Friday - March 01, 2013
Was Obama's Jobs Council successful? Darlene Miller joins Jim Blasingame to report on her experience as a member of Obama's Jobs Council and whether it produced any new jobs or ideas about how to do that.
What is 2013 looking like for the economy, especially for small businesses? Jay Mincks joins Jim Blasingame to report on what his company is seeing in the economy, and that he believes small businesses will create the next wave of economic growth.
Is your small business ready for Obamacare? Jay Mincks joins Jim Blasingame to reveal some of the issues small businesses are going to face as Obamacare becomes reality next year, including steps to take to prepare for it.
The way your business engages with customers has changed. Jay Mincks joins Jim Blasingame to reveal that there is a new normal with regard to how you get prospects to give you permission for an initial prospecting meeting.
Did you know your customers like to watch online video? Bob Bly joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the attraction prospects and customers have to video on websites and how you can get started with your online video strategy.
Are you having trouble coming up with what your business's videos should be about? Bob Bly joins Jim Blasingame to recommend several ideas on how to script, produce and present online videos about your business to prospects and customers..
Every business has to become a publisher. Kirk Cheyfitz joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how one of the ways advertising and marketing have changed is that all businesses have to publish content about themselves, their products and the relationship with customers.
Are you leveraging the communities you're part of? Kirk Cheyfitz joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the power of using conversation as media to take advantage of the marketing power you have through the online communities you're part of.
Your customer conversations could become marketing gold. Kirk Cheyfitz joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how you can turn simple conversations about and with customers into media you can distribute as marketing messages.
What does the manufacturing economy look like? Darlene Miller joins Jim Blasingame to report on what the manufacturing industry is experiencing, including a slow economy, but also good news about an increase in on-shoring manufacturing jobs.
Monday - March 04, 2013
President Obama's push for a minimum wage increase will hurt more than help. Richard Berman joins Jim Blasingame to review the history of the minimum wage and explain why politicians who say an increase will help low wage earners are lying.
What's the real reason President Obama wants another minimum wage increase? Richard Berman joins Jim Blasingame to explain why Obama's push for another minimum wage increase is payback to unions, whose wage rates are calculated from the minimum wage.
Which is better: motivating people or inspiring them? Rick Lepsinger joins Jim Blasingame to reveal that while motivational leadership has a place, it is not as effective and sustainable as when you inspire people with your leadership.
Inspire your people to take ownership of their work. Rick Lepsinger joins Jim Blasingame to reveal three elements of inspirational leadership, autonomy, mastery and purpose, that will help you inspire your people to own their assignments and work.
Do you use storytelling as a leadership tool? Rick Lepsinger joins Jim Blasingame to reveal that inspirational leaders use storytelling to help add context to the content of their leadership style and strategy.
Is anyone blogging about your business? Lois Geller joins Jim Blasingame to reveal that small businesses that have someone blogging about things customers can use get more business than those who don't, plus what your blog could look like.
Are you having trouble getting your blogging strategy going? Lois Geller joins Jim Blasingame to reveal examples of what your blog could look like, including very short, but also it could include other media, like a video.
Women admit that they would rather work for a man. Leslie Kossoff joins Jim Blasingame to reveal recent reports that there is a problem in the corporate sisterhood because women aren't mentoring other women.
Facebook's COO wants to change how women treat each other. Leslie Kossoff joins Jim Blasingame to report on how Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg is trying to teach women how to become mentors for other women.
Finally, the truth about who built the glass ceiling. Leslie Kossoff joins Jim Blasingame to reveal that women are just as guilty of perpetuating the glass ceiling as men and how this truth is changing the search for solutions.
Wednesday - March 06, 2013
What do you know about medical marijuana? C.J. Griffin joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the impact of the legalization of medical marijuana, how it works and what it means in a drug-free workplace.
What does a business owner need to know about legal medical marijuana? C.J. Griffin joins Jim Blasingame to reveal some of the issues a small business employer needs to know when an employee qualifies for medical marijuana.
How do you avoid letting complexity creep into your business? Bob Fischer joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how to think our way toward simplicity and away from complexity in the operation of our business.
How does your business look from a customer's eyes? Bob Fischer joins Jim Blasingame to recommend finding out what your business looks and sounds like from the customer's point of view, especially with regard to simplicity.
Take these steps to simplify your operation. Bob Fischer joins Jim Blasingame to reveal three thoughts and five steps that will help you turn complexity into simplicity and create more customer loyalty.
How do you define business success? Jim Blasingame offers his thoughts on defining business success with a happiness component, not just about money and stuff.
Who's responsible for the high price of gasoline? Jim Blasingame reveals who small business owners think is responsible for the high price of gas, and offers his thoughts on what President Obama could do to bring the price down.
Do big corporations know too much about your small business? Alan Maites joins Jim Blasingame to reveal some of the ways big business collects and aggregates information about small businesses and uses it for marketing purposes.
When does online convenience trump online privacy? Alan Maites joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the tension between your online privacy and what we like about online convenience and relevance.
Does your marketing strategy need improving? Of course it does! Alan Maites joins Jim Blasingame to talk about three target marketing questions to ask and answer if you want to get to the heart of how to improve your marketing strategy.
Thursday - March 07, 2013
Why did Yahoo outlaw all teleworking by its employees? Jeff Zbar joins Jim Blasingame to talk about Yahoo's announcement to ban all employee teleworking and to discuss why this was probably overreacting against a valid management practice.
Teleworking is a valuable management tool. Jeff Zbar joins Jim Blasingame to reveal tips and best practices for how to use teleworking and telecommuting as employee management tools to allow flexibility for company and employees.
Is the economy improving? Sam Norwood joins Jim Blasingame to with the Tatum Survey that indicates that business conditions for the next 60 days are looking better than it has in some time.
Slow steady progress for the economy. Sam Norwood joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the Tatum Survey, which indicates sales, capital expenditures and employment are just holding steady, not growing fast.
Why is the stock market reaching record levels? Sam Norwood joins Jim Blasingame to reconcile why Wall Street is breaking new records while the Main Street economy is barely limping along, and whether the Fed's easy money policies are the cause.
What does compound interest and your business have in common? Tom Connellan joins Jim Blasingame to explain how to double your business's performance in 71 days based on the compounding principle.
Improving your team one member at a time. Tom Connellan joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how applying the compounding principle to individual performance contributes to doubling the performance of the team.
Will the sequester be as bad as the president has said? Karen Kerrigan joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the impact of the sequester on the economy and whether it will be as bad as Obama is making it sound.
March 8 is International Women's Day. Karen Kerrigan joins Jim Blasingame to celebrate International Women's Day and report on the support women entrepreneurs are receiving around the world, plus why teleworking is important to women.
What's the holdup on Crowdfunding regulations? Karen Kerrigan joins Jim Blasingame to report on why the SEC is holding up regulations that will allow Crowdfunding to become a reality.
Friday - March 08, 2013
Are women gaining ground in the global marketplace? Dr. Natalia Peart joins Jim Blasingame to report on how women are doing in the marketplace both in the U.S. and around the globe.
Is having it all worth it? Dr. Natalia Peart joins Jim Blasingame to discuss some of the truths about "having it all," including another way to look at that idea, plus why men don't get it all either.
One of the hardest things is to have a successful business partnership. David Gage joins Jim Blasingame to reveal some of the reasons it's very difficult to have a successful, long-term business partnership, but it can be done.
What happens when start-up partners can't agree on equity splits? David Gage joins Jim Blasingame to report on a real story where five partners in a start-up negotiated for how much equity each would get in the business.
If start-up partners start arguing about equity, how will you agree on business decisions? David Gage joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the challenges of equity decisions among business partners and how that negotiation foretells how the partnership will go.
Here's a story about how to grow a small pastry business. Bridget Labus joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how she and a partner started and are growing their pastry business after years of being a good employee.
Grow your business with cloud technology. Bridget Labus joins Jim Blasingame to explain how she and her partner are using cloud technologies to add a new revenue dimension to their pastry business.
If you're in business you need to know what a nexus is. Cliff Ennico joins Jim Blasingame to explain what a business nexus is and why every small business, especially those who do business online, need to know from a legal standpoint.
Even one defective sale could land you in court. Cliff Ennico joins Jim Blasingame to report on how one online sale resulted in a business being sued for intellectual property infringement and what happened.
If you use a shipper for your online business, you need to know this. Cliff Ennico joins Jim Blasingame to reveal some of the issues involved and questions to ask when hiring a warehousing and shipping firm for your online business.
Monday - March 11, 2013
Who is in charge of morale in your company? Joyce Weiss joins Jim Blasingame to talk about creating a culture with high moral that emanates from employees but is supported by leadership.
Morale building questions to ask employees. Joyce Weiss joins Jim Blasingame to discuss ways to increase morale & respect within the workplace by asking these questions in moderated team meetings.
What is the future of education? Jack Uldrich joins Jim Blasingame to reveal that self-education opportunities will transform how we acquire knowledge and perhaps disrupt the education credential paradigm.
Where will your electricity come from in 10 years? Jack Uldrich joins Jim Blasingame to reveal new innovations in solar and battery technology that will disrupt the current electricity creation, distribution and storage paradigm.
The frightening part of progress. Jack Uldrich joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why the velocity of change has created a lot of anxiety in the world and how to be the beneficiary of change and not the victim of disruption.
"Having it all" is not just a lament of women. Joyce Gioia joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the future of work and to expose the myth that "having it all" is something that only women have to deal with.
What do the demographics show about the dominance of women in the workplace? Joyce Gioia joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the demographics evidence suggesting that women are emerging as the dominant force in the workplace of the future.
Rand Paul's filibuster was an important constitutional moment. Seth Lipsky joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how the recent filibuster by Senator Rand Paul became a clinic on the limitations the Constitution places on government.
Why is the president so impatient with the constitution? Seth Lipsky joins Jim Blasingame to talk about whether President Obama has been less respectful of the Constitution than other presidents.
How far with the mainstream media go to protect President Obama? Seth Lipsky joins Jim Blasingame to discuss media challenges in the face of digital technology, plus why the media is dangerous to America when they don't report the truth.
Tuesday - March 12, 2013
If you're a Baby Boomer, are you ready for retirement? John Graves joins Jim Blasingame to offer retirement advice for Baby Boomers, including how to understand the "7% solution."
How real estate fits into a small business retirement plan. John Graves joins Jim Blasingame to share ideas about the diversity of a small business owner's retirement portfolio, including real estate, bonds and stocks.
The future of e-books. Dan Poynter joins Jim Blasingame to reveal some of the new ways that digital technology is changing the way we write, publish and distribute books.
Fiction readers will be treated to exciting new features with new e-books. Dan Poynter joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how fiction books will be greatly improved and more exciting to read thanks to new digital publishing tools.
Will we publish traditional paper books in the future? Dan Poynter joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the future of book publishing, including what kinds of traditional paper books will be printed.
How relevant are you to your customers? Ilise Benun joins Jim Blasingame to explain content marketing which is creating material and generating ideas that are relevant to your audience.
Ilise Benun joins Jim Blasingame to offer 4 content marketing tools to grow your business: (1) a monthly newsletter, (2) a blog to expand on ideas presented in your newsletter, (3) a free offer for newsletter signups, and (4) disseminating all content through social media platforms.
Leigh Branham joins Jim Blasingame to explain that employee engagement isn't just the responsibility of the employer, it's the responsibility of the employee too.
Leigh Branham joins Jim Blasingame to explain that employee engagement is a two-way street and that employees need to ask for what they need from employers.
Leigh Branham joins Jim Blasingame to explain that employees are too passive in their workplace engagement and need to look for ways to add value to the business.
Wednesday - March 13, 2013
How does a small business convert to employee ownership? Larry May joins Jim Blasingame to share the story about how his company converted from founder ownership to being owned by employees under an ESOP.
How does an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) work? Larry May joins Jim Blasingame to talk about some of the first steps a founder should take when considering selling the company to employees under an ESOP.
The process of looking for a job has changed. Bob Prosen joins Jim Blasingame to reveal some of the ways that looking for a job, and looking for new employees, has changed in the past few years.
To get hired, you must convert professional skills into benefits for the company. Bob Prosen joins Jim Blasingame to help job seekers learn how to convert what they know how to do into problem solving benefits for the interviewing business.
Should you assist employees you lay off? Bob Prosen joins Jim Blasingame to talk about some resources an employer can use to help employees they have to lay off for no fault of theirs.
Do you have a plan for protecting your trade secrets? Hillel Presser joins Jim Blasingame to talk about what a trade secret is, why a business should protect theirs and how to do it.
How do you protect trade secrets when your employees leave? Hillel Presser joins Jim Blasingame to explain how to use non-disclosure agreements with employees to whom you've given access to company trade secrets.
Thursday - March 14, 2013
Why is the subject of dying so difficult to deal with? Jim Ballard joins Jim Blasingame to help us understand how to deal with the end of life experience in a conscious way so that we can handle with the experience in a dignified way.
Helping someone die with dignity is a wonderful gift. Jim Ballard joins Jim Blasingame to talk about ways to talk to and with loved ones who are at the end of life, to help them die with dignity and leave you with fewer regrets.
Are you feeling overwhelmed by all the new marketing options today? Ed Abel joins Jim Blasingame to help put all of the marketing and social media options into perspective so you can make decisions that produce results for you.
You don't have to perform unnatural acts to adjust to the new marketing resources. Ed Abel joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how to keep all of the new marketing and social media options in perspective with your existing practices.
Get someone to help you with your social media strategy. Ed Abel joins Jim Blasingame to recommend hiring professional and young employees to help you develop and execute a social media strategy that compliments your traditional practices.
Don't leave money on the IRS's table. Carla Caldwell joins Jim Blasingame to remind you to keep all expense records and reveal technology that will help you, plus news about equipment expensing limits for 2013.
There is a new deduction for home offices. Carla Caldwell joins Jim Blasingame to report on the new home office deduction, plus why the new cloud accounting technology can help you produce better tax and financial records.
Do you know what your sales process is? Joanne Black joins Jim Blasingame to define the sales process and encourage you to identify the steps that make a successful sales process for your business.
When is the best time to ask a customer for a referral? Joanne Black joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how and when to ask customers and contacts for referrals, plus how to use social media as part of your referral strategy.
Maximum sales success is not possible today without a referral system. Joanne Black joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how getting in the door of prospects has changed and why referrals are more essential to successful selling than ever before.
Friday - March 15, 2013
Does it make you feel better when you prove you're right? Judith Glaser joins Jim Blasingame to reveal research that shows why we all feel the need to be right, but how that usually impedes productive conversation.
How mindful of the other person are you in conversations? Judith Glaser joins Jim Blasingame to discuss having mindfulness in conversations to make a conversation great, plus having positive intention for what you want to make happen.
What is the future of community banks? Jim Blasingame reports on the ICBA Convention for communiity banks and what the future holds for these critical small business partners, especially regarding regulations and consolidation.
Small business optimism has improved, but still is not high. Bill Dunkelberg joins Jim Blasingame with the NFB Small Business Index that shows an increased optimism, but still barely above recession levels.
Why aren't small businesses borrowing money to grow? Bill Dunkelberg joins Jim Blasingame with NFIB's Small Business Index that shows a slight uptick in hiring, but still not interest in borrowing money to grow.
You're managing your business, but are you doing the job of the CEO? Jim Blasingame defines the role of a chief executive officer and explains why this role must be performed by every small business owner.
Will the sequester be a lot of sound and fury, signifying nothing? Jim Blasingame reports on the origin of the budget sequester, who's to blame for it and whether it will have any consequence.
Are we approaching the limits of our planet's ability to absorb our actions? Joel Barker joins Jim Blasingame to report on research that proposes we may be approaching the limits of Earth's ability to withstand the behavior of its inhabitants.
Do whales know more about aerodynamics than we do? Joel Barker joins Jim Blasingame to report on what we're learning from whales about how to develop the leading edges of windmills to increase energy generating efficiency.
A breakthrough in preventing hospital-acquired infections. Joel Barker joins Jim Blasingame to report on a ultra-violet light emitting robot that kills the MRSA pathogens, like staff, that causes 100,000 deaths annually in the U.S.
Monday - March 18, 2013
Do you know what motivates any particular customer? Thomas La Vecchia joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the four elements of his "X-Factor" approach to connecting with customers, including people, products, processes and price.
Whether customer confidence is up or down, you still have to sell. Thomas La Vecchia joins Jim Blasingame to talk about what your business has to do to stay in business regardless of what's going on in the economy.
How could the tiny island of Cyprus impact global markets? Rick Newman joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the bank crisis in Cyprus and why that little island's problems could trigger a shock to the EU and possibly beyond.
How much capital did Obama lose with his sequester scare tactics? Rick Newman joins Jim Blasingame to report on the game of chicken that the political class is playing with the budget and whether Obama's sequester tactics have cost him leverage.
Medicare is in more trouble than Social Security or Medicaid. Rick Newman joins Jim Blasingame to explain why Ryan's budget proposal is focusing so much on changing the structure of Medicare.
Why is marketing to Millennials different than marketing to Generation X? Olalah Njenga joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the sometimes subtle differences of marketing to the different generations, even between Gen Y and Gen X.
Each generation of prospects has its own marketing expectations. Olalah Njenga joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how each of the generations of prospects in the marketplace has its own set of expectations.
Does your Facebook strategy align with the likely prospects? Anita Rosen joins Jim Blasingame to explain why a business's Facebook strategy should be aimed at consumers, not businesses.
Marketing on Facebook requires the community building skills of patience and discipline. Anita Rosen joins Jim Blasingame to explain why the rules of selling are different in social media communities, like Facebook, than they are in the regular marketplace.
What can small business learn about Facebook marketing from big companies? Anita Rosen joins Jim Blasingame to recommend that small businesses observe how big companies pursue relationships and build communities on Facebook.
Tuesday - March 19, 2013
Are you frustrated because your marketing strategy isn't working? Doug Levy joins Jim Blasingame to reveal that customer expectations have produced the "Authentic Era" of marketing, where what you say has be be supported by what you do.
How is your brand enduring in the authentic era? Doug Levy joins Jim Blasingame to reveal what companies have to do to create and maintain a sustainable brand as customer expectations demand more transparency.
Why are some people profitable and some aren't? Ruth King joins Jim Blasingame to report on two small business owners, one who had the courage to be profitable and one who didn't.
Since when does it take courage to be profitable? Ruth King joins Jim Blasingame to reveal why it takes courage to face up to the tough decisions required to operate a profitable business.
Are you producing regular financial statements? Ruth King joins Jim Blasingame to talk about why long-term business success requires you to manage your business with regular and accurate financial statements.
Does your business have any customer barriers? Jim Blasingame reveals four lessons on removing barriers for customers based on mistakes made by a now defunct big business.
How do you decide how much risk you can afford? Jim Blasingame reveals how managing your business with regular financial statements will give you an edge when deciding how much risk you can afford to take.
What is the greatest entitlement problem? Diana Furchtgott-Roth joins Jim Blasingame to reveal why Medicare, of all the entitlement programs, is going to be the most difficult to get to a sustainable condition.
Which party has the best approach to reforming Medicare? Diana Furchtgott-Roth joins Jim Blasingame to compare the differences between the Democrats and Republicans on how to reform Medicare by paying caregivers less or providing premium support.
What will it take to get Medicare on a firm financial footing? Diana Furchtgott-Roth joins Jim Blasingame to propose that means testing and choice are the best elements of reform to put Medicare on a sustainable footing.
Wednesday - March 20, 2013
What does a speaker's body language say to the audience? Ruth Sherman joins Jim Blasingame to reveal why the body language of a speaker conveys information - positive or not so much - to his or her audience.
Step into your power as a speaker. Ruth Sherman joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how the best speakers "step into their power" and deliver excellent messages with energy and passion.
How this bank did extraordinary things in extraordinary circumstances. John Bradberry joins Jim Blasingame to report on how Hancock Bank provided a clinic on customer service when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast.
Here's a great entrepreneurial story that will make you smile. John Bradberry joins Jim Blasingame to relate the story of how SAP CEO Bill McDermott got his start as a teenage entrepreneur by doing some innovative customer service practices.
Here are three things all successful entrepreneurs do. John Bradberry joins Jim Blasingame to reveal that successful entrepreneurs know what their customers expect, how to be innovative and are resilient in the face of adversity.
How would you know if your own productivity is slipping? Bob Kustka joins Jim Blasingame to encourage small business owners to evaluate their personal productivity, including the value of taking some time away from the business.
Want to become a better manager? Bob Kustka joins Jim Blasingame to encourage small business owners to become a more effective executive by working with an executive coach to help evaluate personal performance.
What will happen with the Cyprus banking crisis? Bob McTeer joins Jim Blasingame to report on whether the banking crisis in the island of Cyprus could become contagious for the EU or even the U.S.
How effective is the Fed's quantitative easing policy? Bob McTeer joins Jim Blasingame to support steps the Fed is taking with monetary policy and to project that they will stay on this path for some time.
How dangerous is the Fed's balance sheet becoming? Bob McTeer joins Jim Blasingame to report on the growing Fed balance sheet and to predict that there shouldn't be any problems for the economy when they decide to reduce it.
Thursday - March 21, 2013
Social media may not be your silver bullet, but it should be one of your tools. Jeff Zbar joins Jim Blasingame to encourage small business owners to get started developing a social media strategy as a long-term marketing plan.
How do you qualify business prospects? Jeff Zbar joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the advantages of using LinkedIn as a prospecting tool when you need to find out about and/or connect with business decision-makers.
How will the bank crisis in Cyprus be solved? Mike Menzies joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the differences between how banks are regulated in other countries compared to the U.S., plus how the Cyprus bank crisis will be solved.
Will community banks survive big bank regulations? Mike Menzies joins Jim Blasingame to report on the comments made by bank regulators at the ICBA convention regarding their relationship with community banks.
What will the future hold for community banks? Mike Menzies joins Jim Blasingame to report that community banks have had to make adjustments after the financial crisis, but will continue to be an abiding partner with small businesses.
Is Big Brother watching you on Facebook? Kathy Perry joins Jim Blasingame to report on how the Federal Trade Commission is monitoring how we use social media to promote commercial interests.
Is crowdfunding in your future? Kathy Perry joins Jim Blasingame to report on the good, bad and ugly parts of crowdfunding as a way to capitalize a cause, a project or one day, a business, and the role social media is playing.
Have businesses adopted the Internet as well as they could have? Philippa Gamse joins Jim Blasingame to report that businesses have made great strides in adoption online resources and tools, but are still way behind where they could be.
How much are you using the Internet to drive sales? Philippa Gamse joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the different ways businesses can use Internet resources to drive sales, but also for other tasks, such as procurement, etc.
How analytical is your online strategy? Philippa Gamse joins Jim Blasingame to encourage small businesses to become more analytical when measuring the performance of their online strategy.
Monday - March 25, 2013
What's the difference between bullying and managing aggressively? Leah Hollis joins Jim Blasingame to explain the difference between a manager's style of disciplined, high expectations and bullying an employee.
How can you tell if one of your managers is a bully? Leah Hollis joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how small business owners watch for managers who is bullying employees and deal with the problem when it happens.
Baby Boomer retirements will be good for the housing industry. Ken Gronbach joins Jim Blasingame to report that as millions of Baby Boomers retire and move aorund, they will contribute to an improved housing market nationally.
How will Millennials impact the housing industry? Ken Gronbach joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the home-buying impact of Generation Y on the struggling U.S. housing market.
For the first time, Boomers and Gen Y are buying houses at the same time. Ken Gronbach joins Jim Blasingame to report that for the first time in history, the two largest generations in U.S. history - Baby Boomers and Generation Y - are both buying houses.
How well are you adopting Internet solutions? Jim Blasingame reports on the progress of the virtual marketplace, plus how well small businesses are executing online strategies.
Cyprus is another example of the failed European socialistic policies. Jim Blasingame points out the unsustainable socialistic market practices of Europe and asks President Obama why he is pushing the U.S. in that direction.
Main Street America has a problem in Washington. Don Cooper joins Jim Blasingame to discuss why we need to find and elect candidates for national office who understand how our free-market economy is supposed to work.
Do you sell features and benefits or tell stories? Don Cooper joins Jim Blasingame to reveal that telling prospects and customers stories is more powerful and effective than just reciting your features and benefits.
Make sure customers are the heroes of your stories. Don Cooper joins Jim Blasingame to reveal some of the rules of telling customers stories, including how to make them the hero in your story while you're the narrator.
Tuesday - March 26, 2013
Want to do business with Walmart? Nell Merlino joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the work her organization is doing to help women grow their small businesses, including being mentored by a woman small business owner who does business with Walmart.
There are more women veterans today than ever before who want to start a business. Nell Merlino joins Jim Blasingame to explain how her organization is helping women veterans start a business, get funding, and grow successfully.
Americans are migrating within the country like never before. Michael Cox joins Jim Blasingame to report on the fact that perhaps more than any other time, Americans are leaving certain states for better options in other states.
Why are American's leaving certain states and going to others? Michael Cox joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the six things Americans are migrating to other states to avoid, including high taxes, unions and cost of living.
Which direction is America heading? Michael Cox joins Jim Blasingame to talk about America heading toward a European socialistic economic system and whether it's too late to turn that trend around.
How are black entrepreneurs doing these days? Harry Alford joins Jim Blasingame to report that black Americans have significantly increased their position as small business owners in the past 20 years, but the current economy is damaging.
What is the verdict on Obama's policies on small business? Harry Alford joins Jim Blasingame to explain why the policies of President Obama are detrimental to all small businesses, including those owned by black Americans.
Women need to find more self-confidence. Debra Fine joins Jim Blasingame to why lack of self-confidence holds more women back than anything else, and why that is an important mentoring step to acquire.
Women entrepreneurs have to learn how to ask for the capital they need. Debra Fine joins Jim Blasingame to talk about what women entrepreneurs have to do to get the investment capital many need to grow their businesses.
Do you have trouble with face-to-face networking? Debra Fine joins Jim Blasingame to reveal her networking strategy of turning the process into a series of tasks to make sure you meet the people you need to meet.
Wednesday - March 27, 2013
Where is the debate on collecting sales tax on online sales? Steve DelBianco joins Jim Blasingame to explain that an online sales tax will create an unnecessary burden on small businesses due to the thousands of different sets of state and local rules and regulations.
How high should the sales tax compliance exemption for online revenue be for small businesses? Steve DelBianco joins Jim Blasingame to discuss a proposed exemption for small businesses and why that number should be more than $1 million.
Don't regulate a community bank like a big bank. Terry Jorde joins Jim Blasingame to explain that community banks have been through a lot since 2008 because of mistakes made by big banks, plus the differences between Wall Street banking and community banking.
Reforming big banks has caused problems for small banks. Terry Jorde joins Jim Blasingame to explain why the regulatory attitude of "too big to fail" for big banks actually causes harm to community banks ability to serve small businesses.
Banks shouldn't become so big they defy the laws of the land. Terry Jorde joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the testimony of Attorney General Holder who said some banks have become "too big to jail," and their officers cannot be prosecutes for fear of a financial panic.
What is the single greatest factor in your success or failure? Jim Blasingame reveals why the most important piece of real estate that factors in your success or failure in life or business is the 5 inches between your ears, and how to manage that fact.
Here are two important small business partners. Jim Blasingame reveals two important groups - local chambers of commerce and community banks - and explains why small business owners should have relationships with both of them.
Do you know your customers? Really? Shelly Palmer joins Jim Blasingame to discuss decisions made by T-Mobile and how those have become good lessons for why small businesses should know who their customers are.
Do you have a mobile strategy? Shelly Palmer joins Jim Blasingame to how to connect with more customers by creating and executing a mobile strategy.
Is mobile computing infrastructure sufficient for the coming growth? Shelly Palmer joins Jim Blasingame to reveal that we have enough mobile spectrum to handle the coming growth in mobile computing, plus why a mobile site may be the best for you.
Thursday - March 28, 2013
The little things make a big difference. Chester Elton joins Jim Blasingame to explain that everyone in an organization is part of the sales team and each employee should have a business card, plus a story about a recent Chili's restaurant experience.
Are your employees all in? Chester Elton joins Jim Blasingame to explain that customers are looking for differentiation and that the "small things" are what make your business relevant, not just competitive, to customers.
What's holding women business owners back? Andrew Sherman and Elizabeth Vazquez join Jim Blasingame to discuss women business ownership and explain that while many things have improved for women, there are still barriers to be knocked down.
Why aren't more women doing business with big businesses? Andrew Sherman and Elizabeth Vazquez join Jim Blasingame to discuss vendor diversity and the role of women owned businesses in the supply chain.
How much progress have women made as business owners? Andrew Sherman and Elizabeth Vazquez join Jim Blasingame to report that gender role stereotypes still exist - and not just in developing countries - and put into perspective the progress the US has made for women.
Could you use more sales? Dawn Lyons joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how to turn your networking into more referrals, plus she identifies one of the four types of major behavioral styles to notice.
Can you be a cameleon? Dawn Lyons joins Jim Blasingame to discusses the last 3 major behavioral styles to notice when networking, and how to honor those styles in others.
Is there a recession risk? Bill Conerly joins Jim Blasingame to discuss the recent events in Cyprus and why the biggest risk to the US economy would be a contagion affect from the European Union problems.
What's the rest of the year looking like for the economy? Bill Conerly joins Jim Blasingame to forecast more slow to moderate growth for the US economy and says that the biggest risk for recession in the US comes from Europe.
Is the Fed helping or hurting the economy? Bill Conerly joins Jim Blasingame to propose that the current monetary policies of the Fed are probably good, but what the dangers are when eventually the stimulus has to be taken away.
Friday - March 29, 2013
You can access global resources to manufacture their products. Linda Kozlowski joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how small businesses now have access to global sourcing contacts to help them make and market their products.
Now small businesses have access to global resources like big companies. Linda Kozlowski joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how Alibaba.com helps small businesses find and do business with global sourcing firms - and it's free.
Making a bad sales hire is very expensive. Brad Huisken joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how to successfully find, hire and train new sales people.
If your sales revenue is down, there are only three reasons. Brad Huisken joins Jim Blasingame to reveal the only three reasons our sales revenue is down and how to identify which is the real problem.
What do you do with difficult customers? Brad Huisken joins Jim Blasingame to reveal successful tips and best practices on how to manage difficult and unhappy customers to make them happy and keeps their business.
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.
