Friday - August 01, 2008
Mustafa Mansur talks with Jim Blasingame about how Malaysia has reinvented itself, and the 2009 Chamber World Congress in Kuala Lampur.
David Frost talks with Jim Blasingame about how small businesses are doing in Britain and how chambers of commerce work in the U.K.
R.P. Swami talks with Jim Blasingame about doing business in India and how India and the U.S. do business together
What's the future of advertising and marketing? Kirk Cheyfitz talks with Jim Blasingame about 21st century marketing and what it takes to connect with customers these days. He also talks with Jim about the good, the bad and the ugly of growing a business to enterprise level.
Monday - August 04, 2008
Should you care what kind of entrepreneur you are? Jane Pollak talks with Jim Blasingame first about why lifestyle entrepreneurs are very important, and then they move on to discuss why blogging can be a valuable way to build your customer community.
What is Congress currently working on that will impact our small businesses? Giovanni Corotolo joins Jim Blasingame to talk about some of the legislative issues Congress is working on, including an anti-discrimination bill, a union organizing bill, as well as the debate about drilling for petroleum.
How do you market your small business during a slow economy? Paula Lovell talks with Jim Blasingame about not being passive when it comes to marketing, and about how to be aggressive in getting your message out, without spending a lot of money.
How can any business not have a web site? Scott Fox talks with Jim Blasingame about why ALL businesses MUST have a presence on the Internet, plus some effective ways to leverage that presence that cost very little.
Tuesday - August 05, 2008
Are entrepreneurs marketplace heretics? Art Kleiner talks with Jim Blasingame about how heretics and radical thinkers have changed the marketplace, including how and why many entrepreneurs fit this description.
How do you make sure you're maximizing sales during a slow economy? Josh Costell joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how to get your customers to provide you with high quality referrals.
Are you using email effectively? Christina Cavanagh and Jim Blasingame talk about how to help your organization use email more effectively, plus how to think about checking and responding to email when you're on vacation.
What is the greater threat: inflation or slow growth? Bob McTeer says he thinks we're in the greatest financial crisis since the Great depression, and he joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the challenges the Federal Reserve has in managing all of this. They also talk about whether there is a commodity bubble and whether it is deflating.
Wednesday - August 06, 2008
What's should the U.S. energy policy be? Tom Mast talks with Jim Blasingame about why high gas prices are good for our future energy plans, including solar, nuclear, batteries and liquid natural gas, but not so much bio-fuels.
How can you get your small business performing at Olympic levels? Pam Harper talks with Jim Blasingame about some of the key elements that will allow you to execute your business plan by thinking about achieving excellence over the long term.
How does selling and negotiating work together? Mike Stewart joins Jim Blasingame to explain how to blend negotiating and selling techniques together to achieve more sales.
How do you survive and thrive as a freelance professional? Michelle Goodman talks with Jim Blasingame about how to get started as a freelance professional, how to work with customers and how to set your price.
Thursday - August 07, 2008
Do you have advisers to help you with your small business? Beverley Williams talks with Jim Blasingame about how to create a board of advisers, even for your small business, who will help you with growth decisions.
How is the current economy looking? Sam Norwood joins Jim Blasingame to report on the survey his partners provided which indicates that the economy is still lagging and the immediate future isn't looking too great. Leading the challenges is credit availability.
Joan Pryde talks with Jim Blasingame about the growth of regulations and the associated costs. They also talk about economic issues, including the price of petroleum, as well as some of the new tax laws that are coming into effect.
Friday - August 08, 2008
What is the single most important thing for your small business to do every day of its life? Jim Blasingame talks about why you -- and every member of your organization -- must do whatever is required to connect with prospects and customers. Connecting is more important than anything else.
How could there be anything new in networking? Trish Rubin talks with Jim Blasingame about her new ideas for taking networking to the next level.
How do you make sure sales staff meets your sales goals? Brad Huisken talks with Jim Blasingame about non-negotiable activity that sales people are measured against. They also talk about the extreme value in making a connection with customers.
Could your future success be found on the verge? Joel Barker talks with Jim Blasingame about what it takes for your business to identify and execute your next new direction by spending time, brain power and energy developing innovations "at the verge."
Monday - August 11, 2008
How much of your small business success depends upon your attitude? Ruth King tells Jim Blasingame that your attitude could be the single most important element in whether you succeed in business or not.
How do American businesses you go about connecting with businesses in other countries? Stephen Brugger talks with Jim Blasingame about how the AmCham network (American Chambers) located in other countries help make this connection so trade can take place.
Are you selling to your prospects and customers, or are you connecting with them? John Patterson talks with Jim Blasingame about the importance of going beyond service and actually create connections with your customers.
How has the Beijing Olympics changed China? Ted Fishman talks with Jim Blasingame about the impact of the 2008 Olympics and how China increasingly is making the rules that the rest of the world plays by.
Tuesday - August 12, 2008
Have you considered factoring to capitalize the growth of your small business? Sol Roter talks with Jim Blasingame about how factoring has come of age in the 21st century as a more main-stream capital option.
What do Olympic athletes and small business owners have in common? Jim Blasingame talks about the similarities of these two heroes and why he admires them both so much.
Perhaps it's time to use some unusual methods to grow your small business? Victor Cheng talks with Jim Blasingame about some of these methods, including how to use a "bookmercial" as a revenue growth tool.
How is retail fairing during this challenging economy? James Dion talks with Jim Blasingame about the challenges that retailers are having and what they must do to make sure they survive.
Wednesday - August 13, 2008
What can small businesses learn from Disney? Dennis Snow talks with Jim Blasingame about adopting some of the success strategies that made the Disney theme properties so successful.
Now there is a book that will help small business owners learn how to begin the process of becoming an international exporter. Doug Barry joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the new "Basic Guide to Exporting" that reveals the 21st century exporting best practices, including how to create a website for exporting.
Just because you've been successful doesn't mean you should analyze how you got there. Quint Studer talks with Jim Blasingame about why all business results should be evaluated for improvement opportunities, even the successes.
How can emotional decision-making hurt your small business' future? Alison Diboll talks with Jim Blasingame about how and why you should avoid being emotional about when you're making decisions that will impact your business long-term. Alison also talks about how to find innovative ways to get your share of the business during a slow economy.
Thursday - August 14, 2008
Are you confusing your customers? Jeff Zbar talks about this with Jim Blasingame, small business expert and host of The Small Business Advocate Show.
How is the economy according to small businesses? Bill Dunkleberg joins Jim Blasingame to talk about economic conditions that face small business owners, including credit availability, inflation and availability of qualified workers. Bill also offers his thoughts on the economy through the rest of the year.
Joan Pryde joins Jim Blasingame to talk about a "growth recession" and the elements that contribute to such an oxymoron. They also talk about the global economy, the challenges of the trucking industry and the growth of rail, plus a number of other topics.
Friday - August 15, 2008
What's the biggest economic issue we're going be facing in the coming years? Howard Ruff talks with Jim Blasingame and he says the most troubling economic challenge we're going to face is inflation, and he talks about how to deal with it.
Can the mandated minimum wage be justified economically? Don Boudreaux talks with Jim Blasingame as they discuss the socialistic -- not economic basis -- for mandating a minimum wage, and how it actually hurts the people it is purported to help. Don also talks about his thoughts on the future of the economy.
What's more important, your internal customers (employees) or your external customers? Jack Mitchell talks with Jim Blasingame and provides the answer: both. Jack talks about the proper care and feeding of both of our customer groups on the small business radio program, The Small Business Advocate Show.
How do you make sure your small business closes out the year with enough sales? Skip Miller talks with Jim Blasingame about how to make sure you're talking to the people who can close this year, and that you know how they're going to make that decision ... something about fire-breathing dragons.
Monday - August 18, 2008
Are your employees engaged? Tim Irwin joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the problems that arise when employees are disengaged, and what to do to prevent this dysfunctional condition in your small business.
Steve Martin talks with Jim Blasingame about some of the things you can do to increase productivity and therefore, profits, including making sure that you don't have any employees that are having a negative impact on your operation, and how to eliminate that situation if you find it on the small business radio program, The Small Business Advocate Show.
When is the best time to make contact with your members of Congress? Stephanie Vance talks with Jim Blasingame about when to communicate with your elected representatives, and how to get your message across.
What's the best way to start a small business? Phil Holland talks with Jim Blasingame about two ways to get started as a business owner, including growing into it part-time, and acquiring a franchise.
Tuesday - August 19, 2008
What can you do to keep your employees engaged in their work? Michael Stallard talks with Jim Blasingame about three things you can ask your teams that will identify the engagement answer.
What are some of the myths about patents and other intellectual property? David Dawsey talks with Jim Blasingame about dispelling eight of the most common misconceptions and myths about patents and copyright.
How would you like to find new sales hanging in front of you waiting to be picked? John Arnold talks with Jim Blasingame about how to assemble your email marketing list from customers and prospects, so you can stay connected to them with offers and information.
How is the credit crisis impacting small businesses' ability to access capital? Tom Markel talks with Jim Blasingame about how the credit landscape has changed and what small businesses have to do today to get the working capital they need.
Thursday - August 21, 2008
Do you know if you're a small business owner? Beverley Williams talks with Jim Blasingame about why it's important that independent contractors and so called "life-style" businesses recognize that they are in business and start behaving as a business, especially regarding legal and tax issues.
Does your personality indicate a high need for stability? Pierce and Jane Howard talk with Jim Blasingame about why you should know how stress affects your personality so you know how much of it to take on. And for small business owners, it's critical to determine if the personality of an employee candidate matches with the level of stress they will have in that assignment.
Jim Ostroff talks with Jim Blasingame about the drama of the upcoming political conventions, vice presidential announcements and the ongoing election process. They also talk about the economy, inflation, the viability of wind as an energy source and the potential for another cold war with Russia.
Friday - August 22, 2008
Is your business doing things that actually are irritating your customers? Mark Mayberry joins Jim Blasingame as they talk about some of the things that companies do that actually makes customers mad.
How different are the proposed tax policies of the two presidential candidates? John Fox talks with Jim Blasingame about how to differentiate the two plans, plus they debate what the correct tax policies should be.
Do you have a good decision-making process? Nora Klaver tells Jim Blasingame that the old "pro and con" method isn't always sufficient and offers some more sophisticated ideas for better decision-making.
How do small businesses prepare for the coming recovery? Bill Conerly talks with Jim Blasingame about the real economic conditions we have (not what the media says we have) and they discuss several things small businesses should be focusing on to prepare for the inevitable recovery, which Bill says will be sooner than later.
Monday - August 25, 2008
Are you coachable? Ed Abel talks with Jim Blasingame about some of the reasons why a small business owners should consider working with a business coach.
Should you look for partners or employees in order to grow your business? David Gage talks with Jim Blasingame about the difference between working with these two categories of stakeholders in your business.
How can a small business accomplish a quality process? Leslie Kossoff talks with Jim Blasingame first about how things are going for small businesses in France and Europe. They then move to a discussion about how the quality process should be implemented in a small business, including how it's differs from a big business.
Are you ready to negotiate with a company that's bigger than yours? Peter Johnston talks with Jim Blasingame about some of the things you must know and be able to do in any negotiation with a bigger player, whether it's a sales proposal or the actual sale of your company.
Tuesday - August 26, 2008
What do you know about diversity in the marketplace? Manuel Rosales talks with Jim Blasingame about the growth of Hispanic businesses, what his organization is doing to help this sector of the marketplace and why practicing diversity in business is a best practice.
What are the best growth options for any small business? Doug Campbell talks with Jim Blasingame about the growth decisions facing three of his clients and offers some solution options that any small business could use.
What's the best way to add a new salesperson in your small business? Robert Levin talks with Jim Blasingame about his decision-making process for acquiring a new salesperson, which includes the conscious decision to hire someone who can cultivate long-term relationships with customers, rather than just a transaction.
Reporting from the Democrat National Convention, Bill Brandt talks with Jim Blasingame about the DNC spectacle, including the speeches by Senator Kennedy and Michelle Obama. They also talk about whether the Clintons can bring the party back together, plus Bill's thoughts on Joe Biden as the VP nominee and how much of a bounce the Obama/Biden ticket will receive after the convention.
Wednesday - August 27, 2008
Is your small business ready for the next emergency or disaster? Donna Childs talks with Jim Blasingame about the experiences her small business had following the attacks of 9-11, and what you can do to be prepared to continue your work as soon as possible after any kind of interruption. She also has some good ideas about how to lower insurance costs.
Is Congress going to get anything done for small business this year? Karen Kerrigan talks with Jim Blasingame about some of the key issues before Congress, including allowing the ban on offshore drilling to lapse and not passing the union-friendly Card Check bill, which would eliminate the private ballot voting for union organizing.
How do we get small business owners to be more involved in local politics? Suzanne Mulvehill joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why she decided to run for the local city council and her campaign plans and platform.
What do you need to know BEFORE you start your business plan? Paul Casey talks with Jim Blasingame about the five most important questions you should ask yourself before you actually write your business plan and start your business.
Thursday - August 28, 2008
Are you protected against malicious software (malware) that could infect your computer? Jeff Zbar talks about this with Jim Blasingame, small business expert and host of The Small Business Advocate Show.
What do you need to know before you pitch your company to Wal-Mart? Wendy Bounds talks with Jim Blasingame about what she learned from those who have done business with the Big Boxes, as she has moderated panels of entrepreneurs during the WSJ Insight Exchange events.
Do you know what an "accidental entrepreneur" is? Pam Irving joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how she became a very successful entrepreneur, by accident. Guys, this is a great story about a multi-faceted business. And ladies, it's all that for you, too, but there is also shoe stuff here.
As you're doing your business planning, how important are projections? Tim Berry talks with Jim Blasingame about how to use projections in the planning process and then extend that capability to the actual operation of your business on the small business radio program, The Small Business Advocate Show.
Friday - August 29, 2008
Do you know how Labor Day got started? Ken Davis and Jim Blasingame talk about Labor Day, it's origins and influences for more than 120 years.
How can public and private groups work together to promote entrepreneurship? Steve Millard talks with Jim Blasingame about how the local governments in Cleveland work with private entities to invest in various small businesses to supplement traditional funding sources. They also talk about the negative impact that mandatory sick leave legislation could have on small businesses, if passed.
If you're considering a franchise, are you prepared to do the proper due diligence? Nick Bibby talks with Jim Blasingame about what is required to properly evaluate any franchise opportunity, and how to get help from a franchise professional.
What were the positive and the concerning elements of Barack Obama's acceptance speech? Jim Blasingame talks about some of the things he liked about Sen. Obama's speech, and also some of the elements of the speech that concern him, from a small business perspective.
