Tuesday - January 01, 2013
Jim reveals the first half of his 2013 predictions. Jim Blasingame rings in the New Year with ten of his 2013 Crystal Ball Predictions which cover small business attitudes on employment, capital investment, taxes and Obamacare.
Jim delivers the last ten of his 2013 predictions. Jim Blasingame brings in the New Year the rest of his 2013 Crystal Ball Predictions on the economy, unemployment, Obamacare, geopolitics and even a football prediction.
The movie "Lincoln" is reviewed by a Lincoln historian. Gene Griessman joins Jim Blasingame to offer his review of the new movie "Lincoln" from an historical and an entertainment perspective.
Did Abe Lincoln make New Year resolutions? Gene Griessman joins Jim Blasingame to talk about what President Lincoln taught us about the importance of making and sticking to resolutions.
What Lincoln said about the "must" in your resolutions. Gene Griessman joins Jim Blasingame to reveal President Lincoln's position on being resolute in our work and in our lives, even against all odds.
Small business owners need to be tactical managers and strategic planners. Tom Anastasi joins Jim Blasingame to explain the difference between being a small business tactical manager and a strategic thinking CEO.
What strategies will you focus on in the New Year? Tom Anastasi joins Jim Blasingame to recommend several reasons why every small business owner must be a strategic thinking CEO, including some examples.
Do you know when to be a motivational and an inspirational leader? Rick Lepsinger joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how to identify motivational leadership and inspirational leadership and when to use which one.
Have you ever thought of purpose and values being part of your leadership style? Rick Lepsinger joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the role of establishing a purpose and appealing to values as characteristics of inspirational leadership.
Are you a good storytelling leader? Rick Lepsinger joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the role that storytelling plays in being an effective inspirational leader, especially in the 21st century.
Thursday - January 03, 2013
Trust only works when it's delivered with clarity. David Horsager joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the role that clarity plays in establishing trust with employees and customers.
Compassion and character are both pillars in establishing trust. David Horsager joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the role that character and compassion play when establishing a foundation of trust.
What can sports teach managers about motivating employees? Bob Kustka joins Jim Blasingame with a couple of sports analogies to help us become better motivators of our employees.
Do your employees feel connected to your company mission? Bob Kustka joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the value of connecting employee engagement to clarity and commitment to the company's mission.
Is there a connection between employee accountability and engagement? Bob Kustka joins Jim Blasingame to reveal that holding each employee accountable with regular performance reviews is good moral building for the team.
When it comes to customers, technology doesn't trump humans. Ramon Ray joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how small businesses should deploy technology and people to serve customers best.
Small businesses seem to have trouble getting a social media strategy going. Ramon Ray joins Jim Blasingame with tips and best practices that small businesses can use to get a successful social media strategy working.
Here are several excellent lessons you can learn from this start-up story. Bill Diffenderffer joins Jim Blasingame to report on his latest venture, Silver Car, an innovative rental car company, and what we can all learn from this business model.
You don't have to create a new wheel today to be innovative with technology. Bill Diffenderffer joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how his new company, Silver Car, used off the shelf technology to be innovative enough to fill a niche.
What does the start-up capital landscape look like today? Bill Diffenderffer joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how his latest start-up, Silver Car, was able to raise capital for a venture that will compete in a very mature industry.
Friday - January 04, 2013
Social media doesn't have to be complicated. John Coupland joins Jim Blasingame to explain that by using a "less is more" approach to social media will help you get your strategy off the ground.
Your social media strategy should create more impact and less noise. John Coupland joins Jim Blasingame to explain how your social media strategy should focus on connecting with people and how to have more impact and avoid the noise.
Don't do resolutions, create a revolution. Olalah Njenga joins Jim Blasingame to encourage small businesses to drop the resolution and start a revolution by doing something outrageously exciting in your business.
Do you have employees who will help you shake things up in your business? Olalah Njenga joins Jim Blasingame to encourage you to allow your employees to speak truth to power about what your business needs to grow.
Find a peer and hold each other accountable for goals in 2013. Olalah Njenga joins Jim Blasingame to encourage us to identify someone who we can declare an outrageous New Year goal and then hold each other accountable.
What are your financial New Year goals? Carla Caldwell joins Jim Blasingame to talk about some of the things you need to do to get your accounting and financial act together, including finding an accounting professional partner.
Is your accounting act ready for primetime in the cloud? Carla Caldwell joins Jim Blasingame to talk about some of the advantages of moving your accounting and financial management to cloud-based applications.
How is your business doing in the current version of our "new normal?" Rob Levin joins Jim Blasingame to offer suggestions on how to deal with the increased velocity of change that is impacting our new normal.
Are your business customers taking longer to make buying decisions? Rob Levin joins Jim Blasingame to offer suggestions on how to deal with longer selling cycles and shorter commitments from business customers.
Is your sales pipeline full? Rob Levin joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why the "new normal" is requiring small businesses to keep their sales pipeline full even more than ever before.
Monday - January 07, 2013
Do you need to let an employee go, but can't seem to do it? Jay Myers joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why it's do difficult for small business owners to fire a long-time employee and to offer some advice on when and how to do it.
How do you overcome tough circumstances to stay focused on your business? Jay Myers joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how in his new book he reveals how he dealt with several difficult issues in his life but stayed focused on his business.
How many "cliffs" will Washington manufacture in 2013? Rick Newman joins Jim Blasingame to predict that 2013 could become the year that the political class may create more than one fiscal cliff.
The New Year will not be good for some folks. Rick Newman joins Jim Blasingame to identify some of the groups that will be losers in 2013, including the wealthy, the unemployed and unions, to mention a few they discuss.
Who will be likely to be a winner in the New Year? Rick Newman joins Jim Blasingame to identify some of the groups that will be winners in 2013, including the homeowners and buyers, big business, but not small business.
Success in the 21st century will require constant innovation. Bryan Mattimore joins Jim Blasingame to talk about turning your team into idea stormers and making innovative thinking a way of life, not a means to an end.
Don't leave important members of your team out of idea storming sessions. Bryan Mattimore joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the power of a diverse group of employees focusing on tackling an opportunity or challenge.
Do you have trouble capitalizing your business and your retirement plan? John Harrison joins Jim Blasingame to explain why it's so hard to be a business owner and fund a separate retirement plan.
Is there any good news in the fiscal cliff deal? John Harrison joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the good, bad and ugly of the fiscal cliff deal, including permanent tax rates are good, but higher tax rates are bad.
Is your financial planning organized for the New Year? John Harrison joins Jim Blasingame to offer tips and best practices to get your financial planning ready for the New Year, including budget review and cash flow analysis.
Wednesday - January 09, 2013
Here's a story about a business that had its identity stolen. Dan Smith joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how someone stole much of the identity and accomplishments of his company and used it to start a similar business.
What do you do when someone steals your intellectual property? Dan Smith joins Jim Blasingame to reveal what he learned when someone stole his business story and used it as their own to cheat customers.
Are business conditions improving? Sam Norwood joins Jim Blasingame with the Tatum Survey of Business Conditions that indicates that managers are reporting an increase in confidence about the economy.
Sales and investment seem to be up for businesses. Sam Norwood joins Jim Blasingame with the Tatum Survey that indicates managers are encouraged enough by order backlogs to increase their capital investment.
Will the 2013 economy be an improvement over last year? Sam Norwood joins Jim Blasingame to reveal his thoughts about what the 2013 economy will look like, considering the political and market challenges.
How do you handle stress and those who create stress in your life? Sylvia Lafair joins Jim Blasingame to talk about becoming the CEOs of our lives by learning how to deal with the drama queens and the flatliners.
Do men and women deal with stress differently? Sylvia Lafair joins Jim Blasingame to reveal some of the differences in men and women and how stress is created when these differences are not understood.
Monthly national employment is still below replacement levels. Ray Keating joins Jim Blasingame to talk job numbers the U.S. needs to create each month to replace those leaving the workplace and why employment is still way behind.
Where does your state rank in small business favorability? Ray Keating joins Jim Blasingame to report on his U.S. Business Policy Index, which ranks the 50 states with regard to how favorable they are to help small businesses flourish.
The 2013 economic challenges for the economy are all government created. Ray Keating joins Jim Blasingame to report on the 2013 economy, including the artificial headwinds created by the political class and the federal government.
Thursday - January 10, 2013
What's new in the electronics world? Jeff Zbar joins Jim Blasingame to talk about some of the tech stuff he saw when taking a virtual tour of the Consumer Electronics Show, including waterproofing your smart phone.
Do you ever turn down business? Jeff Zbar joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how and when to tell a prospect, or even a customer, that you just can't take their business.
When employees leave, there is a right way to send them off. Chester Elton joins Jim Blasingame to reveal why it's right and valuable for the business to give employees who leave you a proper send-off.
How do you take it when an employee tells you they're leaving? Chester Elton joins Jim Blasingame with tips and best practices for how to deal with the news that an employee is taking another job, including how to send them off.
Behaving in a dignified way when employees leave creates goodwill for your company. Chester Elton joins Jim Blasingame to how community goodwill can be achieved for you and your company when you deal with an exiting employee with class.
What will we shop and work in the future? Judy Galloway joins Jim Blasingame with forecasts of trends she is seeing in how consumers shop, plus what the future of work look like, and what that means for small businesses.
Are you leading change or getting run over by it? Judy Galloway joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how the velocity of change is creating chaos, plus advice for the millennial generation.
How much should mentor inject their own choices in career advice? Tim Berry joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the opportunity and responsibility of offering advice and mentorship without imposing your own life decisions.
What keeps you coming back to work every day? Tim Berry joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the power of loving your work as a way to keep you coming back even when there are jobs to do you don't like.
Don't completely give up on any good idea. Tim Berry joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the fact that many good ideas failed because they had bad timing, and how to keep them in your idea inventory for the future.
Friday - January 11, 2013
Is having business relationships a best practice? Ruth Sherman joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the power of professional relationships, how to acquire them and why having them is not only the right thing to do, but a best practice.
Do you think of relationship capital as important? Ruth Sherman joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the concept of banking relationship capital and why it's important to your professional success.
Our sustainability expert talks about teams. Bruce Piasecki joins Jim Blasingame to report on why the companion to his sustainability book is about team building.
Does your team demonstrate these traits? Bruce Piasecki joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the traits of a successful team, including cohesion, integrity, generosity and sustainability.
Is failure necessary for sustained team success? Bruce Piasecki joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the relationship between success and failure as it relates to effective and sustained team building.
Are you using the power of "Thank you?" Jim Blasingame reveals the power of forging the Customer Service Alloy of saying thank you to customers in every way possible and at every opportunity.
Being a small business CEO is the hardest job in the world. Jim Blasingame reveals the job of a small business CEO and asks for your commitment to becoming a better CEO of your small business.
Was anything accomplished with the Fiscal Cliff deal? Steve Moore joins Jim Blasingame to report on what was accomplished with the Fiscal Cliff deal negotiated between Obama and Congress and what is yet to be decided.
The next deal between the White House and Congress will be more difficult. Steve Moore joins Jim Blasingame to report on his interview with Speaker Boehner where he said President Obama doesn't told him the U.S. doesn't have a spending problem.
Small business are not motivated to grow their businesses and hire new employees. Steve Moore joins Jim Blasingame to talk about reasons small businesses are reluctant to grow their businesses, plus Obama's practice of using executive orders.
Monday - January 14, 2013
Do you know how much cash you're going to have available this year? Gary Sirak joins Jim Blasingame to report that uncertainty about taxes and Obamacare costs have become impediments to financial planning in 2013.
Here are a few financial planning tips for the New Year. Gary Sirak joins Jim Blasingame to recommend establishing a budget and sticking to it, especially in 2013, as a way to protect your cash from eroding.
Are you a retail stock investor? Gary Sirak joins Jim Blasingame to say that the stock market is not friendly territory for retail investors in this digital trading environment.
Unemployment among the 20-somethings is over 16%. Terence Grado joins Jim Blasingame to report on the high unemployment rate for 20-somethings, why it is so high and who this group supported for president.
What happens to interns if businesses are require to pay them? Terence Grado joins Jim Blasingame to report on the potential requirement for businesses to pay student interns and whether that would be good or bad for young people.
When are you focusing on your CEO ideas? Richard Hooker joins Jim Blasingame to encourage small business owners to spend time as the CEO of their company developing ideas for all elements of the business.
Use the greatest competitive advantage: your ideas. Richard Hooker joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how ideas and service are the greatest competitive advantage of any small business and how to spend more time working on them..
Is control of your online accounts spelled out in your will? Steve DelBianco joins Jim Blasingame to report on what family has to do to get control of a person's Facebook, etc., accounts after they die, and what's left to be resolved.
What would happen to your Internet access if the U.N. took it over? Steve DelBianco joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the attempts by the U.N., including Russia and Iran, to gain governing control over the Internet, and what's being done to stop them.
Should small businesses submit sales tax for online sales? Steve DelBianco joins Jim Blasingame to report on the policy debates taking place about whether small businesses should be required to collect and remit sales tax to 10,000 states, counties and cities.
Wednesday - January 16, 2013
Small business owners want to grow, but they don't have to. Jim Blasingame reports on the lack of small business optimism for over four years and that political policies are the reason the economic recovery has been so slow.
What do you know about your teenager's personality? Pierce & Jane Howard joins Jim Blasingame to report their personality profile assessment of kids from 12-22 and the reasons why it's helpful.
When asking teenagers questions, you have to speak their language. Pierce & Jane Howard joins Jim Blasingame to report that they had to adjust their personality assessment language for young people to conform to their vernacular.
What should you tell teenagers about their personality assessment results? Pierce & Jane Howard joins Jim Blasingame to explain why when a young person takes a personality assessment, they should be given the results.
Are you on a a continuing education path as the CEO of your business? Sarah Petty joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why small business CEOs need to be life-long learners of executive skills and knowledge.
What are some sources for CEO education? Sarah Petty joins Jim Blasingame to reveal sources of CEO education, such as social media, mastermind groups, industry resources, etc.
Where is mobile computing in the marketplace? Chuck Martin joins Jim Blasingame to report on the explosion of mobile computing and mobile devices in the U.S. and worldwide.
Consumers are increasingly using mobile computing as a purchasing tool. Chuck Martin joins Jim Blasingame to report some of the recent development on how consumers are using their smart phones to shop and buy.
Small businesses can compete against the online giants. Chuck Martin joins Jim Blasingame to reveal some of the steps small businesses can take to compete with online giants like Amazon by developing a simple mobile strategy.
Thursday - January 17, 2013
Does your management style promote innovation? Catherine Kaputa joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the power of creating an innovative culture in your small business, including have a management style that promotes innovation.
Innovation is in your future, but will it look like opportunity or disruption? Catherine Kaputa joins Jim Blasingame to report on some of the case studies of how innovators created opportunity for themselves and disruption for others.
Small business optimism continues to be low. Bill Dunkelberg joins Jim Blasingame with the NFIB Optimism Index that shows small business sentiment is still at recession levels, and some of the factors that are causing this..
Small business hiring is at record lows. Bill Dunkelberg joins Jim Blasingame with the NFIB Index that shows small businesses hiring is at recession levels, plus 80% of those who want to hire cannot find qualified applicants.
Small businesses report slow sales and not interest in making investments. Bill Dunkelberg joins Jim Blasingame with the NFIB Index that shows small businesses need more sales and are not interested in making capital investments..
Will you outlive your money? Tom Hegna joins Jim Blasingame to reveal a retirement strategy that includes products that will help eliminate the longevity risk of outliving your money.
Enjoy your retirement and still leave something for your kids. Tom Hegna joins Jim Blasingame to reveal what he calls the "Retirement Alpha" plan, where you enjoy retirement without worrying about spending your last dime.
International Networking Week is coming. Ivan Misner joins Jim Blasingame to report on some of the activity that will mark International Networking Week, which is Feb 4-8 this year, and how to participate.
Why do you need to study personality for maximum referral success? Ivan Misner joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the role that personality type plays in how successful we are in getting business referrals.
You never know when entrepreneurship will pop up. Ivan Misner joins Jim Blasingame to tell the story of his first entrepreneurial venture, created because he missed the school bus and found a lollipop.
Friday - January 18, 2013
Chamber CEO reports on what's happening in Rockford. Einar K. Forsman joins Jim Blasingame to provide a report on the economy and business environment in Rockford, IL, including a resurgence in manufacturing.
What is the Chamber in Rockford doing for its community? Chamber CEO, Einar K. Forsman joins Jim Blasingame to provide a report on what the chamber is working on to support business and community in Rockford, Illinois.
What are the elements of your innovation strategy? Pam Harper joins Jim Blasingame to reveal three key areas to focus on when developing an innovative culture, including markets, demographics and technology.
Innovation impacts your business in two ways. Pam Harper joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how innovation can have an impact on your business as an opportunity you take advantage of, or as a disruption created by others.
Communicate with stakeholders for innovation success. Pam Harper joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why communicating with stakeholders is critical to successful innovation and continuous improvement.
Do you know what a technology assessment is? Russ Madlener joins Jim Blasingame to report on a recent Microsoft survey of small businesses to determine how closely they have aligned their technology with their business model.
The power of the cloud has changed the technology assessment for small businesses. Russ Madlener joins Jim Blasingame to report on a Microsoft survey of what small business look for in a technology assessment, including productivity, mobility and security.
What country has water to spare in the Pacific Rim? Joel Barker joins Jim Blasingame to reveal that while China is water deficient, Japan is exporting water, and what that could mean to geo-politics and economics.
How could sand and graphite be stronger than steel? Joel Barker joins Jim Blasingame to report on two kinds of new-tech materials - carbon and silica - that are more useful and stronger than steel, plus a new kind of light bulb.
Here are two aerospace innovations. Joel Barker joins Jim Blasingame to reveal a new construction and design of an airship, or blimp, used as a cargo carrier, plus an inflatable space station.
Monday - January 21, 2013
Are you able to be honest about business progress? John Bradberry joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why entrepreneurs must be honest to themselves, because progress doesn't always feel good.
Consistent communication requires consistent questions. John Bradberry joins Jim Blasingame to offer three questions to ask your organization for communication consistency: where have we been, where are we now and where are we going.
How will Baby Boomers sell their small businesses? Ken Gronbach joins Jim Blasingame to project the issues facing Baby Boomers who owner small businesses when they try to sell them.
Is your business in shape to be acquired? Ken Gronbach joins Jim Blasingame to identify the many elements a small business owner has to address when preparing your business to be sold, especially to a younger buyer.
Are Generation X entrepreneurial? Ken Gronbach joins Jim Blasingame to project that the lack of entrepreneurial interest by Generation X may make them less likely to buy a small business from a Baby Boomer.
Cloud-based apps are powerful small business tools. Daniel Saks joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the power of cloud-based applications and a new service that connects small business owners with apps for their specific task.
Will cloud-based applications be opportunity for you or disruption? Daniel Saks joins Jim Blasingame to encourage small business owners to turn cloud-based applications into opportunities, instead of being disrupted by the apps of others.
What kind of help do small business owners need from government? Jim Blasingame to report on results of a recent online poll that shows that 71% of small business owners want the government to help them by just getting out of the way.
What does your mobile strategy look like? Jim Blasingame reveals what your small business has to do to be ready for mobile prime time, including whether to have a mobile app or a mobile site.
Is President Obama as post-racial as the country that elected its first black president? While congratulating President Obama on his 2nd inauguration, Jim Blasingame encourages the president to become as post-racial as the country that elected him is.
Tuesday - January 22, 2013
Are you doing what you were meant to do? Denise Barreto joins Jim Blasingame to offer ideas on how to find and pursue your life's work, by being intentional and taking inventory of yourself.
Be patient with your journey to entrepreneurship. Denise Barreto joins Jim Blasingame with suggestions for why you should be patient and deliberate in your quest for entrepreneurship by breaking your plan into small steps.
How do you think about acquiring success? Bill Treasurer joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the power of leaders opening success doors for their people and aggregating the success of the team.
How do you think about your leadership role? Bill Treasurer joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the power of opportunity thinking, which includes leading people first, instead of leading the project with the people as just a resource.
How much evaluation can your leadership ability stand? Bill Treasurer joins Jim Blasingame to offer suggestions on different ways to evaluate your leadership style and results.
Get ready for a one-a-day marketing plan? Ilise Benun joins Jim Blasingame to recommend a multi-faceted marketing plan that you execute a different element of each day, like a one-a-day vitamin.
Where is the ROI for a small business social media strategy? Ilise Benun joins Jim Blasingame to compare a traditional marketing strategy and a social media strategy, and conclude that you need both/and, not either or.
How much of your time is focused on sustainability of your business? Steve Martin joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the importance of business sustainability thinking by the CEO of a small business.
Perhaps more than management, profitability is a CEO task. Steve Martin joins Jim Blasingame to explain why the long-term profitability of a small business is a role for the company's CEO, not the managers.
A SCORE volunteer relates client expectations and reality of social media. Steve martin joins Jim Blasingame to share his experiences with small business clients who are trying to create a successful social media strategy.
Wednesday - January 23, 2013
How do you get people to want what you want? Jim Camp joins Jim Blasingame to explain that the art of successful negotiation is more about overcoming obstacles by creating a vision both parties appreciate.
Become a better negotiator by building a negotiations game plan. Jim Camp joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the power of a negotiations checklist that is prepared specifically for each meeting, plus the power of being willing to walk away.
Your intellectual property is valuable. Cliff Ennico joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the definition of intellectual property, what it looks like when you create it, how it has value and why you should protect yours.
Protect your own intellectual property and don't infringe on others. Cliff Ennico joins Jim Blasingame to explain some of the ways to register and protect your own intellectual property, as well as how to not infringe on the IP of others.
What's wrong with what Phil Mickelson said about being taxed too much? Cliff Ennico joins Jim Blasingame to defend the statements by Phil Mickelson that he was being taxed too much, and to reject the idea that success is an excuse for high taxes.
What's the next generation of SEO going to look like? Kathy Perry joins Jim Blasingame to reveal some of the new parameters Google is considering in order to index content and rank content providers, including matching content to title.
Research shows 90% of Pinterest users are women. Kathy Perry joins Jim Blasingame to propose that guys and small business owners may want to begin to take another look at Pinterest.
Recent legislation reduced deposit insurance which is not good for community banks. Paul Merski joins Jim Blasingame to report on the recent lowering of FDIC deposit guarantees hurt community banks and therefore, small businesses.
Will the 113th Congress get anything done? Paul Merski joins Jim Blasingame to report on some of the issues facing the 113th Congress and whether the gridlock and partisanship will continue to be the order of business.
It's getting harder to found a community bank. Paul Merski joins Jim Blasingame to discuss some of the regulatory and economic headwinds that makes it difficult to start a new community bank, which is not good news for small businesses.
Thursday - January 24, 2013
You can't know true success until you get familiar with failure. Jeff Zbar joins Jim Blasingame to explain that you can't be an entrepreneur if you can't be comfortable with failure, plus how to learn from that failure to be successful.
Why should you look back on projects that failed? Rick Maurer joins Jim Blasingame to explain that you can learn from failures in your business, plus why adjusting or ending projects is difficult, even when they're failing.
Resolutions for small business owners in 2013. Janet Christy joins Jim Blasingame to explain that you should research your customers to know what their excited about, what pains them, and how they're spending their money, plus the importance of asking questions.
Make sure customers remember you and your business. Janet Christy joins Jim Blasingame to talk about getting out of comfort zone by networking with prospects, not just customers, plus finding unique ways to remind customers about your business.
How will small businesses fair with the 113th Congress? Giovanni Coratolo joins Jim Blasingame to talk about what small businesses can expect from the 113th Congress, including help with job creation and budget issues.
Will small businesses be ready for the 2014 roll-out of Obamacare? Giovanni Coratolo joins Jim Blasingame to talk about some of the elements of Obamacare that small businesses will need to address in 2013 to get ready for the 2014 roll-out.
There are too many issues to be resolved to stop fighting for small businesses. Giovanni Coratolo joins Jim Blasingame to encourage small business owners to stay engaged in the political process, issue by issue.
Monday - January 28, 2013
What is the key to the 20-somethings and the 50-somethings getting along? Ornella Grosz joins Jim Blasingame to encourage Baby Boomers to not give up on Gen Y, and Gen Y to stop thinking all Baby Boomers are old fogies.
Phil Mickelson only told the truth. Rick Newman joins Jim Blasingame to support Phil Mickelson's position that the combined California and U.S. income taxes are too much, and Phil has every right to say so.
Why isn't Obama focused on the economy? Rick Newman joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the fact that it seems Presidenet Obama's does not have a coherent plan to turn the economy around, but he does have a green energy plan.
What has happened to trust in America? Rick Newman joins Jim Blasingame to propose that we are entering an end of trust era, caused by failed leadership in Washington, Wall Street and the main stream media.
Will the government inflate our way out of the current economic condition? Louis Navellier joins Jim Blasingame to propose that the government and the Fed have a plan to use inflation to deal with the U.S. debt and deficit challenges.
Does the stock market still offer opportunities for small investors? Louis Navellier joins Jim Blasingame to offer suggestions for what kinds of companies small investors should consider in these challenging economic times.
Will Dems and the GOP get together on immigration reform in 2013? Rich Galen joins Jim Blasingame to predict that there will be bi-partisan immigration reform this year and to further predict what it will look like.
Will Washington go to war over the debt ceiling crisis find common ground? Rich Galen joins Jim Blasingame to predict that the debt ceiling issue will be resolved between Obama and the GOP and the latter will likely lose.
Why doesn't anything ever stick to President Obama? Rich Galen joins Jim Blasingame to answer questions about why Obama seems to get away with things like the Sandy storm recovery and proposing collectivism in his inauguration address.
Why are the generations having so much trouble communicating? Ornella Grosz joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the communication issues between Gen Y and Baby Boomers and how the two can blend their respective information and wisdom.
Tuesday - January 29, 2013
What do you know about the Pareto Principle (80-20 Rule) in your business? Mary Cantando joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the opportunities and threats you find when you apply the Pareto Principle to your business activity.
Have you applied the Pareto Principle to your operating processes? Mary Cantando joins Jim Blasingame to reveal what you can learn by applying the Pareto Principle (80-20 Rule) to find strengths and weaknesses in your operation.
It's not what you do that's important, it's what you're going to change. Tom Asacker joins Jim Blasingame to propose that what you're changing, and how your leading change is the critical answer to where you allocate time and resources.
Is your organization operating with "functional stupidity"? Tom Asaker joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the definition of "functional stupidity" and how it can creep into your business unless you're constantly questioning and deconstructing.
What is your role as a small business CEO? Tom Asacker joins Jim Blasingame to explain delegating your work as a manager to focus on your work as a CEO.
Wednesday - January 30, 2013
Do you practice customer sustainability? Beverly Inman-Ebel joins Jim Blasingame to reveal two of the three elements of customer sustainability that can be the difference between efficient growth and failure.
Are you recycling customers to benefit them and your relationship? Beverly Inman-Ebel joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how to recycle customers as a sustainability practice by referring them to other high-quality businesses.
What does a promising small business look like? Forbes reporter, J.J. Colao joins Jim Blasingame to report on the specifications they used to identify and select the 50 Most Promising Small Businesses, including management track record and customer revenue.
Mobile computing and snacks are the product of two of Forbes best companies. J.J. Colao joins Jim Blasingame to report on the Forbes Most Promising small businesses, including a company that focuses on mobile ad placements and one that sells unique snacks.
What do online ads, pet insurance and loans have in common? J.J. Colao joins Jim Blasingame to report on Forbes America's Most Promising small businesses, including companies that sell pet insurance, place online ads and link borrowers and lenders online.
What do Americans need to know when speaking to a non-English audience? Diane DiResta joins Jim Blasingame with tips on how to speak to non-English speaking audiences, including with interpreters.
Learn something about the culture and language when traveling abroad. Diane DiResta joins Jim Blasingame with tips on how to avoid the "Ugly American" moniker, by learning some words of the language and being sensitive to the culture.
Have you made plans for divesting of your small business? Russ Brown joins Jim Blasingame to recommend that every small business owner develop an internal succession plan.
What steps have to be taken to pass your business to the next owner? Russ Brown joins Jim Blasingame with tips and best practices on the process of grooming a member of your team to take over your small business when you’re ready to retire.
How does a business owner get paid when selling to internal purchasers? Russ Brown joins Jim Blasingame to ideas on how to structure a payout plan as part of an internal business succession transaction with managers or family.
Thursday - January 31, 2013
Are you ready to hire your first employee? April Simpkins joins Jim Blasingame to reveal steps to use when you're hiring your first employee, including developing a position plan to use and stick to when you're in the interview process.
What do you have to know about hiring Generation Y? April Simpkins joins Jim Blasingame to talk about some of the things to watch for and take into consideration when interviewing and hiring a member of Generation Y.
Growing sales revenue doesn't have to increase payroll. Josh Costell joins Jim Blasingame to offer suggestions about bringing on part-time, commission only salespeople to grow sales strategically, while paying for that business incrementally.
Grow sales strategically with industry veterans. Josh Costell joins Jim Blasingame to recommend hiring industry veterans as part-time, commission only salespeople, including those who may be semi-retired.
It's best to discover the quality of a hiring decision with a part-time outside salesperson. Josh Costell joins Jim Blasingame to recommend hiring outside salespeple on a part-time basis at first and allow them to earn full-time status.
Most decisions made by a small business CEO are half for survival and half for success. Jim Blasingame offers tips to help small business CEOs with the decisions they makes that have components of both survival and growth success.
U.S. unemployment rate is the same as when President Obama took office in 2009. Jim Blasingame reports on a recent small business survey that reveals some of the reasons U.S. unemployment remains stubbornly high.
Understand the true picture of cash on-hand and cashflow. Ruth King joins Jim Blasingame to introduce the Cash Mistake #1: Don't mistake cash in the bank with your cashflow picture, which is measured over time, not on one day.
Are you managing with regular financial statements? Ruth King joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how critical it is for small business owners to have, read and manage by regular and accurate financial statements.
Could you actually succeed your way out of business? Ruth King joins Jim Blasingame to reveal that if you sell too much and grow your business too fast, without tracking cashflow closely, you could wind up out of business.
