Showing posts with label Small. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Small. Show all posts

Sunday, 3 July 2011

Readying Your Small Business for a Better Economy

Kate ReidCall of the Wild is the longest running adventure travel company, designed specifically for women only, in the world since 1978. Traveling across the United States and around the globe, Call of the Wild provides active adventures for women who are looking to make lifelong memories in a safe and fun environment.


Call of the WildIn this episode, Kate Reid, CEO of Call of the Wild, joins Anita Campbell and Brent Leary to talk about her journey as the new owner and CEO of the prestigious adventure travel company, and what tools she’s found effective to help her manage her business and weather the turbulent economic times.


Kate purchased Call of the Wild from its founder in September of 2008 as Lehman Brothers was collapsing.  Kate combines her previous work experience at Goldman Sachs, Expedia, and Visa with her passion for the outdoors and adventure to lead Call of the Wild’s day to day operations and business strategy.


Below are the questions we asked Kate:



  • (2:45) Kate, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background and how you came to be the CEO of Call of the Wild?

  • (5:13) There must have been something that really grabbed your attention about this business.  What was it about Call of the Wild that spoke to you?

  • (6:49) So by narrowing your market, you feel you’re actually creating greater opportunity by differentiating your business, correct?

  • (7:32) Were you surprised by anything that you weren’t expecting after you became CEO of The Call of the Wild that you didn’t see coming?

  • (9:15) It sounds as if these trips are life changing events for the women involved?

  • (10:06) How did you manage the experience of purchasing this company during a recession?

  • (12:56) So do you feel that things are loosening up now?  Or are we still in the grips of financial difficulty and changing consumer behavior?

  • (16:02) Do you feel like you’re positioned properly to take advantage of opportunities as the economy recovers?

  • (18:23) What kinds of things do you want to hear coming out of Washington to make you feel better about the prospects for the coming year?

  • (19:39) What are your industry trends?  Are you seeing any major industry trends that are going to shape 2011?

  • (21:30) What roles did social media and technology play in helping you get through 2009-2010 and how do you see that helping you in the future?

  • (23:18) You already have a Facebook page, correct?

  • (24:27) With your background, what kind of suggestions do you have for folks thinking about starting a business or running a business in this climate?

  • (26:31) What do you see in 2011 at the end of this year?  Where will the overall economy be and where will Call of the Wild be?

  • (29:31) Where can people find out more?


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SCORE Helps Small Businesses Succeed and Fuel America’s Economic Engine

Ken YanceySCORE is an organization that mentors America’s small business owners and operators and can help people dreaming about starting their own small business or those looking to grow their businesses. SCORE is already making its mark as a catalyst for economic growth across the country.  


SCOREIn this episode, Ken Yancey, CEO of SCORE, joins Ivana Taylor for an in-depth discussion about the organization and particularly, how SCORE is helping small businesses to fuel America’s economic recovery. In 2009 alone, SCORE clients started more than 68,000 new businesses, which resulted in the creation of some 30,000 jobs.


Below are the questions we asked Ken:



  • (1:36) Ken, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background and how you came to SCORE?

  • (3:46) What does SCORE stand for?

  • (5:04) How does SCORE make a direct impact on small business?

  • (6:32) When is a good time to visit SCORE if you’re a small business?  Are there some things you should be thinking about before you visit SCORE?

  • (8:10) That was a fantastic example. Do you have another one that’s and example of a success story?

  • (10:32) Can you talk a little bit about how important small business is to the economic recovery and how SCORE has helped with that?

  • (13:46) You mentioned that SCORE is working with the SBA.  Can you talk about where these organizations are similar or different and how you determine who to see, and for what?

  • (16:06) Can you talk a bit about how many businesses you’re helping and what the profile is for a successful business?

  • (18:19) Would you say that there are some businesses that tend to do better with SCORE than others?

  • (20:10) What are some things that might make me think, “I need to see SCORE, they can really help me.”

  • (22:15) What is the profile for an ideal volunteer?  Are you looking for volunteers? 

  • (25:58) Where can volunteers, small businesses and entrepreneurs go for more information?



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Small Business: How to Navigate 2010 Tax Laws

Mike D'AvolioAs tax season gets into full swing, it’s time to discuss the changes in this year’s taxes that will affect small businesses. From the IRS’ recently enacted payroll tax holiday to writing off up to $10,000 in start-up costs for businesses started in 2010, we have a small business champion for the latest must-claim deductions and write-offs here to inform you.


Intuit: ProLineTaxOnlineMike D’Avolio, CPA and Senior Tax Analyst at Intuit, has been a small business tax expert for more than 20 years and today, he joins Brent Leary for an in-depth discussion about the changes that can benefit you and your small business.


Below are the questions we asked Mike:



  • (1:51) Mike, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?

  • (2:32) Can you by telling us about the high level changes that businesses need to be aware of?

  • (3:12) What benefits will these tax incentives give small businesses?

  • (3:43) You mentioned exemptions and deductions and credits, can you break down what each one of those are?

  • (4:50) Is this year anymore challenging for a small business as opposed to years previous to this?

  • (5:24) Is this a sign of the times or is that just something that’s a little out of the ordinary this year?

  • (5:52) Let’s talk about start up expenses in 2010, what can we write off?

  • (6:43) What are some of the things to stimulate hiring and get companies to do some investing in people that the tax credits can help with?

  • (8:04) Does it matter how long the employee stays employed or is it a “one and done” kind of benefit?

  • (8:34) So that’s strictly for 2010, do you see that as something that could be around for years or is that just to get the incentive rolling for this year?

  • (9:25) What can small businesses do with the health insurance credits?

  • (10:25) This was an incentive to get some business moving forward.  What about the self-employed health insurance and self employer health insurance credit, what are the differences?

  • (11:58) So you can take advantage of these credits and it doesn’t have any impact on the future, correct?

  • (13:06) What about retirement plans in 2010 taxes?

  • (14:13) You can put money in those plans until April of this year?

  • (14:43) Can you explain about the tax differences between a small business with less than 10 employees and one with 25 employees?

  • (15:55) Is that a new distinction they’ve put in place here?

  • (16:30) Overall, how helpful do you think the things that are in place will be to small businesses filling out their taxes for 2010?

  • (17:33) What are some of the things that small business owners should be anticipating when it comes to the year ahead?

  • (18:51) How can people best take advantage of all of this?  Is this built into some of the software in QuickBooks?

  • (20:08) What are some of the potential “red flags” people should be aware of?

  • (21:22) Where can people get the best resources?

  • (22:11) And you foresee 2011 being a similar challenge?

  • (23:00) If you’re a company that is optimistic and you expect 2011 to be a year of growth and you have less than 10 employees, what are some of the generic things they should strategically be planning for?

  • (24:49) What about somebody who is just thinking about starting a business this year, what advice would you have for them from a tax standpoint?

  • (26:02) And for those who just want to make sure they cover their bases in 2010, your advice is going to the IRS website?

  • (27:29) The accountant will work with you and the software, correct?

  • (27:56) So you’re thinking that this may be the “new normal” and this is going to be something that we’ll have to be ready to deal with this year and in the next year or so?

  • (29:09) Where can people learn more from Intuit regarding tax information?



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100 Best Small Business Podcasts 2011

100 Best Small Business Podcasts 2011


A new year is upon us and it’s that time once again!


As many of you know, every year Small Business Trends Radio searches high and low on the Internet for you so that we may choose 100 of the most useful and informative podcasts we can find for YOU. 


In today’s technical times, many people don’t have the time to search, scour and sift through all of the amazing audio resources that are daily filling the Internet.  But never fear!  We’ve done the footwork for you and we’ve categorized them as well.  Some of the podcasts listed have a broader focus but the majority have a  focus on small business. You’ll notice that there are some old faces and many new ones here.


There is an amazing wealth of information here – so relax, sit back and listen!


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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT


DishyMix – With Susan Bratton. Susan serves up a mix of lessons from individuals from the world of advertising, digital media, marketing, social media and more. 


Total Picture Radio — With Peter Clayton. This podcast features career empowerment interviews with best-selling authors, senior executives, leadership coaches and entrepreneurs. 


Project Management War Stories — With Wayne Thompson. Monthly interviews with seasoned business leaders, managers and top level executives offering advice. 


HBR IdeaCast – By Harvard Business Review. A weekly audio podcast, gathering analysis and advice of the leading minds in management.


Trafcom News Podcast – With Donna Papacosta. Listen to interviews and discussions about topics that are important to people in the business of communicating. 


Manager Tool Podcasts – With Mauzenne & Co. This podcast is about new tools and easy techniques you can use to help achieve your management and career objectives. 


The Engaging Brand – With Anna Farmery. A podcast to motivate, inspire and engage people at work. 


The Bottom Line – With Evan Davis. This podcast gives insight into business from those leaders at the top.


Break Through Business – By Michele Price. Giving entrepreneurs and small business owners tools for success in our new business economy.


* * * * *


MARKETING AND SALES 


Marketing Over Coffee – By John Wall and Christopher Phenn. This podcast stays on top of all that’s new in the world of business marketing. 


Internet Marketing This Week – This podcast stays on top of today’s hot marketing topics and answers questions such as, “Why did YouTube go to wide screen?” 


Duct Tape Marketing — By John Jantsch. John provides interviews with influential marketing professionals and those who demonstrate advanced marketing tactics. 


Marketing Edge — With Albert Maruggi. This podcast features insights and advice on public relations, marketing, communication and more. 


Small Business Big Marketing Show – With Luke Moulton & Timbo Reid. Hear how other small business owners from around the world go about their marketing. 


Sales Podcast – With Shane Gibson. Shane is talking about sales force leadership, new entrepreneur development, social media marketing and how “to close bigger deals.” 


AdVerve – With Angela Natividad & Bill Green. This is a podcast about advertising and marketing. 


The Official BNI Podcast – With Dr. Ivan Misner. This podcast is a weekly audio discussion with Dr. Ivan Misner, the Founder and Chairman of BNI. 


Six Pixels of Separation – With Mitch Joel. Mitch talks about digital marketing, new media and personal branding. 


The BeanCast – By Bob Knorpp. This podcast features a panel of smart ad-biz types discussing news and issues. 


Managing The Gray – By C.C. Chapman. This is is a marketing podcast that is teaching you and your company about the changing business world. 


Clarity Advantage’s Sales Thoughts – With Nick Miller. Gain tips and techniques for prospecting, negotiating, coaching, and managing the sales process. 


The Click Millionaires Radio Show – By Scott Fox. Tune in for free online marketing, e-commerce strategy, and lifestyle business-building advice.


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OPERATING A SMALL BUSINESS


Mind Your Own Business Podcast — With Guy Kingston. Guy discusses topics such as hourly billing, working from home, bankruptcy, business insurance and much more. 


Escape from Cubicle Nation — With Pamela Slim. Pamela shares advice on issues for those who have gone from employee – to business owner. 


Accelerate Your Business Growth – Diane Helbig is discussing small business issues.  If, as a small business owner, something is keeping you up at night, Diane offers input and suggestions for resolution. 


Views From the Top – With Adrienne Graham. Adrienne takes a look at the hard hitting issues affecting women in corporate positions and entrepreneurs at the top of their game. 


The Smallbiz Brain – By David Wolf. This podcast features interviews with small business experts and leaders.


The Passionate Entrepreneur – With Kenneth Darryl Brown. This show is for passionate entrepreneurs who want to take their companies to the next level. 


Entrepreneur People – With Sherry Borzo. Real Stories about real people that teach lessons in business and in life. 


Automate My Small Business – By Brandon & Matt. How to automate, outsource, and streamline your small business.


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TAX AND FINANCE


Accounting Best Practices — With Steve Bragg. Steve covers a broad range of accounting topics and other financial-related matters. 


Kiplinger Podcast — By Kiplinger. This podcast covers personal finance topics and tips to pay attention to your finances. 


Marketplace — A daily dose of news on business and current economics trends affecting your business. 


The Clark Howard Show – With Clark Howard. Save more, spend less and avoid rip-offs. 


NPR: Planet Money Podcast – Everything you need to know or want to learn about money and finance. 


WSJ’s Your Money Matters – This podcast by The Wall Street Journal will help you to keep your finances in tip-top shape. 


Ernst & Young International Tax Podcast – Business insights by Ernst & Young.


Money Box – With Paul Lewis. News of savings and investments, credit cards and loans, pensions, banking, tax, benefits and giving to charity. 


DH Unplugged – With John Dvorak and Andrew Horowitz. Hard hitting commentaries on the financial market and the economy.


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STARTUPS AND STARTING A BUSINESS 


The Startup Success Podcast – With Bob Walsh and Patrick Foley. Get the information you need as a startup, indie or micro-ISV (independent software vendor). 


StartUpNation Radio – With Rich Sloan and Troy Janisch. This podcast provides in-the-trenches expertise on how to start and grow your dream business. 


SmallBizPod – With Alex Bellinger. Inspiration for start-ups and entrepreneurs.


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HOME BASED BUSINESS 


Work at Home Success – With Leslie Truex. Leslies shares business tips, tools and resources for those who work from home. 


Home Business Internet Talk Show — With host Paul Stanton. Paul covers all aspects of running a business from home and episodes range anywhere from 2 minutes to a half hour or more. 


Work at Home Moms Talk Radio — With Kelly McCausey. Kelly interviews a successful WAHM (work at home mom) or business owner every Monday morning with an emphasis on Internet-based businesses. 


I Should Be Writing – With Mur Lafferty. Mur shares tips, insights and motivation for freelance writers. 


Freelance Advisor – With Darren Fell and Andy White. Darren and Andy share tips and insights from real freelancers and contractors. 


Careers from the Kitchen Table – By Raven Blair Davis. Find ways to create a consistent income all from the comfort of your own home.


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SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY 


The Force Field — With Rick Savoia. This podcast is a half hour production dedicated to the small, independent IT service provider. 


Entrepreneur’s Journey — By Yaro Starak. Yaro provides specific help to those starting and running Internet businesses such as how to take payments online, sell ebooks or launch a new product. 


The Social Customer – With Brent Leary, Maggie Fox, et al. “Meta-conversations” on Social Customer Relationship Management (CRM), small business tech trends and social media. 


Net@Night – With Amber MacArthur & Leo Laporte. Amber checks out what’s happening on the Internet right now, finding new cool sites. 


The Hobson & Holtz Report – With Neville Hobson & Shel Holtz. This podcast is a twice-weekly show at the intersection of online communication and public relations. 


Tech Chick  Tips – With Helen (techchick) and Anna (digimom). Tips and tricks for teaching 21st century students using 21st century skills.


WordCast – Is a source for the hottest topics in the blogging, social media and WordPress. 


On Digital Media – With John Federico. It is a podcast about the technology, creation, distribution, consumption and monetization of digital media and its effects on traditional media and marketing. 


On The Record Online – By Eric Schwartzman. This podcast is talking about how technology is changing the way organizations communicate. 


Practical eCommerce — This podcast is for those attempting to grow their businesses online and provides practical tips, tools and resources including help with ecommerce software and more. 


Scobleizer – By Robert Scoble. A podcast by a self-proclaimed geek who grew up in Silicon Valley and interviews technology innovators and executives. 


The Boagworld Show – By Paul Boag. A podcast for those who design, develop and run websites.


* * * * *


BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES AND FRANCHISES 


Ecommerce Podcast – This podcast interviews ecommerce entrepreneurs who share the lessons they’ve learned. 


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“ALL AROUND” SMALL BUSINESS PODCASTS 


The Small Business Podcast – With David Michaels and Daniel Miller. Using their wit and smarts, David and Daniel bring you practical tips, concepts and advice to apply to your small business. 


Microbusiness News Briefs — By Dawn Rivers Baker. Dawn focuses on the needs of microbusiness owners, those with 5 employees or less. 


Wall Street Journal Podcasts – Stay up-to-date on the latest business trends and changes with The Wall Street Journal. 


Eye on Small Business – With K. Scanlon. A weekly radio show that features interviews with small business owners sharing practical tips and advice. 


Small Business Trends Radio — Our very own show with Anita Campbell, featuring interviews with today’s professionals on a wide variety of business topics. 


Business Insanity Talk Radio – By Barry Moltz. This is a business radio show where we talk about all the craziness of small business. 


Blog Business Success – With Wayne Hurlbert. Podcast about business blogging, search engine optimization SEO, marketing, public relations, and entrepreneurship topics that will help your business grow. 


Zane Safrit – Zane talks with his guests about small business, innovation, word-of-mouth, leadership, generating positive cash-flows, topgrading, social media, and the economy. 


Small Business Radio – With Jim Blasingame. The Small Business Advocate Show is the world’s only weekday small business radio program. 


Mixergy – By Andrew Warner. Online business tips from successful entrepreneurs. 


The Rise to the Top – Video podcast by David Siteman Garland. The #1 non-boring business show. 


Jaffe Juice TV – Video podcast by Joseph Jaffe. A dialogue on the subjects of new marketing, advertising and creativity. 


* * * * *


BUSINESS NEWS AND THE BIG PICTURE


Inspiring Words of Encouragement – By Zig Ziglar. Zig provides encouragement and motivation for business and personal life. 


Little Things Matter – By Todd Smith. Improving your life one thing at a time. 


The Real Story – With Frank Curzio. Frank discusses stocks and headlines keeping you current in today’s investing and trading. 


Killer Innovations — With Phil McKinney. Phil covers all things innovation and offers thought provoking ideas for entrepreneurs. 


WallStreet Unspun – By Peter Schiff. Peter provides the market outlook and a dose of current news events. 


World Business News – By BBC World Service. This podcast provides in-depth analysis of global business developments and trends that affect consumers, investors and the environment at large. 


Business Week — Ten different shows are offered and literally hundreds of recordings to choose from all relating to business. 


TIME Business Podcast — This podcast covers business stories addressing executive interests from technology to management to small business. 


New York Times Podcasts — The New York Times offers over a dozen podcasts on topics ranging from personal technology, international news, book reviews and the backstories behind NYT published articles. 


Marketplace – By American Public Media. This podcast brings you the latest and most talked about headlines in business news today. 


WSJ’s This Morning – The Wall Street Journal brings you the morning’s top business and finance news. 


CNNMoney – This podcast provides a wealth of finance information, advice, tips and tactics to apply to your business and personal life. 


Business Week Cover Stories – Business Week provides coverage of current business news and backstories behind the business week covers. 


David Allen Company Podcast – by David Allen.  David’s show, “Getting Things Done” is “a podcast designed to help you win at the game of work and business of life.”


Done! – By David Stiernholm. This is a podcast about structure and how to visualize, simplify and get more time at your disposal. 


The Great Work Interviews – With Michael Bungay Stanier. “Find Your Great Work” by  Michael Bungay Stanier. 


Knowledge@Wharton – With Wharton faculty. Listen to CEOs and other commentators have to say about the latest business trends, breaking news and market research. 


On The Media – From NPR. Podcasts on the Internet. 


The Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders – Podcasts from the Stanford Technology Ventures Program. 


The Economist – Business content from The Economist magazine. 


Peter Day’s World of Business – Insights into the business world with Peter Day. 


World Business News – By the BBC. Analysis of the day’s big global business developments and how they affect consumers, investors and the environment. 


Americana – With Matt Frei. An insider’s guide to the stories shaping the USA today.


WorkAwesome Podcast – With Mike Vardy. WorkAwesome is a resource for people who love what they do, and want to become awesome at it.


Freakonomics Radio – By Stephen J. Dubner. Explore “the hidden side of everything.”


Financial Times Podcast – With Martin Wolf. The chief economics commentator reads his weekly column.


EconTalk – By Russ Roberts. An economics podcast for the daily life.


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For more, you can visit our previous list of 100 Best Small Business Podcasts From 2009 and 100 Best Small Business Podcasts From 2010. We encourage you to leave suggestions for your favorites below in the comments section. We’d love to hear from you!





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Demystifying Attorney Fees For Small Businesses

Tim GreeneHiring a lawyer is challenging for many small business owners because most know very little about the law and even less about the costs involved.  If you’ve found yourself in a similar situation, you’ve come to the right place – we’re going to help demystify attorney fees for small businesses. Some of the topics discussed are what specific legal matters cost, what drives those costs, and what small business owners can do to reduce their legal costs.


FizzLawIn this episode,  Tim Greene, Co-Founder of FizzLaw, a small business lawyer guide, and Darren Green, Chicago entrepreneurial attorney and Adjunct Professor at Northwestern University School of Law, join Anita Campbell to demystify attorney fees for small businesses.


Below are the questions we asked Tim and Darren:



  • (3:53) Tim, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background and how you came to be involved with FizzLaw?

  • (5:12) Darren, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?

  • (6:46) Have you two met in person or has this been a long distance relationship?

  • (7:15) Can you explain what FizzLaw is in terms of a small business owner that visits the website?  What will they find when they visit FizzLaw?

  • (11:00) Do you still find that many lawyers and clients are entering into agreements with each other without a written understanding as to how the services will be charged?

  • (14:09) Can you explain what the difference between a transactional lawyer and a litigation lawyer is?

  • (15:43) What are the main drivers for the costs of legal services?  What is it that costs so much to hire an attorney?

  • (20:35) What’s the difference between getting a flat fee versus billable hours and how prevalent are flat fees?

  • (22:08) Tim, do you see flat fees as being prevalent or are they the exception and not the rule?

  • (24:35) So talk to several different lawyers and compare what they quote?

  • (25:17) What are contingency fees and when are they charged?  Also, do lawyers work for equity?

  • (27:52) Is it reasonable for a business client to request that the attorney work for equity?  And what would the attorney be likely to say to that?

  • (30:54) Where can people learn more about you and what you do?



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