Monday - August 02, 2010
Are you comfortable speaking in front of an audience about a topic you know? Kristin Arnold joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why every small business owner should take advantage of the PR benefits of speaking to local audiences about what they know - their industry.
Why are government policies killing the small business golden goose? Rob Levin joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how small businesses are at a critical breaking point with government and the policies they put in place.
What do you have to do to make sure you are a secure online merchant? Dr. Tim Cranny joins Jim Blasingame to talk about security (PCI) challenges and business opportunities for those who use electronic credit card processing, whether in person or online.
How does a small business blend its strategy and operations activity? Leslie Kossoff joins Jim Blasingame to differentiate your strategic goals with your operating plan and then put them together in an execution plan.
Tuesday - August 03, 2010
Why is it important to create an environment that fosters creativity and innovation? Jim Canterucci joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why small business owners have to consciously foster and encourage creativity as the work is being done.
What can a small business do to improving the hiring process? Tom Anastasi joins Jim Blasingame to talk about several tips, best practices and resources that make the process of adding a new employee more successful.
How are women involved in management of family finances? Lynnette Khalfani-Cox joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the results of a study on what part and at what level women are part of managing the family's financial operation and future.
What part should personality play in your next hire? Pierce and Jane Howard joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why small businesses should consider using personality trait screening when making the next hire.
Wednesday - August 04, 2010
How should small businesses look at economic recovery? Jim Blasingame differentiates between the different economic news sources and how to use the information from each of them. He also reports on the poll results from his website on what small businesses think about the recovery.
What political parties have the best ideas for economic recovery? Wayne Crews joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the current poll results from Jim's website on what political party or movement is best suited to improve the national economy.
How do you identify and connect with your ideal prospect? Ilise Benun joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the perfect prospect for your small business, how to identify them and why this activity is so valuable.
What does the economy look like to a corporate leader? Administaff President, Richard Rawson joins Jim Blasingame to talk about his perspective on the current state of the economy and what he thinks is going to happen in the next year.
Should the income tax cuts be extended or allowed to expire? Jim Blasingame reports on the recent poll results from his website on whether the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts should be extended or not. He also talk about why not knowing what's going to happen contributes to a slow recovery.
When should the government interfere in cyber-security? Wayne Crews joins Jim Blasingame to report on current political debate about how the government's interest in cyber-security could impinge upon how you use the Internet.
What do you know about 401K administrative costs? Administaff President, Richard Rawson joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how some aspects of 401K administration can be more efficient and ultimately benefit the individual participants, including what his company did with the product of their efficiencies.
Thursday - August 05, 2010
Here is a case study of a growing business out of control. Ruth King joins Jim Blasingame with a report on how she is fixing a real small business that is growing so fast that the operation has become dysfunctional.
What do the budget deficit, energy prices and home-based businesses have in common? Kiplinger's Jim Ostroff joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how the government plans to manage budget deficits, the future price of energy and why home-based businesses are growing.
Broadcasting live from the ACCE Convention in Milwaukee! Milwaukee Chamber's Steve Baas joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the importance of local chambers of commerce and what his chamber is doing to support small business. They also talk about some public policy issues, such as the 1099 reporting controversy.
Broadcasting live from Milwaukee at the ACCE Convention. COSE's Steve Millard joins Jim Blasingame to talk about what the Cleveland chamber is doing for small businesses, including advocating for revisions of the health care bill that hurt small businesses.
Friday - August 06, 2010
How are small business owners feeling about the economy right now? Mark Rosenman joins Jim Blasingame to take a look at this month's Tatum Survey and, unfortunately, the responses indicate that the economy is weakening, at least temporarily.
Broadcasting live from the ACCE Convention in Milwaukee! L.A. chamber president, Gary Toebben, joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why chambers matter to small business and what his chamber is doing to get ready for hosting this convention next year.
How did one chamber responded during a natural disaster? Dyersburg Chamber exec, Allen Hester, joins Jim Blasingame to report on how his chamber worked with federal and local authorities to help small businesses recover from the Tennessee floods of 2010.
What are the key first marketing actions you can take? Janet Christy joins Jim Blasingame to reveal several key marketing actions that every small business must take in order to reach prospects, including identifying who the best prospects are for your small business.
Monday - August 09, 2010
What does the telecommunication world look like for small business? Jenn Markey joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how the evolution of business telecommunications combines greater capability while actually lowering costs.
How does a small business navigate the uncertainty of tax policy for 2011? Barbara Weltman joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why current tax policies are creating a great deal of uncertainty among small businesses, including the new 1099 reporting provision.
How do you avoid letting the urgent overcome the important? Gary Harpst joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how to at least reduce, if not eliminate, crisis management by having a strategy that helps you avoid letting the urgent become the enemy of the important.
How does a small business qualify prospects in the age of social media? Joanne Black joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how to gain qualified referral prospects by incorporating the right mix of face-to-face with social media.
Tuesday - August 10, 2010
Why do the four personalities matter when managing employees and serving customers? Bob Phibbs joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how the workplace and the marketplace are influenced by the four major personality types.
Is face-to-face still relevant in an online world? Debra Fine joins Jim Blasingame to explain why face-to-face interaction is not only relevant in an online world, but may actually be more important than ever as a counter-balance to the social media craze.
How likely is a deflationary recession in our future? Bob McTeer joins Jim Blasingame to report that he believes that neither another recession nor true deflation are imminent, but that the economy is just hitting a hill on the long race to recovery.
Has our world become ethically challenged? Len Marrella joins Jim Blasingame to discuss a current event that amplifies some of the good and bad ethical behavior that is evident in the marketplace and in politics today.
Wednesday - August 11, 2010
What are the parallel universes your operating your small business in? Jim Blasingame reveals the two universes - the Age of the Seller and The Age of the Customer™ - that you're in, and why you need to know which one is coming and which one is going.
How could planning the exit from your small business actually give you more control? David Gage joins Jim Blasingame to explain why establishing an exit strategy, including a succession plan, helps small business founders be able to control what happens when the time comes for an exit, controlled or otherwise.
Does a small business founder need career planning? Kathryn Ullrich joins Jim Blasingame to explain why even business owners need to focus on professional development, plus they discuss how to hire talent, not just employees.
Is there really a conflict between Wall Street and Main Street? Scott Patterson and Jim Blasingame both agree that Wall Street today is working at cross purposes with Main Street and has been aided by the federal government.
Thursday - August 12, 2010
How do you select the right printer for your small business? Jeff Zbar joins Jim Blasingame to talk about printer technology, including new ink options and how to purchase the right printer for your small business.
Reporting on the July 2010 NFIB Small Business Survey. NFIB's Bill Dunkelberg joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the most recent Small Business Index of economic conditions and why he thinks the results are so negative.
When is profiling a good thing? Brett Clay joins Jim Blasingame to explain why profiling is good when small businesses are looking for prospects. They also talk about how online marketing is growing and what you need to do to take advantage of this.
Kiplinger reports on taxes, energy and small business 401ks. Kiplinger's Jim Ostroff joins Jim Blasingame to talk about what is likely to happen to the expiring tax cuts, when we will have a comprehensive energy bill, plus good news for small business and 401ks.
Friday - August 13, 2010
How can a small business discover the power of the "micro-script"? Bill Schley joins Jim Blasingame to introduce the idea of developing "micro-script" language for every communication, especially with marketing and customers connections.
Can Main Street restore leadership principles in America? James Strock joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the concept of leadership and how small business owners can help restore what has been lost by their examples.
Will China eventually dominate the world? Ted Fishman joins Jim Blasingame to report on how China's increased economic status will embolden its global domination plans, plus how those same dynamics may be good for American small businesses.
What do you know about patents? David Dawsey joins Jim Blasingame to reveal several of the popular myths about acquiring, owning, protecting and infringing on patents.
Monday - August 16, 2010
What are the legal details of owning a small business corporation? Matthew Cartwright joins Jim Blasingame to identify the several steps and details that have to be attended to when you have a qualified small business corporation.
How do you successfully blend the generations in the workplace? Katherine Crowley joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how the older generations can hire, manage, and lead generation Y employees. They also talk about how owners/managers need to get out of their own way.
What can small business owners learn from the late CK Prahalad? Art Kleiner joins Jim Blasingame in a tribute to one of the great management visionaries, CK Prahalad, and how his ideas can benefit Main Street small businesses.
Updating the Net Neutrality and Internet sales tax debates, Steve DelBianco joins Jim Blasingame to report on progress in the wars over Net Neutrality and Internet sales tax, and how the resolution of these debates will impact your small business.
Tuesday - August 17, 2010
Why is getting computers to our men and women in the military important? Philip Spry joins Jim Blasingame to explain how the Computers for Soldiers program works and how you can contribute and participate.
Is being a business owner harder for women than for men? Leslie Grossman joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the roles of problem solving and chivalry when comparing the differences between women and men as small business owners.
If capitalism is in jeopardy, can small business save it? Bill Diffenderffer joins Jim Blasingame to talk about some of the specific things that are hurting free market capitalism and what small business owners can do to save it.
How did one husband-and-wife team survive the recession? Philip Spry joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how the small business he runs with his wife has recovered and is thriving as the national economy struggles.
How can we help the different generations communicate better in the workplace? Leigh Branham joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the unique time we're in regarding multiple generations working together, and how we can improve communication between them.
Wednesday - August 18, 2010
Why do small businesses need to learn how to lobby? Amy Handlin joins Jim Blasingame to reveal tips and best practices that will help any small business owner learn how to lobby politicians at all levels about what public issues are important to them.
Are small businesses missing new opportunities with minority customers? John Stanton joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the significant opportunity small businesses can gain from marketing to and serving minority customers, especially the growing Hispanic population.
Is branding still relevant in The Age of the Customer™? Jonathan Salem Baskin joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how the concept of small business branding may be changing as the customer has increased influence in The Age of the Customer™.
When is information a tool and when is it a stumbling block? Tim Berry and Jim Blasingame talk about some innovative ways to get information to make good business decisions and once acquired, how to use it effectively in the decision-making process.
Thursday - August 19, 2010
More than marketing, inspire customers to do business with you. Terry Barber joins Jim Blasingame to explain how you can find relevance with customers by inspiring them to continue to do business with you.
Can you get into a leadership orbit the way the great leaders, like Lincoln did? Gene Griessman joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how the greatest leaders are able to see things more clearly from a higher orbit than everyone else.
Is your small business ready to serve the 24 hour customer? Adrian Ott joins Jim Blasingame to talk about new rules for winning a customer's attention in a time-starved, always-connected economy.
Kiplinger reports on China, lame ducks and green energy. Kiplinger's Jim Ostroff joins Jim Blasingame to talk about some of the chinks in China's economic armor, what this Congress will accomplish the rest of the year, and how green energy is growing as a percent of national power.
Friday - August 20, 2010
How does a small business create a culture that eliminates fear? Scott Eblin joins Jim Blasingame to identify the steps to take that will create a productive culture in your small business that eliminates the destructive aspects of fear.
If we're really in a recovery, why doesn't it feel like it? David Adler joins Jim Blasingame to talk about some of the reasons for our economic conditions, why the recovery is taking so long and who is responsible for the delay.
How do you build a culture based on fear? Scott Eblin joins Jim Blasingame to discuss seven steps to take to if you want to create a corporate culture based on fear.
What should a small business do to have more success in sales? Skip Miller joins Jim Blasingame to talk about what he calls the "3 Cs" of prospect qualification and how to execute them.
Helping women entrepreneurs access capital, Nell Merlino joins Jim Blasingame to talk about what women can do to grow their business, including accessing capital, plus how to register for a chance to get a Make-Mine-a-Million loan.
Monday - August 23, 2010
How is the new economic normal creating unsettling paradoxes for small business? Kelle Olwyler joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how the post-recession economic "normal" should be dealt with like most paradoxes, both challenges and opportunities
How is the landscape changing for buying or selling a small business? Russ Brown joins Jim Blasingame to talk about some of the new issues when buying or selling a business and why some fundamentals never become obsolete.
Celebrating the 90 year anniversary of the 19th Amendment, Terry Neese joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the legacy of women having the right to vote as a result of the ratification of the 19th amendment.
What are the paradigm shifts that have turned the book publishing industry upside down? Dan Poynter joins Jim Blasingame talk about how the book industry is changing and why that's good news for anyone who wants to become an author.
Tuesday - August 24, 2010
Events management isn't just for big organizations. Eric Mintz jons Jim Blasingame to talk about why small businesses should use events, like webinars, etc., to promote their business, and how to market that event successfully.
What do small business owners think about the economic recovery? Bob Prosen joins Jim Blasingame to talk about a recent poll he took of small business owners to ask them about the economy, including where the problems are and what their future growth plans are.
Tim Irwin joins Jim Blasingame to reveal leadership qualities and explain why your ability to demonstrate them is the key to success for your small business.
Walter Kiechel, IIII joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why all small business owners, not just the young ones, should be adopting and using social media in their businesses.
Wednesday - August 25, 2010
Is your small business ready to be interrupted? Jim Blasingame offers several tips and best practices that will help your small business to recover from a business interruption event, such as power outage, storm, fire, computer virus, etc.
Are we headed for a new world order? Should we be? Bill Halal joins Jim Blasingame to talk about whether there should be a new way of organizing, managing and controlling the global economy.
Social media levels the playing field for small business. Kathy Perry joins Jim Blasingame with social media tips and best practices to help small businesses increase their competitiveness in the global marketplace.
Is this a good time to grow your business by acquisition? Stephen Baum joins Jim Blasingame with some success stories about how to grow your business by making a competitive acquisition instead of growing organically.
What are the possibilities for the futures for China? Jim Blasingame identifies three different scenarios for how China could go in the future, only one of which would be good for U.S. small businesses.
Thursday - August 26, 2010
How do you deal with the things that literally keep you up at night? Jeff Zbar joins Jim Blasingame to talk about what you can do when things that go bump in the night for your small business literally keep you from sleeping.
How can you lead change successfully in your small business? Rick Maurer joins Jim Blasingame to continue their discussion on ways to lead change - not just deal with or manage it - in the second decade of the 21st century.
How can you convert social media activity into referrals and customers? Lee Rosen joins Jim Blasingame with tips and best practices for how to turn what you do on social media sites, like Twitter, into paying customers.
Kiplinger reports on the economy, regulations and politics. Kiplinger's Jim Ostroff joins Jim Blasingame to report on recent economic indicators, housing starts, new building regulations and recent political developments.
Friday - August 27, 2010
Why is the customer experience so important? Lior Arussy joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why the experience matters more than products or pricing to the customers a small business wants to keep.
What are the key elements of being relevant with customers? Ed Abel joins Jim Blasingame to identify several key marketing and operating elements that are required for success in the second decade of the 21st century.
Does blogging and social media really matter for small businesses? Joyce Weiss joins Jim Blasingame to reveal why blogging and social media activity can become an important part of the way a small business finds and attracts customers.
With social media success stories and cautionary tales, Joseph Jaffe joins Jim Blasingame to identify how some companies have found success with social media and how some got into trouble.
Monday - August 30, 2010
Wally Bock and Jim Blasingame continue their conversation on why some companies succeed while others fail.
What is the truth about small business access to capital? Tracy Eden joins Jim Blasingame to reveal what's really going on with regard to small businesses, their inclination to grow and the availability to growth capital.
A small business success story that began with failure. Marty Metro joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how he had to fail first in order to ultimately be successful with his green business.
With a pan-Atlantic view of the economic recovery, Brian Carney joins Jim Blasingame to report on what he thinks is happening with the global economy and what it will take to get things headed in the right direction.
How can unlimited paid time off work in the real world? Brian Carney joins Jim Blasingame to talk about a new way of thinking about work time and time off and the relationship between the two.
Tuesday - August 31, 2010
When innovation through imitation gives birth to niches. Oded Shenkar joins Jim Blasingame talk about how smart companies use imitation to innovate and gain a strategic edge within their own niche.
What does it take to run this marathon recovery race?Debbie Meyer joins Jim Blasingame to talk about several specific things your small business can successfully survive this longer-than-normal recovery cycle.
Why every small business must have a website. Bob Kustka joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why having a website is essential for every business and identifies specific steps to take to acquire the right website.
How can we promote trust and engagement between the generations? Michael Muetzel joins Jim Blasingame to talk about some of the realities of getting the generations - Boomers, Gen X and Gen Y - to work together more effectively.
