay dormant for years. now the parking lots are full again and business is back. this is the manufacturing home the american giant apparel, a six-year old startup that is disrupting the clothing industry.

>> i was told we couldn't make a sweat shirt in america anymore. >> the company's founder says the secret for success is the dedication of the american worker. >> u.s. manufacturing is viable as long as you bring the classic american values to the problem again. >> to stay competitive, higher efficiency means cash bonuses. >> we decided to launch a business trying to innovate in a business model perspective to unlock great american manufacturing again. >> experts caution, american ingenuity onto goes so far. >> do you believe manufacturing is going to come back? >> no. >> a professor at new york's university stern school of business. >> there will be certain high end niche and it becomes a complicated conversation because there is an american manufacturer index, what car is the most manufactured car in the u.s. and the winner, the toyota camry.

what it means to be made in america is taking on new meaning. >> what's not so new, the role automation plays in american jobs. economists estimate most of the 400,000 steel working and 350,000 textile jobs lost since the 1950s was due to automation. with the explosion of technology giving way to robots and driverless vehicles, jobs for humans will shrink. companies like rogue fitness have upset that trend. having just completed construction of a new manufacturing plant, a former steel mill that set vacant for 20 years now churning out thousands of products a day. >> that's just our little ecosystem. but the ripple effect is pretty substantial. >> enterprising businesses adding that special label to their products, made in america. stephanie ruhle, new york. >> when you are running a business on a tight budget every

extra expense from hiring additional staff to shipping products can weigh heavily on your cash flow. what strategies can you use to grow your business without opening up your checkbook too much? here with several spending hacks that every business owner can benefit from, nicole lapin, host of the nationally syndicated business reality competition show "hacked" and author of "boss bitch." so good to see you. >> so good to see you. >> last time we were in los angeles. >> causing trouble, sister as usual, two ladies talking about business news everywhere we go. >> i'm excited for you, congratulations on the book. >> thank you. >> let's get into this. even if you are not worried about cash, you should be using these hacks. >> 100%. who doesn't want more cash, your hard earned money and work for every penny.

you might as well make most of it. >> let's go to the first one, let apple hook you up this is the craziest thing, a no -brainer. it is a free account, it doesn't matter how many employees you have. you have access to apple's business experts 24/7. all of the business stuff you're doing on your computer, they will hook you up. what's super cool is that if you sign everybody in your office up and reach a certain tier, then you start getting discounts from apple, like jj, when do you ever get discounts from apple, right? >> you can call them up and get advice from them? >> 24/7, there's the extra special geek squad, nerd squad, specifically for businesses. >> be a discount shopper, always. >> shipper, everything. >> usps is the most cost effective way for any business owner to ship stuff, we're all shipping stuff, all the time, all day, every day.

by the way, ups is a little more expensive than fedex, but if you're going the usps route, think about a media rate or media discount. you don't necessarily have to be in the media to get this. if you're shipping books or test materials or scripts and other stuff like that. >> how do you get that? >> you just ask. can i get a media rate. >> we had somebody on talking about how to ship on the cheap. if you ship a lot but not a ton, find someone else in the area that may be shipping something about the same size. >> smart. >> and hook up with them. >> smart. >> legal on the cheap. >> so obviously we know about legal zoom, they have democratized all sorts of forms made it super simple but if you have legal stuff more complicated than that, think of a new site call lawtender. they call it law with a twist. you put down your specific legal issue and then lawyers bid on those, so you can get it cheaper

than hourly rates which everything is negotiable in business especially. >> also when you use an online site, they may not deal with the complexities of your business, to be able to get someone you can speak with who can help you is cheaper than going to a lawyer. >> and they would take lesser of a fee. >> bartering, great idea. >> old school bartering is amazing, another match making service. let's say you kill websites, you crush making websites and designs and whatever you're really terrible and stink at accounting, that's cool, you'll find somebody else out there in the world that probably needs your sweet web skills and you can get the accounting help in change. so biz exchange is one site, it's a little costly up front, about 800 bucks. >> whoa. >> and $15 a month to continue

the service, but if you use it really effectively, it will pay dividends over and over again. i should also mention as a caveat there are a couple of other sites like trade ya, which i like and you also have report on your 1099 b the fair market value. >> got it. don't mess up on taxes. it also takes some time. you need to take some time to bartter your service. >> because you obviously have to give something to get something. it's probably going to be cheaper. >> finally go virtual. >> have you heard of these virtual assistants? >> yes, i know, it's freaky, it's a little like sci-fi weird stuff. ai is more commonplace with a lot of executives and business folk who doesn't want an assistant but can't afford one. >> i'm so happy you stop by. these are all fantastic tips, "boss bitch," everyone should get it, more tips in there. >> thanks. >> you don't have to be rich and famous to be an industry

influencer. with hard work and authenticity, incredibly important, you can establish yourself as a leader in the field and build your brand. this week we have five tips how to step it up and become an influencer within your industry court see of "influence" magazine. >> one. start a blog. a website and strong social presence are great, but your blog is an equally important channel within your brand. square face and ghost work well for small businesses. two, step it up on social media. know where your audience hangs out and start targeting, instagram, pinterest or twitter, now's the time to grow a following and share content from other influencers within your industry. apps like buffer can help with automation. three, create for industry sites. writing content for websites, magazines and blogs in your industry will help you attract a clearly defined audience and

drive customer action. >> four, use testimonials and let your customers sing your praises. testimonials and referrals are the best way to build trust with your base, include them on your website or blog. >> and five, develop branded content. strong infographic marketing will get people linking back as an expert and reverse. >> when you're launching a company you typically get to build from the brand up. there's generally some flexibility when you're new to market, but if you opt to buy someone else's business you inherit everything that comes with it, the good and the bad. and when arthur hawk bought a pennsylvania golf course, he knew immediately the best way to attract new customers would be to give the company a new identity and that started with changing its name. >> it's a business milestone that was years in the making. three lakes golf course in

pittsburgh, pennsylvania is finally a brand of its own. >> what we were fighting hard fight too, is convincing the public that they could come here. every day more people understand that. >> arthur hawk now owns this 18-hole facility, and anyone is welcome to play a few rounds now that it's public. it's quite a change from three lakes former life. it used to be thmeers only alcoma golf course. he knew the name was familiar to many. not only was the course called alcoma but the neighborhood around it. after 78 80 years in business, the club faced an uncertain future. >> like a lot of golf courses it was going out of businesses. as soon as the membership dropped below 225 with the board of directors, they waited too long to sell it. >> he had a plan to revive alcoma whether he bought it. he needed to create a new identity and open the course's doors to anyone.

>> the real reason was to tell the public that hey, you can come here, draw from a larger base of people. >> once the sale was finalized in 2007, the reinvention started with a series of improvements, location. >> we had to remodel three of the areas, overhaul the cart paths and the map layout of the course. there wasn't even a map on the scorecard. >> despite the changing landscape and the addition of things like new tees and league play, the alcoma brand didn't disappear right away. it took two years to even consider swapping the name. >> luckily we had that period where we hadn't changed the name yet when it was still alcoma and there wasn't this huge influx of new people trying to navigate the campus here at three lakes. had we changed it immediately out the start, i'm not sure we could have handled all that play. >> employees liked the idea of a new name too.

the officer manager says customers were confused. >> i answer the phone every day. so, a lot of people would call and didn't even realize it was a public course. we thought, well, if we change the name, then now it's going to be okay. people are going to know we're a public course. >> but arthur said not everyone he talked to weren't on board. >> people arguing with me. i said, you have to leave it that way, you have to leave it that way. >> in an effort to get the word out, they launched a contest. they wanted to engage with customers. >> we thought really including the public into the name change was the way forward. holding the competition really made everybody start talking about, oh, alcoma's going to change their name. they're not going to be alcoma anymore. what should the name be? >> an employee's son submitted the winning name. that's when the push began. the transition started slowly by using the old and new names on printed material. megan was hesitant to make a

clean break from the old alcoma brand. >> we worked through it with a tag line on all of our publications. three lakes golf course, formerly alcoma until we really established our true identity. >> another campaign focused on reminding old and new customers that three lakes was carrying on a local tradition. the course didn't change, just the name. >> we started a campaign called the roots stay the same. we would put three lakes golf course across the top and then have a layer of grass and in the roots of alcoma. i think it helped customers feel comfortable with the transition. >> it didn't matter how long the rebranding took. arthur says making a major move like that was necessary. >> if you want to distinguish the ownership changing, change the name. it's the easiest thing to do. >> as everyone has discovered, the old name keeps popping up in conversation because some old habits are just hard to break. >> if somebody says alcoma, i don't correct them, but i immediately follow it with at

three lakes. >> still to come, how to get through to the right person at a company you want to sell to, and why you should be using content marketing to get referrals. will your business be ready when growth presents itself? american express open cards can help you take on a new job, or fill a big order or expand your office and take on whatever comes next. find out how american express cards and services can help prepare you for growth at open.com.

>> a big problem for any business that relies on selling, sales people, is cold calling. what is the best way to find the person that you need to reach in a company to make your sales presentation to? >> well, do you remember the first rule of fight club? the first rule was we don't talk about fight club. well, the first rule of cold calling is we don't sound like a cold call. there's two things that go into that. the first is how you speak. you have to call someone with confidence in your voice, not fear. but the second one is even more important, and that is you need to know the name of the person you are calling. how do you get that? you go to their website. you go to linkedin, you find who the decision-maker is. so when you make the first cold call, you sound confident and

ask for the name of the person calling. if you do that, there's a higher likelihood of being successful. we now have the top two tips you need to know to help grow your business. let's introduce our panel and get their advice. barry multz and tiffany fam. >> are they getting referrals or just asking for them. great to see both of you. >> barry, let's start with you. >> what i always ask small business owners, are they getting referrals or just asking for them? and there's a bigdifference. you know, a lot of people ask for referrals. at the end of their product or service they'll say can you refer someone that i might be able to solve their problem. that works not very well, because at that point in time, the customer doesn't have anybody to refer. however, getting referrals is a key marketing tool. you have to remember you actually can sell anything to anybody. you only can be there when people are ready to buy. this works where the customer's friend has a problem you can solve. you jump to the front of the line and then sell your product.

this only works if you do consistent content marketing through social media. tell them what problems you solve. so you're there when people are ready to buy. very powerful. >> tiffany, how big is your community? >> we reach 18 million people each week. >> got it. 18 million women started from zero. >> yeah. >> and what's one piece of advice. >> my tip is what helped accelerate my business. its one in which i recommend to use world connections to gain more business. really when you're trying to aim for a new business opportunity, look at who the decision-maker is. and then assess from their social presence such as on linkedin, facebook, mogul, who you know in common. when you get an introduction through that reference, try and see if you can make an ask they can't decline for example, a fife-minute coffee to get to know each other for advice, and

then when you get that meeting, just develop that genuine friendship to set yourself up with strong foundation to flourish into a business connection that becomes a partner. >> someone told me this piece of advice like that. if you don't have someone in common, right when you get to someone's office, scan the walls and scan their pictures and scan what's on their desk, because if you can find something that relates to something you're doing or something that you love or maybe you'll see a diploma and you went to the same school, suddenly you have a w t make personal connection. both of your things are all act connecting with people. >> and consistently connecng with people over a long period of time. >> thank you so much for your advice. >> this week's your business selfie comes from robin rogers. and dawn schaeffer of vacaville, california, who are the owners of national splendor curl conditioning cream. their love of fashion and beauty led them on a two-year journey of testing and development to develop their product in 2013. thank you for sending that in.

now, all of you watching, pick up your cell phone and take a selfie of you and your business and send it to us at your yourstyourbusiness@msnbc.com. we love seeing pictures of businesses around the country. use the #yourbizselfie. thanks so much for joining us today. here's something identify been thinking about on this show. both of our panelists talked about building relationships with people in order to grow your business. and a lot of dproeing your business is the relationships you have with people. but it's hard if you're always building the relationships, you're not there building your bishgs doing the work. have you to think about both things. i think a lot of times entrepreneurs go too much this direction and then they say i have to build my business and say no to everything. thing a moment each week, what time are you going to spend building relationships that help you in the future but make sure

you don't go too far you're doing that all the time. it's tricky but it's a balance you have to strike. we would love to hear from you. if you have any questions or comments about today's show e-mail us atyourbusiness@msnbc.com and click on our website at openforum.com/yourbusiness. we posted all the pieces from today's show and a whole lot more. don't forget to connect with us on our digital and social need yeah platforms as well. we so look forward to seeing you next time. until then, i'm j.j. ramberg. remember, we make your business our business. will your business be ready when growth presents itself? american express open cards can help you take on a new job, or fill a big order or expand your office

and take on whatever comes next. find out how american express cards and services can help prepare you for growth at open.com. thank you for joining us this hour. even though the weekend is coming up. even though the weekend is coming up. even though it's a holiday weekend for many because of easter, it is still likely to be a very busy few days in the news coming up even through the weekend and into the beginning of next week. sort of an unusually forward-looking friday night. usually at a time like this we'd be looking back over what happened last week. now we're on the precipice of a whole bunch of news that's about to happen. tomorrow in washington, d.c., as joy and other people have been reporting tonight, in d.c. and in dozens of cities around the country, there are going to be tax marches tomorrow.