Monday - January 02, 2012
Could you double your business' performance this year? Ruth King joins Jim Blasingame to discuss making a Big Hairy Audacious Resolution of finding out what you have to do to double sales and profits this year.
Have you set New Year goals for your business? Ruth King joins Jim Blasingame to reveal tips and best practices on how to establish aggressive goals you can actually accomplish and be happy in the process.
If you're an introvert, don't try to attain an extrovert's goals. Pierce and Jane Howard join Jim Blasingame to reveal why trait-based resolutions will help you have more success as a small business owner.
You don't have to be good at all of your business tasks. Pierce and Jane Howard join Jim Blasingame to discuss trait-based resolutions that lead you to recognize that some jobs should be outsourced.
Anybody can set easy goals. Pierce and Jane Howard join Jim Blasingame to challenge us to establish goals that are just enough out of our reach to be attainable without being impossible.
How specific are your New Year's resolutions? Marsha Egan joins Jim Blasingame to encourage us to make New Year's resolutions that are "smart," in that they are specific and measurable.
Make sure some of your business resolutions include strategic goals. Marsha Egan joins Jim Blasingame to encourage us to set goals in the new year that are not just about executing, but include strategic planning.
How much will Iran impact the news in 2012? Jim Blasingame delivers his 12th annual list of predictions. In this segment, it's all about global, including the EU, Iran and Iraq.
How much will the U.S. economy grow in 2012? Jim Blasingame delivers his 12th annual list of predictions. In this segment, it's all about small business, the economy, jobs, Wall Street and Obamacare.
Will President Obama be reelected in 2012? Jim Blasingame delivers his political predictions for 2012, including who will win the presidency, Congress, and who won't be the Democrat's VP nominee. Plus one football prediction.
Tuesday - January 03, 2012
Can the communication styles of presidential candidates be effective in business? Ruth Sherman joins Jim Blasingame to compare the communication styles of presidential candidates with effective business communication.
Political candidates and small businesses rely on surrogates to deliver their message. Ruth Sherman joins Jim Blasingame to compare the Iowa caucus political process to creating customer evangelists for your business.
Do you make good decisions? Gene Griessman joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the benefits of being a "slow thinker" and taking a little more time to make a decision, even if it's just to "sleep on it."
Whether today or tomorrow, business owners have to make decisions. Gene Griessman joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how taking time to make a decision is a good practice, but at some point the decision has to be made.
What do you do when asked to make a decision before you’re ready? Gene Griessman joins Jim Blasingame to discuss communication tips that will buy you time when a decision - or opinion - is being demanded of you.
Small business success depends on having a successful banking relationship. Jim Blasingame talks about the importance of creating a close relationship with a bank, for small businesses preferably with an independent community bank or credit union.
Grow your business strategically with bank loans instead of investors. Jim Blasingame talks how to grow your business with strategic loans from banks and other sources.
Do we make too many assumptions about people? Ivan Misner joins Jim Blasingame to discuss what he learned about how perception about gender, race, etc., often paints the wrong picture about the majority of individuals in that group.
Breaking news: Men and women are different! Ivan Misner joins Jim Blasingame to reveal what he learned in a global poll of 12,000 people about the differences between how men and women communicate and connect.
How do men and women reconcile their networking differences? Ivan Misner joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the difference between how men and women connect and how they can reconcile the differences and network successfully.
Wednesday - January 04, 2012
John Bradberry joins Jim Blasingame to discuss making realistic resolutions for the new year, plus how to maintain the resolutions that only you, as the business owner, can make.
Are you prepared to pay what successful change costs? John Bradberry joins Jim Blasingame to discuss some of the elements of the cost of successful change and ask if you're prepared to pay.
Set a new year resolution to double profits in 2012. Cliff Ennico joins Jim Blasingame with tips on how to focus on growing profits by growing top-line sales revenue.
Focus on getting one new customer a day. Cliff Ennico joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how to grow your business by using technology to remind customers that you're still around and ready to serve.
Are you aware of changes in the market and customer expectations? Cliff Ennico joins Jim Blasingame to challenge us to focus on market changes to find new opportunities and meet new customer expectations.
Have you established goals for your small business this year? Janet Christy joins Jim Blasingame with tips on how to get the New Year started right, like making sure you know who your customers are.
When does persistence become annoying? Janet Christy joins Jim Blasingame with small business resolutions to be persistent without begging and don't miss opportunities as a sub-contractor.
What risks do big businesses worry about? Bruce Piasecki joins Jim Blasingame to talk about his upcoming conference where big companies will talk about what keeps them up at night and why small businesses need to know this.
Are you ready for water's future? Bruce Piasecki joins Jim Blasingame to explain why small business owners need to know that water will increasingly become a critical commodity as we continue into the 21st century.
What does small business have to do with sustainability? Bruce Piasecki joins Jim Blasingame to highlight the wisdom of E.F. Schumacker and his regard for how important small organizations will be to innovation and resource sustainability.
Thursday - January 05, 2012
For Iowa the caucuses are about business, not just politics. Rich Galen joins Jim Blasingame to report on the business angle of the Iowa caucuses and what Santorum's surprising surge means.
How will the GOP candidates fare after the Iowa caucuses? Rich Galen joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the prospects of the GOP presidential candidates after the Iowa caucuses, plus the future influence of the Tea Party.
How do you feel when your state of being is the best? Scott Eblin joins Jim Blasingame to help you think about what causes you to function at your professional best.
Do you have routines to achieve your best physically, emotionally and relationally? Scott Eblin joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the routines you should have, or eliminate, to achieve your preferred state of being.
How much of your goal-setting efforts focus on desired outcomes? Scott Eblin joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why successful goal-setting must include thinking about the desired outcome.
Has extra stress in the workplace created unfortunate behaviors? Joyce Weiss joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how to use the Power Talk Formula to overcome workplace tensions and bad behavior.
Don’t push back from verbal attacks, diffuse them. Joyce Weiss joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the best way to diffuse verbal attacks and stress-related behavior with verbal aikido.
Are new projects taking too long to pay off? Pat Sigmon joins Jim Blasingame to talk about ways to compress the time-to-value equation when working on any project, system or even customer acquisition.
Let technology compress the time-to-value equation. Pat Sigmon joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how specific tech offerings help you increase profits by compressing the time-to-value equation without unreasonable expense.
Could you depend too much on "the cloud?" Pat Sigmon joins Jim Blasingame to offer some tips and best practices regarding how to decide when and how much to use cloud computing for business systems.
Friday - January 06, 2012
Why aren't business owners believing their own eyes? Sam Norwood joins Jim Blasingame to report this month’s Tatum Survey indicates positive economic indicators, but businesses are still cautious.
Reports of more sales in the pipeline and higher capital spending is encouraging. Sam Norwood joins Jim Blasingame with the Tatum Survey to report order backlogs are up for the near term, plus a rise in capital spending commitments.
Hiring is up, but structural unemployment still prevails. Sam Norwood joins Jim Blasingame with the Tatum Survey indicating that hiring is up, but real estate has to recover in the U.S. before we get big jumps in employment.
What do small businesses need to do to be relevant to customers? Jon Wuebben joins Jim Blasingame to discuss creating compelling web content for your business, plus why being indexed for local search is important.
Your customers increasingly depend on mobile technology. Jon Wuebben joins Jim Blasingame to reveal why mobile technology is becoming more compelling and offer tips to take advantage of this dynamic marketing platform.
Is global entrepreneurship recovering in 2012? Zoltan Acs joins Jim Blasingame to reveal why entrepreneurship is regaining strength around the globe after declines in recent years.
Is entrepreneurship growing in Latin America? Zoltan Acs joins Jim Blasingame to report on how entrepreneurship is growing in Latin America and why that means opportunity for U.S. businesses.
What does growing global entrepreneurship have to do with global trade? Zoltan Acs joins Jim Blasingame to report on the growth of global entrepreneurship and how it is impacting globalization in a positive way.
Monday - January 09, 2012
How much did Iran contribute to al-Qaeda in the 9/11 attacks? Janice Kephart joins Jim Blasingame to report on research that shows al-Qaeda was actually a proxy, fulfilling Iran's long-term plan in the 9/11 attacks.
Why hasn’t America done more to counter Iran's behavior? Janice Kephart joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why Iran has an unjustified influence over geopolitics, plus the influence of Iran on oil markets and your fuel costs.
How you can get involved in national small business policy debates? Giovanni Coratolo joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the U.S. Chamber's upcoming 2012 Small Business Summit in support of policies that help small business.
Jim says we don’t need recess appointments, we need recess abolishments. Giovanni Coratolo joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the validity of recent recess appointments by Pres. Obama to the CFPB and NLRB.
What small business issues do the candidates need to focus on? Giovanni Coratolo joins Jim Blasingame to discuss small business issues of the 2012 election, like Internet sales tax, extending tax cuts and the future of Obamacare.
What does a small business have to do to stay relevant with customer expectations? Bob Negen joins Jim Blasingame to reveal best practices on how to be relevant to customer expectations, including email, mobile and Internet connections.
Are you connecting with your customers? Bob Negen joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the importance of relationships in small business and the increasing desire of customers to connect online, plus how email marketing is still the most effective way to connect.
How has media trumped Madison Avenue? Kirk Cheyfitz joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how the three types of 21st century media is gaining priority over 20th century Madison Avenue advertising and marketing.
Every small business should understand the 3 fundamental types of media. Kirk Cheyftiz joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the 3 fundamental types of media - paid, owned and earned - that is how business increasingly will go to market in the 21st century.
For the first time in history, small business has a marketing advantage. Kirk Cheyftiz joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how the 3 types of media are giving small businesses a distinct marketing advantage over big companies.
Tuesday - January 10, 2012
Do you share your business strategy with employees? Michael Stallard joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why you must keep employees involved and engaged in your long-range business plans.
Do you regularly engage employees in the direction of the business? Michael Stallard joins Jim Blasingame with 3 questions that will help you better organize projects, plus why you need regular W3 meetings.
Sometimes achieving your business goals requires employee changes. Michael Stallard joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how to be intentional and positive when employees aren’t in alignment with your business goals.
Successful customer service is your prime directive. Jim Blasingame explains the 21st century best practice of replacing quality service with the sustainable and profitable quality process.
Will you be ready to take advantage when the U.S. economy breaks open? Jim Blasingame talks about what he thinks will happen in the next 12-24 months and what your small business should do to prepare.
Are we living in a low-trust world? Stephen M.R. Covey joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the one thing that will save planet earth from devolving into a trust-less world: smart trust.
What does "smart trust" look like and how do you accomplish it? Stephen M.R. Covey joins Jim Blasingame to reveal some of the steps to take to install "smart trust" in your organization.
What does smart trust look like in practice? Stephen M.R. Covey joins Jim Blasingame to reveal examples of the power and leverage of having smart trust as a best practice in your business.
Small businesses aren't creating jobs because of government behavior. Pete Sepp joins Jim Blasingame to report on the payroll withholding disaster that has been brewing in Congress for months.
With U.S. national debt on par with GDP, we're at a tipping point. Pete Sepp joins Jim Blasingame to report the automatic spending reduction that will take affect in 2013 will not be enough to keep America out of bankruptcy.
Wednesday - January 11, 2012
What are we here for? Nancy Rosanoff joins Jim Blasingame to explain the importance of time management for small business owners, plus how intuition leads to inspired moments and ideas.
Money can't buy happiness. Nancy Rosanoff joins Jim Blasingame to explain that businesses need a mission more than a business plan, plus being happy, not with the money you make, but with your success.
Is your sales force focused only on transactions or developing relationships? Mike Stewart joins Jim Blasingame to discuss motivating your sales force to drive sales by developing relationships.
Successful sales people conduct pre-call preparation. Mike Stewart joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how to maximize the success of a sales call by doing a pre-call checklist.
Has marketplace changes made selling different? Mike Stewart joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how technology has changed sales calls, but also how relationship selling will always be successful.
Government hurts an economy more than it helps. Ray Keating joins Jim Blasingame to report how a history of legislative policy manipulation led to the current poor economy and what government should not do to help.
Most politicians don't understand how their policies hurt business growth. Ray Keating joins Jim Blasingame to report small business growth is stymied because of uncertainty, plus how growth may be affected by the 2012 election.
What does it take for your business to be sustainable? Leslie Kossoff joins Jim Blasingame to explain how connecting service with quality produces operating profit and business sustainability.
Are you ready to ditch your quality service? Leslie Kossoff joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how converting the quality service you're so proud of to a quality process will make you more profit and more money.
What does the quality process look like in the 21st century? Leslie Kossoff joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how installing a quality process in your organization has changed - for the better - in the past 20 years.
Thursday - January 12, 2012
Think of social media as powerful marketing tools. Jeff Zbar joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why social media is the bests marketing platform small business ever had and how to use it.
Social media platforms are perfect tool for telling your story. Jeff Zbar joins Jim Blasingame to discuss using social media to tell your business' story, build your brand and demonstrate your values.
Are you married to your business model or can you adapt to challenges and changes? Debbie Meyer joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the hard part of building a business is adapting to the unforeseen challenges of business and life.
Are you strategic in developing and marketing your business? Debbie Meyer joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how to develop and market a business or service that people will pay money for.
How do you instill trust while adapting to the marketplace? Debbie Meyer joins Jim Blasingame to explain how to gain the most influence and connection out of every opportunity.
How can you help your employees be successful in achieving your 2012 objectives? Bob Prosen joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how to clarify and execute on your employee objectives for 2012, including eliminating performance issues.
Share the success and foster trust for the best performance. Bob Prosen joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how to improve performance with a bonus pool and the power of the trust.
What are the key steps for your business this year? Eva Rosenberg joins Jim Blasingame to encourage you make a check list and use it to identify the people and resources you will need this year.
What does your business plan look like? Eva Rosenberg joins Jim Blasingame to encourage you to produce a working business plan for the new year, including a cash flow projection for the rest of the year.
Ask your tax professional about the tax credits and business deductions available. Eva Rosenberg joins Jim Blasingame to encourage you to identify and think about how you can take advantage of the federal and state tax credits and deductions.
Friday - January 13, 2012
Is your family destroying your business? Ellen Rohr joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the delicate balance of family and business, plus why you should still have a business plan even if you are in business with family.
How you deal with family employees impacts company performance? Ellen Rohr joins Jim Blasingame to the many elements of managing a family member in a small business, including when you have to fire a relative.
If you’re not performing, is there an outside reason or is it you? Jane Pollak joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how much of performance, or lack thereof, is because people don’t get out of their own way.
Do you know when to ask for help? Jane Pollak joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how to end crisis management and know when to engage a professional coach or consultant.
Are technology and other distractions impacting your success? Jane Pollak joins Jim Blasingame with ideas on how to create an environment and mind-set to stay in the moment and resist 21st century distractions.
Trust cannot be forced – it is accomplished incrementally. Diane DiResta joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how the building blocks of trust are laid through communication, credentials, consistency and character, usually face-to-face.
Customers respond positively to videos about your business. Diane DiResta joins Jim Blasingame to explain how to use online videos to demonstrate your business values and contribute to building trust with customers.
Why did McDonald's get the first ObamaCare waivers? Grace-Marie Turner joins Jim Blasingame to reveal some of the troubling issues that the franchise industry will face when ObamaCare is fully implemented.
What will be the impact of Obamacare on your business? Grace-Marie Turner joins Jim Blasingame to report that since the details of Obamacare are still being written, it is actually not yet knowable how much this law will cost your small business.
The GOP presidential candidates are not debating ObamaCare. Grace-Marie Turner joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the fact that the dangers of ObamaCare is not high on the list of debated topics by the GOP presidential candidates.
Monday - January 16, 2012
Shouldn't there be debate on the Constitution by presidential candidates? Seth Lipsky joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why we should hold politicians accountable for their knowledge and interpretation of the Constitution.
Would Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. like the return on his investment? Seth Lipsky joins Jim Blasingame to talk about interviewing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and what he would think about his legacy today.
Are your ideas in your head, or do you actually write them down? Ed Abel joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the power of writing down an idea and sharing it with someone for feedback and accountability.
Just knowing a skill doesn't mean you can run a business. Ed Abel joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the business acumen skillpreneurs need and either get through experience or research and education, but either way, have to have.
How do you get past your fear of failure? Ed Abel joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how to make success happen by getting comfortable with failure through the process of making lots of small decisions.
Resolutions are optional, fundamentals are required. Jim Blasingame offers business fundamentals for the new year from cash and inventory management to finding efficiencies and outsourcing.
Focus on the fundamentals, plan for success and grow your small business in 2012. Jim Blasingame offers more business fundamentals for 2012 on banking relationships, financial projections and customer expectations.
How does a traditional business incorporate digital into its model? Anita Rosen joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the challenges of blending a traditional "brick and mortar" business into a "click and mortar" model.
How much of the new media marketing resources should you use? Anita Rosen joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how to decide which and how much of the new media your small business should be using. Hint: Ask your customers.
Are you talking with customers and prospects through video? Anita Rosen joins Jim Blasingame to encourage you to discover the power of a video marketing program by doing very short informational videos and posting them on YouTube.
Tuesday - January 17, 2012
Do you allow your biases to get in the way of success? Beverly Inman-Ebel joins Jim Blasingame to discuss two human biases, semantic equivalence and halo, and how we allow them to prevent effective communication.
How do our biases impact our decisions and relationships? Beverly Inman-Ebel joins Jim Blasingame to discuss two kinds of biases we all have, contagious bias and association bias, and how they impact our personal and business relationships.
Does Gen Y think about trust differently than Baby Boomers? Mike Muetzel joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how trust between the generations can be different, especially in small businesses and large corporations.
Don’t Millennials have the responsibility to accept coaching? Mike Muetzel joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how to bring the two universes - the Millennials and everybody else - together for organizational success.
Every generation should respect the generations upon whose shoulders they stand. Mike Muetzel joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how to get Gen Y and Baby Boomers to meet in the middle.
Do you receive professional compliments well? Rob Jolles joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how to respond positively and graciously when given recognition.
Do you compliment people when they do a good job? Rob Jolles joins Jim Blasingame to discuss recognizing people when you catch them doing their job well.
Why do sales organizations waste so much of January? Skip Miller joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the fact that the best way to have a good year is to get started selling early in January.
Prospect as high in the organization as you can. Skip Miller joins Jim Blasingame to reveal why its always best to approach a new prospect as high in the organization as possible and talk about ideas and vision, not features and benefits.
What are you doing to support your top sales people? Skip Miller joins Jim Blasingame to discuss some of the things you can and should do to make sure your sales horses are the most effective and motivated.
Wednesday - January 18, 2012
Reagan's 11th Commandment “Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican.” Avik Roy joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the danger of the Republican presidential candidates attacking their own values.
If Romney is the GOP nominee, can he defend himself against the Obama assault? Avik Roy joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how Romney can defend his venture capital background and Romneycare in a general election.
How is the Chinese economy doing? Frank Lavin joins Jim Blasingame from Hong Kong with an overview of the current economic, financial and environmental state of China.
How do you export to and distribute your products in China. Frank Lavin joins Jim Blasingame from Hong Kong to explain how ExportNow.com will help small businesses gain access to China's consumers without prohibitive expense.
The middle class in China is as large as the entire population of the U.S. Frank Lavin joins Jim Blasingame from Hong Kong to discuss why e-commerce is booming in China, creating an exporting opportunity for U.S. small businesses.
Use mentoring to pay back the help you got from others. Terry Neese joins Jim Blasingame to discuss National Mentor Month and her mentoring program for women business owners in Afghanistan and Rwanda.
You are a mentor and may not know it. Terry Neese joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why mentoring isn’t always a formal arrangement, plus the mentoring possibilities for Gen Y.
Trust is the foundation of every successful relationship. Arky Ciancutti joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how the "trust model" works and how it infuses performance into any organization that practices it.
Innovation and trust are linked. Arky Ciancutti joins Jim Blasingame to reveal why organizational innovation cannot happen without organizational trust.
If your company isn't executing well, look to trust. Arky Ciancutti joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how trust is the free fuel that propels organizational execution by promoting employee retention and engagement.
Thursday - January 19, 2012
New technology has created new intellectual property piracy issues. Steve DelBianco joins Jim Blasingame to report on the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act, why it was written, who the players are, will it pass and why should small business care?
The U.S. government is trying to enforce digital property rights around the globe. Steve DelBianco joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the difficulty in trying to legislate the enforcement of digital property rights when violators are outside the U.S.
We may not like the numbers, but we do like the trend. Bill Dunkelberg joins Jim Blasingame to report why this month’s NFIB Small Business Optimism Index indicates a small increase in optimism.
There are jobs available, but a lack of qualified applicants. NFIB’s Bill Dunkelberg joins Jim Blasingame to report that hiring is still flat among small businesses, and many of those who are hiring can't find qualified applicants.
NFIB reports small businesses will grow slowly in 2012. Bill Dunkelberg joins Jim Blasingame to report December’s NFIB optimism index shows increases in capital spending and sales but borrowing is flat.
Getting out of debt means either earning more or spending less. Trevor Bolin joins Jim Blasingame to discuss taking charge of your financial life by setting small goals and a plan of action through strict budgeting.
Living debt-free means being conservative with your use of credit. Trevor Bolin joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how to use credit judiciously through adherence to the fundamentals, including a cash flow projection.
Are you talking with team members about their career goals? Jim Canterucci joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why every leader must take time to discuss career goals with their employees and help them accomplish them as a way of increasing engagement.
Your employees need a career plan. Jim Canterucci joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why leaders should meet individually with employees to help them create and work toward a career development plan.
What are you doing to help employees create a professional development plan? Jim Canterucci joins Jim Blasingame to reveal some steps a leader can take to directly contribute to an employee's professional development plan.
Friday - January 20, 2012
Are women comfortable at networking mixers? Frank de Raffele joins Jim Blasingame to reveal results of his research on how women feel about attending networking events.
Should women confront other women who behave inappropriately at networking events? Frank de Raffele joins Jim Blasingame to talk about what women should do when they see other women behaving in a way that is not professional at networking events.
A virtual team has members that are geographically scattered. Rick Lepsinger joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the challenges of collaborating and executing when working with virtual teams, even with the new technologies.
How do virtual teams collaborate successfully? Rick Lepsinger joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the human, managerial and technical elements that produce a successful virtual team.
What does it take to be a successful virtual team leader? Rick Lepsinger joins Jim Blasingame to reveal effective virtual team leaders have clear expectations and practice strict accountability.
Today’s workplace has more active generations than ever before. John Dini joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why the workplace is the most generationally diverse in history and what kinds of challenges this is causing.
Why is Generation X considered the next "Lost Generation?" John Dini joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the parallels between the first Lost Generation and Gen X, who are more interested in work-life balance, but with Boomer benefit expectations.
What's the next level of computer development? Futurist, Joel Barker joins Jim Blasingame to report on the latest breakthroughs of the first practical quantum computer and what that could mean to us.
Discover a paradigm shift in high-rise construction. Joel Barker joins Jim Blasingame to report on how a Chinese company built a 30 story building - furniture and all - in 15 days using paradigm shifting component systems..
New developments in burn treatment and hemophilia. Joel Barker joins Jim Blasingame to report on new treatments for bun victims with a hydrogel and a gene therapy for hemophiliacs.
Monday - January 23, 2012
What really motivates us to be innovative? Kelle Olwyler joins Jim Blasingame to introduce the paradox of design, which says that desire is the mother of invention, not necessity.
How could failure contribute to success? Kelle Olwyler joins Jim Blasingame to explain the paradoxical but symbiotic relationship between failure and success.
Do you know what a QR code is? Rick Mathieson joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the "quick response" technology, or QR for short, how it works and why you should care.
Could you use more business? Rick Mathieson joins Jim Blasingame to reveal several reasons why your small business should be using QR (quick response) codes to help drive sales revenue.
Do you know how QR codes works? Rick Mathieson joins Jim Blasingame to explain how the QR (quick response) technology works for both the owner of the information as well as the customer.
The experience is everything, because everything else is a commodity. Jim Joseph joins Jim Blasingame to explain how small businesses should focus on the experience customers have with them, in addition to the fundamentals of serving them.
Ask customers what they like - or don't like - about the experience they have with you. Jim Joseph joins Jim Blasingame with an example of how to fail by not asking customers why they like - or don't like - how you take your brand to market.
How will the CFPB impact your bank and, therefore, your small business? Mike Menzies joins Jim Blasingame to report on the recent appointment of Richard Cordray to the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau and what the CFPB will mean to small businesses.
How is the relationship with your small business and your banker? Mike Menzies joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the key elements of a successful relationship between a small business and its bank.
How will the Dodd-Frank banking reform law impact your bank? Mike Menzies joins Jim Blasingame to explain that almost all of the Dodd-Frank law has not even been implemented, which leaves questions about how it will impact small banks.
Tuesday - January 24, 2012
What do your customers expect from your online offerings? Eric Karjaluoto joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why you should think like a customer when designing any online resource - website, etc., that your customers will use.
Will customers think your online presence is authentic at the Moment of Relevance? Eric Karjaluoto joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how to align your online offerings with the values customers like at the Moment of Relevance.
Billions of earthlings who never had a computer will have a smart phone this year. Chuck Martin joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the universe of mobile users who are going to want to do business with you.
Are you asking customers about their mobile activity? Chuck Martin joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the conversation you should be having with customers about how they want you to connect with them on their mobile devices.
How much time are you spending away from your cell phone? Chuck Martin joins Jim Blasingame to report on research that shows business owners are spending less time without their mobile phones.
What leadership style do you use? Tom Anastasi joins Jim Blasingame to reveal two kinds of leadership styles, the democratic and the coercive, and discuss how and when to use both.
Great leaders know how and when to modify their leadership style. Tom Anastasi joins Jim Blasingame to reveal three more leadership styles, authoritarian, affiliative and coaching, and how to use them effectively.
How is your business matching wits with customers and prospects? Alan Maites joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how small businesses have to think and act in order to meet the expectations of today's savvy shopper.
Customer loyalty is created by attention to expectations. Alan Maites joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how to foster customer loyalty by continually asking what they want, how they want it and then delivering that.
Do you know who your best customers are? Alan Maites joins Jim Blasingame to talk about differentiating between your best customers and prospective new ones and how to focus on both.
Wednesday - January 25, 2012
After years of languishing, the U.S. has signed three new trade agreements. Doug Barry joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why it's good news that the U.S. has new Free Trade Agreements with Panama, Columbia, and South Korea.
Let the U.S. Commercial Service be your partner in growing your business abroad. Doug Barry joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how the U.S. Commercial Service can help your small business create and execute a successful exporting strategy.
How a small business exported bacteria and got rich. Doug Barry joins Jim Blasingame to report on how one small business used the U.S. Commercial Service as a partner to grow his bio-business globally.
Do you know what your competitive advantage is? Olalah Njenga joins Jim Blasingame to explain how to accomplish two of her five marketing "Must Do's", including define your competitive advantage and put your plan on paper.
How much of your business comes from referrals? Olalah Njenga joins Jim Blasingame to reveal three more of her "Must Do" marketing jobs, including getting referrals, what is working and what's not, and be sure to have fun.
Is there anything more the Fed can do to influence the economy? Bob McTeer joins Jim Blasingame to report on potential Fed actions,and how it has recently supported the European Central Bank.
Will the economy in 2012 be better than last year? Bob McTeer joins Jim Blasingame to report on how the economy is progressing and comment on some of President Obama's proposals in his state of the union speech.
President Obama continues to try to pick winners and losers. Bob McTeer joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the protectionist direction of President Obama's state of the union speech and why he shouldn't pick business winners and losers.
Thursday - January 26, 2012
Use productivity tools to contribute to growth. Pat Sigmon joins Jim Blasingame to reveal ideas on how to incrementally grow your business by improving productivity with technology.
Could outsourcing provide the key to growth in a slow economy? Pat Sigmon joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how to grow your business by outsourcing tasks in your business to a contractor instead of using your own employees.
Could the "cloud" help you grow your business? Pat Sigmon joins Jim Blasingame to reveal innovative ways to use web-based tools - the "cloud" - to help you grow your business more efficiently.
Have you ever thought about life balance as a strategy? Rich Horwath joins Jim Blasingame to talk about building a personal strategy of balance that includes several elements that are not work.
You differentiate your business, but can you do it personally? Rich Horwath joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how to use differentiation in your personal life to demonstrate your authenticity.
How well did Obama use his bully pulpit? Rich Galen joins Jim Blasingame to report on the constitutional history of the State of the Union speech and how President Obama did with his this year.
Politicians aren't smart enough to pick winners and losers. Rich Galen joins Jim Blasingame to talk about President Obama's unaltered strategy of trying to pick marketplace winners and losers, and only liking certain kinds of jobs, rather than just jobs.
Can Gingrich outlast Romney? Rich Galen joins Jim Blasingame to predict that Gingrich's lack of a national organization will prevent him from maintaining his current momentum across the U.S., and that Romney will be the GOP nominee.
Friday - January 27, 2012
Can you prevent bad PR? Jane Jordan-Meier joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why you must include social media in your crisis management plan, plus how to handle negative online comments, aka, user generated content (UGC).
How can social media help in a crisis? Jane Jordan-Meier joins Jim Blasingame with tips on how to use social media activity to bank trust and goodwill in advance of a PR crisis.
Is passion enough for entrepreneurs? Tim Berry joins Jim Blasingame to reveal and discuss the dangerous myth that having passion and perseverance is enough to succeed as an entrepreneur.
Do you want to be your own boss and beat the Big Boxes on price? Tim Berry joins Jim Blasingame to reveal and discuss the entrepreneurial myths that when you're a business owner you'll be your own boss and will compete with the Big Boxes on price.
How dangerous is trying to please everyone? Tim Berry joins Jim Blasingame to reveal and discuss the entrepreneurial myth that pleasing everyone is a key to success, and that a business plan is only for start-ups.
How are the generations getting along? Katherine Crowley joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the benefits and challenges in the workplace at this time when there is the greatest diversity of generations.
Do your employees spend too much time texting or on social media? Katherine Crowley joins Jim Blasingame to discuss what many believe is a productivity problem and how to create clear policies that will curb technology distractions among employees.
Is your business maximizing the Internet? Ken Yancey joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the power of broadband Internet and associated technologies and the opportunities it provides for small businesses.
Cloud computing provides the power of large businesses for a fraction of the cost. Ken Yancey joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the leverage cloud computing gives small businesses and how SCORE can help navigate this landscape.
Are concerns about security holding your online strategy back? Ken Yancey joins Jim Blasingame to talk about affordable data security and the importance of setting up a security protocol for both online data and hardware.
Monday - January 30, 2012
How do you find jobs that aren’t posted? Beth Ross joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how to get the information to take advantage of the hidden job market, job openings that are not posted.
In today’s job market, the interview process may include your social media activities. Beth Ross joins Jim Blasingame to offer interviewing tips, plus why companies are considering social media presence as hiring criteria.
Is there power in the positive? Jim Ballard joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the power of acknowledging positive employee actions instead of focusing on negative.
Attract and serve customers better by looking beyond the physical. Jim Ballard joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how to look through the physical aspect of a customer to connect with their soul or spirit.
Authenticity and transparency are winners. Jim Ballard joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how to create a marketing plan that will connect with customers metaphysically with authentic messages.
What do you know about your global prospects? Jim Blasingame reveals information about global prospects for developing a strategy to grow your business outside of the U.S.
How do you connect with global prospects and get paid? Jim Blasingame talks about how the U.S. Commercial Service and Ex-Im Bank can help you connect with global prospects and get paid.
All president's use the state of the union speech for political purposes. Jim Copland joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how State of the Union addresses have been used by all modern presidents for their political advantage.
President Obama keeps picking winners and losers. Jim Copland joins Jim Blasingame to expose the inconsistencies of Obama's State of the Union speech as he talked about fairness and proposed inequitable programs.
Why isn't Obama talking about his health care accomplishments? Jim Copland joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why Obama didn't even mention his health care bill in the State of the Union address.
Tuesday - January 31, 2012
Candor in a relationship is powerful. Judith Glaser joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the power of candor and the connection between candor and the foundation of all relationships: trust.
Managers have a responsibility to be candid. Judith Glaser joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the power of candor when dealing with employees and why it is a management responsibility.
Using stories to sell your products or services is the opposite of manipulation. Ed Kopf joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the power of using stories to sell your products or services and make customers feel a part of your story.
Don't let negative stories hurt a business relationship. Ed Kopf joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how allowing the wrong kind of stories to get started and perpetuate can be detrimental to a business.
Make sure the stories you tell yourself are true. Ed Kopf joins Jim Blasingame to encourage us to make sure the stories we believe about ourselves, including the ones we tell ourselves, are true and focused on the positive.
In today’s marketplace, you don’t find customers, they find you. Brett Clay joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how the Internet has changed customer expectations and how to serve them with content we distribute to them.
Stay relevant with customers by delivering information to them. Brett Clay joins Jim Blasingame with tips on how small businesses stay relevant to customers by creating and delivering online content, including your own and that of others.
Grow more sales by growing better salespeople. Brad Huisken joins Jim Blasingame to talk about screening, hiring, training and motivating the best sales people.
Salespeople must have established standards for performance. Brad Huisken joins Jim Blasingame to reveal some of the benchmarks he uses to help sales organizations, including training, coaching and specific expectations.
Accountability produces professionalism. Brad Huisken joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how benchmarking accountability creates professionalism in your sales people and produces more sales.
