Business Brain – The Entrepreneurs’ Podcast

Jay Gentile has a passion for saving time, his clients as well as his own! What began as a mobile product repair business, led to SEO and web design and finally into application development and the BoosterBots family of marketing apps. Join us today on the Small Business Show and learn how Jay made the transition from his first two businesses to ultimately creating a company that gives him the reward of helping people succeed along with the freedom and flexibility to lead his own Charmed Life. During the interview, we discussed leaving the corporate world to begin a new business, learning about SEO and PPC advertising to help clients and then using it to grow his own company and why following his interests has been so important. We then jump into discussing the importance of telling your personal story when marketing your company, how to offer long term support on products sold with a one-time fee and sticking to niche markets where you can have a big impact. Listen in to learn about BoosterBots success and more on this episode of the Small Business Show, then come over to the SBS Support Group to continue the discussion! Chapters/timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #103 January 25, 2017 00:01:18 Interview: Jay Gentile from BoosterBots 00:02:11 Another story of an HP employee branching off 00:05:04 The “problem” was, I didn’t own my own business 00:05:42 Led to SEO, PPC, Affiliate and online marketing 00:06:49 Transition from one business to another 00:08:39 Following your interests 00:10:23 Making your small business about you -telling your story 00:11:47 Supporting a one-time-fee product 00:15:13 Identifying and using your talent stack 00:16:24 Always be marketing! 00:17:25 Intentional marketing with private software 00:19:00 Niche specific software markets 00:20:36 Success is doing the things you want to do when you want to do them! 00:23:02 Best mistake: not delegating quickly enough 00:24:12 Stressed-out people do bad customer service 00:26:34 Don’t fear change! Evolving your business requires it. 00:28:10 Split test your ass off! 00:29:39 SBS 103 Outtro The post Small Business Interview with Jay Gentile of BoosterBots – Small Business Show Episode 103 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

When Tyler Merritt noticed that his good friend was running a growing appliance repair business with no software to track accounting, schedules or workers, he did what good friends do: he offered to help build a customized application for the business. The guys spent about a year putting together the app and since they figured that most small service businesses had the same problems, they decided to launch Field Harmony to help service companies manage all aspects of their operations. The goal was to help their own business, contribute to the success of others and then use the revenue from Field Harmony to “purchase our time back from the world”. On this episode of the Small Business Show, Dave and Shannon spend time learning about Tyler’s journey and what it took to get Field Harmony from an idea to an actual product that could be sold. We discuss partnerships, marketing, trusting your employees, the importance of asking potential customers if they would actually use your solution and much more. Listen in and then share your thoughts on our Small Business Facebook group! Chapters/Timestamps 00:00:00 Small Business Show #102 January 18, 2017 00:01:11 Interview: Tyler Merritt from Field Harmony 00:01:25 smallbusiness Subreddit 00:02:00 Solving a problem – managing service people in the field 00:05:20 Taking your internal solution and selling it to others 00:07:23 The perfect partnership: one has the industry connections, other with technology 00:08:38 Separating yourself from the solution 00:12:30 “We want to purchase our time back from the world” – with the business revenue 00:13:48 Making the leap: when can we quit our day jobs and focus 100% on this business. 00:15:29 Marketing focus – pay per click, word of mouth, email marketing 00:16:43 Running your business on a spiral notebook 00:18:40 Trust people to do what you hired them to do… and only that! 00:19:37 Ask potential customers “Does anybody want this?” 00:21:25 “Your time is the only thing you can’t print more of!” 00:23:32 Best mistake: forgetting that other people – even your business partners – are not you, don’t think like you and don’t know what you’re thinking. 00:26:38 Measuring success: Positive feedback from our customers & contributing to the success of others. 00:28:59 Let the good stuff in … and out! 00:31:54 Field Harmony 00:32:54 SBS Outtro   The post Small Business Interview with Tyler Merritt from Field Harmony – Small Business Show Episode 102 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

What’s more difficult? Starting up a new company or taking over and changing the culture of a 4th generation small business? Join us today on the Small Business Show with our guest Rick Stuart from Listo, a company founded in 1921! How would you handle taking over and managing employees that have known you since you were a kid? What about “updating” the culture of a company almost a century old? Would you rush in and be in a hurry to make changes to take advantage of current market opportunities, or would you take your time before you started making changes? Dave and Shannon explore these questions and more on today’s show. During the conversation with Rick, we learn about the importance of pivoting into new markets (sound familiar?), going “low-tech” and getting smaller to grow. Listen in to learn about how Rick adapted himself and his small business to keep it moving beyond the first 100 years. Chapters/Timestamps/Stuff Mentioned 00:00:00 Small Business Show #101 January 11, 2017 00:01:18 Interview: Rick Stuart from Listo Pencil Company <http://www.listo.com/pencil.htm> 00:02:01 Multigenerational (4x!) business 00:04:22 Low-tech is a quandary… or is it? <http://www.listo.com/pencil.htm> 00:06:21 Pivot, pivot, pivot! It’s (still) all about customer service 00:07:46 Started with… and returned to the family business 00:09:56 Running a company – and people – older than you are! 00:11:23 Changing (updating?) the company culture 00:15:07 “Go have fun with it, kiddo!” 00:16:33 Real estate as a hedge 00:17:56 Estate planning as part of a business plan 00:19:54 Looking at things from a different perspective – split out manufacturing 00:22:35 Shrinking to grow 00:25:33 Evolve: don’t hang on too long! 00:28:17 Let the brand live its own life “Be a steward of the brand” It’s OK to let a small business be small 00:31:09 Take time to Earn (trust) and Learn (the business) The post Managing and Stewarding a 4th Generation Small Business – Rick Stuart from Listo Corp – Small Business Show 101 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Welcome to the 100th episode of the Small Business Show! As they begin 2017, Dave and Shannon take a look back at some of the highlights from last year in the advice and how-to categories. Your hosts revisit tips and tricks from 8 of their favorite episodes and wrap up the show with a reminder about finding ways for your business to enrich your personal life. Join us today and then share your story on the Small Business Support Group! Chapters/Timestamps 00:00:00 Small Business Show #100 January 4, 2017 2016 Year in Review: Advice/How-to 00:01:13 Small Business Support Group 00:02:32 Ep52 – Executive Summary – Get ready to do yours. Then share with us! 00:07:15 Ep55 – The Sammy Hagar show! – Learning from Sammy to make your customer feel like they are the most important to you. 00:09:25 Ep57 – Slack – you need to be using it if you are not already. 00:12:35 Ep65 – Scott Adams’ “How to Fail at Almost Everything & Still Win Big” – Definitely the most mentioned book of 2016 for us. 00:15:16 Ep68 – Tax/IRS Advice – Hang up and call back to get the person you want. Talk to them. 00:18:53 Ep87 – Starting our Small Business Support Group 00:20:09 Ep73 – Build Your Success List! – Don’t forget just what a bad ass you really are. Shannon’s article can help! 00:21:01 Ep49 – Credit card tips and naming your business – Worth mentioning again the important of CC programs as part of your Charmed Life System (CLS) 00:24:25 Finding ways for your business to enrich your life The post Small Business Show Advice and How-to Year in Review – Small Business Show 100 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

As we wrap up 2016 with our last Small Business Show episode of the year, Dave and Shannon take a look back at some of the highlights of their favorite interviews from the past 12-months. Join us today we we revisit some of these moments that stuck with us! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #99 December 28, 2016 00:02:06 Year in Review Interviews 00:03:06 Ep79 – Greg Mercer of JungleScout – Still one of my favorite interviews of the year. 00:08:25 Ep89 – Harald Sinow – Still impressed by his victory lap 00:10:09 Ep56 – Paul Goodman/PuraVida – The Beer Test in action! 00:14:07 Ep61 – Bob Grewal of Seapoint Business Advisors – selling your business. 00:16:10 Ep83 – Paul Downs & “Boss Life” 00:18:42 Ep63 – Bryan O’Connell from Meras Engineering – managing growth and finding and advisory group 00:21:10 Ep77 – Tim Cote – Commonwealth Foreign Exchange. – Another beer test success story – killer execution. 00:24:34 Ep58 – Jason Snell – Resiliency – adjusting to changing conditions to succeed – eventually realizing he needed to control his own destiny and start Six Colors Personal stuff 00:27:27 Ep54 – Dave & Shannon Interview Each other 00:28:45 Ep75 – Shannon’s Closet Begins! 00:30:58 Ep64 – Dave’s Expert Witness business, and… 00:34:04 Ep66 – Talk about a crappy week… The post The Best Small Business Owner Interviews of 2016 – Small Business Show 99 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

What would happen if a favorite business that you visit often suddenly began introducing political comments in the mix of their marketing or posting political signs in their store. Would you respect their right to do so, even if you disagreed with their politics? Join Dave and Shannon on episode 98 of the Small Business Show as they discuss the pros and cons of mixing politics with your Small Business. The discussion begins with Shannon discussing one of his favorite, daily news sites that has recently begun introducing political links and commentary into their daily content. Can you successfully mix your political beliefs and your business? Maybe that attracts customers to you or maybe it’s a disaster? Your hosts try to look at all angles of this topic as well as throwing in a few tips about creating your Charmed Life along with your Small Business. Listen in and then share your thoughts on our Facebook Small Business Support page! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #98 December 21, 2016 00:01:05 Should politics be mixed with your business? 00:03:37 Daring Fireball … adds politics? 00:05:30 Curating your business’s audience 00:10:22 Politically agnostic or simply politically quiet 00:13:01 Contract of Respect 00:14:15 Priorities and Respect 00:18:43 Don’t be distracted from creating your OWN reality – your Charmed Life 00:21:05 When lodging a complaint, know your audience 00:24:12 What’s your business do with politics? Is it part of your niche? The post Politics and Your Small Business – Should you mix them? – Small Business Show episode 98 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

As Small Business owners, we have a duty to uphold. That duty, to our employees, partners, suppliers and service providers is to communicate in a timely manner and pay our bills on time, among other things. What happens when we fail at this? Well, that depends on how you handle the situation. Join Dave and Shannon on episode 97 of the Small Business Show to discuss a real world example of how NOT to handle things when they go wrong. We also discuss the impact of employees, suppliers and customers having their own audiences to share their experiences with – are you OK with word getting out about how you treat your employees? We hope you are, because that is just a few clicks away for every Small Business. Listen in to the show and then join the conversation on the Small Business Support Group! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #97 December 14th, 2016 00:02:44 What happens when the boss goes sideways? 00:08:18 Communication and Transparency is key 00:11:52 What to do when you can’t pay 00:16:11 Creating your own reality #charmedlife 00:17:36 The Dark-Side of being overly optimistic 00:20:53 Running a business when employees/vendors/customers have their own audiences 00:24:57 It comes back to transparency The post What happens when a small business owner doesn’t solve problems and lets employees down? – Small Business Show 97 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Think you can do it better? The jobs at your company, that is. Do you remember when you did every job at your business? If it’s been awhile since that time, join us today on the Small Business Show as we discuss how this “job swap” can energize you, allow you to reconnect with employees and provide some valuable insight into what’s really happening behind the scenes each day. On Episode 96 of the Small Business Show, Dave and Shannon discuss how they have both benefitted over the years when they had to jump in to do an employees job. Wether it’s due to a vacation or unexpected vacancy, getting your hands dirty by working in the warehouse, or making sales calls again can be a very positive thing. We also touch on using humor in the workplace, realizing we need to do an entire show on that topic! Finally, if you enjoy the show, please give us a quick click and a review on the iTunes store. It really helps!   Chapters & Timestamps 00:00:00 Small Business Show #96 December 7th, 2016 00:00:57 Coming up: Best Of! 00:02:07 Stepping in to do your employees jobs 00:07:12 Finding the inefficiencies and improving processes 00:09:12 Reconnecting with the nuts and bolts of your business 00:10:28 Your employees will solve problems, but maybe not in the best way 00:11:00 Sweep the dust out of the corners 00:13:58 It’s all about showing your employees that you’re all on the same team 00:18:57 Modeling – setting the workflow pace 00:21:19 Proving the pudding. 00:22:19 Getting back to basics is exciting 00:24:40 Humor in the workplace? 00:25:37 We need your reviews – As Jerry Maguire said “Help us help you..” The post Do Your Employees Job to Gain Some Valuable Insight – Small Business Show 96 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Join us today on the Small Business Show to listen in on our conversation with Steve Baines, Co-Founder of Forcivity, a software development firm focused on simplifying how you access your data in cloud based applications like SalesForce. Steve’s years of experience working with data as both a consultant and previous business owner led him to launch Forcivity with a group of like minded folks that have a mission to free your data from apps and present it to you in a much more useable format. Steve shares his experience moving from consultant to business owner and how becoming your own customer can lead to a new business venture. We also spend time discussing motivating yourself to power through tough times, how to pick a (good) partner, how to pick the right employees and one of our favorite topics: creating your own reality to nudge you along towards success. Listen in and learn about Steve’s journey and more on episode 95 of the Small Business Show! Questions, comments or need help? Visit the Small Business Show Support Group on Facebook. Chapters/Timestamps 00:00:00 Small Business Show #95 November 30th, 2016 00:01:11 Steve Baines, co-Founder of Forcivity 00:01:26 Incubation turns founders into co-founders 00:02:37 Managing the Flow of Salesforce Data 00:04:38 Scratching your own itch to start a business 00:05:24 Consulting business becomes 8 years of market research for new company and new solutions 00:07:39 Hone your Focus. Develop a system to build a successful product – adjust, repeat 00:09:32 Turn down a job offer, become a consultant 00:11:57 Consulting often lacks leverage: find an exit! 00:12:28 Identify your passion and don’t forget it 00:13:24 Second-time entrepreneurs are crazy 00:16:00 Create your own reality 00:17:18 Not every day is a good day 00:18:13 Find like-minded co-founders 00:20:31 …and employees! 00:21:27 Can’t do it alone! 00:21:53 Quickly identify the fish out of water 00:24:52 Choose wisely… when choosing partners 00:27:39 SBS 95 Outtro The post Interview with Steve Baines of Forcivity – Small Business Show 95 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

One of the most trusted people in your life can be a huge help with your Small Business success – your spouse! But, there’s some important details to work out to insure success when working together. In this episode of the Small Business Show, Dave and Shannon share their experiences working with their spouses and their tips for maximizing the benefits while minimizing potential problems that may come up. A critical first step: manage expecations, roles and clearly lay out who will be responsible for which tasks in your business. We also discuss deciding who’s the “boss”, how to promote good communication, using humor to remove tension and keeping the right perspective during the workday. Join us today and them share your story at the Small Business Support Group on Facebook! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #94 November 23rd, 2016 00:01:30 Working with your spouse! 00:02:11 Hiring your spouse 00:04:23 Firing your spouse! 00:05:22 Managing expectations – roles, responsibilities, each other 00:08:01 Keep your marriage out of the office and your office out of your marriage. 00:11:10 Who’s the Boss? 00:13:06 Communication is Key 00:15:00 Humor can go a long way to dissolve tensions 00:16:12 Perspective 00:18:00 Make the right hiring decision, regardless of who it is. 00:20:09 Employees with benefits! 00:21:05 Your spouse can double your charmed life The post Find Success Working With Your Spouse in your Small Business – Small Business Show Episode 94 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Has your Small Business lost it’s edge? Has your past success enabled people to slow down the pace of work? How do you beat back complacency and invigorate your team to take on new challenges and grow your Small Business? Maybe hiring a consultant will do the trick – someone to evaluate your team from the outside and offer an unbiased opinion and tips to shake things up. Should you encourage your employees to go out and “side-hustle” to make some extra cash and learn a new skill? We like this idea, but you need to be aware of the pros and cons of promoting outside work in your Small Business. Listen in to episode 93 of the Small Business Show as Dave and Shannon discuss these topics and more! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #93 November 16th, 2016 00:00:51 Living by your favorite catch-phrases 00:03:10 Never stop stopping…and thinking about your business. 00:03:41 Identifying that your personality is not right for every role in your company 00:05:00 Keeping your edge – getting an outside opinion 00:07:22 Dave Hires a Consultant 00:11:17 Complacency is the enemy .. and the cousin of success 00:13:59 It comes back to change 00:16:04 Side Hustles 00:18:57 Mentoring your employees as entrepreneurs 00:21:12 Invest in the future 00:23:18 Leave us a review! The post Fighting Complacency and Regaining your Small Business Edge – Small Business Show 93 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Welcome to episode 92 of the Small Business Show! On today’s show, we spend some time getting updated on Shannon’s social media business experiment that he started back in June. The goal was to start a new business solely using social media and selling apps on an iPhone. No computer and no website. So, how’s it going? Listen in for more detail, but a quick snapshot looks like this: 28,0000+ followers gained since starting mid-June Selling 3-10 designer handbags (the product chosen to experiment with) per day Net is currently $150-500 per day with about 60-90 minutes of time spent each day on the business Significant profit margin increase with new, “upstream” supplier relationships At the point where the business is becoming scalable We also discuss the current “political theatre” as it relates to Small Business, developing an org chart even if your name fills every role and managing supplier relationships. Join us today for these topics and a few more as we work to help your grow your Small Business and expand your Charmed Life!   Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #92 November 9th, 2016 00:01:00 Political Theater as it relates to Small Business 00:01:56 Jacob: How is Shannon’s “Run it from your phone” business going? 00:04:08 Poshmark 00:04:38 Building a business with someone else’s leftovers 00:07:52 Develop an org chart even when it’s just you 00:10:27 The org chart is your roadmap 00:12:23 Capital and contacts 00:13:49 Follow the cardboard! 00:15:32 Shannon’s trick: “I’ll take everything you have, as is, and promise no returns.” 00:17:29 Find the right sales venues 00:21:12 Free boxes! 00:22:06 Delight your customers, then make them your followers 00:23:33 Shannon’s the Small Business Vampire! 00:24:35 Enjoy what you do The post Social Media Small Business Success, Finding Suppliers and Delighting Your Customers – Small Business Show Episode 92 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

How do you find topics for your Small Business blog and social media posts? Would you like to be able to tie in your content with what people are already searching for online? Sounds pretty cool, but maybe expensive? Yes, and no. It is cool and it’s free! Dave and Shannon get the Small Business Show started today with a discussion about Google Trends and how using timely search data can not only help you come up with ideas for your content strategy, but also make those posts more successful by including content that your potential customers are already searching for. This is powerful stuff, people! The Google Trends topic first came up in our Small Business Support Group on Facebook, so be sure to join the group to share in the discussion. We then jump into a chat about how to make it easier to just Get Things Done. An article in Bottom Line Personal has some great tips that Dave and Shannon analyze and discuss – agreeing with some, completely disagreeing with others and in typical fashion, adding their own personal twist to some others. The show wraps up with the critical question of the day: When’s the last time you changed the side of the bed you sleep on? Listen in for these topics and more on episode 91 of the Small Business Show! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #91 November 2nd, 2016 00:01:24 Google Trends – using trending search data to create timely content for your small business 00:06:00 JungleScout 00:09:18 Small Business Support Group 00:09:49 Bottom Line Personal 00:10:51 Make small choices 00:15:30 Break it down into steps Shannon’s paper trick – write down notes on the paper – what has to happen to get it off your desk? 00:17:12 But see the big picture! 00:19:13 Goals vs. Systems 00:22:04 Smarter To-Do lists? 00:22:44 Avoid Information Blindness 00:26:00 Be ruthless with your time 00:28:36 Procrastination is prioritization 00:30:12 Make your bed 00:31:53 Shift your habits – change the side of the bed you sleep on, the spot you sit at the dinner table. 00:32:19 Change your language! The post Using Google Trends for your Small Business Content and easier ways to Get Things Done – Small Business Show 91 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

You’ve heard us talk about the flexibility vs. freedom of being a Small Business owner many times on the Small Business Show. But what if you actually did have the freedom? Freedom as in “I just sold my business, and now what?” kind of freedom? Our guest last week, Harald Sinow talked about taking a year off (that’s t-w-e-l-v-e full months, folks) to reconnect with his family and take them on an unscripted tour of Europe. Dave and Shannon take that concept and run with it on this episode of the Small Business Show – talking about prioritizing family, decompressing from work stress and working hard to hang onto the things you love. The guys then jump into a discussion about minimizing your weaknesses by hiring someone to manage YOU and the importance of keeping a positive attitude during the normal ups-and-downs of owning a Small Business. Shannon coins a new term as a “Small Business Vampire” due to the fact that starting and running companies provides him with so much energy and a final comment about always being sure to understand that “Your best years are ahead of you!” is a powerful concept that can lead you to that Charmed Life that you so richly deserve. Join us for these topics and more on episode 90 of the Small Business Show!   Chapters/Timestamps and Links: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #90 October 26th, 2016 00:00:57 Harald Sinow on SBS 89 00:01:18 Harald had the wisdom to take a victory lap of sorts 00:03:40 Not really a victory lap – more of a debriefing, a reconnection with kids, decompressing 00:04:55 Prioritizing your family 00:09:20 Teaching as a success metric 00:12:37 Hanging on to the things you love 00:14:30 Hiring your own manager 00:17:24 “Like a Small Business Vampire” 00:22:55 The best years of your life are ahead of you! 00:25:17 SBS 90 The post Prioritizing Family and Keeping a Positive Outlook as a Small Business Owner – Small Business Show episode 90 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

How easy was it for you to make the transition from doing the day-to-day work in your Small Business to teaching others to do it so you could focus on the business? Harald Sinow, co-founder of MacStation in Vancouver, realized that he needed to change his focus from being the best worker to being the best teacher if he wanted to grow his business. Join us today on the Small Business Show to learn how Harald focused on this transition as well as cash flow and hiring to insure his business would succeed. We also discuss creating a “family” from your customers as well as your employees and how to “fire yourself” as quick as you can so your best people can do their best work. We wrap up the show with a discussion of what happened after Harald sold his company, the impact of taking a year off to tour Europe to reconnect with his family and helping to launch young Small Business owners (Harald’s kids!). This was an especially useful show, folks. If you are interested in creating, or continuing your own Charmed Life, listen in! Chapters/Timestamps and Links: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #89 October 19th, 2016 00:01:18 Interview with Harald Sinow – Co-founder of MacStation in Vancouver 00:02:20 Used college classes as development study for MacStation 00:02:52 Timing matters! 00:04:33 Manage your cash flow 00:06:48 Transitioning to management – hire slowly and fire quickly 00:08:24 Have a hiring process that limits your ability to make mistakes 00:10:44 Word of mouth matters. Be diligent about tracking your customers 00:12:00 Manage your referrals. 00:13:00 Build a “family” from your customers – tracking their unique details 00:14:03 “No one can do it better than I can” 00:15:00 Become a Good Teacher 00:16:26 Favorite mistake: “Not firing myself soon enough” 00:17:08 Build a great culture – have fun. Being able to let go – best measure of success. 00:19:48 Make sure your business is Built to Sell 00:22:08 Traveling and exploring helps to find what you’ll do at home 00:24:28 Sending your kids into the Dragons’ Den! 00:27:57 Find an accountability partner The post Transitioning from Worker to Teacher – Small Business Interview with Harald Sinow of MacStation and Creo Development : SBS 89 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Are you involved in every decision that your employees make? Would you like to grow your business, decrease headaches and free up some much needed time? We thought so. Today on the Small Business Show, Dave and Shannon discuss how “not to be in charge” all the time and empowering your employees to make the right decisions. Dave shares some stories about being so concerned about communicating with customers that he would write the email responses and give them to his employees to send out. Dave now says: don’t do this! Shannon brings up the concept of repetitive email templates to handle similar issues that come up over and over with your customer service department as well as using a communication management service like HelpScout to insure everyone is on the same page when it comes to communicating with your customers. We then jump into a discussion of “magic phrases” that build trust with your customers and help convince them that you are on their side and we wrap up the show with a quick discussion on refunds and handling them correctly. Join us today as we discuss letting go and communication across teams with your customers on the Small Business Show, episode 88!     Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #88 October 12th, 2016 00:01:14 How to not be in charge 00:07:19 Singularity of purpose 00:08:47 Empowering People 00:11:41 Resist the temptation to write your employee’s emails 00:16:36 Using Help Scout to homogenize your company’s communications <https://www.helpscout.net> 00:19:35 “Magic Phrases” – words and phrases that build trust and convince the customer you are on their side. 00:22:12 Prioritizing the customer 00:24:00 Refunds are tricky business 00:29:38 Communicating with the customer – ongoing discussion about what is going on. “Show notes” or “tech notes” The post Empowering Employees and Effective Customer Communication – Small Business Show Episode 88 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

On this episode of the Small Business Show, Dave and Shannon talk about the development of the Small Business Facebook Group, what went wrong at the beginning and what is going right with the Group after making some (much needed!) changes. We discuss how Small Business owners are using the new group to get critical feedback on their websites and apps, how a political discussion really can be productive while taking into account different viewpoints and much more. You’ll want to be sure to join the new Small Business Group to get in on the discussion! Dave then shares 5 traits that Apple CEO Tim Cook looks for when hiring employees and Shannon questions the viability of using those tips with every employee type. Read the article, then share your thoughts! We wrap up the show with a quick discussion about the new Facebook Marketplace that is being re-launched this week. Are Craigslist and eBay worried? Will you use the FB Marketplace for your business? We will continue to discuss this new selling venue as it evolves. Join us today on the Small Business Show for these topics and more!   Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #87 October 5th, 2016 00:01:00 Managing time: Look for the busiest person 00:02:47 Lessons learned creating our new Facebook Group 00:05:29 Tim Cook’s Traits of an employee 00:11:00 Rob asks us and you to evaluate his website 00:13:48 Taxes: Legality vs. Morality 00:21:24 Facebook Marketplace The post Building a Facebook Small Business Group – Small Business Show episode 87 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

As we all enjoy the Political Theatre that is our current Presidential Election, Dave and Shannon decide to focus this week’s topic on Politics and how it can (and will) impact your Small Business. Join us as we discuss Dave’s “crazy theory of politics”, looking at the “why” instead of just the “who” when hearing a political message and how to deal with National vs. State and Local politics that might be messing with your Small Business. Of course, no Small Business political discussing would be complete without touching on new laws about Exempt and Hourly employees and the minimum wage requirements for both. Finally, we chat about the concept of it being better to “Ask forgiveness instead of permission” and how it is NOT a good idea when it comes to dealing with local, state or federal laws. Join us today on the Small Business Show for these topics and more! If you enjoy the show, click over to give us a quick review on iTunes. We appreciate it! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #86 September 28th, 2016 00:00:45 Political Theater 00:01:58 Dave’s crazy theory 00:05:34 Who’s sending the message? 00:08:50 National vs. Local 00:09:46 Healthcare, Minimum Wage 00:10:00 “Exempt” employees 00:14:05 No such thing as forgiveness 00:14:41 Zenefits 00:16:08 The wheels of Congress move slowly, but they move! 00:20:10 As it gets closer to home, pay more and more attention 00:25:19 Tinfoil Hat: Unelected Bureaucrats 00:27:44 Customs can be the worst! The post Politics vs. Bureaucracy and how both impact your Small Business – Small Business Show 86 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

  As Small Business owners, when posting to public social media, what are some things you should look out for? What comments could come back (maybe years later) to cause you headaches, legal problems and money? Dave and Shannon discuss some examples of what NOT to post on social media and that leads into a discussion about Mistakes as Opportunities. When a supplier makes a mistake, Shannon explains, there’s an opportunity to leverage that mistake into a closer relationship (if you want one), a better price and more opportunity for future business. When you are the customer, there are several ways to make the most of a mistake with your supplier or service provider. On the flip side, when you or your business make a mistake with a customer, you have a huge opportunity to earn their trust by making things right. Customers that experience just how good you or your employees are at fixing mistakes and solving problems typically become very loyal and very happy to spread the word about just how good you are. Join us today on episode 85 of the Small Business Show to hear about these topics and more! Chapters: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #85 September 21st, 2016 00:01:43 Being overwhelmed … and powering through it. 00:05:36 Publicly discussing hiring and firing specifics 00:17:59 Maximizing Mistakes 00:26:57 Changing contacts 00:29:29 Offer the return first. The post Turning Small Business Mistakes Into Profitable Opportunities – SBS 85 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Welcome to episode 84 of the Small Business Show! Join us this week as we spend some time following up with our recent interview with Small Business owner, NYTimes.com blogger and author, Paul Downs. Dave and Shannon then jump into a discussion about being “patently unemployable” and how identifying yourself as such can give a boost to the successful launch of your Small Business. Other topics covered on the show today include the tremendous benefit of creating a safe environment for your employees to take risks and experiment. Listen in and then jump over to iTunes to review the Small Business Show! We appreciate your support, the reviews really help!   00:00:00 Small Business Show #84 September 14th, 2016 00:03:14 Paul Downs Recap 00:08:03 Patently unemployable people can be helpful 00:10:08 Creating a safe environment for your employees 00:16:07 “All I had to do was write the book” 00:17:33 Don’t be so suspect about good people with opportunities The post Boss Life Author Follow-up, the benefits of being unemployable appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

How prepared are you for the challenges of running your small business? What energizes you to make it through tough times and just how transparent are you (and should you be) to your employees and everyone else that you discuss your business with? If you felt like your business was about to shut down, could you imagine reaching out to the New York Times with an offer to share the experience with thousands of people? Paul Downs thought it would make for a good story and he wrote for the NYTimes.com for 4-years before writing a “year in the life of my business” book: Boss Life. You’ve never read a business book like Boss Life. The book quickly joined our list of “must reads” for all current and potential business owners. The work is the most honest and transparent business book that we have ever read and we encourage all of you to read it. Today, Paul Downs joins Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean on the Small Business Show where they dig a bit deeper into Paul’s story, into Boss Life and into the work ethic that has kept Paul in business for over 30-years. Listen in and then help your fellow small business owners out by doing a quick review of the Small Business Show on iTunes.   00:00:00 Small Business Show #83 September 7th, 2016 00:01:05 Boss Life author Paul Downs – “Not suited to working for other people” 00:05:15 2008 Recession – laid off half staff – sure I was about to go out of business. 00:06:00 What would it be like to drive a business into the ground? 00:07:09 Make the offer 00:09:33 (Don’t) Hide until you’re successful 00:11:25 Think through your problems by talking about them and writing them down – this is what the NYT Blog did for Paul 00:13:45 Hang onto your threads. They’re all you’ve got. 00:15:13 Define your own definition(s) of failure 00:16:12 Be a clear thinker 00:16:57 Share your problems – with real small businesses “Real Businesses” – love this. 00:21:23 The genesis of Boss Life – The experience of running a business 00:29:57 Understanding profitability 00:31:55 Being candid won’t kill you. 00:34:04 Find out about Paul Downs Custom Conference Tables The post Paul Downs, author of Boss Life and NYT Small Business Blogger Interview – SBS 83 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

As Small Business owners, we’re always hustling and sleep can often be a casualty of the “up late, up early” workflow. What do you do when your brain just won’t shut down long enough to get some much needed sleep? Listener Elias asks Dave and Shannon for advice about disconnecting enough to fall asleep. Their suggestion might surprise you! You’re an expert in some things and probably need help in other areas. We spend some time discussing why you should create an Expertise List to identify what you do really well and what areas you need to find some tools or people to prop you up a bit. Similar to our Success List exercise, the simple act of writing down what you are good at can help you tremendously to identify areas to get help with. What areas of your business are changing? Yes, we know, all of them. But, if you had to pick revenue streams that you think will be decreasing in the next 12-24 months, could you? And once you identify those revenue streams that are drying up, what are you working on to replace them? We discuss Planned Obsolescence for areas of your business that are headed downward – the art of finding new streams of revenue for your business, before those older streams dry up. We wrap up the Small Business Show this week with a quick mention of our interview with Paul Downs that is scheduled for next week. Paul was the Small Business blogger for the New York Times and is the author of Boss Life, a book you need to get your hands on. Listen in and send us your comments or questions via text at 401-472-4249 or visit our Facebook page. We hope you enjoy the show! Chapters and Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #82 August 31st, 2016 00:01:50 Elias – Waking Up in the middle of the night? 00:07:05 The Obstacle Is the Way 00:08:23 Reminders app 00:09:10 Notes app 00:13:42 Make Your Own Expertise List 00:17:35 And One for Your Employees? 00:20:54 Planned Obsolescence – It happens to YOU 00:26:00 Shannon Says “Verticals” 00:28:44 Perseverance – Next week with Paul Downs The post Adjusting Your Sleep Schedule, Recognizing Your Expertise and Planned Obsolescence – Small Business Show 82 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

How to you stay healthy and keep your energy level up while you are hustling to make your Small Business a success? Join Dave and Shannon for episode 81 of the Small Business Show to hear about how these two have managed while starting and growing multiple small businesses. Before we jump into health and energy, we start the show with a quick discussion of encryption and why it’s so important for your Small Business website. Dave discusses a new free option, Let’s Encrypt, that allows you to setup free security certificates for your website. After the exciting topic of encryption (Dave the nerd loves talking tech!), we jump right into bed. To discuss sleep, of course, and why it’s important to set a sleep schedule based on your energy levels, rather than traditional hours – if you have the flexibility to do so. Food then takes center stage as the benefits of grazing vs. big meals is discussed, followed by another favorite: Caffeine! Red Bull or Coffee? You make the call! We then jump into (no pun intended) exercise, the benefits of walks and again, coming up with an exercise plan that works for you. Finally, we point out that your business is not your life and that to keep healthy, you need to often step away and work ON your business, not in it. We recommend the awesome book, Rework from the folks at 37 Signals. Check it out and listen in to hear more! The post Staying Healthy While Running Your Small Business – Small Business Show Episode 81 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Join us today for episode 80 of the Small Business Show where we spend some time discussing our recent interview with Greg Mercer of JungleScout! Dave and Shannon both agree that Greg is a “career escape artist” and has created a unique business to take advantage of missing data and support in the Amazon FBA marketplace. We also talk about the difference between failing often as a Small Business Owner (which we encourage) vs. being flakey (which we don’t). One way to insure your failures are learning lessons that help you to success is to hold yourself accountable, more accountable than anyone else will. Our Success List idea comes up again during the show and we encourage every Small Business owner to start building their list to refer back to when you need to pull yourself up, to recognize that you are making strides and moving in the right direction. Since it’s a mix of topics today, we also get an update on Shannon’s “Can I create a social media business that runs solely on my iPhone” experiment. You’ll hear some revenue and profit numbers and more tips on managing time demands when your business is always in your pocket. Finally, we discuss our favorite new Small Business book, Boss Life by Paul Downs, 2nd only to the E-Myth in our opinion. Which book should you read first and why? Listen in to find out! The post Failure, Success, a Business in Your Pocket and New Books! Small Business Show episode 80 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Today on the Small Business show we are joined by Greg Mercer of JungleScout! Greg shares his story of “escaping employment” to become a small business owner, first by selling wholesale products on Amazon, then developing private labeled goods to distinguish his company with quality products and customer service. Along the way, Greg realized that he could really use some software that would help him figure out what products to sell on Amazon by tracking demand, sell-through and other data. Since no such software existed, Greg decided to create it and JungleScout was born! The company now provides a number of different analytic tools for Amazon sellers along with other products like ReviewKick, Splitly and Fetcher. Listen in and we guarantee you’ll learn as much as Dave and Shannon did during their chat with Greg! The post Escaping Employment – Small Business Interview with Greg Mercer of JungleScout appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Join us for this week’s edition of the Small Business Show! Dave and Shannon spend some time going over their interview with Tim Cote of Commonwealth Foreign Exchange from the last episode and then quickly jump into some of their core beliefs about how to succeed with your Small Business: Convince yourself (lie if you have to!) that you are a rock star, that every small success you have will build a foundation for larger successes down the road Make your own movie: So what if reality tells you otherwise!? You’re in charge of how your life goes, keep a smile on your face, tell yourself all the great stuff your learning, (even if you are failing a lot) and keep moving forward. Keep your Success List up to date: Be sure to recognize those small successes you have every-single-day Like Scott Adams, we’re bigger fans of Systems than Goals Listen in and then let us know what you think! What works for you to keep you headed in the right direction with your Small Business? Stop by our new Facebook Small Business Support Group and share your thoughts. The post Small Business Rock Stars, Wish Lists and Making Your Own Reality – SBS 78 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

How many business ideas have come from a group of people sitting around over a few beers? Must be thousands, maybe millions, right? But when you look beyond the idea stage and see how many of those folks actually executed on one of those ideas, the numbers drop exponentially. This week on the Small Business Show, we get to spend time with one of those guys that has executed and built a wildly successful business. Listen in and learn how Tim Cote took Commonwealth Foreign Exchange from an idea over a few beers to a powerhouse in the currency exchange and payment processing industry. Tim shares some great stories about hustling to pay the bills when Commonwealth was young to hiring their first employee that is still with them today. We had a great time talking to Tim, learning about Commonwealth and sharing stories about moving from idea to execution. Join us and let us know what you think! Send a text or leave a voicemail at 401-472-4249. The post Small Business Show Interview: Tim Cote from Commonwealth Foreign Exchange appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Welcome to episode 76 of the Small Business Show! This week, Dave is back from Europe and shares some time saving strategies that are good for travel as well as in your daily business. We then get an update from Shannon about his social media business experiment (spoiler alert: it’s working!) and we spend a few minutes sharing Scott from DC’s experience with community banks and why he feels they are a good fit for cash businesses. Want to share a story, ask a question or offer a critique? You can text or leave us a voicemail at 401-472-4249. We wrap up the show with a question from Sharon L. who wants to know how and where to source products to sell. It’s a tricky question, Sharon, but we hope we at least got you started on the right path to finding sources for a product that might work for you. Listen in for these stories and more! The post Community Banks, Social Media Small Business and Finding Suppliers – SBS 76 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

On this week’s episode of the Small Business Show, one of our hosts is starting a new business. But, there’s a twist! They have vowed to do things completely different than they have in the past by focusing solely on social media for promotion and to sell their products only using apps on their phone. Listen in and then stay tuned to find out if this experiment will be a profitable one, or just a learning experience! We also dive into a Small Business Study that surveyed thousands of Small Businesses to learn about the surprising demographics of most small business owners. Hint: it’s not what you think it is! Show links from our discussion include: Poshmark Small Business Owner Study Free worldwide Boingo Wireless for SPG Amex cardholders! eBay mobile selling app. The post Starting a new Small Business using Social Media – SBS 75 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

It’s time for a Rant! Specifically, Small Business Show co-host Shannon Jean has had it with a new bank that does a poor job of managing customer expectations. After Dave calms Shannon down, we dig deeper into ways to manage your customers expectations so you can be a hero to your clients as well as your employees. The discussion leads us into the dreaded Terms and Conditions document and how to not rely on it too much when trying to make your customers happy. We wrap up the show with a crucial question to ask your employees that can make their jobs much better. Listen in! Then, share your story by visiting our Facebook page or texting us at 401-472-4249.   The post Managing Customer Expectations for your Small Business – SBS 74 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

How often are you getting patted on the back as a Small Business owner? Not enough, we know. On episode 73 of the Small Business Show, Dave and Shannon discuss developing a “Success List” that you can refer to when things get tough (because they always do), to remind yourself of just how awesome you actually are. By measuring your success in small steps, you’ll achieve larger victories that much faster. We also spend a few minutes talking our recent Vaya Island interview from our previous show, how to stop yourself from being paralyzed by the “what-ifs” and much more! Join us and then come share your Small Business success story via email or text at 401-472-4249. The post Remind Yourself of your Successes – Small Business Show 73 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Live Easy with John Moran of Vaya Island What’s your small business story? Do you promote your geographic location as a strength? Do you promote your authenticity? How do you find the influencers to help you grow your Instagram presence? Join us for episode 72 of the Small Business Show to find the answers to these questions and more! John Moran from Vaya Island joins us this week for the Small Business Show to discuss how he has created a successful business and a huge social media following in a very short time. John shares how he grew his “Ambassador” program to over 5000 strong by sharing product and discounts with loyal fans on Instagram where he has over 23,000 followers that love Vaya Island products and the Vaya message of leading a positive and stress free lifestyle. Vaya Island’s story is an inspiring one that all of us can learn from. Listen in and let us know your thoughts with a quick text or voicemail to 401-472-4249! The post Authenticity and Small Business Success with John Moran from Vaya Island – SBS 72 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

What technology products and services does your Small Business need to succeed? Computers, phones, software and more – essential tools for starting and running your business. Join Dave and Shannon on episode 71 of the Small Business Show to learn more! For the first time, both of your hosts are on the West Coast, recording the Small Business Show together! We leave Skype behind for this show and jump right into a discussion about what technology we use to run our various businesses. We start the show with a discussion about computers, then jump right into which type of phone system you’ll need, what type of credit card processing is the best choice, which software will make your life easier and much more. Products and Services mentioned on the show: Cloud based phone systems: Phone.com, RingCentral, Grasshopper Accounting Apps: FreshBooks, QuickBooks, AccountEdge Payment Processing: Paypal, Square, Stripe ShipWorks, ShipStation Customer Support: HelpScout, ZenDesk Database Awesomeness : Filemaker Pro We only got through about half of our show notes, so look forward to Part 2 of Tech and your Small Business coming soon! The post Small Business Technology – Hardware and Software For your Small Business – SBS 71 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

This is NOT how to handle change in your Small Business! Welcome to Episode 70 of the Small Business Show! This week we do a quick follow up on Facebook advertising with comments from Dave about ads for the Gig Gab podcast and their interview with Jan Hammer. You’ll hear about some inexpensive ways to get started with Facebook ads and how to keep tweaking your ads as you start to see results. We then jump into this week’s primary topic: Change and how to make it work for you. Shannon spends some time discussing how, as an entrepreneur and business owner, you may love change, but what about the people around you? Your employees, and even your family. How does change impact them and how do you go about getting everyone onboard when you know a change needs to be made? Changing quickly can be a critical part of success for your small business. Join us this week on the Small Business Show for tips and tricks that have helped your co-hosts succeed over the last 20-years with their businesses. Mentioned on this episode of the Small Business Show: The Real Story of New Coke (as Coca-Cola tells it, anyway) Henry Ford’s interview tactic with Salt. (even if not true, is interesting) Shannon has a favorite quote that he (nor Google) knows who said “When you want to compliment, look out the window, when you want to criticize, look in the mirror” – Do YOU know who said it? Want to reach us? Comment here, email, twitter, facebook or text us at 401-472-4249! The post The Impact of Change on You and Your Small Business – SBS 70 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Join us this week for episode 69 of the Small Business Show! Dave and Shannon talk about Dave’s new business venture and then they jump right into part 2 of their series of tips about managing the tricky relationship that your business has with the IRS. Things like the importance of putting a human element into the relationship, getting advice BEFORE you need advice and more insight into how to turn a potential problem into just one more challenge that you will power through. If you do have the pleasure of going through an IRS audit, Shannon spends some time discussing how the IRS will also be auditing YOU in addition to your business. Every contact you have will be either a positive opportunity or a reason for the IRS to delve deeper into your business. You’ll want to be sure your lifestyle matches your tax returns. Listen in for more details. Finally, we talk about the all-important Payroll Tax and how to not go astray when managing those funds and we wrap the show up with tips on deciding if your independent contractors are actually employees and the importance of managing the sales tax you collect in your state. Want to chime in and share your experience? Send us a text or leave us a voicemail at 401-472-4249. We would love to hear from you! The post Part 2 of the Small Business IRS Show – SBS 69 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

This week on the Small Business Show, we start off by revisiting the concept of not setting financial goals for your business, but rather, developing systems that you can continually achieve success with and adjust for mistakes over time. Dave and Shannon have been using this concept for years, but it took Scott Adams book, How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big to lay it out in detail. Scott’s book is a must read. Longtime listener Dan T. sent in a question which led us into the main topic of the show, How to interact with the IRS. Dan’s question: Hey guys – I have a question for you. I’ve started getting some letters from the IRS about my businesses tax filings from a couple of years ago. I think I know the answer to most of the questions they have, but I’m kind of freaking out that this may lead to an audit or something. I don’t have anything to hide, but having never been through this type of thing before, any tips for dealing with the IRS? Thanks so much for contacting us for help, Dan! It’s no surprise that we do have some tips on how to interact with the IRS that may help with your situation. We dive into a lot of details, but the two main points we want to make this week are: First, humanize your relationship with the IRS. Pickup the phone and make contact with who sent the letter, or call your local IRS office for help. Be up front, honest and transparent and chances are, you’ll find someone at the IRS that will take a vested interest in helping your situation. Treating that person with respect and connecting with them personally can make a tremendous difference in how things go for you. It’s also important not to forget that YOU are a customer of the IRS! That’s right, part of their job is to please you, believe it or not. IRS employees are trained to treat you well and to offer council to help solve problems to everyone’s benefit. Now, this doesn’t mean they have the power to relieve you of paying money if you owe it, but they can (and should) make the process as painless as possible. If you are not getting the type of treatment you expect, Shannon has some tips on getting someone else to take over your case. The IRS and your business are such huge topics that, of course, we ran out of time to cover everything we wanted to. Look for a 2nd installment of the The IRS Show soon!   The post The IRS Show – How you and your business should interact with the IRS – SBS 68 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Do you compartmentalize your business? How do you keep things in perspective when solving problems? We discuss the importance of AMF (always moving forward!) when tackling problems with your small business as well as setting up triggers to help keep you accountable. We then move into a discussion of the new Federal Overtime rules that hike the hourly threshold from $23,660 to $47,476. How will this impact your managers and supervisors that are salaried? Will you adjust pay rates to cover additional overtime payments? Dave and Shannon do their best to be objective and discuss both sides of this new rule. In this episode, you can also find out how to get yourself one of the coveted Small Business Show T-shirts shown below. It’s simple, we promise! And we wrap up the show with some tips on Facebook advertising that you won’t want to miss with information about targeting your audience, getting help and finding out about local Facebook events near you. Listen in, learn and join in the discussion! We would love to hear from you via our voicemail and text line at 401-472-4249 or on our Facebook page. Show links: New Federal overtime rules – article in the NY Post Facebook business advertising info What works best on Facebook? Boosted posts, promoted posts or newsfeed ads? Good article on the CBO blog. Finding local Facebook events to learn about promoting your business on the site.   The post Salaried vs Hourly Employees, Facebook ads and more! – SBS 67 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Does everything always go right with your small business? We didn’t think so. Dave and Shannon have had a bad week and no amount of their patented optimistic self-delusion will get them through without spending some time on the Small Business Show sharing their stories and talking through ways to keep yourself and your team motivated when times are tough. Shannon talks about the risks of being overly optimistic and what to do when donuts just aren’t enough to get smiles back on your employees faces after a setback. Dave share’s a story about using the law to solve a problem when things go really bad. Speaking of the law, we discuss advice from your attorney and why you should take every step possible before you file a lawsuit that will eat up your cash, your time and your mindshare that would otherwise be focused on your small business. We’re big fans of outside advisors and this week we talk about Clarity.fm. Clarity’s service can connect you with business experts on a cost-per-minute basis when you need some quick advice in a specialized area. If you are a business consultant, Clarity also offers a good way to connect with new clients. Where else can you get a phone call from Mark Cuban, even it does set you back $167 per minute! Listen in and you’ll learn about the importance of the destroyed floor photo above and much more on episode 66 of the Small Business Show! The post Small Business Highs and Lows. Overcoming Adversity and Powering Through Problems – SBS 66 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

What happens to your well thought-out Small Business plans if you become incapacitated? Who steps in to handle the myriad of details that you take care of each day. Dave and Shannon have discussed the more formal ways to setup a succession plan, such as disability insurance and Key Man policies, but what about the equally important, but informal information that you may have stuck in your head? We talk about how we setup “bread crumb” trails to help whoever may have to step in to take over our role, as well as ways to share information to help during a management transition. We call this the “Hit By a Bus” plan. Shannon then opens a discussion about a new book by Scott Adams of Dilbert fame, “How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big.” A favorite quote, “goals are for losers,” leads us to talk about Adams’ concept of Systems instead of Goals. You’ll hear about why we think this is right on target and you’ll find out if Dave or Shannon have EVER set a financial Goal for their businesses. We wrap up the show with a powerful story from Dave based on the idea that it never hurts to ask as well as a phone call from Scott that sheds some insight into Dave’s idea of becoming an Expert Witness as a side business. Our favorite comment from Scott: “You’re basically teaching children, using adult language”. Thanks for the call, Scott! The post Small Business Planning for the Worst and Scott Adams Book – SBS 65 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Ever have a crazy idea? Of course you have. Exploring those ideas can be the thing that leads to the next business opportunity. And that next business opportunity might eventually be the thing that puts food on your table. You need to pay attention to those crazy ideas, but you also need to learn how to make sure you don’t just spend your time chasing all the ideas. Shannon and Dave have experience with both sides of this and today’s the day they talk about it. Dave even throws in a new crazy idea of his own… and who knows? Maybe it’ll be lucrative some day soon! We also spend some time talking about how to deal with naysayers, if you should be sharing all your crazy ideas or just waiting to talk about how things are going once you get them started and giving yourself permission to just mess around. You just never know where things will lead and if you don’t let yourself wander a bit, you’re bound to miss opportunities. We wrap up the show by discussing your personal brand, when to start developing it, why you need to in the first place and what you can do with it once everyone knows what a rock star you actually are. Come join us! The post Crazy Ideas vs. Managing Your Time and Naysayers – SBS 64 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Any growth for your small business is good and the faster the better, right? Bryan O’Connell, co-founder of Meras Engineering would disagree! Bryan joins us today on the Small Business Show to talk about managing growth, choosing business partners, finding an advisory group that holds you accountable and more. We also discuss the value of an MBA degree, creating a customer obsessed culture and when to make yourself slow down so you can think. Great show today with some valuable insight and advice from 12-years of building Meras into the success it is today. Join us! Mentions: Alliance of CEO’s The post Managing the Growth of your Business with Bryan O’Connell of Meras Engineering – SBS 63 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Kelan Raph has built a career helping people get their products from point A to point B. With his current venture, Grand Canal Solutions, he and his team have developed Optimize, a service that automatically identifies enhancements and optimizations to your product shipments, warehousing and more. Kelan talks to Shannon and Dave about blending partnerships with opportunities, his marketing experiments, how best to manage interruptions and much MUCH more! Kelan is a big fan of business books, and recommended more than a few, including: Getting Things Done by David Allen (listen on Audiobook) The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker Rework The Lean Startup Join us on this episode of the Small Business Show to learn more about optimizing your business as well as your time. The post Optimizing your Small Business & Your Time: Kelan Raph of Grand Canal Solutions – SBS 62 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Ever thought about selling your business? We thought so! Bob Grewal of Seapoint Business Advisors sells businesses for a living, and he deals with all kinds of issues you haven’t even considered yet. Recasting financials, dealing with your employees, reducing the perception of risk and distributing revenue are all things you’ll have to deal with and Bob provides some great perspective on all of that and more! Listen today and learn how the process might work, along with some of Bob’s favorite stories of things that have happened along the way. Join us for the Small Business Show! Bob Grewal: Seapoint Business Advisors The post When and How to Sell Your Small Business – Seapoint Business Advisors – SBS 61 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

In 1995 it was predicted that the Internet would kill “the middleman.” Here we are a couple decades later and not only are middlemen still in business, they’re the norm. In fact, as Dave and Shannon discover, everyone is a middleman, even if only for themslves, and that’s OK. Add in a dash about the Gig Economy and a sideline tangent about what the world might be like without vehicle ownership and you’ve got yourself a perfectly-crafted episode of the Small Business Show! Stuff mentioned: In Defense of the Middleman Turo (formerly RelayRides) The post Small Business Middleman – thriving in the internet age? – SBS 60 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Shannon and Dave put on their kevlar vests – and tinfoil hats – and tackle the topic of a rising minimum wage as it relates to small business. Do you hire entry level employees or summer workers? Who will benefit from this? Who will get special exemptions with the government? How will it work? These are the questions Shannon and Dave ask… and they’re brave (foolish?) enough to answer them, too. Listen to what your two favorite business geeks have to say and then send in comments of your own! Stuff mentioned: Swedish town gets an unmanned convenience store Seattle’s Minimum Wage Approaches $15 The post Would a $15 Per Hour Minimum Wage Impact Your Small Business? – SBS 59 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Long-time technology journalist Jason Snell spent 17 years writing, editing and managing teams at Macworld magazine before leaving that behind to start his own small business publishing company, SixColors.com. Along the way, Jason also created and managed various Podcasts like The Incomparable, TV Talk Machine, and Upgrade. Jason joins Shannon and Dave to talk about the experience of moving from manager to business owner, and shares some of his favorite stories along the way. This week’s Small Business Show includes some key moments where things like authenticity, focus, enthusiasm, passion and reliability come up during the discussion. A podcasting pro, Jason makes for an entertaining and engaging guest… download, press play, and enjoy!     The post Jason Snell from Six Colors: From Magazine Editor to Small Business Publisher– SBS 58 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Shannon and Dave have both run virtual (or semi-virtual) companies for decades and have used all manner of electronic communication tools to keep their various teams in sync. These days they both make use of Slack (among other tools) to organize their lives and make teams feel like teams. Hear them talk about all the tools they use and why “eliminating email” is only one reason you might want to use Slack… there are others, too! Slack articles worth reading: Small Business Trends: What is Slack and how do I use it for my team? Medium: 11 Tips for getting the most out of Slack LinkedIn: Reduce email by up to 80% with Slack The post Using Slack to manage your Small Business Team and More – SBS 57 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Ever sit on the beach and have a great idea? Paul Goodman and his business partner did, bought 400 bracelets from cart vendors, traveled home and PuraVida bracelets was born! They sold their first batch, ordered more, started and now they sell 50-100 thousand bracelets each week. Paul tells Shannon and Dave about all kinds of things … including the first public announcement of new products (and they’re not bracelets!). The post Paul Goodman & PuraVida Bracelets Execution on an Idea – SBS 56 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Episode 55 means it’s a perfect time to discuss what your two favorite business geeks have learned from watching Sammy Hagar over the years. You might be surprised to hear the revelations that Shannon and Dave have. Then it’s on to reviews. Every business gets reviews, even those that don’t think they do (someday Dave will learn that every episode matters!). Learn from Shannon and Dave their techniques for how to deal with negative reviews… and also how NOT to deal with them! Stuff mentioned: Sammy Hagar Managing by Walking/Wandering Around (MBWA) Yelp’s featured reviews Google Alerts HootSuite The post Small Business Customer Reviews – Managing the positive and negative – SBS 55 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Your two favorite business geeks are about to celebrate their one year anniversary of podcasting together and to celebrate … they interview each other. Hear Dave and Shannon ask one another about their starts, their stops, their transitions and more! The post Dave and Shannon Interview Each Other – Small Business Show 54 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.