Business Brain – The Entrepreneurs’ Podcast

Is all business risk bad? Searching for “small business risk” online and you’ll find most articles and resources are focused on minimizing or avoiding risk. Listen in to today’s episode of the Small Business Show to hear why we believe that taking risks is part of the “secret sauce” of business success. Without risk, you’re no different than the person working in the cubicle who never starts their business in the first place. Your hosts, Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean have some strong ideas about risk and why you should be embracing it, turning risk into opportunity for your Small Business. During the show, you’ll hear about how taking risks can create an advantage over your competitors and how the anxiety associated with taking risks can fuel your motivation. You’ll also learn about minimizing risks and how to use successes of any size to create a Success Cycle that will propel you to even more awesomeness. Join us today on the Small Business Show for all this and much more. Then, visit our Support Group to join the conversation! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #166 for Wednesday, April 11, 2018 00:01:01 Did Facebook get your data from Cambridge Analytica 00:02:52 How much risk is OK for you and your business? 00:03:35 Risks are Opportunities 00:06:19 Tim Cote from Commonwealth Financial on Small Business Show 00:08:11 Ideas Aren’t Worth Anything (except the paper they’re printed on… including patent paper) 00:10:14 The benefits of a Working Agreement 00:11:20 Anxiety is Motivation Fuel! 00:14:00 Describing your wheelhouse 00:16:25 “I never lose, I either win or learn” Failure Sucks 00:18:00 You’re fooling yourself I’m a Loser, Baby 00:19:05 I’m a badass! 00:19:26 Train your inner judge 00:21:19 SPONSOR: Visit TextExpander.com/podcast for 20% off your first year. 00:24:17 Create a Success List 00:25:25 Calculated Risks Your Advisory Board: Good Insurance, Attorney, Banker, Accountant 00:26:41 “I’m doing this” vs. “What do you think?” 00:29:47 Forming an LLC is easy Dave used DelawareInc.com 00:34:12 SBS 166 Outtro The post How Much Risk is Right for Your Small Business? Episode 166 of the Small Business Show appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Ever been frustrated when you’re waiting for a service provider to show up or a product to arrive and they/it are late? Today we turn the tables and discuss this problem as it relates to your Small Business performance and the importance of setting, then meeting (ideally exceeding!) your customers expectations. It’s time for episode 165 of the Small Business Show! Both Dave and Shannon have experiences they want to share with you about not having their expectations met when working with other businesses and how that impacted them, as well as the disruption is can cause at the company performing the work. The discussion focuses on how to set the customer expectation and how to manage communication during the process, so even if you can’t fulfill that expectation, your customers will still be happy. We then jump into ways to insure that your customer feels valued and why breaking bad news early and transparently can earn you customer loyalty. Then it’s on to talk and tips about empowering your employees to solve problems without having to seek approval from you or their supervisor and why saying “Yes” more will bring on the customer love. Listen in and then join the discussion on the Small Business Support Group!     Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #165 for Wednesday, April 4, 2018 00:01:27 To-Do Lists BusyCal 00:03:43 Customer Services Tales 00:04:48 Irving 00:06:25 Set that expectation 00:10:30 Then manage to that expectation 00:13:36 Missed expectations are massively disruptive to everyone 00:15:16 Own the communication of bad news 00:16:10 Quote hours, not days 00:17:45 Make the customer feel like they matter 00:18:41 Communicate that value 00:20:59 Why do these service companies fail at this over and over again? 00:23:48 SPONSOR: Simple Contacts – Get $30 off at simplecontacts.com/sbs or enter SBS at checkout 00:28:07 Apple 00:32:28 We Screwed Up 00:36:07 The Lesson is to find an empowered employee 00:36:56 Empowerment Translates to Importance 00:38:41 When you say “Yes” The Customer Loves You 00:41:18 Shannon’s Contractor Sucked the joy out of the project 00:42:04 The moral: set expectations, empower employees 00:43:00 What would it take to change this? 00:44:16 SBS 165 Outtro The post Setting Customer Expectations and Empowering Employees to Solve Problems – Small Business Show 165 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

When there’s a disagreement with a customer, supplier or someone else, what is the best way to resolve the problem while keeping your Small Business running strong? Have you been sued or are you contemplating suing someone? Join us today on the Small Business Show where we discuss Alternative Dispute Resolution methods like Arbitration and Mediation. If you are a party to a lawsuit, either plaintiff or defendant, chances are you’ll be pushed into mediation by a judge in an attempt to keep you out of court. Dave and Shannon have both been parties to mediation and as you can imagine, they have much to talk about when it comes to making the most out of your mediation experience. Listen in to episode 164 of the Small Business Show to hear their stories and pickup some tips, including how to keep everyone’s ego out of the process, including your attorney’s, how to pick the right attorney to represent you, how the process works and why timing is so important for success. After the show, keep the conversation going by joining us at the Small Business Support Group to share your mediation story, ask questions or comment on the show. Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #164 for Wednesday, March 27, 2018 00:01:09 Facebook Local 00:02:00 Mediation vs. Arbitration 00:05:03 Alternative Dispute Resolution 00:07:18 Mediation brings a possibility that you can work things out 00:09:27 The (painful) process 00:10:41 Co-mingling the parties 00:13:27 Picking the right attorney 00:15:50 Finding an outcome that’s livable 00:17:08 Avoid being intimidated 00:20:59 SPONSOR: Visit TextExpander.com/podcast for 20% off your first year. 00:23:24 SPONSOR: Visit JAMF.com/SBS to get your first 3 devices free for life! 00:27:05 Mediation leads to a lesson 00:32:19 The turning point 00:35:24 Avoid awkward elevator conversation 00:38:05 Avoiding the egos! 00:38:52 Beware the attorneys (and their egos) 00:41:01 Moving on is important 00:44:26 Focus on the resolution 00:46:07 Be aware of the lifespan 00:46:34 Dave’s Valuable Negotiation Lesson 00:48:42 SBS 164 Outtro The post Small Business Mediation Tips, Tricks and Advice from Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean – Small Business Show 164 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

If your business includes shipping products, having a strong relationship with a packaging and logistics company is critically important – In our experience, you can “leak” a tremendous amount of your cash out through your packaging and shipping costs. To talk more about the importance of this topic, we’re thrilled to have Caitlin Corkill with us today. Caitlin is the founder of Paq-Source, a company that provides packaging and equipment, as well as logistics consulting to help you manage your shipping, packaging and warehousing.  There’s a lot to learn on this episode, join us, then visit the Small Business Support Group to ask questions and share your own story. Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #163 for Wednesday, March 21, 2018 00:00:56 Caitlin Corkill – Paq-Source 00:02:01 Worked for a family friend and then time to leave. 00:02:27 Eight months notice led to … not leaving! 00:03:37 Finding an overlooked city 00:04:10 Consolidating two offices Finding reliability inside efficiency 00:05:13 You learn so much about a business by being on a sales call 00:06:04 Are you ever surprised? 00:07:40 It’s like toner! 00:08:33 The importance of customer referrals Kyle Baccus from KC Tool on Small Business Show 00:09:50 No Catalog, Just Solutions! Avoid the bottom-feeders 00:11:38 “We sell commodities but we are not to be commoditized!” 00:12:50 Growing companies are our bread-and-butter “The companies where we thrive are the companies that are growing.” 00:13:35 What’s your sales/marketing process? 00:15:11 “Making money is easy, making it worth something is the fun in running a business.” 00:15:55 CARES = Customer Centric Adaptable Experts Solid. 00:16:19 Ten Paq Commandments (h/t to Biggie Smalls) 00:17:40 It’s a community you have, not just a business 00:21:27 Process, Process, Process (Process!) 00:24:40 Running between two cities 00:25:23 SBS 163 Outtro The post Small Business Interview with Caitlin Corkill of Paq-Source Packaging and Logistics – Small Business Show #163 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

What does it take for your Small Business to rank high on search engines when customers are looking for your products or services? Should you be allocating most of your ad budget to search, or are there better methods for your particular business to connect with customers? Join us on this episode of the Small Business Show for these topics and much more! Don’t miss the episode where your co-host Shannon Jean admits: “I hate search, it makes me feel stupid.” Hear his story and either laugh at or commiserate with him as he shares his frustration about ranking high on page one of search results. You’ll also learn why he feels that search engines are just another marketplace, like eBay or Amazon, only focused on selling your business information and how that changed his focus and approach to success with search. Dave Hamilton shares his story of battling scraper sites that market his own content, while blocking the original posts on search engines and how he is working to solve the problem. We then spend time helping you to focus your SEO priorities to better achieve success with tips and tricks about using SEO companies, consultants and in-house talent to raise your rankings. We wrap up the show with advice about ignoring your competitors that you don’t want to miss. Listen in to episode 162 of the Small Business Show and then join us at the Small Business Support Group to share your story and get your questions answered.   Chapters/Timestamps 00:00:00 Small Business Show #162 for Wednesday, March 14, 2018 00:01:17 SXSW Conference and Festivals 00:03:22 Watch your intake 00:04:51 Drunk words are sober thoughts 00:06:29 Managing the party 00:07:40 Building a Different Bond 00:09:08 Near Me Searches on Small Business Show 00:09:51 SEO and Keyword Optimization 00:12:48 Value vs. Relevance 00:13:34 SPONSOR: Visit TextExpander.com/podcast for 20% off your first year. 00:16:48 Dave’s SEO Story with Duck Duck Go 00:18:52 Bing and Yandex feed Duck Duck Go 00:20:20 Scraper sites are the worst! 00:21:56 Your site has a block on it 00:23:28 DMCA Requests to the scrapers 00:24:45 Defining your SEO priorities 00:26:31 Is SEO the best method for you to connect with your customer? 00:27:52 Bring your SEO in house if it’s that important 00:29:10 Use Free SEO Consultations as Sales tools 00:30:00 Beware Black Hat SEO 00:32:05 Don’t forget the human aspect 00:33:59 Avoid Competitive Keyword Battles 00:35:26 SBS 162 Outtro The post Search Engine Strategies for your Small Business – Small Business Show 162 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

With just about a week to go before tax filings are due for LLC and S-Corp Small Businesses, it’s time to discuss what to do when your NOT ready to file and the repercussions of missing a tax filing deadline. Join us for episode 161 of the Small Business Show as we dive back into the world of Small Business taxes! On this episode, Dave and Shannon spend time discussing tax extensions, how they work, why you would want to use one and what do in the event that you don’t have the cash to pay your tax bill. We share our thoughts on relationships with Accountants and why a few weeks before taxes are due is not the time to be searching for a new one. You’ll also find out why keeping your Accountant involved in both your personal and business life can help you save money when filing your taxes. If you’re already having IRS problems, we’ve got some tips and tricks for changing the relationship you have with the them and what to do if you are not getting the kind of help you think you should be getting from a particular IRS agent. We wrap up the show with advice on how to not miss important deductions, tracking expenses and using retirement accounts as well as hiring your kids to lower your taxable income. Join us today for all this and more on the show that is by, for and about Small Business! Chapters/Timestamps 00:00:00 Small Business Show #161 for Wednesday, March 7, 2018 00:02:23 Taxes can be fun! 00:03:52 Find an accountant you enjoy talking with 00:05:30 Tax Deadlines for 2017 00:06:43 Understand Tax Extensions 00:10:00 Why aren’t you ready? 00:11:06 When should you send your forms to your accountant? 00:12:35 Let your accountant file your extensions 00:13:32 SPONSOR: Visit JAMF.com/SBS to get your first 3 devices free for life! 00:16:26 Don’t hire an accountant today 00:17:14 Humanize your Relationship with the IRS 00:18:40 You are the IRS’s customer 00:20:20 Request a different agent 00:20:48 Communicate with the IRS 00:23:07 The new 2018 Tax Laws 00:24:00 Tracking – and finding – your deductions 00:27:00 Put your business owner hat on and ask for NFL tickets 00:29:45 Look at your personal retirement accounts and options 00:31:37 SBS 161 Outtro The post Small Business Tax Tips for Filing your Tax Returns – Small Business Show 161 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Does your Small Business rank high for “Near Me” searches on Google, Siri and Bing? Join us on this episode of the Small Business Show for tips and tricks to be sure you are optimizing your website, your address and your business map records to steer more customers to your location. Local search is a critical part of Small Business success. Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean focus on getting your company name to come up when potential customers are using the terms “near me” when searching for a product or service that you may be offering. You’ll learn about setting up local resource pages, how to hack your address, phone verification tricks, using reviews to show activity and much more. Join us for episode 160 of the Small Business Show, then tell your story, comment and ask questions in the Small Business Support Group! Chapters/Timestamps 00:00:00 Small Business Show #160 for Wednesday, February 28, 2018 00:01:20 Optimizing your business for “Near Me” searches 00:02:39 Create or Edit Your Business listing on Google Local Search Apple Maps Listings Local “Bing Places” Listings 00:03:54 Remember that this is all local – use your local number 00:05:14 Staying within the Google and/or Apple Maps framework 00:07:49 Different photos for each location 00:08:36 Requires regular attention 00:10:58 Consider your physical address 00:12:23 The UPS Store gives you a “Suite Number” 00:13:07 Phone number verification can be a problem 00:14:13 SPONSOR: Visit TextExpander.com/podcast for 20% off your first year. 00:17:35 end sponsor block 00:17:39 How to verify your phone number and your account Phone.com 00:21:08 Make sure your business name, local address, and local phone are on every page of your website Remove “Inc.” or “LLC” 00:21:48 Create different local pages 00:24:33 Become a resource 00:25:30 Your Local SEO Management System 00:26:27 Cross-linking your Google Reviews 00:29:20 Promote even some of the criticisms 00:30:09 Link Yelp, BBB, Chamber of Commerce on your Local pages Small Dog Electronics 00:32:00 Working to gain trust 00:33:33 Be sure to mention your location regularly on your blog 00:34:31 Contact us! feedback@businessshow.co Small Business Support Group 00:35:01 SBS 160 Outtro The post Optimizing your Small Business for Near Me Searches – Small Business Show #160 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Does your website communicate in ways that potential customers can quickly grasp your story, what your services or your product line are? How do you simplify your message to capture the short attention span and should you rely on your Terms and Conditions to “protect” you from your customers? If your Small Business is getting interest from a larger company that wants to acquire you, who should you focus your energy on? The Deal Sponsor concept can help you narrow down your focus on which person you need to work closely with to make your merger or acquisition a success. Join us today on episode 159 of the Small Business Show for these topics and more! Shannon and Dave also revisit the “Beer Test” to insure that you have a cultural fit before entering into a partnership, joint venture or acquisition and why you need to have all office doors open during a crisis. We spend some time discussing Mihir Shah’s 5 C’s of a Turnaround and why these points surely apply to all businesses. Listen in and then join us in the Small Business Support Group to share your story or ask questions. Sponsors Jamf Now is a device management solution for your Apple devices at work. We make management tasks simple and affordable, so you can support your users; no IT required. Visit JAMF.com/SBS to get your first 3 devices free for life! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #159 for Thursday, February 22, 2018 00:02:00 G4 Design – benefits of telling your story, and having people comment on it. 00:05:39 Teasing out the message 00:07:00 “Wow! I didn’t get that from your website at all!” 00:07:46 Learn to simplify your message 00:08:40 Don’t rest on your T&Cs 00:10:48 SPONSOR: Visit JAMF.com/SBS to get your first 3 devices free for life! 00:13:05 Mihir Shah from Drobo on Small Business Show 00:13:54 Mihir’s concept of a “Deal Sponsor” 00:15:44 “The Beer Test” 00:17:12 Spouse/Family Buy-in 00:17:37 Due diligence on your Deal Sponsor 00:18:32 What’s the “cost” of working with your acquirer? 00:19:16 “The business needs someone else” 00:20:36 Mihir Shah’s 5 C’s of a Turnaround 00:22:12 “Talk to 500 Customers per year” 00:23:45 Cash is King 00:26:22 Accepting when it’s time for Plan B 00:28:14 Culture is the “Fatalyst” 00:28:44 Your partners need to believe in your vision 00:29:29 Forced Vesting 00:31:42 “Nobody’s Door Gets Closed” 00:32:41 Owed money can’t be the elephant in the room 00:34:08 Jean-Louis Gassée’s Two Tokens Customer Service 00:37:34 The Hubris of Apple 00:38:30 A Customer problem is a customer opportunity 00:39:35 SBS 159 Outtro The post Website Feedback, Simplifying Your Message, Acquisition Deal Sponsors and more: Small Business Show 159 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Are you ready to be acquired? Is your Small Business in a position to deal with a larger company that is interested in buying you for your products, your technology or your service revenue? Join us today on the Small Business Show to hear from an expert in mergers and acquisitions, Mihir Shah, CEO of Drobo. Mihir has had years of experience helping companies to analyze possible acquisitions and mergers, working to implement policies and procedures to insure a successful combining of two entities. You’ll learn about the two most important aspects of creating a successful acquisition and how your work on the front-end of the deal can help to insure things go right after the paperwork is signed. We also dig deep into supply chain management and how embracing change and understanding that a crisis is just another problem to solve can propel your business success. Listen in for this and much more on this episode of the Small Business Show, then visit the Small Business Support Group to ask your questions or to comment on the show! Sponsors Jamf Now is a device management solution for your Apple devices at work. We make management tasks simple and affordable, so you can support your users; no IT required. Visit JAMF.com/SBS to get your first 3 devices free for life! TextExpander. Summon your snippets in any app on Mac, iPad, iPhone, and Windows using a quick search or by typing your custom abbreviation. Share your snippets with your team, and keep them up to date together. Visit TextExpander.com/podcast for 20% off your first year. Chapters/Timestamps 00:00:00 Small Business Show #158 for Wednesday, February 14, 2018 00:01:03 Mihir Shah from Drobo 00:02:19 Cadavers are … not for me! 00:04:15 Going into the generation-old family business … of business! 00:04:56 Acquisition advice: Find a product market fit 00:06:25 Ensure a cultural fit 00:07:21 Beware science projects 00:09:09 If you’re being acquired, understand your acquirer’s Business Case 00:12:04 Understand that process is instrumental 00:12:51 Get to know your deal sponsor! 00:14:25 Deal sponsor and founder should understand each other’s companies 00:15:44 Sit on the same side of the table 00:16:30 Use “We” 00:17:01 SPONSOR: Visit TextExpander.com/podcast for 20% off your first year. 00:18:28 SPONSOR: Visit JAMF.com/SBS to get your first 3 devices free for life! 00:20:35 Mihir’s arrival at Drobo 00:21:27 Hurry up and get money 00:25:17 Dialing for Dollars 00:25:35 “My Brand is Crisis” 00:28:00 Find revenues and expense-to-revenue ratios for a similar, larger company 00:28:45 Favorite mistake? 00:29:27 Don’t underestimate the hardware business 00:30:05 How quickly can you adapt to a mistake? 00:31:16 Everything’s a challenge! Embrace it. 00:33:38 Don’t stop learning! 00:35:21 SBS 158 Outtro www.Drobo.com Drobo on Facebook Drobo on Instagram The post Interview with Mihir Shah, CEO of Drobo – Small Business Show 158 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Need help with your Small Business Online presence? How about branding, marketing, search engine optimization and the overall look and feel of your company website? Listen in to today’s episode of the Small Business Show to hear how Corey Gauteraux of G4 Design House created a company to help Small Businesses prosper online. G4 Design House was created to leverage the skills of an in-house team of programmers and designers that had been creating websites and doing online marketing for 15+ years. They focused their efforts on Small Businesses, with an affordable subscription model that encompasses everything from logo and website creation, hosting, SEO, social media and other marketing efforts. After discussing what G4 does and how their services work, we spend time talking about how Corey markets G4 services, how they came up with their pricing structure and the value of referrals. Dave and Shannon ask about competing in what seems like a crowded design marketplace and how G4 distinguishes itself and Corey shares his “favorite mistake” that leads into a discussion about clear communication with clients. We wrap up the show with a talk about retaining staff and the pain that hiring the wrong person can cause. Join us today for this and more, then visit the Small Business Support Group to ask your questions and comment on the show! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #157 for Wednesday, February 7, 2018 00:01:20 Corey Gauteraux from G4 Design House <https://www.g4designhouse.com/> 00:02:15 Taking a developed skill and turning it into your product 00:04:00 Tweaking the model from flat-upfront-rate to monthly plans 00:05:12 Ramp-up period to demonstrate value 00:07:06 If you build it… they don’t necessarily come. 00:07:30 Building the website is just the first step 00:09:29 Behind the curtain 00:10:35 Handling your sales and marketing with SEO 00:11:00 Cold-calling works, too! 00:11:29 Gauging each business: new, small, large, old 00:14:45 Homogenized pricing model 00:17:42 Return clients and referrals as your yardstick for success 00:19:11 Favorite mistake: not getting the details upfront 00:23:27 A WordPress-based Business 00:23:56 What’s the best part of your day? 00:26:01 Retaining staff and avoiding turnover pays off 00:27:31 Do what you can to avoid having the wrong staff Intern program is the “100-Hour job interview” 00:29:15 G4 Design House on Facebook The post Interview with Corey Gauteraux from G4 Design House – Small Business Show 157 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.