Monday - July 02, 2012
Do you have an effective pitch to get and close referrals? Joanne Black joins Jim Blasingame with tips and communication techniques to get more referrals and then close them.
Why wouldn't anyone follow up with a prospect? Janet Christy joins Jim Blasingame to reveal complaints by big businesses that some small businesses don't follow up and follow through.
How to prepare for and follow up at business matchmaking events. Janet Christy joins Jim Blasingame to reveal tips and best practices on how to get ready for a business matchmaking networking event, and how to follow up with those contacts.
Are you maximizing the power of the Cloud? Pat Sigmon joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how technology is blurring the lines between an installed resource and those served from the Cloud.
Do you have a plan for maximizing the power of the Cloud? Pat Sigmon joins Jim Blasingame with tips and best practices on how to develop a strategy for maximizing Cloud resources.
How to decide between Cloud platforms and your internal technology. Pat Sigmon joins Jim Blasingame to offer suggestions on how to decide if you should switch to a Cloud software resource, or continue to use your in-house technology.
How optimistic are small businesses about the future? Mike Pugh joins Jim Blasingame to report on a J2 Global survey that found the vast majority of small business owners are optimistic about the future of their businesses.
It's official - mobile is increasing as a critical tool for small businesses. Mike Pugh joins Jim Blasingame to report on the J2 Global survey of small businesses that indicated email and search still the online workhorses but mobile is growing fast.
What is the subject and content of your sales pitch? Joanne Black joins Jim Blasingame to encourage you to use probing techniques in conversations with prospects and customers that discover what they have on their minds, not what you have to sell.
How many personal pronouns do you use on sales calls? Joanne Black joins Jim Blasingame to encourage you to talk about the customer you're in front of, or refer to one you've helped, but lose the "I, me my, we, our" act. Self-reference is not a good sales strategy .
Tuesday - July 03, 2012
Making the decision to cut your losses. Tom Anastasi joins Jim Blasingame to talk about decision-making practices that will contribute to avoiding the dangers of the "sunk costs" syndrome.
How to seek advise about when to stop. Tom Anastasi joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the Concorde Fallacy and why you should seek counsel when deciding whether to discontinue a project or business.
The bizarre Supreme Court ruling on Obamacare didn't end uncertainty. Barbara Weltman joins Jim Blasingame to explain why small businesses are still not sure what their costs will be next year when Obamacare goes into effect.
Do you know how much Obamacare will cost your business, directly and indirectly? Barbara Weltman joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the direct and indirect costs of Obamacare to small businesses.
How will Obamacare be dismantled if it is repealed? Barbara Weltman joins Jim Blasingame to explain how difficult it will be to dismantle Obamacare if it is repealed next year.
Michael Reagan reflects on his father. Michael Reagan joins Jim Blasingame to talk about what made his father one of America's great presidents.
Did Chief Justice Roberts cave to bullying by Obama? Michael Reagan joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the bizarre Supreme Court ruling on Obamacare, why it happened and what dangerous precedent it sets.
Is Mitt Romney's team up to the task? Michael Reagan joins Jim Blasingame to evaluate the campaign behavior of Mitt Romney and offer some advice on what kind of staff to hire.
How much honesty is prudent in a corporate crisis? Jane Jordan-Meier joins Jim Blasingame to advise CEOs to practice transparency in a crisis by getting the truth out fast and own it.
How much can employees contribute to diffusing a potential crisis? Jane Jordan-Meier joins Jim Blasingame with tips and best practices on how to train and allow employees to not only help with a crisis, but to prevent one form happening.
Wednesday - July 04, 2012
Jim uses Lincoln's words to celebrate Independence Day. Jim Blasingame celebrates Independence Day with inspiring words from President Lincoln.
President Washington gave us our name. Dennis Pogue joins Jim Blasingame to celebrate Independence Day by sharing the vision of President Washington for America.
How the world has benefited from American expeptionalism. Dennis Pogue joins Jim Blasingame to report on July 4th events at Mt. Vernon, and to celebrate American exceptionalism.
What made George Washington stand out? Dennis Pogue joins Jim Blasingame to celebrate Independence Day by talking about how America benefited from the character of George Washington.
What better day to talk about America's national anthem?
Historian Ken Davis joins Jim Blasingame to celebrate America's Independence Day and explain the origins of our national anthem, the Star Spangled Banner.
Why is Independence Day in America such a big deal? Ken Davis joins Jim Blasingame to celebrate the 4th of July and talk about why this day is important to Americans and the world.
President Lincoln reflects on Independence Day. President Lincoln (Gene Griessman) joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the important of the 4th of July during the middle of 19th century America.
President Lincoln signed the Homestead Act during the Civil War. Gene Griessman joins Jim Blasingame to celebrate Independence Day by revealing the significance of the Homestead Act on the settling of America.
America was founded to deliver liberty to the people. Gene Griessman joins Jim Blasingame to celebrate Independence Day in America by talking about the ideal of liberty as a human right.
We began with freedom. Jim Blasingame celebrates Independence Day in America by talking about the origins of our freedom, and how liberty gave birth to entrepreneurship.
Thursday - July 05, 2012
Are you ready to declare your independence? Jeff Zbar joins Jim Blasingame to talk about what it takes to declare your independent and become a small business owner.
Wireless Internet is a powerful tool for small business. Jeff Zbar joins Jim Blasingame to report on the power of wireless Internet to impact efficient start-up and changed the way we grow a business.
Does your website encourage foreign customers? Doug Barry joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how you can attract foreign buyers by merely making adjustments to your website.
Can international customers find you online? Doug Barry joins Jim Blasingame to offer tips to prepare small businesses for international customers, including making your business easy accessible online.
Is e-commerce part of your online strategy? Mike Effle joins Jim Blasingame to report on a recent survey his company conducted on what small business owners are saying about their e-commerce practices and future.
Would you like to make one step put your business in many online stores? Mike Effle joins Jim Blasingame to explain how his company, Vendio, helps small businesses get in front of more online buyers.
Is unemployment worse than the government is telling us? Chuck Kadlec joins Jim Blasingame to report that more than the unemployment we're being told about it untold examples of jobs that aren't being created because of bad policies.
Bad policies are to blame for unemployment and lack of job creation. Chuck Kadlec joins Jim Blasingame to report on a website that allows business owners to report why they either downsized or didn't create jobs because of bad government policies.
Why should the U.S. convert back to the gold standard? Chuck Kadlec joins Jim Blasingame to reveal why the U.S. should convert back to the gold standard and how it could be done within a two year period.
Friday - July 06, 2012
Transparent communication is not redundant. Beverly Inman-Ebel joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the power of transparency when communicating with customers, employees and the media.
Transparency comes with ownership. Beverly Inman-Ebel joins Jim Blasingame to explain that to be a transparent communicator, you message must be direct and in your words and voice.
The economy is still languishing according to Tatum. Sam Norwood joins Jim Blasingame with this month's Tatum Survey that shows business managers are not confident of the economy in the near future.
How do sales projections look? Sam Norwood joins Jim Blasingame with this month's Tatum Survey that shows business managers reporting order backlogs are not good, and access to capital has tightened up.
Will Europe's economic problems be contagious? Sam Norwood joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how much of an impact Europe's deep recession will have on the U.S. economic recovery.
Gobsmacked by Chief Justice Roberts. Jim Blasingame explains his astonishment not that Chief Justice Roberts was the swing vote on Obamacare, but that he contrived a penalty into a tax in order to do so.
How much is the economy being impacted by the upcoming election? Jim Blasingame reports on survey results showing small business owners think buying decisions are being held up in anticipation of the November election.
What have women business owners focused on for survival? Patti Greene joins Jim Blasingame with a recent survey showing women business owners have survived since 2008 by focusing on expense control more than ever.
Are women business owners hiring? Patti Greene joins Jim Blasingame with a recent survey showing women business owners are hiring more than firing - 45% compared to 9% - and are focused on growing revenue.
How much are women business owners employing social media? Patti Greene joins Jim Blasingame with survey results showing that half of women business owners are using social media as a business strategy.
Monday - July 09, 2012
Small business owners know how to sell, but stumble on communicating their goals to their team. Dean Brenner joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the ARROW formula of team building, Alignment equals Responsibilities, Respect, Ownership and Willingness to work.
The most powerful ownership-building tool for employees is "What do you think?". Dean Brenner joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how to use key phrases to help team members develop ownership, achieve goals, and move projects forward.
Is China being impacted by the global economic slowdown? Frank Lavin joins Jim Blasingame to report on the Chinese economy and business sector, including the impact of a recession in Japan and Europe.
Here's a growth strategy you might not have thought about. Frank Lavin joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how his company connects U.S. small businesses with Chinese consumers to sell their products online and then make the delivery.
How much opportunity is there in China for U.S. small businesses. Frank Lavin joins Jim Blasingame to report on the 400 million users of Tmall.com, a Chinese consumer website, and how your small business can connect with them.
In the Age of the Customer there are more ways to market and more people to reach. Rob Levin joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the multi-faceted components of marketing and connecting with prospects in the 21st century.
How has branding changed in the Age of the Customer? Rob Levin joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how social media has made it easier to define your brand, plus the pricing advantages of good branding.
Can we think of immigrant worker policy like we do a trade agreement? Tamar Jacoby joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the immigrant worker challenges in the U.S. and whether a trade agreement type solution could work.
What is the impact of the Supreme Court ruling on the Arizona illegal immigrant?Tamar Jacoby joins Jim Blasingame to discuss what the impact of the recent ruling by the Supreme Court on the Arizona illegal immigrant case.
When will small businesses get some clarity on immigration laws? Tamar Jacoby joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the bind small business owners find themselves in between finding employees and the Federal government's dysfunctional immigration policies.
Tuesday - July 10, 2012
How can municipalities help their entrepreneurs grow jobs and the economy. Suzanne Mulvehill joins Jim Blasingame to talk about she combines her work in the marketplace and in government to promote economic growth.
How do employees feel about your work environment? Bob Kustka joins Jim Blasingame to talk about what causes a work environment to become unproductive and even toxic.
What can you do to promote a positive work environment? Bob Kustka joins Jim Blasingame to identify management best practices that you can employ to correct a poor work environment and promote a healthy one.
Having a bad workplace environment could be costing you more than you can afford. Bob Kustka joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the true costs of having a bad workplace environment, including the impact on customer relationships and sales.
The young entrepreneurs are peaking later these days. Donna Fenn joins Jim Blasingame to report on the new "Under 30" crop of entrepreneurs and what they're doing that is so important.
Are the under-30 entrepreneurs creating jobs? Donna Fenn joins Jim Blasingame to report on the entrepreneurial activity and job-creating ventures they started and are growing.
Do you properly classify your workers? Eva Rosenberg joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why even part-time summer student workers should be classified as employees and not contractors.
The IRS wants to help you if you've misclassified workers. Eva Rosenberg joins Jim Blasingame to report on the Voluntary Classification Settlement Program (form 8952) that helps if you've been misclassifying workers as contractors instead of employees.
Should you use a tax professional to make contact with the IRS? Eva Rosenberg joins Jim Blasingame to encourage you to get a tax professional to help you work with the IRS when you've misclassified worker as contractors instead of employees.
Wednesday - July 11, 2012
Why should you practice for an interview? Renee Grant-Williams joins Jim Blasingame with tips for an engaging interview, including why you should match the interviewer's pace and energy.
Six million Baby Boomer small businesses are nearing retirement. John Dini joins Jim Blasingame to report on the challenges six million Baby Boomer will have divesting of their small businesses over the next 20 years.
Selling a small business will be different in the next generation. John Dini joins Jim Blasingame to report on the realities facing 6 million Baby Boomers in selling their small businesses to Generation X prospects.
Will Gen Y be better prospects than Gen X to sell a Baby Boomer business to? John Dini joins Jim Blasingame to compare Gen X and Gen Y as prospects to buy the millions of Baby Boomer small businesses.
Can you separate your struggles from basic happiness? Joseph McClendon joins Jim Blasingame to reveal proven ways to be happy, even when you still have to struggle in your small business.
Is it more difficult to be happy today? Joseph McClendon joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how to rewire your brain for happiness from what's inside you, not by popular culture and what passes for entertainment these days.
Social media is more about communicating than informing. Dan Burrus joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how connecting online is much more than the term social media can convey, especially in the area of trust.
How integrated is your media strategy? Dan Burrus joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how to integrate social into your media strategy and make it less about you and more relevant to customers.
Is the world transforming while you're trying to manage change? Dan Burrus joins Jim Blasingame to reveal that the world is in a period of transformation, and how this can become a lever small businesses use, rather than a weapon used against us.
Thursday - July 12, 2012
Small business lessons from Jeff Foxworty? Who knew? Jim Blasingame uses the Jeff Foxworthy routine to talk about fundamental lessons for small business survival, like marketing and your online strategy.
Here are more lessons from the Jeff Foxworthy routine. Jim Blasingame finishes his small business survival lessons based on the Jeff Foxworthy routine, including financial, banking and sales.
Being an expert gives your small business an advantage. Paula Lovell joins Jim Blasingame to encourage small business owners to think of themselves as experts and become a thought-leader to local media outlets.
Become a thought-leader by writing what you know. Paula Lovell joins Jim Blasingame to encourage small business owners to write what they know about their business and use the media to get your knowledge published.
Distribute your thought-leadership within your own customer communities. Paula Lovell joins Jim Blasingame to encourage small business owners to express thought-leadership in social media platforms within their own communities.
How does an organic farm business work? Michael Menzies joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the key elements of an organic farm, including how it differs from other farming, and developing Community Supported Agriculture program.
Organic farming is not the same thing as green farming. Michael Menzies joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the green components of his organic farm, including creating his own diesel fuel and electricity.
How sustainable is your competitive advantage? Bob Prosen joins Jim Blasingame to talk about maintaining a competitive advantage when your products and pricing is not why customers buy from you.
When relevance drives your competitive advantage. Bob Prosen joins Jim Blasingame to explain how to use technology and new media to qualify prospects, and how to get more sales with fewer salespeople.
Prospecting for customers by giving before you get. Bob Prosen joins Jim Blasingame to explan how to acquire highly qualified prospects with a strategy of "giving before you get" by providing more information and less commercials.
Friday - July 13, 2012
What you can learn from the J.P. Morgan Chase rogue trading scandal. John Bradberry joins Jim Blasingame to offer suggestions on the Jamie Dimon lesson in management: Don't be complacent.
When you're trying to get to the bottom of how something went wrong, ask why. John Bradberry joins Jim Blasingame to suggest that when there is a management challenge, ask "why" five times to get the true answer.
Small business optimism took another hit. Bill Dunkelberg joins Jim Blasingame to discuss this month's NFIB Report which indicates that small business optimism has dropped again to a new low, and they discuss possible reasons.
Small business report most indicators are down. Bill Dunkelberg joins Jim Blasingame to discuss this month's NFIB Report that indicates sales and hiring are down due to the behavior of customers, both consumers and businesses.
Will the U.S. avoid going over a fiscal cliff? Bill Dunkelberg joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the impact of possible tax increases and automatic budget cuts on the economy for 2013.
Is the deck stacked against women who want family and profession? Katherine Smith Dedrick joins Jim Blasingame to answer the question, "Can women have it all?" and she says yes.
Ladies, how do you handle the "G" word? Katherine Dedrick Smith joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the guilt burden women place on themselves, often self-imposed and unnecessarily.
When you go to work, what is on your mind? Jack Mitchell joins Jim Blasingame to ask what is on your mind when you drive to your small business in the morning - product or people?
Why do your customers do business with you? Jack Mitchell joins Jim Blasingame to explain that your products are not why customers come back, but rather how you and your people make them feel - the experience.
What is the is the key to customer service success? Jack Mitchell joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the way to "hug" your customers so they won't go anywhere else to buy what you sell.
Monday - July 16, 2012
How unions, both public and private, influence American politics. Jim Copland joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why public and private union pension funds that target political races and legislation are bad for America.
When public unions target corporations for political purposes. Jim Copland joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why public union pension funds are targeting corporations with proxy fights because of political support.
Blend youth and maturity to accomplish sustainable growth. Peter Meyer joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the connection between youth and maturity as a state of mind instead of chronology.
Mature organizations find a way to grow by maintaining youthful thinking. Peter Meyer joins Jim Blasingame to the influence of youthfulness on mature organizations that want to grow.
Why did the Apple iPhone defeat the Rim Blackberry? Peter Meyer joins Jim Blasingame to reveal a youthfulness and maturity lesson by comparing the success of the iPhone with the demise of the Blackberry.
How a bank grew fast by using their culture to their advantage. Chester Elton joins Jim Blasingame to share a story about how a bank added many new employees successfully by using their culture.
Does your business have culture ambassadors? Chester Elton joins Jim Blasingame to talk about leadership practices that empowers employees to be culture ambassadors with other employees and especially customers.
What does it look like when change turns into transformation? Jack Uldrich joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how the future of your organization will look more like a ongoing transformation instead of incremental change.
The transformation of education is blending learning with lifestyle. Jack Uldrich joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the transformation of higher education away from institutions and structures, toward individual student applications and online instruction - sometimes for free.
How much do you know about what your customers need and want? Jack Uldrich joins Jim Blasingame to encourage you to focus on how business intelligence - what we know about customer behavior - is a transforming business discipline.
Tuesday - July 17, 2012
What does big government have to do with crony capitalism? David Gerson joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how a growing public sector and bigger government causes politicians in both parties to practice crony capitalism.
Small business will benefit from smaller government. David Gerson joins Jim Blasingame to reveal what causes the cancer of "crony capitalism" and why it and bigger government are the enemy of small businesses.
What's is the best way to acquire a copyright of something you've created? David Dawsey joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the different kinds of copyrights, including common and registered, and the advantages of both.
When is a copyright an alternative to a patent? David Dawsey joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the different kinds of patents and how some intellectual property could be registered as a patent or a copyright.
How do you decide when to copyright something you've created? David Dawsey joins Jim Blasingame to identify some of the ways to determine if what you've created qualifies for copyrighting and how to make that happen.
Why do 86% of employees leave an employer? Rob Jolles joins Jim Blasingame to report the primary reason employees leave is feeling they aren't appreciated, and how small business owners can avoid making that mistake.
Criticize in private and praise in public? Rob Jolles joins Jim Blasingame to debate the best way to recognize and praise employees for outstanding performance..
Some things about branding has not changed. Paul Casey joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how some things about small business branding have not changed, even in this digital age.
Some things about small business branding have changed. Paul Casey joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how technology and social media has changed your branding strategy, especially your personal brand.
Make sure your branding information is intuitive for customers. Paul Casey joins Jim Blasingame to talk about making your brand information intuitive and easy for employees and customers to become brand advocates.
Wednesday - July 18, 2012
Lessons on public speaking from politicians. Diane DiResta joins Jim Blasingame to talk about what we can learn from politicians about handling difficult audiences when we speak publicly.
Politicians can provide a clinic on how to avoid our message being taken out of context. Diane DiResta joins Jim Blasingame with examples of how politicians teach us the dangers of misstatements and being taken out of context.
What did the Supreme Court decide about Obamacare? Grace-Marie Turner joins Jim Blasingame to report the details of the Supreme Court ruling on Obamacare, including what was upheld and what was struck down.
When Supreme Court Justices make laws, instead of protecting the constitution. Grace-Marie Turner joins Jim Blasingame to report on how Chief Justice Roberts succumbed to political pressure to make his ruling on Obamacare.
What will be the result of the Obamacare ruling going forward? Grace-Marie Turner joins Jim Blasingame to report on the impact of Obamacare on the medical profession, plus what will it take to stop it.
What does social media have to do with the Tour de France? Jim Blasingame reveals what small businesses can learn from the Tour de France about having a social media strategy.
Is global warming real? Jim Blasingame talks about his thoughts on global warming, how humans are contributing to it, and how a comprehensive energy policy is the best way to reduce it.
What is LIBOR, the London Interbank Offered Rate? Bob McTeer joins Jim Blasingame to explain what LIBOR is and how it contributes to global financial markets, including small business financing.
What will result from the LIBOR rate fixing scandal? Bob McTeer joins Jim Blasingame to explain the LIBOR scandal, what caused it, how bad is it and what will happen.
Will the LIBOR scandal affect small businesses? Bob McTeer joins Jim Blasingame to explain how small businesses will be impacted by the LIBOR scandal, as another loss of confidence in the global financial system.
Thursday - July 19, 2012
When does the expectation of free stuff on the Internet hurt the economy and quality? Jeff Zbar joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how the Internet has affected the value of content in our culture.
When is technology good for humans but not for humanity? Jeff Zbar joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the wonders of the digital age for humans and the impact of it on humanity.
There has never been a time when more generations are represented in the workplace. Mike Muetzel joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the challenges of delineating the perceptions of a multi-generational workplace while increasing productivity and employee engagement.
What are the challenges of Boomer managers working with Gen Y employees? Mike Muetzel joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how to help Boomers managers and Gen Y employees meet in the middle with their expectations..
Gen Y is looking for instant gratification and constant feedback. Mike Muetzel joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the expectations of Gen Y as employees while Jim recommends more tough love from Boomer managers.
Are you tapping into the power of The Cloud? Jamie Sutherland joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the many ways that small businesses can find leverage and efficiencies by adopting a business strategy that includes Cloud computing.
Are you worried about security with Cloud applications? Jamie Sutherland joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the advantages, and even one or two disadvantages of Cloud applications for small businesses.
How to avoid being called an "Ugly American:" Ivan Misner joins Jim Blasingame to talk about networking and doing business abroad and how to avoid being called an "Ugly American."
What's different about networking in China? Ivan Misner joins Jim Blasingame to reveal things to pay attention to when doing business in China, including the use of numbers and humor.
It's great to be an American, but dangerous when networking overseas. Ivan Misner joins Jim Blasingame to reveal things Americans should pay attention to when doing business other countries, including being respectful.
Friday - July 20, 2012
What is in the way of your goals becoming reality? Beverly Flaxington joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how to get outside influences - and you - our of your own way as you set and work toward accomplishing goals.
Blasingame Management 101: Seek excellence, not perfection. Beverly Flaxington joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how perfection gets in your way of achieving excellence and your goals.
How dangerous is the fiscal cliff America is approaching at the end of the year? Bruce Bartlett joins Jim Blasingame to explain the various components of the potential fiscal nightmare facing America in 2013.
Is our government a reflection of us? Bruce Bartlett joins Jim Blasingame to lament the fact that Americans are so closely divided politically that we never get anything accomplished regarding tax and spending reform.
Why small businesses need tax reform. Bruce Bartlett joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the need for tax policy that isn't always in limbo at the whim of the current political tension.
Email is as important a tool as ever. Christina Cavanagh joins Jim Blasingame to explain why email is still a very important and powerful tool, plus how to use it effectively to make new contacts.
How long can you go off the grid and unplug from email? Christina Cavanagh joins Jim Blasingame with tips on when and how to unplug and disconnect from email, if only for a little while.
Will Obamacare survive repeal? Ray Keating joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the Supreme Court ruling on Obamacare and what happens now.
What does President Obama really think about small business? Ray Keating joins Jim Blasingame to talk about recent comments by President Obama about small business and American success and what these tell us about his worldview.
What is creating so much uncertainty in the marketplace? Ray Keating joins Jim Blasingame to report on some of the issues that are causing business owners and managers to feel uncertain as the make decisions about the future.
Monday - July 23, 2012
Should Facebook ads be part of your marketing strategy? Zach Hoffman joins Jim Blasingame to defend Facebook ads as a way to reach small business prospects, and to reveal what was behind GM pulling their ads just before the Facebook IPO.
Are you considering Facebook ads? Zach Hoffman joins Jim Blasingame to explain how to create a marketing strategy for Facebook ads, including a Wall, where to direct prospects and how much to spend.
Is manufacturing resurging in the U.S.?Chad Moutray joins Jim Blasingame to report on what's causing the trend in manufacturing growth in the U.S., including small manufacturers.
How Washington is pushing the U.S. economy off a cliff. Chad Moutray joins Jim Blasingame to report on fiscal issues that the U.S. government must fix in 2012 or the economy will go over an economic cliff.
Why isn't the U.S. producing qualified workers for manufacturing jobs? Chad Moutray joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the frustration of manufacturers who can't find qualified workers for their 21st century jobs.
Is your business's glass half empty or half full? JoAnna Brandi joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the power of positive capacity, where employees are engaged because they've been empowered to solve customer problems.
What is the return on happiness? JoAnna Brandi joins Jim Blasingame explain that when companies focus on creating a a great environment employees are more engaged, which makes for more engaged customers.
Why should your small business have a social media strategy? Tim Berry joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why he thinks social media is justified as being a major component of your business plan.
How do you install social media into your business plan? Tim Berry joins Jim Blasingame to explain why an dhow to integrate a social media into a business plan, including execution and measurement.
How do you execute and track your social media strategy? Tim Berry joins Jim Blasingame to reveal several tips and best practices on how to execute a performing social media strategy.
Tuesday - July 24, 2012
Terry Neese joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the 2012 International Women’s Economic Summit and the Peace Through Business Program which is empowering women in Afghanistan and Rwanda.
What is the relationship between freedom, liberty and entrepreneurship? Dr. Kevin Fegan joins Jim Blasingame to discuss while entrepreneurship is the child of liberty in the United States, in countries like Afghanistan, liberty might be the child of entrepreneurship.
Who is teaching entrepreneurship outside of the U.S.? Dr. Kevin Fegan joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the Peace Through Business program, which includes teaching management, philosophy of entrepreneurship & capitalism in countries like Afghanistan and Rwanda.
What does a Rwandan woman small business owner think about business? Josephine Uwineza joins Jim Blasingame to discuss owning the first Chinese restaurant in the Rwandan capital city of Kigali, plus why she decided to become a business owner after 30 years in exile.
Josephine Uwineza joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how the curriculum of the Peace Through Business program, including in home training, business planning and a mentoring trip to the United States, helps Rwandan women small business owners succeed.
Charlene Lake joins Jim Blasingame to explain why AT&T chose to sponsor the Peace Through Business program after seeing the passion and courage of women business owners in Rwanda and Afghanistan.
Freshta Hazeq joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how she's trying to break the mentality that women can not work in "hard" industries with her company Royal Advertising Co., which is the only printing and advertising company in Afghanistan.
Freshta Hazeq joins Jim Blasingame to discuss her experience in the Peace Through Business program and how she will use the training she's received to improve her printing business.
Fran McMahon joins Jim Blasingame to discuss her involvement with the Peace Through Business program, plus how the Rwandan and Afghanistan women in the program are "all in" in their business, sometimes risking their lives for their business.
Fran McMahon joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the challenges of a non-partisan political newspaper in the digital age, plus reflections on hyper-partisanship.
Wednesday - July 25, 2012
How do you know when to hire an employee? OIalah Njenga joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the different kinds of management and growth pains a business has that means it's time to hire an employee.
How to grow into hiring your first employee. OIalah Njenga joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the three stages of growth that you can use to know when to hire a full-time employee.
The ongoing Amazon Internet sales tax negotiations could hurt small online sellers. Cliff Ennico joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the debate about Internet sales tax and how Amazon's recent negotiations may hurt small business online sellers.
You may soon be required to collect and remit sales tax on Internet sales. Cliff Ennico joins Jim Blasingame to report on legislation that may require all Internet sellers to collect and remit sales tax for all sales.
Do you know what retail arbitrage is? Cliff Ennico joins Jim Blasingame to report on how some online sellers take product they buy and sell it online for more, or retail arbitrage. What's wrong with this and what are the concerns?
Where do you turn when you're tempted to give up? Jim Blasingame uses the life and times of Abraham Lincoln and women business owners in Afghanistan to establish a perseverance scale for small business owners.
What happens if America loses its community bank industry? Jim Blasingame talks about his concerns for how independent community banks are in jeopardy due to over-regulation and how that endangers American small businesses.
How do we stop the damage regulators are doing to independent community banks? Steve Forbes joins Jim Blasingame to report on how to stop community banks from becoming collateral damage by government regulation of big banks.
Which presidential candidate has the momentum? Steve Forbes joins Jim Blasingame to report on the challenges Obama has with the economy and why Romney isn't talking enough about his vision for America.
Is President Obama aligning America too closely with the United Nations. Steve Forbes joins Jim Blasingame to report on how closely the Obama administration is with United Nations policies, including a global tax on the wealthy and gun control.
Thursday - July 26, 2012
Women don't ask for the capital they need. Kim Lavine joins Jim Blasingame to help women understand what venture capitalist are looking for and how to approach them for equity capital.
"Women don't think big." investor capital. Kim Lavine joins Jim Blasingame to say that women often don't think big enough when approaching venture capitalists.
Google is changing local search. Kathy Perry joins Jim Blasingame to explain why Google has changed the rules on how small businesses use local search to require a Google+ account.
Small businesses should understand the politics of social media. Kathy Perry joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the good and bad of policy changes by Google and Facebook as their goals may not fit your goals.
Should your small business have a mobile app? Kathy Perry joins Jim Blasingame to explain the difference between a mobile site and a mobile app, and how to decide which one you should have.
Small businesses have a great customer service advantage. Ron Kaufman joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how small businesses can take advantage of a natural and unique ability to excel in customer service.
Helping employees deliver better customer service. Ron Kaufman joins Jim Blasingame to talk about building a culture of service by educating employees about their role in delivering an excellent customer experience.
How technology is changing your marketing strategy. Alan Maites joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how the marketing effort of small businesses has to blend traditional marketing with new media technology.
Budgeting for marketing is more complicated these days. Alan Maites joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how to budget for traditional marketing as well as new media activity.
Your best source of marketing power may be your employees. Alan Maites joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how to maximize one of the greatest sources of marketing power, your employees.
Friday - July 27, 2012
What is technology doing to communication? Christy Demetrakis joins Jim Blasingame to talk about some of the challenges humans have blending technology and our need to connect and communicate with other humans, especially customers.
How do you read body language by email or social media? Christy Demetrakis joins Jim Blasingame to remind that face-to-face is the original social media and should be an abiding part of any professional business and sales strategy.
Will Gen Y save the residential housing depression? Ken Gronbach joins Jim Blasingame to report on the impact of Generation Y and immigrants on the next surge in housing and the economy.
Everybody needs a place to live. Ken Gronbach joins Jim Blasingame to discuss some of the demographic components that could cause the housing industry to support a sustained recovery for the next 10 years.
Why the U.S. leads the world in per capita economic productivity. Ken Gronbach joins Jim Blasingame to report on the per capita contribution of U.S. workers and how technology creates employment opportunities and challenges,
How are the presidential candidates handing their brand stories? Catherine Kaputa joins Jim Blasingame to compare how Brand Obama and Brand Romney are doing in controlling their brand message.
What small businesses can learn from presidential candidate brands. Catherine Kaputa joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the need for presidential candidates and small businesses to control their brand messages.
Edison's battery technology gets new life. Joel Barker joins Jim Blasingame to report that one of Thomas Edison's 19th century battery inventions could save the electric auto sector when joined with 21st century materials.
Making bones from laser printers? Joel Barker joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how innovations in 3D laser printers will allow new products to be "printed," including walls and, believe it or not, bone replacements.
The Wright Brothers airplane design lives in the 21st century. Joel Barker joins Jim Blasingame to report on how an original bi-plane design could be used to build the next supersonic aircraft.
Monday - July 30, 2012
Your bank should be your small business' best friend. James Coughlin joins Jim Blasingame to offer five tips for small business owners to use to create and maintain a successful relationship with a bank..
When you get a business loan, do you know why you have to sign twice? Jim Coughlin joins Jim Blasingame to explain the personal guarantee when getting a business loan and how to use an insurance product to offset that risk.
What is the verdict of the Dodd-Frank bill on its second anniversary? Nicole Gelinas joins Jim Blasingame to report on why the Dodd-Frank law was created and the verdict on how it has worked out.
The Dodd-Frank law is bad news for small business banking. Nicole Gelinas joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how the Dodd-Frank law and Consumer Finance Protection Bureau hurts small businesses and their bank partners.
Can Dodd-Frank be repealed? Nicole Gelinas joins Jim Blasingame to talk about whether any president could repeal the Dodd-Frank law now that it has gotten entrenched in the regulatory system.
Everyone has the innate ability to be creative. Joan C. King joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why every human has the molecular predisposition to be creative, the question is whether you allow yourself to be.
Why is the morning often the most creative time of the day? Joan C. King joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how the brain works to encourage and discourage creativity, and how to manage that fact.
Are you getting the most out of your smart phone? Chuck Martin joins Jim Blasingame to introduce his new book on how to use your smart phone better, including apps, and a special discount when you buy the book.
What is your smart phone capable of doing for you? Chuck Martin joins Jim Blasingame to talk about some of the specific elements and capability of your smart phone, including how to use apps so they don't use too much of your battery.
Is your small business mobile ready? Chuck Martin joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why every small business should be prepared to accommodate prospects and customers who want to connect with their smart phones.
Tuesday - July 31, 2012
Are you creative in every area of your business? Bob Fischer joins Jim Blasingame to explain that the most important factor in the success of small business is the quality of the decisions the business owner makes.
Do you have a follow through strategy? Bob Fischer joins Jim Blasingame to explain that you should never plan to do something in your business without developing a follow through strategy to make sure you execute your plan.
What is The List? Rick Maurer joins Jim Blasingame to explain The Magic List, which is the reactions of employees to changes in your business that they're not telling you, plus why people may be resistant to change.
What makes you glad, what makes you glad, what would you add? Rick Maurer joins Jim Blasingame to explain how to get employees to tell you their thoughts on change within your business, including management by walking around to find if your employees get it, if they like it, and if they trust you.
You've got the information, now what do you do with it? Rick Maurer joins Jim Blasingame to discuss what to do with the information you gain from The List, including training to ensure people are up to speed on the changes in your business, plus implementing small, positive changes to gain your employees' trust.
What do customers want? Darren Pleasance joins Jim Blasingame to explain the role that sales plays in driving business performance, plus how customers are learning about your product & purchasing through many different channels & you have to be available to them on all of them.
What is a sales engine? Darren Pleasance joins Jim Blasingame to explain explain that a sales engine is the collection of resources it takes to have a high performing sales model, plus finding growth before your competitors.
Don't forget about your budget. John Harrison joins Jim Blasingame to suggest a mid-year personal budget review to make sure your income, expenses, and savings are what you expected for the first half of the year & to give you the change to course correct if need be, plus don't be guilty of annualizing your figures.
What's your exit strategy? John Harrison joins Jim Blasingame to explain that every business owner, from new owner to seasoned veteran, needs a business exit strategy in place, plus how your exit strategy can impact your business's legal structure, hiring, and the business organization.
Are you organized? John Harrison joins Jim Blasingame discuss ways to declutter your business, including going paperless or scanning & storing important documents in the cloud, plus how clutter leads to inefficiency.
