Monday - November 01, 2010
Small businesses have much at stake when it comes to the policies politicians enact that can hurt us. Jim Blasingame says our right to vote should be seen as our ability to “hire” representatives to serve us rather than supporting a self-serving political class.
Are you engaged in the political process? Karen Kerrigan joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why voters - especially small business owners - seem to be more engaged in the political process than in the past, plus the large number of small business owners who are running for Congress.
What changes can a new Congress make? Karen Kerrigan joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how the new Congress can affect bills that have already been passed, even if only the House majority changes.
How your representatives vote on small business issues? Karen Kerrigan joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the possibility of Bush tax cut extensions, plus how to use the SBE Council’s Small Business Scorecard to become more informed on how your representatives vote.
How can small businesses get the most out of technology? Ramon Ray joins Jim Blasingame reports on his Small Business Technology Tour, plus offers tips and best practices on how small businesses can use technology more effectively.
Did Hillary Clinton make a mistake by becoming Secretary of State? Bill Brandt joins Jim Blasingame predicts a "landslide" election against Democrats, plus the several reasons why Hillary Clinton will not challenge President Obama in 2012.
Will President Obama move to the center after the election? Bill Brandt joins Jim Blasingame with his predictions for the election, plus whether President Obama has the ability to govern more from the center that from the left.
Are China and the U.S. joined at the hip economically? Bill Brandt joins Jim Blasingame to say the Chinese are the world's manufacturers, the U.S. the world's buyers, which joins the two at the hip, plus the two debate taxes and spending.
Tuesday - November 02, 2010
Does the U.S. health care marketplace need to be re-engineered? Jim Champy joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the outdated structure of the U.S. health care system, the inefficiencies of health care delivery and ideas on how to fix it.
Do Americans need to become health care consumers instead of just patients? Jim Champy joins Jim Blasingame to discuss rethinking health care by being more like an informed consumers rather than a passive patient, plus how employers can encourage employees to live healthier.
There are many ways to increase profits (income). Tom Anastasi joins Jim Blasingame to help you understand why growing your bottom line - profits - can be accomplished by using a number of tools and best practices.
Two of the big things that impact profits are sales and expenses. Tom Anastasi joins Jim Blasingame to reveal that two of the best ways to increase profits is to sell more stuff, while holding expenses down.
Grow your profits by increasing your prices. Tom Anastasi joins Jim Blasingame to explain why a comprehensive pricing strategy is a key element in a successful profit strategy.
Why is social media so hard for small businesses to adopt? Neal Creighton joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how the many facets of social media are playing in the relationship between businesses and customers.
How does a small business get educated about how to use social media? Neal Creighton joins Jim Blasingame to discuss a number of tools and resources that will help small businesses get started employing social media effectively.
How do you creatively maximize all financial resources to grow your business? Joe Knight joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how to negotiate with all stakeholders, including customers, to fund your growth.
How do you let business customers help you fund growth? Joe Knight joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how to talk with business customers about getting them involved in funding the growth that their business creates.
Improve cash flow by better expense management. Joe Knight joins Jim Blasingame to discuss improving cash flow and profitability by differentiating between fixed and variable expenses.
Wednesday - November 03, 2010
Regardless of your political philosophy, Americans have to be proud of our electoral system. The morning after the Nov 2, 2010 election, Jim Blasingame talks about why our imperfect, system of electing representative to serve is also beautiful.
What does the future look like for small business? Jim Blasingame examines the 2010 election and explains why there are positive implications for small business issues, including taxes, health care, card check, cap and trade, and regulations.
When does success turn into an ugly form of greed? Tony Schwartz joins Jim Blasingame to debate how to differentiate between being successful and demonstrating the ugly side of greed.
Can fear and greed have a negative impact on our management efforts? Tony Schwartz joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the relationship between greed and fear and how to minimize the negative effects of both as we operate our businesses and manage people.
Why are values important to your bottom line? Tony Schwartz joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the impact of our values on our lives and businesses, including the bottom line of our financial statements.
Will the 2010 election results be good for small business? Jerry Silberman joins Jim Blasingame to discuss election results and why the message and the new representatives should be good for small business.
How to minimize the possibility of failure? Jerry Silberman joins Jim Blasingame to talk about preventing your ego from letting you seek help and advice when your business encounters financial challenges.
What election message was sent to Washington? Bob McTeer joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the message American voters sent to the political establishment of both parties on the size of government, deficits, taxes, etc.
What is QE2 and why does it matter? Bob McTeer joins Jim Blasingame to explain that QE2, a second round of quantitative easing by the Fed, is not only not new or a negative thing, but actually sound monetary policy that will benefit small businesses.
What does the future economy look like for small business? Bob McTeer joins Jim Blasingame to propose that the election results should produce less uncertainty in the future and therefore, a more robust economic recovery.
Thursday - November 04, 2010
How can failure become a road map to success? Dal LaMagna joins Jim Blasingame to talk about what you can learn from his many failures, which were expensive, but ultimately lead to his great success that made him rich.
Where do you begin when you start your own business? Dal LaMagna joins Jim Blasingame to offer several steps to take to run a successful start-up, including planning, finances, partners, and more.
How historic was the November 2, 2010 election results? Rich Galen joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the historic election that strengthened the Republican party from Congress to state legislatures to local offices.
How much credit is due the Tea Party movement for the Nov 2 election and how enduring with their influence be? Rich Galen joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the Tea Party's political life and legs and how that will play out with the GOP elites.
Will President Obama ever come to terms with the election results? Rich Galen joins Jim Blasingame to talk about Obama's denial and defiance about the Nov 2 election results and what that will mean as he works with a new Congress.
Don't put all your marketing eggs in one basket. Lois Geller joins Jim Blasingame to talk about diversifying your marketing activity, including how she uses Twitter to prospect for new customers.
Why is your brand increasingly about your values? Lois Geller joins Jim Blasingame to talk about what a brand really is today and how it is increasingly evaluated based on your values, not your products.
Why did Republicans win out this week in the elections? Kiplinger's Jim Ostroff joins Jim Blasingame to report on the Nov 2 election results and what that will mean for America, including politics at the state level.
Will the EU teach America about national austerity?Kiplinger's Jim Ostroff joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the strong measures Europe is taking to cut spending, what we can learn, how this affects exports, plus the global economic forecast.
How do we solve structural unemployment? Kiplinger's Jim Ostroff joins Jim Blasingame to report on how we eliminate both kinds of unemployment, cyclical and structural, plus reporting on the new smart credit cards.
Friday - November 05, 2010
What do you do when your entrepreneurial story must be told? Jay Myers joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the recent Ethan award his book received, which was written to reveal how to survive in the face of extreme adversity.
It's time to switch from survival to growth. Jay Myers joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why it's time to stop blaming the economy if your business isn't performing at the level you need it to be.
Is the economy showing signs of improvement? Sam Norwood joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the Nov 2010 Tatum Survey, which reveals that positive economic indicators are being met by skeptical business confidence.
Finally, we're seeing positive economic indicators. Sam Norwood joins Jim Blasingame to discuss positive economic signs reported in the Nov 2010 Tatum Survey, including sales, capital expenditures, credit and employment.
How will we solve structural unemployment? Tatum's Sam Norwood joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why structural unemployment is one of our most difficult challenges and what we can do to solve it.
How is the economy in Seattle, Washington? Comcast's Mike McCarty joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the improving state of the economy in Seattle, plus a small business event hosted by Comcast in association with Bloomberg TV, where Jim will deliver keynote.
If you want to maximize your opportunity, think about creating strategic alliances. Mike McCarty joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how his company, Comcast, partnered with Bloomberg TV to develop a small business event, and what we can learn from their partnership.
Reporting from the World Entrepreneurship Forum in Leon, France, Zoltan Acs joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how 100 countries come together to study the impact of entrepreneurs on the world economy and society.
Why are entrepreneurs modern-day Jedi warriors? Zoltan Acs joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the new Global Entrepreneurship and Development Index and compare entrepreneurs to Star Wars’ Jedi warriors, plus why Jim's prophecy is coming true: the 21st century is the Century of the Entrepreneur.
What’s good for entrepreneurs is good for the world. Zoltan Acs joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the impact of entrepreneurship around the globe, including job creation and accountability, plus the potential conflict between entrepreneurs and the global political class.
Monday - November 08, 2010
Steven Gaffney joins Jim Blasingame to reveal insights for business owners to improve their attitude, including how to listen to your customers as if you don’t know them and how to disregard what customers say they want and instead, talk to them about what they need.
Steven Gaffney joins Jim Blasingame to discuss improving your sales attitude by talking to your customers about value instead of money, plus how to determine if your small business is really getting better at what you do.
Mike Stewart joins Jim Blasingame to discuss whether sales closing skills is a lost art, plus the two most common, ineffective closes and how to avoid them.
Professional salespeople make intermediate closings. Mike Stewart joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how professional salespeople continually close many small steps before a sale is final.
Mike Stewart joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how to close more sales by asking questions and then letting the prospect talk, plus how to listen for buying signs.
Why are search engines so important? Rich Skrenta joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the beginning of search engines, how they got to where they are today and why they're so important to your small business.
Why would anyone have the audacity to take on the Google gorilla? Rich Skrenta joins Jim Blasingame to talk about Blekko, the new search engine and how slashtags can make search better with less spam, plus the Blekko business model.
Why is quality process better than quality service for your small business? Leslie Kossoff joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how quality service is operational and reactive while quality process is strategic and proactive.
Leslie Kossoff joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why your small business can operate more efficiently, and be more successful, with strategic planning rather than strictly operational planning, plus the steps to strategic planning.
How do you begin the quality process in your small business? Leslie Kossoff and Jim Blasingame offer steps on addressing problems through brainstorming, both individually and with your team, to make operations better in the future, plus when to include your customers in the process.
Tuesday - November 09, 2010
How will profits for existing businesses look with fewer start ups? Russ Brown joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the impact of fewer start-ups on profitability, plus business opportunity leverage in financing and the government's hand in business acquisition.
Janet Christy joins Jim Blasingame to discuss a few ideas on how to create and take advantage of opportunities in the marketplace, plus the importance of networking and how to qualify networking events for the best opportunities.
Janet Christy joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how to qualify networking events for the best opportunities for your small business, including industry networking events, plus balancing online networking with face-to-face.
Bill Schley joins Jim Blasingame to discuss some memorable micro-scripts used by past U.S. Presidents and how Obama could benefit if he better scripted his messages.
Bill Schley joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why it’s important to shorten your message so that it’s easy to remember and repeat, plus the characteristics of a good micro-script.
Bill Schley joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the difference between branding and micro-scripting, plus the importance of reinforcing your message with performance.
How can silence help you with sales and negotiation? Renee Grant-Williams joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the impact of silence when negotiating, plus how men and women react to silence.
How can silently counting to 3 improve your sales conversations? Renee Grant-Williams joins Jim Blasingame to talk about really listening and silently counting to three to make the customer more comfortable and slow the conversation.
How has the recession impacted the business brokerage industry? Russ Brown joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the decrease in sales of small to medium sized businesses, how firms are surviving, and the cause of it all.
What's one of the best way to grow your small business? Russ Brown joins Jim Blasingame to reveal that during the economic recovery, buying an existing business is a great way to grow - especially with less financing available for start ups.
Wednesday - November 10, 2010
For the past two years, small businesses have had their head down, fighting their way through the economy. Larry Robertson joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how the marketplace has changed, plus tips on how to look for emerging opportunities in the new economy, including using technology and looking for new customers.
Is your own attitude getting in the way of your business' success? Larry Robertson joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why fear and other emotions can prevent success, and they recommend steps to help you get out of your own way.
How about this for a top level domain - .genius? As in JimBlasingame.genius? Steve DelBianco joins Jim Blasingame to report on the new URL system ICANN will implement next year, which allows new domains other than the common .com and .net, and the pros and cons of the new system.
Will the 2010 mid-term elections be good for the Internet?Steve DelBianco joins Jim Blasingame to report that one of the benefits of the mid-term elections may be a slowing down of taxing and regulating the Internet, including a number of tax issues.
Steve DelBianco joins Jim Blasingame to give an update on Internet sales tax, including the extremely low sales amount online retailers may have to report and file taxes on for individual consumers.
Are your salespeople prepared for informed customers? Bob Phibbs joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how salespeople need to be better prepared to sell to customers who have done their homework.
Are your first interactions with customers setting you up for failure? Bob Phibbs joins Jim Blasingame to offer tips on avoiding unproductive "placeholders," when you greet customers, like "How are you," instead of a genuine greeting, like "Good morning" and "Welcome."
What is Malaysia doing to be more innovative? Joel Barker joins Jim Blasingame to talk about his visit to Malaysia and how that country is making a commitment to become more innovative by investing in innovation education.
Did you ever think you'd thank a roach? Joel Barker joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how advances in the study of the natural world, like cockroach brains, continue to benefit the lives of humans.
How competitive are America's universities? Joel Barker joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the new relationship between American universities and those in other countries, plus a new use for magnets.
Thursday - November 11, 2010
Do you think exporting is just for big businesses? Doug Barry joins Jim Blasingame to dispel some of the myths about small business exporting, and how to get your export strategy started.
How could attending a trade show help you create an export strategy? Doug Barry joins Jim Blasingame to report on a number of international trade shows in the U.S. that focus on business matchmaking between international buyers and sellers.
U.S. embassies are prospecting for U.S. small businesses? Doug Barry joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how American embassies all over the world recruit buyers to go to the U.S. trade shows to meet U.S. sellers, including small businesses.
Empowering small business is good for the world. Mary Cantando joins Jim Blasingame to discuss her recent trip to Amsterdam working with women business owners from all over the world, plus the importance of micro-loans to third world entrepreneurs.
Do you know why you are a small business owner? Mary Cantando joins Jim Blasingame to recommend asking yourself if you remember why you became a business owner, plus why knowing the top three priorities of your top three customers is important.
Is the U.S. trending toward the European social model? Guy Sorman joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the demonstrations in France and across Europe against diminished entitlements in the face of economic realities, and how the U.S. could be headed in that direction.
Liu Xiaobo is a living profile in courage. Guy Sorman joins Jim Blasingame to discuss Guy's friend, Liu Xiaobo, the imprisoned Chinese dissident and now Nobel Peace Prize winner, and his struggles to bring democracy to China. Plus how this story impacts business relationships.
Should we be worried about the devaluation of the U.S. dollar? Guy Sorman joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the current low exchange rate of the U.S. dollar and whether it should be of concern. Plus whether the U.S. should return to the gold standard.
Friday - November 12, 2010
What should be the correct motivations for starting a small business? Tom Asacker joins Jim Blasingame to say that the right reasons to start a small business should be less about following your passion and more about delivering what customers want.
Grow your business by staying in touch with customers. Tom Asacker joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why as small businesses grow, they must stay connected with customers by continuing to ask them what they want.
How do small businesses benefit from Moore's Law? Ed Yourdon joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how computer processing doubling every 18 months has resulted in great advantages and competitive power for small business owners.
How can small business find success in the cloud? Ed Yourdon joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how cloud computing has produced a number of powerful applications that help small businesses to compete on a higher level without a lot of capital.
Could our commitment to cloud computing create future problems? Ed Yourdon joins Jim Blasingame to discuss potential issues arising out of our expanded use of cloud computing, including the loss of physical assets and potential for government control.
Are you looking for a better way to connect with your best customers this holiday season? Sarah Petty joins Jim Blasingame with ideas to build emotional connections with your top customers during the holidays by making sure your gifts are unique, creative and, whenever possible, hand-delivered.
Are you getting the most out of your holiday cards? Sarah Petty joins Jim Blasingame to offer tips to emotionally connect with your customers with creative holiday cards, including ideas on how to personalize cards for your business.
There is good and bad in the Earth's aging population. Ted Fishman joins Jim Blasingame to launch his new book, "Shock of Gray", and discuss the effects of the world’s aging population on global economies, including the benefits of this phenomenon as well as the challenges.
Ted Fishman joins Jim Blasingame to launch his book, "Shock of Gray" and discuss the aging global population is impacting the U.S, including our own economy, plus the political challenges of global aging on our economy and national security.
Ted Fishman joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the Chinese government's desperate behavior as one of it's dissidents wins the Nobel Peace Prize, plus how their behavior has created demographic challenges that will impact the rest of the world.
Monday - November 15, 2010
Celebrating the 13 anniversary of The Small Business Advocate Show, Jim Blasingame talks about the founding of his show, which has grown into a media company, and why he thinks small business owners should celebrate and be proud of their milestones.
Shouldn't the ones who foot the bill for bail outs have access to its rewards? Jim Blasingame discusses the billions of dollars the government used to bail out Wall Street and GM and asks why individual investors don't have access to the IPO.
Are small businesses becoming more optimistic? Paul Sarvadi joins Jim Blasingame to reveal survey results that indicate sales are improving because commissions have increased, plus indicators that small businesses expect the economy to be much better by mid-2011.
What should be done with the health care law? Paul Sarvadi joins Jim Blasingame to report why the health care law will create more problems than it will fix and should be repealed, even though that is not likely to happen.
How is the entrepreneurial spirit in America? Paul Sarvadi joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the American entrepreneurial DNA, plus some of the challenges that are facing the future of entrepreneurship.
How does positive psychology play into management success? JoAnna Brandi joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why positive management is not the same thing as trying to make people happy, and how to measure the ROI of a positive work experience.
How can you stay positive attitude in a negative world? JoAnna Brandi joins Jim Blasingame to talk about encouraging positive emotion from employees, plus how to stay positive in a world that seems dedicated to negativity.
Why aren't women better self-promoters? Cherie Carter-Scott joins Jim Blasingame to say that she attributed her inability to claim her own ideas in the past was due to a female trait of being less aggressive than men.
Can a woman succeed and still be a "lady?" Dr. Cherie Carter-Scott joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how a woman pulls off being an entrepreneur in a world that still expects her to act like a lady.
Has America lapsed into a state of malaise? Cherie Carter-Scott joins Jim Blasingame to talk about a condition worse than malaise in the U.S., what has caused it and what we must do to recover.
Tuesday - November 16, 2010
Should we really be worried about the U.S. national debt? Gary Moore joins Jim Blasingame to report why he thinks we shouldn't worry too much about the current level of the national debt.
How great is America’s ability to work out of an economic downturn? Gary Moore joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the U.S.’s historic ability to work out of economic cycles, plus he and Jim disagree about the bail out of GM.
Was the government's bail out of GM a good decision? Gary Moore and Bill Dunkelberg join Jim Blasingame to debate the government’s bail out of GM, including whether it was a good investment or good policy.
What does the NFIB’s October 2010 Small survey show? Dr. William Dunkelberg joins Jim Blasingame to say that economic attitudes reported by small businesses owners are still not good, with responses in the range typically seen during a recession.
The NFIB's Oct 2010 survey indicates small business sales are still weak. Dr. William Dunkelberg joins Jim Blasingame to report that weak sales growth and uncertainty about public policy issues are still on the top of the minds of small business owners.
What does it really mean when you reach a new age milestone? Jennifer Read Hawthorne joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the different tools you use and perspectives you need to transition from youth to what comes after.
What is the 21st century relationship between community and aging? Jennifer Read Hawthorne joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the attraction and influence of community on us as we age in the 21st century.
Is California falling off the continent financially? Charles Kadlec joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why he moved to California and whether the federal government will come to the rescue of this bankrupt state.
Should the U.S. dollar be good as gold? Charles Kadlec joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why the dollar should be returned to the gold standard instead of the current "best efforts" monetary standard, and why small business owners should care.
How does the U.S. dollar get back to the gold standard? Charles Kadlec joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why re-connecting the dollar to gold would be good for business, plus how this transition would happen.
Wednesday - November 17, 2010
What does it look like when former employees of large companies start a small business? Kelle Olwyler joins Jim Blasingame to discuss some of the issues that former big business employees will face when they decide to become an entrepreneur.
Is there power in building partnerships and alliances? Kelle Olwyler joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why building alliances with other business is a great way for a start-up to grow faster and more efficiently.
Has public policy helped or hurt small business over the past several years? Karen Kerrigan joins Jim Blasingame to take a look at the impact of laws and regulations that have helped and hurt small business over the past several years.
Political games and misdirected policies can hurt America's ability to compete. Karen Kerrigan joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the growing global entrepreneurial environment and how parochial politics prevents America from competing effectively in the global marketplace.
When does airport security go too far and impinge on our privacy? Karen Kerrigan joins Jim Blasingame to discuss whether the TSA's use of body scanners which often lead to enhanced physical screening is now going too far. Jim talks about his own such experience.
How is marketing changing in the 21st century? Ilise Benun joins Jim Blasingame to discuss marketing in the new economy, the importance of relationships with customers and vendors, plus tips on developing and maintaining these relationships.
Do you need to be reminded about marketing? Ilise Benun joins Jim Blasingame to launch a new tool, the Marketing Mentor eCalendar, that will help you keep marketing top-of-mind as you go about running your small business.
What is SEO and why should you care? Adam Audette joins Jim Blasingame to explain what search engine optimization (SEO) is all about and why it's critical to the success of your small business.
Why is local search so important for small businesses? Adam Audette joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the power of local search for small businesses and how it is their way of dominating their place on the Internet.
What is the future of search engine optimization? Adam Audette joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the next level for SEO is local, social and mobile, plus how you can take advantage of the new Google priorities and tools.
Thursday - November 18, 2010
Why is it important to celebrate milestones with customers and employees? Jeff Zbar joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why you should take the opportunity to celebrate your business' milestones with customers and employees.
Do you give customers gifts at Christmas? Jeff Zbar joins Jim Blasingame to offer tips on showing gratitude to customers, including a way to use Thanksgiving as an effective way to demonstrate customer appreciation..
Why is the federal government, Wall Street and GM throwing a party you aren't invited to? Gerald Celente joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why the average taxpayer can't get in on the GM IPO, even though the taxpayer bailed out GM and Wall Street in the past two years.
What are some of the global market influences to watch? Gerald Celente joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why small business should care about what's happening in the world economy, especially in Europe and the Euro.
What are trends in investment opportunities in the future? Gerald Celente joins Jim Blasingame to talk about where he thinks the smart money will go in the next decade, including gold, natural foods, security and holistic health products.
Why should small business owners learn from President Lincoln? Gene Griessman joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the lessons we can learn from the way Abraham Lincoln grew and educated himself over his entire life.
How can your small business be self-promoting without being obnoxious? Gene Griessman joins Jim Blasingame to reveal techniques that remind customers about the quality of your work without sounding like you're bragging.
Can opponents actually thwart the health care law at the state level? Kiplinger's Jim Ostroff joins Jim Blasingame to report on the different ways states can neutralize the health care law, including financially, legislatively and constitutionally.
Did America lose the last decade? Kiplinger's Jim Ostroff joins Jim Blasingame to report on the lack of growth in America this past decade, why it happened, and what it looks like is in store for the next decade.
What are some of the new capital resources for small business? Kiplinger's Jim Ostroff joins Jim Blasingame to discuss non-profit micro-financiers, like Grameen America, plus challenges ahead for the union political agenda.
Friday - November 19, 2010
Can President Obama be compared to Franklin Roosevelt? Burt Folsom joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the similarities that Barack Obama has with Franklin Roosevelt with regard to the policies of their administrations.
Does President Obama compare closer to Jimmy Carter or Bill Clinton? Burt Folsom joins Jim Blasingame to compare the administration of Barack Obama with Jimmy Carter, Calvin Coolidge and Bill Clinton, plus a prediction of Obama’s legacy.
What impact did the health care law have on the mid-term elections? Grace-Marie Turner joins Jim Blasingame to report on how much of the Democrat Congressional bloodbath in the mid-term elections was caused by the very unpopular health care law.
What is the Congressional Health Care Caucus up to? Grace-Marie Turner joins Jim Blasingame to discuss her participation with Congress’ Health Care Caucus and its commitment to repeal or reign-in the health care law.
What will it take to either reign-in or abolish the new health care law? Grace-Marie Turner joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the expense, time and energy that is having to be expended to try to neutralize the extremely flawed health care law.
Is the lack of performance in your small business due to the economy or your lack of performance? Jim Blasingame talks about pain in small business and the importance of self-analysis to turn things around, just in case.
The marketplace has changed, did you notice? Jim Blasingame talks about how different the 2nd decade of the 21st century is and is going to be from the last decade and offers ideas on how to manage your business in this new environment.
Is it a myth to think that you could be your own boss as a business owner? Tim Berry joins Jim Blasingame to propose that when you own your own business that you actually have many bosses, sometimes, including your employees.
Is it a myth that passion and persistence is enough for entrepreneurial success? Tim Berry joins Jim Blasingame to say that entrepreneurial success requires attention to management, marketing and operating fundamentals, plus passion and persistence.
Is a business plan still important? Tim Berry joins Jim Blasingame to reveal why a business plan is just as critical as an essential management tool as it has ever been.
Monday - November 22, 2010
How is strategy different from operating competitively, and why should you care? Gary Harpst joins Jim Blasingame to say that just being competitive is reacting, while strategic thinking is proactive. Both are necessary for success.
How can you position your business to execute strategic thinking? Gary Harpst joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why operational success can be sustained only if you've developed the strategy that makes effective operating practices possible, like a plan to hire the right people.
Do you support small businesss in your town? Leslie Grossman joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the Small Business Saturday initiative, encouraging consumers to patronize small businesses all year, but especially during the holidays.
Leslie Grossman joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why the local and national economy benefit when you do business with a small business.
When airport security crosses the line into violating your privacy? Jim Blasingame talks about his recent experience at airport security going through a body scanner and how you can avoid being frisked by the TSA.
How could Google's plan to give employees a 10% raise be a mistake? Bob Kelleher joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why compensation is not the best way to keep employees and does not contribute to engagement.
How can you prepare your company to compete for good employees? Bob Kelleher joins Jim Blasingame to predict competition for employees is coming again and recommend several best practices to be a successful employer of engaged people.
Are Americans demanding trust from their leaders? Arky Ciancutti joins Jim Blasingame to talk about increasing national sentiment that our leaders should actually be trustworthy and what that looks like.
What does innovation have to do with trust? Arky Ciancutti joins Jim Blasingame to explain that since innovation is by definition associated with failure, having a culture of trust is essential to an innovative culture.
Has being in survival mode caused your organization to lapse into a condition where fear prevails? Arky Ciancutti joins Jim Blasingame to how to determine if fear has supplanted trust and innovative thinking and how to recover from this terminal organizational condition.
Tuesday - November 23, 2010
Mark Murphy joins Jim Blasingame to reveal why setting goals for your small business should be "HARD": Heartfelt, Animated, Required and Difficult, plus tips to help you execute these goal elements.
What does it take to set goals and stick to them? Mark Murphy joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why setting goals is part of strategic thinking, plus why men and women are different when it comes to goal setting.
Why is the government making tax planning harder than it has to be? Barbara Weltman joins Jim Blasingame to discuss year-end tax planning even though Congress still hasn't finalized all of this year's tax options.
Have you ever considered a 401K plan for your small business? Barbara Weltman joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why and how to set up a 401k for yourself and your employees as part of your 2010 year-end tax plan.
There are several retirement plan options for small businesses. Barbara Weltman joins Jim Blasingame to discuss some of the tax deductible retirement plans, plus, since Congress hasn't done it's job, you must prepare for tax law changes right to the end of the year.
Are you prepared to differentiate between the next decade and the last? Rich Horwath joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how to be proactive in leading your business into the next phase of the new century instead of reacting with outdated thinking.
What's the difference between managing and leading? Rich Horwath joins Jim Blasingame to explain why strategic thinking is the enemy of crisis management and how proactive leadership eliminates pain and produces success.
Why has networking grown in a global recession? Ivan Misner joins Jim Blasingame to explain why networking activity has grown significantly over the past 20 years, including during the recent global recession.
Do you know what the networking disconnect is? Ivan Misner joins Jim Blasingame to reveal a dangerous condition. The networking disconnect is an expectation that your immediate goal for networking is to make a sale, instead of making a quality, enduring contact.
Do you know how to achieve the quantum leap effect? Ivan Misner joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how to take advantage of the quantum leap effect through quality networking,which is planting relationship seeds that eventually germinate into business.
Wednesday - November 24, 2010
How do you make social media work for your small business? Kathy Perry joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how to reduce the social media difficulty factor for small business, including two social media best practices.
Focus social media efforts on where your customers are. Kathy Perry joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how to ask customers where they're hanging out, join them and then ask them to migrate over to the communities you're leading.
Why is there such a disconnect between politics and regulations that hurt small business? Wayne Crews joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why politicians don’t understand that over-regulation inhibits small business growth, plus how they over-react when current regulations are abused.
Why are regulations more damaging to small business than large businesses? Wayne Crews joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the disparity in the burden of regulatory costs between large and small businesses, plus the cost of creating and enforcing regulations by the federal government.
What do we have to do to get regulations reduced or eliminated? Wayne Crews joins Jim Blasingame to explain that in order to reduce or eliminate regulations on small businesses, they could set all regulations up with the requirement to be re-approved after a period of time.
Is Facebook's new email system a good business tool or just another distraction? Marsha Egan joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the pros and cons of the new Facebook email system, plus whether it's good for small business's communications.
Is connecting with customers getting too complicated? Marsha Egan joins Jim Blasingame to talk about Facebook's new email system and how it fits into all of the other virtual communication options of a small business.
Is Thanksgiving in America a unique holiday? Ken Davis joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the long history of harvest celebrations and what makes the American Thanksgiving holiday unique.
How much of a contribution did the 102 pilgrims make on the American experiment? Ken Davis joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how the pilgrims wrote the Mayflower compact which became part of the foundation of America.
What was the first Thanksgiving gathering REALLY like? Ken Davis joins Jim Blasingame to dispel myths about Thanksgiving including the relationship with the Wampanoag Indians and the kind of food they served.
Thursday - November 25, 2010
Don't forget the troops on this Thanksgiving holiday. Bob Dilenschneider joins Jim Blasingame to give thanks and pay tribute to those, past and present, who answered the call of their nation and put themselves in harm's way to preserve our freedom.
With all of the need, how can one person make a difference? Bob Dilenschneider joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how a single, random act of kindness each day by each one of us can actually make the world a better place.
How is Europe's financial challenges manifesting in it's relationship with the U.S.? Bob Dilenschneider joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why he thinks that with all of the financial challenges, this may result in a closer relationship between Europe and the U.S.
Jim Blasingame tells the story about how cause-and-effect converged with the best traits of humanity to make the first Thanksgiving day possible, and pave the way for the greatest nation in the history of mankind, the United States of America.
Jim Blasingame talks about why there is often great irony in the many blessings we have, plus he offers a number of things to be thankful for, including a list provided by Mother Teresa.
Are you taking charge of your own happiness? Jim Donovan joins Jim Blasingame to talk about focusing on the things you CAN change and disengaging from things that make you unhappy.
Are you able to be happy with what you have? Jim Donovan joins Jim Blasingame to provide tips on being happier, including simply appreciating what you've accomplished so far, instead of agonizing over what you want to do in the future.
Could sleeping on a problem be a key to happiness? Jim Donovan joins Jim Blasingame to offers nuggets to stimulate you to find happiness, including getting out of your own way, and taking the time to sleep on a big decision.
Friday - November 26, 2010
Why is innovation critical to the future of your business? Pam Harper joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the first of three key things to know about innovation leadership, which is to recognize that innovation is an imperative, not an option.
Are you an innovation leader? Pam Harper joins Jim Blasingame to discuss two of the three key points in innovation leadership, which are stakeholder ownership and fostering an innovative environment and culture.
Are you guilty of taking your key people for granted? Bob Kustka joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why you must take the time to consider what would happen if any of your key people suddenly left for any reason.
Do you use a competency model for personnel planning? Bob Kustka joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why you must have a replacement plan, how to develop one, and how to incorporate the annual review as part of this plan.
How can you plan for the human side of your small business? Bob Kustka joins Jim Blasingame to talk about developing a human resource plan the same way you develop a marketing plan or any other kind of strategy.
Will shoppers behave differently on Black Friday this year? Pam Danziger joins Jim Blasingame to talk whether the recent economic challenges have reset the attitudes of Americans about being consumers.
Have customers exchanged value for VALUES? Pam Danziger joins Jim Blasingame to propose that small businesses should expand their approach to delivering value to include appealing to their customers' values.
Why start a business in December? Cliff Ennico joins Jim Blasingame to discuss year-end tax planning and why it now may make sense to start a business late in the year to take advantage of certain tax deductions.
Are you doing any tax planning? Cliff Ennico joins Jim Blasingame to offer specific tips on year-end tax planning, including prepaying certain expenses, and pushing some income into next year.
Can you use an LLC to protect business assets from personal creditors? Cliff Ennico joins Jim Blasingame to talk about reversing the corporate veil by using a multi-member LLC to protect business assets from personal creditors.
Monday - November 29, 2010
Internet sales is growing in double-digits, annually, compared to brick and mortar sales. Jim Blasingame talks about why you should offer e-shopping on your website, whether you're B2B or retail.
Why is e-customer service a big deal? Jim Blasingame talks about what e-customer service looks like for a small business, including tips and best practices on how to make it a reality for your business.
Your customers are increasingly expecting to connect with you online. Joseph Jaffe joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the direction the marketplace - read: customers - is moving, which is expecting more online service and connection.
Customers not only want good value, but also peace of mind. Joseph Jaffe joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the customer service advantage small business has over large business, plus how to automate customer service to “Wow” your customers.
Getting new customers from referrals is about one-third the cost of finding new customers from other sources. Joseph Jaffe joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the efficiency of gaining referrals from existing customers, plus maintaining customer relationships through online technology.
How do you value your time? Bob Bly joins Jim Blasingame to discuss time management techniques such as knowing the value of your time, making decisions based on that, and using lists to be successful with less stress.
Are you using these three lists to simplify time management? Bob Bly joins Jim Blasingame to talk about using three lists for Today, Things To Come, and for Long-Term projects, plus using reminders to keep you on track.
Why do customers choose you? Charlie Fewell joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the importance of knowing why your customers choose you, and they touch on the 4 areas that need to be looked at: Product, Processes, Promotions, and People.
Do your products and processes differentiate you? Charlie Fewell joins Jim Blasingame to talk about evaluating your products and processes to better serve your customers and to know why they picked you, including asking why.
Do your promotions and people differentiate you? Charlie Fewell joins Jim Blasingame to talk about incentives as promotions for customers and employees and training your people to have a caring attitude to help customers pick you.
Tuesday - November 30, 2010
Karen Cortell Reisman joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how creating a great company culture will make customers want to come back, including employees that feel important and appreciated.
Karen Cortell Reisman joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how having a great team will make customers want to come back, including how to be happier and manage your expectations.
Ed Abel joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the importance of regular “cleaning” of your organization to maintain efficiencies and lead your business forward.
Should you fire under-performing customers? Ed Abel joins Jim Blasingame to discuss “December cleaning” your business, including how and when to talk with customers who are not performing.
Ed Abel joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why you should evaluate your small business’ performance when considering whether to “fire” a customer, including your AR performance and customer communication.
Should there be more gender consciousness in the workplace? Judith Glaser joins Jim Blasingame to talk about some of the key issues that men and women deal with as they find their way in the workplace and the marketplace.
Why is there so much sensitivity in the gender realm at work? Judith Glaser joins Jim Blasingame to discuss a list of risks and how they are perceived differently for men and women, plus estrogen versus testosterone.
When should your bring an attorney into your small business? David Dawsey joins Jim Blasingame to discuss when to bring in an attorney and looking for one that will be part of the solution, not part of the problem.
How does a small business owner choose and work with an attorney? David Dawsey joins Jim Blasingame to reveal several tips and best practices on how a small business owner finds, chooses and works successfully with an attorney.
How do you structure and budget for a small business attorney? David Dawsey joins Jim Blasingame to offer tips on managing fees with a small business attorney and the importance of budgeting monthly to prepare.
