Russ and Jim continue their discussion on the due diligence process involved in buying a new business. This visit begins a discussion of the 15 most important questions a buyer should ask a seller, how to ask them, and when to ask them.

Eva is a multi-faceted small business resource, and she begins her visit by talking with Jim about how an Internet discussion group works. They move on to talk about how to pay only as much taxes as you are required, including the home-office deduction, and self-employment health insurance deductions, among other things.

First visit for Steve. He helps Jim develop the concept of reinventing yourself and your business. They begin talking about the things that get in the way of this process, like preoccupation, not delegating, and lack of focus. They move on to talk about the difference between being an owner and being a victim, and a number of other valuable ways to reinvent yourself and your business. Steve also introduces the radical concept of looking after your employees first, and your customers second.

He joins Jim to share his vision of what he believes are the critical issues we need to be watching as we move into the 21st century. Gerald says he is not a futurist, but he is a Trends Tracker (in this visit, Gerald tells us the difference).

Steve's tells Jim how his book uses cartoons to help him tell his story about how to solve business problems from the perspective of children.

Stephanie takes on the daunting task of trying to help Jim (and his audience) get organized. They begin with the perennial new years resolution to be more organized, and then discuss how to make an organizational system work for you. Stephanie helps Jim deal with the "what do I do with all this paper" problem. Remember, being organized helps you create a more professional image, and will contribute to your success.

In this visit, Steve talks with Jim about the concept of privatizing the U.S. Social Security system, and the challenges we face in getting this passed.

Harold and Jim talk about software programs that allegedly help you get a bank loan. Harold says to spend your money on quality business planning software, and your time developing a good plan. They also talk about some of the financial resources to check out as you seek non-bank debt and equity funding for your small business.

Steve continues the series with Jim on installing a Cost Reduction process in your small business. Steve introduces a list of 14 questions to ask yourself in preparation to begin this process. This process will help you put more on the bottom line of your Income Statement. This may be the best 30 minute investment you've made lately.

John shares some customer care perspectives from South America. After talking to a caller about his perspectives on customer care, they move on to talk about how the decline in customer care quality is a management crisis in the America, and how to help your business avoid this crisis with something John calls a "customer audit".

Doug talks with Jim about some of the tax proposals the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) are proposing to Congress that will remove some of the unfair tax components, such as the so called "marriage penalty", and the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). They talk to several callers, one of which asks Doug about filing a return for a company that was formed, but never got going, and another one asks about when the AMT applies to them. Of course, Doug provides excellent answers.

Tim is THE business planning expert, and he joins Jim to talk about how important it is to have a solid pricing strategy in your plan. Tim talks about something he learned from one of his mentors, which is that "management is nothing more than understanding when and how to say no", something Tim identifies as the "corridor principle", and how that blends in to your business planning process.

Randy, who is legally blind, joins Jim to help us focus on what we see, and what we don't see as we manage our businesses day-to-day. They take a caller who offers his ideas on the subject of focus, which provides a great opportunity for Randy to contribute his thoughts and advice on the caller's specific example. Randy also explains the power of a view point, both positive AND negative view points. Powerful information. Outstanding dialogue. Don't miss this one.

Don joins Jim to talk about the dangers of a government that imposes itself in the marketplace. Don defines a free market, and goes on to explain how that definition compares to what we have in the U.S. They also talk about minimum wage as the political football that it has become.

Bill talks with Jim about why it's important to have a privacy policy which describes what employees can expect from their employer, including some excellent examples.

Russ and Jim continue their discussion of the 15 most important questions a buyer should ask a seller, how to ask them, and when to ask them. (This interview follows the 1-4-99 Archive with Russ.)

Bob is one of our leading experts on the Internet. Bob and Jim also discuss the advantages of using email for communication. They move on to talk about the primary reasons people use the Internet.

Doug and Jim talk about some things you need to pay attention to as you prepare to file your tax return, including what you can do to help your accountant, so you can hold down your CPA bill.

Marc talks with Jim about how he came to transition from the performing arts to business. Marc talks about how his 5 year plan took 10 years to complete. He worked other jobs while he was developing his business. Marc also introduces us to what he calls "Your ideal scene". This is an excellent interview for those who are in a hurry to start a small business.

Ken and Jim talk about the challenge that advertising and marketing creates for small business owners, especially with regard to understanding demographics. Ken does an outstanding job of explaining our national population demographics. Do you know the demographic information of your customers? This interview will help you make sure that you don't lose market share, and your company, due to lack of knowledge of demographics.

Pat joins Jim to talk about salesmanship, specifically, in the area of persistence. Pat says one of the best ways to be persistent is to assume the attitude that you are a problem solver, and that your assistance is needed by your customers and prospects. Pat says 80% of all new sales are made after the 5th call, but 90% of all salespeople give up before the 5th call. Check out this conversation to find out how to cash in on the "found money" available only to the persistent.

Steve talks with Jim about something he calls "Painless Planning". Not just for business planning, this is a way to use planning for any kind of project. They focus on three primary steps: 1) Establishing measurable goals. 2) Establish milestones, 3) Allocate the necessary resources. Steve and Jim show you how to make project planning really painless, whether it be planning a vacation, or a new business direction.

Jack talks with Jim about the struggle small business has keeping the government from making laws that harm us, and what the NFIB is doing about it. Jim has been a member of the NFIB for a long time, and encourages small business owners to check out the outstanding job they are doing on a national as well as state level. The NFIB is ranked as the third most effective lobbying group in ALL of Washington.

Dr. Selgin talks with Jim about national and global currency issues and dynamics that are affecting all markets, especially the local markets in which we operate our small businesses.

Laura and Jim talk about the importance of being conscience of the power of your intuition. Laura talks about how to "train" our intuition, and how to direct that energy as we deal with the people, challenges, and opportunities in our lives. They go on to talk about the difference between women's intuition and men's intuition. (As you might imagine, Jim get's into a little bit of trouble here).