Tuesday - March 01, 2011
Do you think you have a book in you? Jeffrey Dobkin joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how technology and the Internet has made it possible for anyone who can write a book to get it published.
If you decide to write a book, what are your expectations? Jeffrey Dobkins joins Jim Blasingame to talk about realistic expectations when self-publishing, plus different ways to think about the benefits of being an author.
Economic development that focuses on the entire population. Ted Fishman joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the role of chambers of commerce and economic developers in creating economies around the strengths of the entire local workforce.
How should we deal with the fiscal challenges of Earth's aging population? Ted Fishman joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the complex issue of funding retirement and health care for our aging population, especially when government funds are involved.
Can Americans make budget decisions before foreign creditors make it for us? Ted Fishman joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the U.S.'s indebtedness to foreign creditors, and the many levels of jeopardy that puts America in.
The power of cloud computing is enormous for small business. Brett Clay joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how cloud computing has miniaturized processing power, applications and price for the scale of small businesses, while making it easier to compete globally.
Use the cloud as a lever to be more competitive, not a crutch. Brett Clay joins Jim Blasingame to discuss some of the concerns of cloud computing, like security and hosting, plus untapped cloud opportunities such as backup and virtual PBX.
It’s okay to use technology when prospecting, but don’t offend prospecting fundamentals. Skip Miller joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how to – and how not to – use technology and the new applications when prospecting.
There are new tools for selling, but not new rules. Skip Miller joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why, although you may be using more technology in selling, fundamentals of selling have not changed – it’s still all about the customer.
Is your sales prospect pipeline balanced? Skip Miller joins Jim Blasingame with tips on how to fill your prospect pipeline with prospects of all sizes, from the everyday rabbits to the once-a-year elephants.
Wednesday - March 02, 2011
What is Brainsteering? Shawn Coyne joins Jim Blasingame to reveal a powerful new approach to creating better ideas by taking traditional brainstorming and "steering" it in a more focused direction.
How can you better steer the creative process? Shawn Coyne joins Jim Blasingame to offer tips on unlocking creativity by steering the brainstorming session with smaller groups and possibly leaving the boss out.
How can you find growth in survival mode? Mike Stewart joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the recovering economy and why things that are beyond your control should not be allowed to get in the way of your growth.
How do you overcome the influence of availability cascade? Mike Stewart joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how availability cascade affects your sales and how to overcome that through mastermind groups and positive self-talk.
How can you get out of your own way to get more sales? Mike Stewart joins Jim Blasingame to talk about managing attitudes and actions through positivity and using affirmations to get out of your own way and close more sales.
How do you reach your customers as a wordsmith? Jim Blasingame talks about being authentic through the written word to deliver your voice, your vision, and your values to your customers to differentiate you from the rest.
How should the U.S. resolve deficit spending? Jim Blasingame talks about deficit spending and paying for 20th century commitments in the 21st century and why the United States needs to make the decision to stop borrowing.
How should your website represent your business? Eric Karjaluoto joins Jim Blasingame to discuss authenticity through your website to validate decision making for your customers, and the website should represent who you are.
Is form or function more important for your website? Eric Karjaluoto joins Jim Blasingame to talk about designing websites and why it's important for form to follow function and for aesthetics to support your overall plan.
How do you push back on your web developer? Eric Karjaluoto joins Jim Blasingame to talk about web design and trusting your designer to do the job well but also pushing back when the site is not what you want.
Thursday - March 03, 2011
What's so special about the Forbes Best Small Companies? Forbes' Kurt Badenhausen joins Jim Blasingame to report on their list of the 100 best small companies and the criteria used to rate them, including strong sales growth and ability to thrive.
What can small businesses learn from the Forbes Best Small Companies? Kurt Badenhausen joins Jim Blasingame to report on some of the best practices and management strategies that put 100 companies on the Forbes Best Small Companies list.
From failure to becoming one of Forbes Best 100 small companies. Forbes’ Kurt Badenhausen joins Jim Blasingame to report on their list of 100 Best Small Companies, and how they have survived and thrived through the recession.
Why do small businesses need to learn how to lobby? Amy Handlin joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why small business owners must learn how to lobby politicians at all levels about what public issues are important to them.
How can small business owners be good lobbyists? Amy Handlin joins Jim Blasingame to reveal tips that will help any small business owner learn the best practices for lobbying through knowing local politicians and targeting properly.
How can minority customers help your small business? John Stanton joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the large minority population in the United States and how there is a huge opportunity for small businesses owners to focus on these customers – especially the rapidly growing Hispanic population – to grow their businesses.
Are you doing all you can for your Hispanic customers? John Stanton joins Jim Blasingame to explain the importance of marketing to the ever growing Hispanic community in the United States, plus the benefit of offering services such as take-home instructions written in Spanish.
Are you allowing your personal beliefs to interfere with serving your customers? John Stanton joins Jim Blasingame to continue their conversation on marketing to the huge minority population in the United States – particularly the growing Hispanic population, plus the importance of disallowing personal political beliefs to interfere with serving your customers.
Friday - March 04, 2011
According to the CBO, next year’s deficit alone will cost $30,000 per second. Historian Burt Folsom joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the historic causes of national debt, including war, and the real cost of America’s outrageous amount of debt.
In business, you cannot get a bank loan if debt obligations are more than revenue. Burt Folsom joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the current U.S. debt to revenue ratio and why we have to make drastic changes in federal spending before we reach the point of no return.
Will the budget changes happen on our terms or on our creditors’ terms? Burt Folsom joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the hard budget-cut decisions U.S. leaders need to make, and the temporary sacrifices citizens need to accept to invest in our future.
How can social media help your authenticity? Kathy Perry joins Jim Blasingame to offer some social media tips on being authentic with your words to involve your customers through writing, photo blogging, and even video.
How can Twitter be used locally for your small business? Kathy Perry joins Jim Blasingame to offer some social media tips on using Twitter to search for local events and connect with local people in your industry.
Why would you change your brand? Jay Mincks joins Jim Blasingame to announce Administaff as Insperity and talk about the pain and frustration behind being Administaff, why they changed, and what that means for your small business.
How do you change your brand? Jay Mincks joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the process of changing your brand - as Insperity just did - and the importance of having a story behind a re-brand, plus how to correctly use your company named coupled with a logo and a tag-line.
What is the strategy behind changing your brand? Jay Mincks joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the strategy behind brand changing to be competitive and grow customers and business, plus optimism about the future.
Monday - March 07, 2011
Do you make a financial commitment to marketing your small business? Lois Geller joins Jim Blasingame to explain that making marketing a financial commitment in your small business budget is vital to differentiate yourself from competition and distribute your brand.
How are you staying in touch with existing customers? Lois Geller joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why staying in touch with existing customers is just as important as finding new ones, plus tips on inexpensive ways to stay top-of-mind.
Do you need more time to file your corporate tax return? Barbara Weltman joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the upcoming tax filing dates for individuals and businesses, plus why and how to file an extension.
Because most small businesses are S-Corps, their tax obligations pass through to the owner. Barbara Weltman joins Jim Blasingame to discuss small business tax and filing obligations and why the tax burden on small business increases when personal tax rates change.
Are you taking advantage of the new tax deductions? Barbara Weltman joins Jim Blasingame with small business tax tips for 2010 and 2011, including a one-year reduction in the payroll tax, and other expensing and depreciation deductions.
Can you start a small business without a lot of money? Tory Johnson joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how to become a business owner by starting small, using available resources, and something new, crowd funding.
What do women need to know as they start a small business? Tory Johnson joins Jim Blasingame with advice for women start-ups on being more confident when making a sales call, plus, don't underestimate the value of your product.
How is the competitive online landscape changing? Anita Rosen joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how the big online players are competing against each other and what that means for small business.
How does Groupon work for small businesses? Anita Rosen joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how Groupon.com works and how your small business can use it as a valuable marketing resource.
Are you competing in the online race? Anita Rosen joins Jim Blasingame to explain that small businesses don't have to win the online race, but they do have to participate, with resources like groupon.com.
Tuesday - March 08, 2011
A business plan is important, but planning is essential. Jim Blasingame talks about the difference in business plans and business planning, plus specific planning activities that will help you operate your small business more successfully.
It’s okay to fall in love with what you do, but not with how you do it. Jim Blasingame talks about business paradigm shifts of the 21st century and offers insight into why you should lead change, not just manage it.
Social media is about developing a meaningful community around people with like interests. Terry Barber joins Jim Blasingame to explain the definition of the social customer and why they're critical to your future success.
You can create and serve your community, but you can't control it. Terry Barber joins Jim Blasingame to discuss your small business as a member of customer communities, and why you must behave there with authenticity.
Have you made the transition from manipulation to authenticity? Terry Barber joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the 21st century responsibility of a business to replace manipulation with connecting with their customers’ aspirations.
Must this be done in-house? Rich Horwath joins Jim Blasingame to discuss this question about why you should focus your resources in the areas that directly add value to customers and outsource non-core competencies.
Strategy is about how you will execute in the future. Rich Horwath joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why you should constantly re-evaluate your strategy so you can allocate and acquire the resources you will need in the future.
Are you taking advantage of online training for your employees? Mike Johnson joins Jim Blasingame to discuss reasons behind the increase in online learning and what customers expect from e-learning curriculum.
When the economy recovers, will you be able to keep your good employees? Mike Johnson joins Jim Blasingame to discuss reasons behind the current high levels of workforce stress and how you can alleviate the stress with a better work environment.
Women think they are not valued and men want women to be more direct. Mike Johnson joins Jim Blasingame to discuss differences in the way men and women communicate and why it causes conflict in the workplace.
Wednesday - March 09, 2011
Are you a procrastinator? Bob Kustka joins Jim Blasingame to note that it's National Procrastination Month and offer the 5 D’s of avoiding crisis management: Decide, Do it, Designate it, Delegate it, or Delete it.
What will the workforce of the future look like? Bob Kustka joins Jim Blasingame to talk about people are living longer and working longer, which will influence the incidence of teleworking and the virtual workplace.
How concerned are you about the economy? Sam Norwood joins Jim Blasingame to report on the effect of negative news on business owners and the decisions they make about the future.
Are businesses optimistic about the future? Sam Norwood joins Jim Blasingame to report that order backlogs are up, but confidence about future sales and investment commitments are down.
Will we continue to have structural unemployment? Sam Norwood joins Jim Blasingame to report on Tatum’s March Survey, which indicates layoffs are down, but so are expectations for hiring.
Should all employees be offered performance incentives? John Dini joins Jim Blasingame to discuss monetary and non-monetary incentives for employees as a way to increase engagement and performance.
Have you found your second-in-command manager? John Dini joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the process of finding, hiring and delegating to an manager/executive who can take some of the responsibility off of the owner.
Why is there no shame in Washington? Former New Mexico governor, Gary Johnson, joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the lack of shame in Washington and his ideas on how to solve this dysfunction.
Can good governing be distilled to seven principles? New Mexico's former governor, Gary Johnson joins Jim Blasingame to discuss his principles of good government and how to get them installed.
Are the states the incubators of America's future? Former New Mexico governor, Gary Johnson joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the work states will have to do to help the U.S. avoid bankruptcy.
Thursday - March 10, 2011
As the world becomes more mobile, is your technology ready to travel? Jeff Zbar joins Jim Blasingame to talk about what you have to do to get your technology tools and applications ready to hit the road on a minute's notice.
Today there is no reason to not have access to the Internet wherever you are. Jeff Zbar joins Jim Blasingame to talk about several of the handy tools and applications that allow you to connect to and work on the Internet (wifi and 3G) regardless of where you are.
What has to be done to help small business organize their political power? Wayne Crews joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why you should support the important work of public policy organizations that advocate on behalf of small businesses and free enterprise.
Do you know how much regulatory compliance costs your small business? Wayne Crews joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how regulatory abuse by the government could be a greater drag on economic growth than the run-away deficits and national debt.
How much are regulations costing your business? Wayne Crews joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why there needs to be a way of detailing how much regulatory compliance costs your small business every year.
How can you speak your way to business growth? Diane DiResta joins Jim Blasingame to dispel myths and explain how to overcome the fear of public speaking and take advantage of speaking opportunities as a marketing tool.
Are you ready to improve your public speaking skills? Diane DiResta joins Jim Blasingame to offer speaking tips, including some of the things you definitely want to do, and some that you definitely want to avoid.
Are German small business owners different from their U.S. peers? Connie Certusi joins Jim Blasingame to report that the Sage Business Index found many similarities between small business owners in different countries.
What's keeping U.S. small business owners up at night? Connie Certusi joins Jim Blasingame to report that the Sage Business Index showed that among the greatest concerns small business owners have is the poor performance of the government.
What are small business owners investing in? Connie Certusi joins Jim Blasingame to report that the Sage Business Index showed that small business owners are investing in mobile and efficiency-creating software as a way to find competitive advantage.
Friday - March 11, 2011
How comfortable are you with clutter? Barbara Tako joins Jim Blasingame to discuss clutter as the by-product of productivity, but the trick is to know when the clutter is affecting your productivity.
Do everyone else’s projects end up on your desk? Barbara Tako joins Jim Blasingame with tips to control your work space clutter and keep your desk from becoming the dumping ground for everyone’s projects.
Networking is about planting first and harvesting later. Ed Abel joins Jim Blasingame to explain the networking process, which is creating contacts and relationships that produce beneficial results of both parties over what may be a long period of time.
How accomplished are you at professional networking? Ed Abel joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the proper etiquette of networking, which is more about socializing than selling, plus tips to properly follow-up with people you meet.
How often do you attend networking events? Ed Abel joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the value of joining structured networking organizations, like BNI, plus how to reap benefits by developing networking relationships.
How good are you at tracking profitability? Joe Knight joins Jim Blasingame to discuss best practices that will help you determine if you're profitable before the final numbers are in on a project or period of time.
How is your cash flow? Joe Knight joins Jim Blasingame to talk about tracking cash flow by creating a 12 month projection in an electronic spreadsheet so you know when you will need to increase cash from any source during the year.
Can you plan for a black swan event? Joel Barker joins Jim Blasingame to discuss whether events in the Middle East and earthquakes in Japan are black swan events, and if it's possible to be prepared for them.
What impact will 3D printing have on the manufacturing landscape? Joel Barker joins Jim Blasingame to talk about opportunities and disruptions created by 3-dimensional printing manufacturing as an outgrowth of inkjet printing technology.
Will battery technology be the next killer app? Joel Barker joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how U.S. companies are printing solid state batteries that are more adaptable and last longer than composite batteries.
Monday - March 14, 2011
More and more, Baby Boomers are becoming caregivers for their aging parents. Jim Ballard and Barbara Perman join Jim Blasingame to discuss the challenges of helping parents deal with the issues of aging, including assistance if they need to relocate.
Is someone legally designated to make decisions on your behalf if you become incapacitated? Jim Ballard and Barbara Perman join Jim Blasingame to discuss the importance of giving a trusted person Power of Attorney, plus the challenges of creating a new business offshoot in an existing industry.
Could the events in Japan and the Middle East have been predicted? Andrew Sherman joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the Black Swan events in Japan, the epic earthquake, tsunami and nuclear concerns, and the recent uprisings in the Middle East.
Does the 24/7 news cycle help alleviate or instill fear? Andrew Sherman joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the sensationalism of the 24/7 news cycle, including the liberal use of “Breaking News”, and its effect on small businesses.
25% of all opportunities for U.S. small businesses are outside the U.S. Andrew Sherman joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the opportunities and vast resources available for small business exporting.
Are you passionate about giving back? Tom Becka joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how small businesses can aid local charities and global relief through cause marketing without being crassly commercial.
Tom Becka joins Jim Blasingame with a report on the growing economy of Omaha, Nebraska, including the low unemployment rate and opportunities for small businesses.
What are the first two steps to small business success? Paul Casey joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the discipline of keeping overhead and costs low, plus how to keep your expectations realistic and maintain business fundamentals.
Nothing happens in your small business until a sale is made. Paul Casey joins Jim Blasingame to reveal more steps to small business success, including how to ask for a bank loan and the imperative of knowing how to sell your products or services.
Do you have what it takes to own and run a small business? Paul Casey joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why, as a start-up, it’s imperative to reduce distractions and stay organized, plus tips on how to understand and measure your marketing efforts.
Tuesday - March 15, 2011
Research shows we are wrong 50-70% of the time on a daily basis. Steven Gaffney joins Jim Blasingame to explain why the more you realize you could be wrong, the more questions you will ask, get better data and make better decisions - and relationships.
Are you frequently wrong but never in doubt? Steven Gaffney joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the dangers of knowing you're right and the power of being a leader for your customers, by listen to them, instead of assuming you know what they want.
How will the tragedies in Japan affect the marketplace? Gary Moore joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the catastrophes in Japan from a marketplace perspective and how it may impact the U.S. economy.
Do you have a relationship with an independent community bank? Gary Moore joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the advantages of independent community banks and how Wall Street comes between big banks and their customers.
America should return to Stakeholder Capitalism. Gary Moore joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why the current Wall Street management capitalism trend is the enemy of the system that made America great, Stakeholder Capitalism.
What happens when union expectations conflict with reality? Jim Blasingame talks about the conflicts being waged within state governments about how to reconcile 20th century compensation promises with 21st century economic reality.
Have you had the "power of attorney" conversation with your family? Jim Blasingame talks about why you should have a conversation with family about power of attorney before you need it.
What will be the global repercussions from the Japanese disaster? Bob McTeer joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the multi-faceted disaster in Japan and how it may impact the Japanese and global economies.
How will China's future impact global issues? Bob McTeer joins Jim Blasingame to talk about China's economic condition and how this dynamic economy will reconcile with it's autocratic government.
How will the Fed deal with a still-fragile economy? Bob McTeer joins Jim Blasingame to make some predictions about the Federal Reserve Meeting regarding interest rates, QE2, Japan and inflation.
Wednesday - March 16, 2011
Are you delivering what customers really hunger for? Tom Asacker joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why it's not enough today to just deliver what you sell to customers, you have to identify how they want it delivered - that's the new value.
Are you connecting with customers on their emotional level? Tom Asacker joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the real reason customer do business with you - and return - is not products of their emotional connection with you.
What is the net impact of the Japanese catastrophes? Bill Dunkelberg joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the multiple catastrophes in Japan and the potential impact on the Japanese as well as the global economy
NFIB's Bill Dunkelberg joins Jim Blasingame to discuss this month's Small Business Optimism Index which indicates the economy continues to slowly improve, even with slow job growth, plus the continued weakness in capital spending.
Bill Dunkelberg joins Jim Blasingame to discuss results of this month's NFIB Small Business Optimism Index which shows the top small business issue is weak sales, pricing power is increasing, but credit demand is still low.
Why isn't it enough just to deliver products well? Don Cooper joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why more than just delivering the best goods, services and value to customers, you also have to connect with them on an emotional level, too.
Are you meeting your customers' emotional needs? Don Cooper joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the 7 emotional needs of every customer and how to meet those needs and appreciate customers, and always, always say "thank you."
How will Japan's demographics affect its economic recovery? Ken Gronbach joins Jim Blasingame to discuss Japan's demographic challenges which have caused a weak economy and will impact recovery from their recent disasters.
Demography precipitates everything. Ken Gronbach joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the reality of global demography, the countries in demographic trouble and to predict that America will be a beneficiary from this.
Why does the U.S. have structural unemployment? Ken Gronbach joins Jim Blasingame to state that not everyone needs to go to college. More jobs than ever require technology skills, not muscle or a BS degree - it's time to align the work force with demand.
Thursday - March 17, 2011
How is technology helping you grow your business? Ramon Ray joins Jim Blasingame to report on lessons learned at a recent gathering of small business success stories and how technology helped them.
Are you ready for your mobile future? Ramon Ray joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why connecting with customers over mobile technology is the key to maintaining relevance and therefore, survival.
Do you have a 21st century marketing strategy? Bob Negen joins Jim Blasingame to reveal what modern marketing strategy looks like and why your old one won't work where the marketplace is going.
How has social media changed the rules of marketing? Bob Negen joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how to incorporate social media into your marketing strategy in a way that works for you and your customers.
Mobile technology is the way of the future. Bob Negen joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the marketing paradigm shift caused by mobile technology, and why understanding and responding to this fact is the key to avoiding the slow death of irrelevancy.
The velocity of change is the only thing that's new. Nancy Anderson joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why most people are resistant to change and how to recognize and address the distresses associated with your resistance.
Once you like something, do you always like it? Nancy Anderson joins Jim Blasingame to discuss whether there is a difference between men and women regarding resistance to change and how each gender can overcome their fears of change.
American Chamber of Commerce Executives provide continuing education for chamber executives and CEO Mick Fleming joins Jim Blasingame to talk about what they will learn at this year's Los Angeles convention.
Your local chamber of commerce plays an important role in the success of your community. Mick Fleming joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why small business owners should join and participate in their local chamber's business.
How will chambers stay relevant in the 21st century? Mick Fleming joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the adjustments local chambers of commerce have to make in order to stay relevant in the 21st century.
Friday - March 18, 2011
Small businesses need a micro-economy, not a macro-economy. Ellen Rohr joins Jim Blasingame with advice on how not to run a business based on her own experience of taking her business to the brink, and then found success after she found a mentor.
Do you have what it takes to reinvent your business? Ellen Rohr joins Jim Blasingame with tips that will help you turn your business around, including how to find clarity, move from thoughts to reality, and be an executive.
Are you a character or do you have character? Michael Stallard joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the core values of someone who has character, plus the importance of demonstrating the character and values of your small business.
To quote the great UCLA basketball coach, John Wooden, “Ability may take you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.” Michael Stallard joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the character strengths of leadership: kindness, humility and striving for excellence.
What is the ROI of personal character? Michael Stallard joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why customers connect with those with compatible values, plus the power of asking, “What can I do to help you?”
In the 21st century, customers have many connection options. Jim Blasingame talks about the challenges and complexity of finding and keeping customers in The Age of the Customer™.
Are you in danger of becoming irrelevant? Jim Blasingame tells a story about how in one moment, one company practiced The Age of the Customer™ sales strategy and another became irrelevant and never knew it.
Is there collusion between Washington, DC and Wall Street? Ray Keating joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the way Washington and Wall Street used TARP funds to steal hundreds of millions from the American taxpayer.
Has the U.S. national debt become dangerous? Ray Keating joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the historic current ratios between the U.S. debt and GDP and the effect on our economy.
“We have seen the enemy and he is us,” said that great possum philosopher, Pogo. Ray Keating joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the economic recovery, inflation or stagflation and the Fed’s current monetary policies.
Monday - March 21, 2011
Don't minimize the power of the personal touch in networking. Beverly Inman-Ebel joins Jim Blasingame to talk about ideas on why certain customer relationships benefit from personal stories.
Building relationships is good business. Beverly Inman-Ebel joins Jim Blasingame with ideas on connecting with customers and building communities by taking time to do something meaningful without the expectation of response.
The U.S. Chamber celebrates small business. Giovanni Coratolo joins Jim Blasingame how you can participate in this year’s America’s Small Business Summit, the U.S. Chamber’s annual rally for free enterprise, entrepreneurship and economic opportunity.
Why do politicians give lip service to small business? Giovanni Coratolo joins Jim Blasingame to report on the U.S. Chamber's work on behalf of small business including repeal of the 1099 provision in the health care bill.
Small business consistently outperforms large businesses in innovations. Giovanni Coratolo joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the Small Business Innovative Research bill, which will increase funding for small business innovation.
How one small business finds ROI in putting employees first. Paula Lovell joins Jim Blasingame with a case study on how one company found great successful with a marketing strategy that focuses on employees first and customers second.
Is there an ROI in a smile? Paula Lovell joins Jim Blasingame to report on how one small business owner grew her business exponentially based on the power of a smile.
Gen Y may have more disposable income that any other generation in history. Mike Muetzel joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why traditional marketing doesn’t always work when courting Gen X and Y.
Online communities create more targeted demographics. Mike Muetzel joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how all generations may be influenced more by the communities they belong to that their demographic profile.
Your best employees won't always have limited employment options. Mike Muetzel joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why you can't take key employees for granted and what you can do to show them they are valued.
Tuesday - March 22, 2011
Is email a dying technology? Christina Cavanagh joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why predictions of the end of email are premature and why email will likely outlast the traditional website, plus the importance of having a clean inbox.
Have you become a slave to your email inbox? Christina Cavanagh joins Jim Blasingame to discuss some tips and best practices that will help you be more productive with email and with your workday.
How damaging will Obamacare be for you? Grace-Marie Turner joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the multiple reasons why the new health care bill will create more serious problems without solving any.
How bad will Obamacare be for small business? Grace-Marie Turner joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the many elements of Obamacare that will unfairly target small businesses, including onerous regulations and significant fines.
The future of health care depends upon the American people. Grace-Marie Turner joins Jim Blasingame to explain why the only way to kill Obamacare is a regime change in Washington, not the Supreme Court.
How do you stay relevant in The Age of the Customer™? Pam Harper joins Jim Blasingame to talk about reinventing your small business by thinking strategically about trends in communicating and developing communities for your customers.
Do you know what your customers' expectations are? Pam Harper joins Jim Blasingame to talk about identifying customer expectations to determine how you should reinvent your business strategy.
Inflation is coming - how bad is it going to be? Charles Kadlec joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the economic variables that indicate we’re headed toward harmful inflation, which erodes small business profits.
Are we currently experiencing stagflation? Charles Kadlec joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why the current inflationary and economic conditions are a precursor to stagflation and why a gold standard is the solution.
Without liberty, entrepreneurship cannot flourish. Charles Kadlec joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the Community of Liberty ideals he proposes will help us reclaim the liberties that America has lost over the past few years.
Wednesday - March 23, 2011
What would happen to your business if you lost all the data on your hard drives? Carbonite's Pete Lamson joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how small business owners can be prepared to recover in the event of the loss of their digital assets.
How does online data back-up work? Pete Lamson joins Jim Blasingame to discuss Carbonite's data backup system, including the immediacy of automatic backup, plus accessing files remotely from a computer or mobile device.
Don't forsake face-to-face opportunities for social media? Jim Blasingame talks about why the traditional networking groups, like the local Chamber of Commerce and your industry trade group, are still important to your business.
How is the global economy for exporting? Fred Hochberg joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the Ex-Im Bank 2011 Annual Conference and why small businesses should consider exporting as a way to grow their business.
How does Ex-Im Bank help small business grow through exporting? Fred Hochberg joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how Ex-Im Bank works with your bank to guarantee loans small business need to take advantage of an export opportunity.
What would be a good title for a small business movie? Jim Blasingame talks about some of the titles that would work for a small business movie, like "In Harm's Way!" and "Against All Odds."
What would happen if any of your key employees were lured away? Jim Blasingame talks about "fear-based loyalty" during high unemployment and why you have to show your key folks how much they're valued before someone else does.
The new .XXX top level domain is now available? Steve DelBianco joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the new top level domain, .xxx and why there were protesters on both sides of the adult content debate.
Exposing laws that are IAWFUL? Steve DelBianco joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how his IAWFUL project exposes laws like the "Do Not Track" bill that hinders the e-commerce business model.
IAWFUL exposes another awful law. Steve DelBianco joins Jim Blasingame to expose another IAWFUL law, this one is a California bill to make it illegal for social networking sites to show addresses/numbers of 17 year-olds on their own sites.
Thursday - March 24, 2011
How can you protect yourself from phishing scams? Jeff Zbar joins Jim Blasingame to offer tips on how to avoid falling prey to Internet bad guys that send you phishing emails, including antivirus and anti-malware protection.
What are you putting on the Internet about yourself? Jeff Zbar joins Jim Blasingame to remind you that if you, or someone else puts something about you on the Internet, it basically becomes permanent. Forewarned is forearmed.
Will the 1099 portion of ObamaCare be repealed? Pete Sepp joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the repeal progress of the 1099 filing rules resulting from Obamacare, and what is the likelihood of successful repeal.
Who and what has caused the runaway deficits and how do we fix it? Pete Sepp joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the NTU's survey that tracks how the U.S. has gotten to this point of runaway spending and budget deficits.
Do small business owners have the power to influence Congress? Pete Sepp joins Jim Blasingame to talk about small business owners getting organized as centers-of-influence to help take America back from the political class.
How is Indiana's community college structure different from all other states? Tom Snyder joins Jim Blasingame to report that Indiana has only one community college, Ivy Tech, that serves dozens of campuses around the state.
Ivy Tech has become an entrepreneurship partner with various stakeholders in Indiana. Tom Snyder joins Jim Blasingame to discuss Ivy Tech's entrepreneurial curriculum and it's partnership with SBDCs, Chambers, and others.
Could the recovery cause you to lose a key employee? Leigh Branham joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how the economic improvement could create opportunities for key employees to defect unless you take steps to prevent it.
Why are employees leaving? Leigh Branham joins Jim Blasingame to discuss results for the decision to leave survey on why employees leave, and it's frequently because of management. Re-engagement discussions are vital.
Would you like to prevent key employees from leaving? Leigh Branham joins Jim Blasingame to offer tips to help you see employee dissatisfaction signs before it becomes a letter of resignation.
Friday - March 25, 2011
Military veterans can bring leadership and discipline skills to small business. Jim Blasingame says when you see a resume or candidate with military experience, give them a chance to show you their leadership skills and discipline.
Are you part of the solution or part of the problem? Rick Maurer and Jim Blasingame discuss the importance of being introspective if you’re feeling organizational pain, because the problem may be you.
How "open" is your door? Rick Maurer joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why allowing employees to contribute to solving problems and taking advantage of opportunities is a valuable management discipline.
Do you include employees when solving problems? Rick Maurer joins Jim Blasingame with tips and best practices on how to encourage employees to contribute to the problem solving activity in your business.
Do you know the signs of a "miserable job?" Pam Bilbrey joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the current sad state of employee engagement and to identify one of the things that cause employees to think they have a miserable job.
Do any of your employees think they have a miserable job? Pam Bilbrey joins Jim Blasingame to identify the signs of a miserable job: anonymity, irrelevance, and measurement - and how to solve this destructive condition.
Will websites become the victims of social media platforms? Adam Boyden joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the competitive and cooperative relationship between your website and your social media strategy.
Hockey great, Wayne Gretzky said he skated to where the puck was going. Adam Boyden joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the future of mobile apps and why small businesses must be prepared to serve customers with this technology.
Are you following your customers home? Adam Boyden joins Jim Blasingame to discuss Conduit's free technology for creating a mobile app to help you follow your customers home.
Monday - March 28, 2011
Are you talking with your people about your long-term relationship? Katherine Crowley joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the relationship between management and employees as we continue the long-term recovery.
Why are women harder on each other than on men? Katherine Crowley joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the unique competitive relationship women have with other women.
How long will the economic recovery take? Norm Brodsky joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why he thinks the current economic recovery could take 10 years to complete and how to prepare for that eventuality.
Do you have all the business you need? Norm Brodsky joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how to find new opportunities hiding in plain site, even during difficult economic conditions.
Why are we allowing the political class to ruin our country? Norm Brodsky joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why the political class is destroying our country and what Main Street small businesses can do about it.
Have you discovered the power of the blog? Joyce Weiss joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how she is using a blog to connect with prospects and stay connected with customers.
Connecting with customers comes in many forms. Joyce Weiss joins Jim Blasingame to talk about all the ways customers want you to connect with them and why this is both a challenge and an opportunity.
How is the recovery going in Australia? Peter Meyer joins Jim Blasingame to report on how the Australian economy has weathered the global economic crisis and what they did right in the recovery.
Are you delivering value you're not charging for? Peter Meyer joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the possibility that you're providing customers with valuable warranties, but aren't charging for it, and how to correct this.
Could just listening to customers put profits on your bottom line? Peter Meyer joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how asking good questions and listening to what customers say could be the quickest way to increase revenue and profits.
Tuesday - March 29, 2011
The 21st century differentiator is values, not products. Jack Mitchell joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how the way businesses differentiate themselves from the competition is not with products, but with the values they demonstrate.
Are you benefiting from the new technology or becoming a victim of it? Phil Simon joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how the evolution of technological innovation is benefiting small business both in capability and pricing.
The cost of starting a business has been drastically reduced because of technology. Phil Simon joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the efficient power of technology's 5 enablers: cloud computing, SaaS, open source technology, mobile, and social technology.
Give customers what they need and they will help you capitalize your business. Rick Smith joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how he has started two businesses by using customer revenue to grow organically, without outside investment.
One way or another, one day you will leave your company. Rick Smith joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the process of small business succession planning, including hiring, training and allowing your executive replacement to lead.
Don't hire employee, acquire leaders. Rick Smith joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why it's more important for the long-term success of your business to acquire people who are or can become leaders, not just employees.
How to make best practices work with innovation. Robert Brands joins Jim Blasingame to report on what he learned about combining best practices with innovation during a trip around Antarctica.
How do you create NEXT practices? Robert Brands joins Jim Blasingame with tips on how to combine tried and true best practices with innovation to produce what he calls "Next Practices."
How do you grow your business through customer loyalty? Jack Mitchell joins Jim Blasingame with a perspective on building a customer-centric culture in your small business through proper hiring and training.
Wednesday - March 30, 2011
Courage is being brave after you’ve had time to think about it. Bill Treasurer joins Jim Blasingame with two rules of being a courageous leader, be the first one to jump in and demonstrate why you’re excited about your small business.
How do you inspire courageous behavior? Bill Treasurer joins Jim Blasingame with tips on how to inspire your people to be courageous, including lower the impact of risk, move them out of their comfort zone and allow them to fail.
Nothing happens until someone makes a sale. Rob Jolles joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the nobility of being a sales professional and why selling is the genesis of all business activity.
Don't be ashamed of being what you are: a salesperson. Rob Jolles joins Jim Blasingame with reasons why being a salesperson is one of the noblest jobs in the world because of the positive influence you have on the lives of your customers.
Professional selling is more than pushing a product. Rob Jolles joins Jim Blasingame to talk about being a sales professional, which requires training, expertise, experience, attitude and being dedicated to serving customers.
Are you comfortable asking customers for money? Ilise Benun joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why creative types produce drama when it's time to ask for the business and then send the bill.
Professional services should not be priced like wages. Ilise Benun joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how to price your professional services so that your clients not only value your time, but also your expertise and experience.
Why did multiculturalism fail in Europe? Tamar Jacoby joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the difference in how the U.S. and Europe assimilates immigrants, and why Europe’s method have failed.
Why the multiculturalism experiment won't work. Tamar Jacoby joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why Europe's cultural approach to immigration is a greater challenge than America's policy approach.
There are 2nd generation immigration challenges facing the U.S. Tamar Jacoby joins Jim Blasingame to discuss new challenges in immigration reform that are products of the failure of the U.S. to have an effective immigration plan.
Thursday - March 31, 2011
Are your employees engaged? Keith Ayers joins Jim Blasingame to explain that employee engagement is a starting place for cultivating passionate employees, plus how multi-generation employees contribute to disengagement.
What do employees really need to be passionate about their job? Keith Ayers joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the five things employees really need from their management in order to be truly engaged and passionate about their work.
People like to hear, and they remember, stories. Bill Schley joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why customers would rather hear a story about your business and products, instead of manipulative marketing messages.
If you have a story that sells, why would you abandon it? Bill Schley joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the right way and wrong way to tell stories about your business, and why you should stick with stories that sell.
How do you tell your story so that it’s memorable? Bill Schley joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how to tell a marketing story that is memorable for customers, plus why in the 21st century, you have to back up your story with performance.
What is the relationship between social media and websites? Small business expert, Jim Blasingame discusses why social media sites may exceed the importance of websites because they are easy to update and have built-in communities.
Websites and social media will work together in the future. Jim Blasingame talks about the good and bad about both websites and social media platforms, plus how the two worlds should work together.
How can you become a futurist for your small business? Jack Uldrich joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how to become a futurist for your small business by identifying what you don’t know instead of just focusing on what you know.
What is the future of online search? Futurist Jack Uldrich joins Jim Blasingame with a prediction of online search and the dynamic algorithms that will allow more online convenience, but will also intensify the privacy debate.
What is the impact of gaming on the marketplace? Jack Uldrich joins Jim Blasingame to discuss trends in gaming dynamics and how this applies to how you operate your small business.
