Business Brain – The Entrepreneurs’ Podcast

Do you take the time out to attend Small Business conferences and trade shows? Would you like to make some powerful connections, meet some great people and renew your energy? Listen in to episode 136 of the Small Business Show to find out how you can have all this and more! Shannon just returned from the Paypal cNow conference in Chicago and he’s ready to talk about the people he met and what he learned. The conference included roughly 50 Small Business owners from across the country that got a chance to meet Paypal, Braintree and Venmo executives to see their latest “Contextual Commerce” payment products and sit in on some excellent Small Business discussions. Dave and Shannon spend some time discussing the power of attending these types of events and why you should be seeking them out as part of your business development system and the building of your personal brand. You’ll learn how to engage with the speakers, make long term connections and how to work your way onto discussion panels and to ultimately become an invited guest. Shannon also discusses his meeting with Marcus Lemonis from The Profit and why Marcus thinks that we all need to be more vulnerable when managing our employees, customers and suppliers. We wrap up the show with a discussion of “handshake deals”, Working Agreements and how to sniff out the people that just want to make you their race horse. Join us on this episode of the Small Business Show for all this and more! After you listen, click over to our Facebook Small Business Support group to ask questions and comment on the show. Chapters/Timestamps 00:00:00 Small Business Show #136 September 13, 2017 00:00:43 Paypal cNow (C for commerce) conference in Chicago Venmo 00:03:46 The power of attending conferences 00:09:12 Don’t give in to feelings of inadequacy 00:10:55 Engage when you’re there 00:13:02 Contact us! feedback@businessshow.co 00:13:14 Marcus Lemonis from The Profit 00:15:05 The Most Important Word in Business 00:18:03 Digging into vulnerability 00:20:34 Confidence erodes empathy 00:22:07 Be careful using other people’s tools 00:24:36 Lack of confidence… breeds lack of confidence! 00:26:10 Maybe “we’re struggling here” is OK to say 00:28:47 Handshakes vs. Lies 00:31:50 Working agreements 00:34:20 Beware the pitchers! 00:37:12 SBS Outtro The Peninsula Chicago The post Why You Should be Attending Small Business Conferences and Let’s Get Vulnerable – Small Business Show 136 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Do you run your Small Business from your home? Are you tempted to wear sweatpants everyday and move your desk close to the refrigerator for convenience? Join us today on the Small Business Show to get some great tips on how to stay motivated and disciplined while working from home. Long-time home office Small Business owner Dave Hamilton answers questions today as Shannon transitions from going into the office each day (24-years!) to working out of his home. We discuss finding a routine that works for you, checking in with your remote employees or partners each morning and the power of regular video meetings in Google Hangouts. We also spend time going over ways to manage remote interruptions, since no one can “see” that you’re busy when they ask for your help, using Slack reminders and the importance of actually combing your hair before you start work each day. Join us for these topics and more and then jump over to the Small Business Show Support Group to comment and offer us your own tips about working from home. Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #135 September 6, 2017 00:01:19 Blue… and Normal 00:02:39 No office is a joy… until it’s not! 00:05:47 Finding a routine that helps motivate and discipline your workflow Slack: Good morning! Water Cooler 00:10:41 Regular, Virtual meetings with your team or co-workers – facetime is important. Google Hangouts, Skype, FaceTime. Keeping you connected 00:12:03 Get More Done: 18 Tips for Telecommuters 00:12:50 The Pomodoro Method with Bob Levitus on Small Business Show 00:13:21 Recognizing that remote team members don’t know if you’re available and may contact you at the worst time. 00:17:25 Slack Reminders to keep you (and your team) on task when you are tied up and need to come back later to review 00:19:52 Get dressed. No Sweatpants! Comb your hair, bro! 00:22:42 Set clear boundaries and work hours for family and friends 00:25:21 Use the kitchen wisely! 00:28:59 Watch that your routine doesn’t become a rut 00:30:00 Make yourself accountable to YOU 00:31:26 SBS Outtro The post Tips for Running Your Small Business from Home – Small Business Show 135 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

What’s the best way to build your companies brand and create fans that are passionate about your products? Cory Fosket and Doug Butcher took a company focused on a single product line and expanded it over the last 13-years into a trusted brand for waterfowl hunters and outdoor enthusiasts. Along the way, they’ve learned about the importance of quality and how to step outside the business to plan 3-5 years ahead rather than just grinding it out day-after-day. Listen in to this episode of the Small Business Show to hear the Tanglefree story! During our discussion today, we get some great tips on creating strong relationships with your customers as well as your overseas suppliers to create a win-win environment where your company and suppliers profit while the customer gets a great value, high quality product. Cory and Doug spend some time discussing various measures of success and what means the most to each of them, as well as what they are doing to power through obstacles to propel Tanglefree into the future. We also learn about the pros and cons of selling to big-box retailers vs smaller stores and how to manage each different type of relationship. Finally, you’ll learn what to watch out for when developing products in China and how to create long term success with factory owners. Join us today on the Small Business Show for these tips and more! Then, jump over to the Small Business Show Support group to discuss the show. Chapters/Timestamps 00:00:00 Small Business Show #134 August 30, 2017 00:01:17 Duck season and Ducks Unlimited 00:01:24 Cory Fosket and Doug Butcher from Tanglefree Waterfowl Products 00:02:20 An Intentional Family Business 00:03:30 Acquire a minor line in someone else’s business and expand it 00:04:57 Expand the staff by bringing in more family 00:07:49 Building a brand in today’s world 00:10:28 Making brand engagement a daily focus 00:11:28 Relationships with Customers 00:13:40 Redefining a relationship ahead of its time 00:15:23 Favorite mistake: Not applying vision 00:16:38 The other favorite mistake: learning that quality is better than price 00:19:04 Success metric: Brand Engagement 00:21:40 Look three-to-five years out 00:22:46 Focus on relationships 00:26:01 For a business relationship to work, both parties need to make money 00:29:45 Reward Quality Control 00:30:12 SBS Outtro Tanglefree Waterfowl on Facebook and Instagram   The post Small Business Show Interview with Cory Fosket and Doug Butcher of Tanglefree Waterfowl – Small Business Show 134 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

What’s the best method for naming your Small Business? Go with your instincts, listen to friends and family or use an online tool? Listen to this episode of the Small Business Show for tips to come up with a great name for your business and avoid some common mistakes with the help from our friends at Entrepreneur magazine. We also discuss the power of Taglines to enhance your Small Business name and just how much effort should you put into that killer logo? Then we’re on to listener questions with a discussion on how to power yourself up so you can best represent your Small Business during the sale process and a quick primer on why Cash is King to keep the gears of your business turning smoothly. Join us for these topics and more on episode 133 of the Small Business Show! Chapters/Timestamps 00:00:00 Small Business Show #133 August 23, 2017 00:00:41 Breaking your routine to keep you fresh 00:02:08 Should you be able to do each job? 00:05:16 Naming your business Infographic from Entrepreneur.com Fuzzywigs? 00:09:05 Make sure you and your team are happy with the name/logo 00:10:36 Taglines matter 00:12:49 Your online profile matters more than the SEO of your name 00:16:15 Find a name you like, and go! 00:16:43 Shary-Finding a buyer for your business 00:21:42 Jay-Cash Flow issues 00:27:03 Use credit cards instead of HELOC 00:28:00 Cash flow first, profits second 00:29:46 SBS Outtro The post Tips for Naming Your Small Business + Listener Questions – Small Business Show 133 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Do you know the signs that tell if a person is an Employee, Self-Employed or an Entrepreneur? Join Dave and Shannon for this episode of the Small Business Show to find out! During today’s episode, we get to spend time dissecting personality types so you can understand who would make a good employee vs. who would make a good business partner. We discuss Do’ers vs delegators and ways to create a Working Agreement to help you find out if you all have what it takes to build a successful partnership. Communication is key and your hosts speak about methods to keep the dialogue going when their is an inevitable problem with your business partner (Partner Therapy, anyone?). Find out why how much risk and accountability your employees are willing to take starts with YOU, the business owner and just how to get past the Superhero complex that is so common. We wrap up the show with a discussion about getting-out-of-the-way of your employees so they can do their jobs and grow your business along with the importance of sharing your crazy ideas (business or otherwise) with the right type of people if you expect to get a useful response. Join us for episode 132 of the Small Business Show and then visit our Small Business Support Group to talk about the show! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #132 August 16, 2017 00:00:55 Love What You Do and You’ll Never Work a Day In Your Life 00:01:31 Passion vs. Motivation vs. Discipline 00:02:58 The Peter principle The E-myth 00:04:58 The differences between employees and entrepreneurs and self-employed people 00:06:00 Finding a good business partner: someone who is good at what you are not 00:06:23 Do’ers vs. delegators 00:07:15 Create a Working Agreement 00:11:34 Similar financial needs and goals 00:13:00 Beware the double-dippers, even yourself 00:17:17 Partner therapy 00:17:44 Different Mindsets: Employee vs. Business Owner 00:19:38 Mirror vs. Window Risk vs. Accountability 00:22:34 The Superhero Complex as it relates to Solopreneurs vs. Business Owners 00:27:02 From Business Owner to Investor 00:27:58 Give your employees autonomy 00:29:03 You are your own impediment 00:32:31 Break out of your own bubble Rich Dad, Poor Dad Don’t live your life by someone else’s dogma 00:35:47 SBS 132 End The post Employee, Self-Employed or Entrepreneur – who makes the best partners? Small Business Show 132 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

What’s the best way to find real value in attending Trade Shows, Conferences and Workshops? Do you sit in the back row and head right back to the hotel after the event? You can probably guess what your Small Business Show co-hosts would say about that. Join us for this episode to discuss maximizing your time at these types of events as Shannon discusses attending eBay Open 2017 in Las Vegas a few weeks ago. During the eBay discussing, we touch on eBay’s dramatic shift during the last 2-years regarding their attitude towards the Small Business seller community and how your business can benefit from it. We discuss the new eBay Concierge customer service platform, ways to reach eBay’s 171 million buyers and new initiatives like eBay Authenticate, Shop with Images and Direct Shopify Integration to sell your products on eBay. Shannon believes that it’s time for another look at selling on eBay if you’ve been away for a few years. Dave then jumps in to discuss the critical difference between Motivation and Discipline and how you need both (but maybe discipline more!) to keep yourself successful as you work hard on your systems approach to achieve what you want with your Small Business. We wrap up the show with a discussion about working smarter with Bob Levitus’s tips from the Small Business episode 109 interview and just what the heck is the Pomodoro Technique? Listen in the find out all this and more! Want to join in the discussion? Visit the Small Business Support Group on Facebook and find answers and help others in the SBS community. Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #131 August 9, 2017 00:00:56 Being busy is better than the alternative 00:01:17 eBay Open Show eBay’s attitude towards the seller community again 00:06:16 Big change starts with lip service eBay Concierge Platform 00:09:17 Most people want to help you if they can 00:12:15 Connection with people – the real power of conferences 00:14:00 New stuff coming from eBay eBay has 171 million buyers eBay’s Designer Brand Authentication Program Shop with images on eBay Direct Shopify Integration 00:18:10 Don’t forget to “Use the Box” to acquire customers! 00:19:54 Motivation vs. Discipline 00:23:18 Systems are important 00:26:38 Feeds and Trends are your friends 00:28:00 Find – and Redefine – your own currency 00:29:40 Barter with yourself Bob Levitus’s Working Smarter SBS 109 Interview Pomodoro Technique 00:31:43 Next week: The differences between employees and entrepreneurs and self-employed people The post Being Productive at Conferences, selling on eBay and Motivation vs. Discipline – Small Business Show Episode 131 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Could you make the leap from dog walker / poop-picker-upper to creating a software platform for service related Small Businesses? Well, Britt Alwerud did just that, creating the Handlr Business Management suite of tools to help manage your employees or contractors, communicate with customers, generate reports and perhaps most importantly, get paid on time! Join Dave and Shannon for episode 130 of the Small Business Show and our awesome interview with Britt from Handlr. During our talk, you’ll hear about how Britt had to hit rock bottom and be told by a client that she was “…not a businesswoman, you’re a dog walker” before she realized she needed to create a software platform to help manage her company so she could become the businesswoman she knew she could be. We jump into a discussion about marketing (cold calling!) and we hear about mistakes (lessons learned) made along the way during the creation of Handlr. We explore what it takes to find and hire a reputable software developer and what methods Britt and her team are using to expand Handlr to create a complete ecosystem of businesses and customers that can benefit from using the platform. Wrapping up the interview, we discuss using Asana and SCRUM to keep your tasks moving forward and on time and the importance of advisors and mentors to help bring a product to market. Join us for all this and more before jumping over to the Small Business Facebook Support Group to comment and ask your own questions! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #130 August 2, 2017 00:00:47 Next week: Shannon’s eBay conference experience 00:01:02 Brittany Alwerud from Handlr Business Management 00:01:58 From dog poop scooper to business owner “You’re not a businesswoman, you’re a dog walker” 00:05:06 Britt hit a wall… and needed a system DogZenergy 00:07:27 Uber for running your business on demand 00:09:02 Freemium… for businesses! 00:09:43 Find an ecosystem and then build it 00:11:47 Cold calling and SEO 00:13:27 $10MM/year from Dog Walking! 00:13:59 Make money by judging people’s appearances 00:14:41 Launch quickly, but not too quickly 00:16:26 Finding a reputable and reliable developer 00:18:37 Expanding the platform 00:21:38 Cross-promotion as a growth path 00:22:44 Letting your customers be your advisors Asana SCRUM Management 00:26:49 Steer clear of technology and invent a poop-eliminating spray! 00:28:26 Finding Handlr 00:28:58 SBS Outtro The post Brittany Alwerud from Handlr Business Management – Small Business Show Episode 130 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Are you making a living with your Podcast? We need to talk. Join us today on the Small Business Show and learn about the business of podcasting. Specifically, what’s happening in the world of Podcast advertising, what are sponsors looking for and how is success being measured. Dave shares his expertise about how a typical Podcast audience is made up of Intentional Listeners that have made the effort to seek out your content, subscribe and in many cases, download it to their device for future listening. These people are valuable and they have put their trust in your hands. How do you educate advertisers (and ad agencies) about that value and protect that trust at the same time? Listen in to hear some tips! We round out the show by revisiting the 1000 true fan concept and how it might apply to Podcasting and what additional value your Podcast can bring to you, beyond revenue. Join us today on the Small Business Show for all this and more. Then, visit the Small Business Support Group on Facebook to join the discussion. Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #129 July 26, 2017 00:01:00 Being intentional with your time 00:02:35 Deadlines are awesome motivators 00:04:32 Recognizing the value of obsessing over the future “Did I achieve something today that moved things forward?” 00:05:34 Podcast sponsorship is changing 00:06:19 Intentional listeners – no accidental subscribers – leveraging that value to sponsors 00:08:03 The value of podcast sponsorships Cost per thousand subscribers: $15-50 for advertising 00:11:50 Tailoring the sponsor message to your listeners 00:13:44 QA to “test” the effectiveness of the advertisement 00:18:20 …and again! 00:23:14 You can’t quantify trust 00:24:00 You can’t leverage a relationship if you micro-manage it 00:25:36 Beware of the low-hanging fruit. 00:27:29 What’s your value? 00:30:30 1,000 true followers at $10/month is a living 00:34:57 SBS Outtro The post The Business of Podcasting – Small Business Show Episode 129 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

What is the most important thing to remember when selling your business? Today on the Small Business Show, we continue our discussion about selling your business with advice from Abbi Vakil, inventor of the U-Socket USB wall plug. Listen in to hear us discuss cash-flow vs. profits and which is most important and what do to when you’re business is not succeeding OR failing. We touch on one of the tips from ReWork about ignoring your competition, since you don’t know what’s going on inside their business or if their profitable. Continuing on the tip from episode 127 of the Small Business Show, finding the right buyer and making it “easy” for them to buy your company is brought up with some tips on how to make this happen. Finally, we discuss how to keep growing your “Revenue Stack” after you sell your business with some creative ways to handle investing in startup companies. If you think (dream?) about selling your business now or someday, you’ll want to join us for this episode! After, click over the the Small Business Support Group on Facebook and share your thoughts and comments with Abbi, Shannon and Dave! Chapters/Timestamps 00:00:00 Small Business Show #128 July 19, 2017 We need your iTunes reviews 00:01:12 Abbi Vakil from AllMac 00:02:18 Abbi sold U-Socket 00:05:00 The hamster wheel of fame & cash flow, but no profit 00:06:18 Not succeeding or failing… what to do? Rework 00:08:13 When should you give up? 00:10:31 Finding the right buyer 00:13:26 The relief of selling mixed with losing your baby 00:15:18 The Todd Rundgren $1 Royalty 00:16:28 Never sell to your staff and finance that same staff 00:19:11 Valuation of U-Socket 00:22:06 Make it easy for this person to buy your company 00:22:30 What happens to the revenue stack after you sell 00:25:00 Startup Investing in what you know Asset investing 00:28:37 feedback@businessshow.co or our Small Business Support Group 00:29:00 Keep good books … and have pride! Don’t drop your shorts! 00:32:12 SBS Outtro The post Selling Your Small Business – Interview with Abbi Vakil of U-Socket– Small Business Show 128 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

What happens when you realize that you’re NOT the best owner for your Small Business? Join us today for episode 127 of the Small Business Show to hear the story from one of your co-hosts that made just such a discovery after 13-years of being at the helm of TechRestore. Dave and Shannon discuss how finding the “right” buyer is critical to any sale, tips to find that person (or company) and what requirements will you have after the sale is completed. Shannon talks about separating assets to streamline the sale, how to quantify “soft” assets like goodwill and reputation as well as working with your accountant to be sure to limit your tax exposure based on how you allocate assets in your purchase agreement. We spend time discussing how to be sure the sale keeps moving forward to completion and how history shows (in both your co-hosts cases), how things can go sideways at the last minute. Along the way, you’ll hear about making the sale more of a partnership with the buyer and seller – working in everyone’s best interest towards success can help accelerate your sale and keep everyone working closely together in a positive manner. Shannon gives his usual “watch out for bankers and lawyers” speech that can kill a sale quickly, even though you’ll need to have both involved to close your deal and we spend some significant time discussing how to actually figure out what your business is worth, before you start the sale process. Join us today and then visit the Small Business Support Group on Facebook to comment and ask questions about selling YOUR business! Chapters/Timestamps 00:00:00 Small Business Show #127 July 12, 2017 00:01:13 We need your iTunes reviews <http://businessshow.co/itunes/> 00:01:50 Shannon sold TechRestore! 00:02:54 It only takes one buyer 00:03:41 The slow realization that the best owner … is not you. 00:05:31 How to find a buyer 00:08:09 Sticking around after you sell 00:09:58 What’s the asset for YOUR buyer? Not just physical. Goodwill counts! 00:15:11 How to tax-leverage the sale 00:17:38 Get to know your buyer so they can get to know your business 00:18:39 Make sure you have a plan B for your funding structure Time Kills All Deals! 00:20:36 Dave and Shannon almost sold a company once! 00:21:42 Watch out for bankers …and lawyers! 00:23:23 Make the sale feel like a partnership 00:26:14 The emotional struggle of the sale: The Story of TechRestore 00:28:50 How to value your business The charmed life doesn’t necessarily look good on paper 00:33:33 The post-sale intensity 00:37:13 SBS Outtro   The post Thinking of selling your Small Business? Don’t miss this episode of the Small Business Show – SBS 127 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.