Monday - April 01, 2013
Is your state losing population and wealth? Travis H. Brown joins Jim Blasingame to explain why $2 trillion in wealth has moved from certain states to other states largely as a reaction to high income tax rates, and what this means.
How is the political picture impacted by interstate migration away from state income tax. Travis H. Brown joins Jim Blasingame to explain how $2 trillion interstate migration of wealth is impacting regional economies and politics.
Are you using creative approaches to pricing to get more business? Mary Cantando joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how to apply the creative process to develop pricing strategies that are relevant to your customers, not just your plans.
How do you decide pricing of products and services? Mary Cantando joins Jim Blasingame to offer suggestions on how to make sure the pricing logic you use for products and services aligns with customer expectations as well as your own plans.
Price your products for relationships, not transactions. Mary Cantando joins Jim Blasingame to recommend a pricing strategy that will help you create long-term customer relationships, rather than just a transaction with customers.
Are you aware of all of the privileges of business ownership? Jim Blasingame talks about several of the privileges of owning a small business, including tongue-in-cheek examples, as well as real financial benefits.
What happens when you make a small business bank loan? Jim Blasingame offers advice on what happens when you get a bank loan for your small business, plus the significant advantages of owning the real estate your business operates in.
Can you get comfortable with innovation failures? Robert Brands joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why if you innovation program isn't working, it might be because you're too afraid of failure.
Are you using effective innovation tools? Robert Brands joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how to use white boarding and brain writing to help your teams create and execute more effective innovations.
Are you prioritizing your innovations? Robert Brands joins Jim Blasingame to reveal why a prioritization strategy is necessary to make sure your innovation plan is focused and effective.
Tuesday - April 02, 2013
What kind of a boss are you? Wally Bock joins Jim Blasingame to reveal three of the seven deadly sins of bosses, including showing favoritism, being arbitrary and indecisive.
Don't be guilty of committing these mistakes. Wally Bock joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the other four deadly sins of bosses, including lack of communication, lying, and acting like it's all about you.
Is Kim Jong Un stupid or crazy like a fox? Rich Galen joins Jim Blasingame to report on the recent sabre rattling the leader of North Korea has been doing and how dangerous that behavior could become.
After a decade, was invading Iraq the right thing to do? Rich Galen joins Jim Blasingame on the 10th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq and to discuss how history will deal with this decision.
How do we get Washington to make decisions the way the rest of us do? Rich Galen joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how so much of the activity of the political class in Washington is conducted without any sense of shame, and how we fix this untenable condition.
How do you implement change? Tom Anastasi joins Jim Blasingame to reveal two ways to execute change in your organization, the implosion method and the systematic method, plus examples of when both are necessary.
What is your change leadership style? Tom Anastasi joins Jim Blasingame to reveal two kinds of change leadership, transactional and transformational, and how both have their times and places.
Why aren't women better mentors to other women? Vickie Milazzo joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the differences between how men treat other men and women tread other women.
What's the difference between leaning in and leaning back? Vickie Milazzo joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the difference between Cheryl Sandberg's leaning in strategy for the advancement of women, and Vickie's ideas on leaning back as mentors.
Women aren't the only ones who can't "have it all." Vickie Milazzo joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the lament by women that they can't "have it all" if they want to pursue a career, and whether anyone, man or woman, can accomplish that.
Thursday - April 04, 2013
There are reasons why things catch on. Jonah Berger joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the six principles that drive contagious influence and behavior, including triggers and stories.
Do you know whether you have a toxic employee? John Dini joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how one toxic employee can become like a cancer that metastasizes throughout your organization.
Every business makes bad hires, but how do you fix it? John Dini joins Jim Blasingame to recognize that all businesses make bad hires, but successful businesses identify a bad employee situation early and deals with it quickly.
Here's a very effective way to root out and reveal a bad employee or management situation. John Dini joins Jim Blasingame to recommend a "traffic light 360 evaluation" that helps identify employee problems quickly and effectively.
Do you have stay-home-itis? Jeff Zbar joins Jim Blasingame to warn home-based business owners about the natural tendency to spend too much time inside your four walls and not get out into the marketplace regularly.
Do you have the personality that will allow you to work alone successfully? Jeff Zbar joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the role personality plays in whether you can successfully work alone from home.
Are you experiencing TMI overload? Debbie Meyer joins Jim Blasingame to talk about what happens when the wealth of information we have available turns into a thief of our time and productivity.
How do you prevent information overload? Debbie Meyer joins Jim Blasingame to recommend using scanning techniques to identify relevant information and a triage approach to when you will consume information.
Do you have distractionitis? Debbie Meyer joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how many more distraction we have in our work day and how to manage them, including productive ways to stay on top of email without letting it dominate you.
Word of mouth is more powerful than advertising. Jonah Berger joins Jim Blasingame to reveal that what other people say and do is more powerful and impactful to others than advertising, and how to harness this power in our businesses.
Friday - April 05, 2013
How long are we going to accept millions of Americans unemployed? Terence Grado joins Jim Blasingame to report on the unacceptable unemployment numbers, especially for the young and minorities.
How much damage will another minimum wage increase do? Terence Grado joins Jim Blasingame to report on the proposed Secretary of Labor and what his appointment will mean for a proposed minimum wage increase.
Obamacare is falling apart, piece by piece. Grace-Marie Turner joins Jim Blasingame to report on the repeal process of the medical device tax in Obamacare and why this is another example of this bad law falling apart.
Small business health exchanges are delayed opening. Grace-Marie Turner joins Jim Blasingame to report on another Obamacare failure: Small business exchanges are delayed opening for a year. Obamacare is unraveling piece by piece.
Obamacare is so complicated we have to hire thousands of "Navigators?" Grace-Marie Turner joins Jim Blasingame to report on the announcement that the government will hire tens of thousands of "Navigators" to explain Obamacare to us.
Are you confident of your retirement planning? Jason Vanclef joins Jim Blasingame to report on recent surveys of Americans about confidence in their retirement planning, and to recommend a multiple leg approach to investing.
Do the wealthy know something about financial planning that you don't? Jason Vanclef joins Jim Blasingame to reveal some of the investment behavior the wealthy practice, including diversification and aggressive tax avoidance.
Do you know how to fund your tax deadline payments? Eva Rosenberg joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the different tax deadlines that you have to fund by April 15, including estimates tax and IRAs.
Your self-directed IRA can be very versatile. Eva Rosenberg joins Jim Blasingame to explain how to use the funds in a self-directed IRA to partially or completely pay for a real estate investment, including mistakes to avoid.
We're all going out of our businesses for good one day, either head first or feet first. Eva Rosenberg joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the inevitable exiting of our businesses, and recommend several steps to prepare for a financially successful departure.
Monday - April 08, 2013
Don't fear the big guys. Adam DeGraide joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how his company helps independent insurance agencies compete with the big firms and win, and how this approach works for all small businesses.
You now have the tools to beat the Big Boxes. Adam DeGraide joins Jim Blasingame to report on how he helps independent insurance agencies use digital and social resources to compete with the big firms, and how you can too.
Don't kill yourself meeting the April 15 IRS filing date. Barbara Weltman joins Jim Blasingame to report on the reasons that filing an income tax filing extension can be useful, it's easy and what you need to know about doing it.
When filing your estimated taxes, be sure to check the new rules. Barbara Weltman joins Jim Blasingame to report that there are new things to know about before filing estimates taxes, including the new Obamacare tax increase on Medicare.
You still have time to impact last year's tax bill. Barbara Weltman joins Jim Blasingame to report on several things you can still do to lower your tax bill for last year.
Does your company have an innovative culture? Terry Jones joins Jim Blasingame to reveal that innovation requires the right culture and teams, plus what are the traits of an innovative culture.
Do you have innovative teams? Terry Jones joins Jim Blasingame to reveal some of the traits and characteristics of an innovative team, including the ability to discuss and debate any topic or idea.
Will China reign in the North Korean leader? Ted Fishman joins Jim Blasingame to report on the likely reasons North Korea's leader is acting aggressively, and whether China will intercede to reign in it's neighbor.
What is changing embedded corruption in Indonesia and why should we care? Ted Fishman joins Jim Blasingame to report on changes in how business and government is done in Indonesia and how this could impact the U.S.
Technology has the ability to return government to the people. Ted Fishman joins Jim Blasingame to report how technology can create transparency that shines a disinfecting light on corruption and improper influence in government.
Tuesday - April 09, 2013
Is multi-tasking taking you down? Jay Papasan joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the power of identifying the one things that's most important to you today and making sure it gets done by making an appointment with yourself to do it.
What is stealing your effectiveness? Jay Papasan joins Jim Blasingame to reveal four things that consistently steal your management effectiveness, including the inability to say "no."
What do business conditions look like? Sam Norwood joins Jim Blasingame with this month's Tatum Survey showing that business conditions are improving.
Business conditions seem to be improving. Sam Norwood joins Jim Blasingame with this month's Tatum Survey that indicates improving sales, capital expenditures, hiring and credit availability.
Are we heading toward a sustained recovery? Sam Norwood joins Jim Blasingame with this month's Tatum Survey to report that he thinks we are heading for sustained economic growth the rest of this year.
Regulating community banks like big banks is a mistake. Jim Blasingame explains the problems created for small businesses and the economy when community banks are regulated by the government as if they were little big banks.
How many small business owners arm themselves in their offices? Jim Blasingame reports that over half of small business owners are armed in their businesses and many others are considering it, plus his thoughts on the gun control debate.
Look forward to the day when your taxes are all paid. Pete Sepp joins Jim Blasingame to report on April 18th as this year's Tax Freedom Day, which is when you can stop working for the government and start working for yourself.
The U.S. tax system is getting more complex than ever before. Pete Sepp joins Jim Blasingame with the new annual report that reveals an abnormally high level of complexity, and requires more man-hours than the top four retailers employment combined.
Increasing complexity of the tax code will cost small businesses many hours. Pete Sepp joins Jim Blasingame to report on increasing complexity of the tax code that will require many more hours for small business compliance.
Thursday - April 11, 2013
Accomplish innovation that succeeds. Seth Kahan joins Jim Blasingame to reveal some of the drivers of successful innovation, including inflection points and innovation capacity.
All business innovation must add value to customers. Seth Kahan joins Jim Blasingame to reveal other innovation drivers, including the imperative of adding value and collecting intelligence about innovation influences.
Do you have a plan or are you a planner? Gary Harpst joins Jim Blasingame to explain why small business owners have to move beyond having a business plan to becoming a continual business planner.
Become a better forecaster through continual planning. Gary Harpst joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the connection between your planning practices and management rhythms, especially forecasting,
Make planning or forecasting a regular practice. Gary Harpst joins Jim Blasingame to explain why every business owner should either be forecasting or checking forecasts every day.
Are you and your team speaking the same language? Rose Fass joins Jim Blasingame to use the metaphor of chocolate preference to explain why leading your organization requires being specific and consistent.
Do you know when to communicate and when to translate? Rose Fass joins Jim Blasingame to reveal why being a successful leader requires knowing when to translate and when to communicate by asking, "What do you think I mean?"
The Dodd-Frank legislation is making community banks collateral damage. Giovanni Coratolo joins Jim Blasingame to report on how the Dodd-Frank law is hurting community banks unnecessarily and by association, small businesses.
Will we every get a budget in Washington? Giovanni Coratolo joins Jim Blasingame to report on the dysfunction among America's political class as it attempts to birth a budget, which is the primary thing they get paid to do.
The U.S. Chamber is watching public policies that impact small business. Giovanni Coratolo joins Jim Blasingame to report on some of the things the U.S. Chamber is doing on behalf of small businesses, including their annual summit.
Friday - April 12, 2013
Could a mobile app save your life? Mike Thomas joins Jim Blasingame to report on how new mobile technology is being developed as applications for smartphones that could help you manage and even diagnose a disease.
Good new for asthma sufferers. Mike Thomas joins Jim Blasingame to report on a new mobile device that will benefit asthma sufferers.
Passing an annual budget by the President and Congress is the law. Bill Brandt joins Jim Blasingame to discuss whether Obama and Congress will actually pass a budget after four years of violating the law that requires it.
Will the public pension plan deficits take us down? Bill Brandt joins Jim Blasingame to report on the state of underfunded public pension plans and offer suggestions on how to fix them.
How underfunded are state and local government pension plans? Bill Brandt joins Jim Blasingame to report on the problems of underfunded state and local pension plans and offer suggestions on how to resolve this huge problem.
Does Taylor Swift know something you don't know? Sarah Petty joins Jim Blasingame to report on how a trip to a Taylor Swift concert taught this small business owner something about creating connections and an experience for customers.
Should you treat all customers the same way? Sarah Petty joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why it's okay to not treat all customers the same way.
As an American business, "Made in the USA" is a powerful exporting advantage. Doug Barry joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the fact that most small businesses already possess most of what's needed to become an exporter, including "Made in the USA."
Constant learning leads to being innovative and successful exporting. Doug Barry joins Jim Blasingame to reveal some of the traits of a successful exporter, including being a constant learner and converting what you learn into innovations.
Most successful exporters are not immigrants. Doug Barry joins Jim Blasingame to dispel the myth that most small exporters are immigrants, and to talk about the significant exporting support available from the government.
Monday - April 15, 2013
Are you opening the right doors for your employees? Bill Treasurer joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how successful leaders are always opening doors that lead to helping others seek and find excellence outside their comfort zone.
Here are specific doors you can open for your people. Bill Treasurer joins Jim Blasingame to reveal different kinds of doors that successful leaders open for their people to help them succeed and seek excellence.
All organizations have elephants in their living rooms. Pam Harper joins Jim Blasingame to reveal what it looks like when you have an elephant in your organization that is holding you back but no one will talk about.
Don't let the elephants in your business's living room take you down. Pam Harper joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how to identify the proverbial elephant in your organization that are holding you back, and how to help your people help you get rid of them.
Are you feeding the elephant in your business's living room? Pam Harper joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how to stop feeding the elephants in your business' living room and allow your people to help you get rid of them.
Time is not on the side of small businesses. Jim Blasingame reveals the three clocks of small business and offers suggestions on how to manage them and how to get them to work together.
Do small business owners take advantage of the income tax filing extension. Jim Blasingame reports on a recent poll of how small business owners take advantage of the tax filing extension and whether you should use it.
Margaret Thatcher was an iconic leader of the 20th century. Burt Folsom joins Jim Blasingame pay tribute to a great leader of the 20th century, English Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and recognize her important role in promoting freedom and free enterprise.
The U.S. income tax is 100 years old. Burt Folsom joins Jim Blasingame to report on the history of the U.S. income tax and how it has become a drug for politicians instead of a way to fund a frugal government.
What will income tax in the U.S. look like in the future? Burt Folsom joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the future of income tax, including value-added and flat tax plans, as well as whether payroll withholding is a good idea.
Wednesday - April 17, 2013
How's your online etiquette? Emily Post's great-great grandson, Daniel Post Senning joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the concept of proper etiquette, both in person and online.
How are your online manners? Emily Post's great-great grandson, Daniel Post Senning joins Jim Blasingame to talk about specific ways to behave when using technology, including cell phones.
Has the gold bubble burst? Gary Moore joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the collapse in gold prices and whether that portends anything for other asset classes and the global economic outlook.
Are we heading for an asset correction? Gary Moore joins Jim Blasingame to report on the impact of gold prices on other asset classes and whether there is a bubble in equities and commodities.
How much cash should you have in your portfolio today? Gary Moore joins Jim Blasingame to talk about whether it's time to move some equities and other asset classes into more cash.
How much controversy will Google Glass create? Kathy Perry joins Jim Blasingame to report on the new Google Glass, including how it works and its potential to violate the privacy of others.
Have you found Google Place for business complicated? Kathy Perry joins Jim Blasingame to report on some of the upgrades Google is doing for their Places platform that helps local small businesses do more business.
Have you ever wanted to go the the Galapagos Islands? Rick Maurer joins Jim Blasingame to provide a travelogue on his recent trip to the famous Galapagos Islands, how to get there and how to see the islands.
Are you delivering excellence to customers? Rick Maurer joins Jim Blasingame to report on how one company gave a clinic on how to anticipate the needs and expectations of its customers during a recent trip.
Can you make the transition from competitiveness to relevance? Rick Maurer joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why being competitive is no longer and advantage unless it's delivered with being relevant to customer expectations.
Thursday - April 18, 2013
How effective is your business's tribe? Jeff Zbar joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how to create a tribe for your business and connect with them as appropriate to get more business and make them your cheerleaders.
Is a notebook computers right for you? Jeff Zbar joins Jim Blasingame to explain the difference between a laptop, a tablet and a notebook computer, with emphasis on how a notebook works, what it does well and what it doesn't do.
We've tried immigration reform before. Tamar Jacoby joins Jim Blasingame to reveal what the U.S. immigration problem looks like, how we've tried to create reforms in the past and why they didn't succeed.
Will politics doom the current immigration reform effort? Tamar Jacoby joins Jim Blasingame to report on the current effort by members of both parties - the Gang of Eight - to find an immigration reform compromise.
What are the changes immigration reform will happen this year? Tamar Jacoby joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the political obstacles in the way of an immigration reform law and her prediction for whether it happens in 2013.
How has the human brain progressed over millennia? Jason Silva joins Jim Blasingame to talk about his National Geographic series BRAIN GAMES that reveals how the human brain has progressed and has been influenced by time and activity.
Jason Silva joins expert Jim Blasingame to talk about his National Geographic series BRAIN GAMES that uses demonstrations and exercises to show how our brain works and how it can be influenced, on The Small Business Advocate Show.
Why don't business say "thank you" any more? Richard Hooker joins Jim Blasingame to lament the state of customer service today and reveal the timeless power of loving up your customers.
What's your commitment to customer service look like? Richard Hooker joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the difference between customer service as a strategy as opposed to a tactic, and why one is a winner and the other not so much.
Is word of mouth working for you or against you? Richard Hooker joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the power of word of mouth by your customers and how easy it is to make sure comments about you are the good kind.
Friday - April 19, 2013
What's the single most important thing for start-up success? Jim Blasingame reveals that regardless of industry of background, the key to success in a start-up is having enough capital until there is sufficient cash flow from customers.
Want to acquire a ready-made business? Jim Blasingame reveals some of the issues around acquiring a franchise business as well as an existing business, including the role that capital plays in the success of either.
Why is small business optimism still so low? Bill Dunkelberg joins Jim Blasingame to report on this month's NFIB Index that shows small business owners are still uncertain about the economy and Washington politics.
Slow small business growth keeps hiring numbers down. Bill Dunkelberg joins Jim Blasingame with the NFIB Index that shows small businesses are still not hiring because they don't see the growth opportunities from sales.
Why aren't small businesses making capital investments? Bill Dunkelberg joins Jim Blasingame with the NFIB Index that shows small businesses are not ready to invest their capital or borrowed funds due to uncertainty about the economy.
Coaches and Lincoln offer lessons on recovering from losses. Gene Griessman joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the keys to recovering from losses with lessons from athletic coaches and President Lincoln.
Can you face a loss with humor? Gene Griessman joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how athletic coaches and President Lincoln overcame professional losses by being able to find a humorous perspective.
Business planning competitions have gone international. Tim Berry joins Jim Blasingame to report on his work as a judge for several college level business plan competitions and how they have become international events.
How is entrepreneurial education working? Tim Berry joins Jim Blasingame with concerns about the state of entrepreneurial and business education these days and to offer suggestions.
What does the business curriculum look like at your student's college? Tim Berry joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why you shouldn't presume that your child's business curriculum will teach the basic fundamentals of running a business.
Monday - April 22, 2013
How much time do you leave for yourself? Beverly Inman-Ebel joins Jim Blasingame to encourage small business owners to take time to turn the care you give your customers on yourself and set aside time to recharge each day.
Take time out of every day for yourself. Beverly Inman-Ebel joins Jim Blasingame to reveal several ways small business owners can and should set aside time every day just for their own mental and physical well-being.
Why would a Chechnyan become a terrorist against the U.S.? Rich Galen joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the background of the Boston Marathon bombing terrorists and what they would have against Americans.
How should the Boston bombing be treated legally? Rich Galen joins Jim Blasingame to reveal why he thinks the Boston marathon bombings should be treated as a crime and not an act of jihad.
Do we have to fight terrorists and political correctness? Rich Galen joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the fact that political correctness makes it difficult to prevent and prosecute terrorists and their acts.
What are you doing to set your business apart from others? Bob Negen joins Jim Blasingame to talk about ways you can set your business apart by doing little things that create a memorable customer experience.
How can values set your business apart? Bob Negen joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how to combine delivering value to customers along with examples of your values can create a memorable customer experience.
Is Obamacare falling apart? Governor Pete du Pont joins Jim Blasingame to report on the fact that Obamacare is having difficulty being launched and whether it will survive its own structure.
Has the Republican Party lost its competitiveness? Governor Pete du Pont joins Jim Blasingame to reveal some of the things the Republican Party has to do to put a president in the White House in 2016.
Will we ever have a national immigration policy? Governor Pete du Pont joins Jim Blasingame to report on the current state of immigration reform debate in Congress and whether he thinks anything will happen this year.
Wednesday - April 24, 2013
Are you feeling disconnected from the political class? Doug Wead joins Jim Blasingame to report on the growing momentum of the Liberty Movement, which aims to return America to its Constitutional roots of liberty.
What will Rand Paul's role be in 2016 politics? Doug Wead joins Jim Blasingame to report on the political focus of the Liberty Movement and what role Sen. Rand Paul will take in future elections.
How good are you at resolving a conflict? Pierce and Jane Howard joins Jim Blasingame to offer a conflict resolution practice that cuts to the heart of the tension in a conflict,
How personality impacts your conflict tendencies. Pierce and Jane Howard joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the influences that personality has on creating and resolving conflict, and how employers can know this in advance of hiring.
What do you do with a conflict-prone employee? Pierce and Jane Howard joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how to redeem a conflict-prone employee, as well as how to avoid hiring such a prospective employee.
What is the role of an administrative assistant? Gayle Buske joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the evolution of the secretarial position to administrative assistant, and why the new role of these assignments justify the new title.
Would a virtual assistant fit in your growth plans? Gayle Buske joins Jim Blasingame to reveal some of the ways business owners use virtual assistants to fill in assignments that don't need a full-time, face-to-face employee.
The online sales tax debate has been raging for over decade. Steve DelBianco joins Jim Blasingame to review the history of the online sales tax debate and why it hasn't been resolved - up to now.
Harry Reid's Senate has produced a flawed online sales tax bill. Steve DelBianco joins Jim Blasingame to report on the flaws that are part of the online sales tax bill Harry Reid is forcing through the Senate.
Has the time come for an Internet sales tax to pass into law? Steve DelBianco joins Jim Blasingame to report on the flawed Senate bill the House will debate and try to fix, plus will this be the year an Internet sales tax law is passed?
Thursday - April 25, 2013
What's really important to you? Kita Szpak joins Jim Blasingame to reveal some of the steps you can take to simplify your busy life, including determining the things that are most important to you and sticking to them.
What are you doing for yourself? Kita Szpak joins Jim Blasingame to reveal why it's important for small business owners to be dedicated to carve out time and space to simplify your life.
Are you counting on your business to provide a retirement? Gary Sirak joins Jim Blasingame to debunk the myth for most small businesses that the business will provide a retirement when you sell it when you're ready to retire.
Are you funding a qualified retirement plan? Gary Sirak joins Jim Blasingame to encourage small business owners to start the process of budgeting for and funding a retirement plan outside of the assets of the business.
Where should you invest your retirement funds? Gary Sirak joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the pros and cons of investing in stocks on Wall Street, and the alternative of local real estate.
The Founders wanted America to have a government that was controlled by the people, not the other way around. Orrin Woodward joins Jim Blasingame to reveal some of the five laws of decline and how America can avoid and recover from them.
Can America avoid becoming Europe? Orrin Woodward joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the leadership steps that grass roots Americans will have to take to take back our country from the political class.
What's your excuse for not networking? Ivan Misner joins Jim Blasingame to report on the research that identified the reasons people gave for not networking and why these excuses do not contribute to professional success.
Do you lack confidence as a networker? Ivan Misner joins Jim Blasingame to offer suggestions on how to gain confidence and understanding as a networker by having a prepared with a set of key questions ready at all times.
You don't have to budget time to network. Ivan Misner joins Jim Blasingame to explain why you don't have to find the time to network, you should be networking wherever you meet people.
Friday - April 26, 2013
What does your personal brand look like? Catherine Kaputa joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the idea of a personal brand, why you should have one, how to get one, and even when you need to get rid of it.
Branding has now gone virtual. Catherine Kaputa joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the concept of a virtual brand, how to build one, for yourself and your business, and how to convert a virtual brand into opportunity.
Yes, there was business before the Cloud. Pat Sigmon joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the history of business in the years before and during the development of Cloud computing.
What do you look for from Cloud computing vendors? Pat Sigmon joins Jim Blasingame to provide guidance on how Cloud computing contributes to efficiencies and how to pick the provider that has the right tools and also sustainability.
Storytelling: the oldest human characteristic is still powerful. Jim Blasingame uses the power of storytelling to reveal why the primordial trait of storytelling is more powerful than ever for small businesses in the digital age.
Are you maximizing outsourcing opportunities? Jim Blasingame reveals how small businesses can squeeze that last drop of operating efficiency out through the power of outsourcing non-core competency tasks, especially those that don't touch customers.
Listen to this interview about life and business in Moscow, Russia. Ed Yourdon joins Jim Blasingame to report on his recent trip to Moscow, Russia, and his observations of life and business there, including a shift toward capitalism.
Is the end of the personal computer near? Ed Yourdon joins Jim Blasingame to report on the technological and demographic trends that are putting pressure on the personal computer and associated industries.
What will your next computer look like? Ed Yourdon joins Jim Blasingame to forecast the future of personal computing as we contemplate the demise of the venerable personal computer, the PC.
Monday - April 29, 2013
What does your elevator pitch sound like? Janet Christy joins Jim Blasingame to explain what an elevator pitch is, how to use it and how, after many years, it must evolve to fit into the digital age.
Can you adjust your elevator pitch for different audiences? Janet Christy joins Jim Blasingame to reveal why in the digital age, your elevator pitch must be able to adjust to different channels and audiences.
What do you believe? Tom Asacker joins Jim Blasingame with his new book, The Business of Belief, to reveal the power of what we believe, what informs our beliefs and how we establish our belief system.
Do you know what your customers believe? Tom Asacker joins Jim Blasingame to reveal that, as relevance trumps competitiveness, you need to connect with customer based on what they believe, instead of just with a marketing message.
Do we use a process to decide what we believe? Tom Asacker joins Jim Blasingame to reveal that businesses should understand the process customers used for what they believe and focus on that rather than trying to get them to believe your marketing message.
Why don't small business owners do better retirement planning? Jim Blasingame reveals the challenges small businesses face when planing for retirement, including three reasons why it doesn't happen as often as it should.
What kinds of taxes do states impose on businesses/ Ray Keating joins Jim Blasingame to discuss his 2013 Business Tax Index that identifies the levels of taxation small businesses have to pay in the 50 United States.
What states rank best and worst for tax policies? Ray Keating joins Jim Blasingame with his 2013 Business Tax Index, which identifies the best and worst - Texas and California, respectively - on the 50-state list of business tax policies.
How can we reduce the levels of state government taxation? Ray Keating joins Jim Blasingame with his 2013 Business Tax Index and to talk about lowering taxes on businesses by reducing the size of government.
Tuesday - April 30, 2013
What was the spark that started your small business? Lori Dvorak joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the beginning of her small buisness and how she volunteered her time and skills to help her build the confidence to turn those skills into a viable small business.
You can't do every job in your business. Lori Dvorak joins Jim Blasingame to explain that the greatest challenge in operating your business is realizing that you can't do every job yourself, plus how eWomenNetwork helps women network and grow their businesses.
An entrepreneur is someone who finds opportunity. Jane Pollak joins Jim Blasingame to explain that the synergy of new relationships allows for building a new customer base and bring new customers to each other, plus how networking can provide a new perspective on what you do.
Business on a cruise? Jane Pollak joins Jim Blasingame to discuss a new way to do business she's participating in: a cruise - and she provides the audience; plus how to provide new opportunities to your customers while gaining new customers yourself.
Be proactive in networking. Jane Pollak joins Jim Blasingame to explain that everyone you meet has the potential to become part of your business community, plus always be on the lookout for opportunities and strategic partnerships.
Are you ready for the challenges and expense to be created by Obamacare? Paul Sarvadi joins Jim Blasingame to report on three of the five key issues every small business must know about Obamacare, including individual mandate and onerous reporting.
You can't start too early preparing for the onslaught of Obamacare. Paul Sarvadi joins Jim Blasingame to reveal two of the five key elements of Obamacare that you should get started preparing for, including compressed pricing and dysfunctional state exchanges.
Are you experiencing TMI overload? Debbie Meyer joins Jim Blasingame to talk about what happens when the wealth of information we have available turns into a thief of our time and productivity.
How do you prevent information overload? Debbie Meyer joins Jim Blasingame to recommend using scanning techniques to identify relevant information and a triage approach to when you will consume information.
Do you have distractionitis? Debbie Meyer joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how many more distraction we have in our work day and how to manage them, including productive ways to stay on top of email without letting it dominate you.
