Small Biz Survival Podcast

El Dorado Promise

smallbizsurvival@cox.net (Becky McCray) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 22:13:36 -0500

Dr. James C. Fouse directs El Dorado Promise. The promise... go to school, graduate, get a scholarship. He was the guest speaker at the NWOSU Foundation annual donor appreciation dinner, and I asked him about the promise, about how small business can play a role in education, and about El Dorado, Arkansas.

Why is Cart-Away at BlogWorld Expo?

smallbizsurvival@cox.net (Becky McCray) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 08:10:16 -0500

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Cart-Away showed up at BlogWorld Expo with a concrete mixer. Were they just in the wrong place, or what? No, they were there to learn, to learn social media, blogging, and related skills.

Standard advertising just didn't work for them, so they've given that up, in favor of exploring the world of online community.

Bruce and Tom are great guys. Keep up with them at the Cart-Away blog. And we'll check back with them to see how it goes.

And if you are looking for a new business idea, take a look at their concrete, rental and landscape store franchise opportunity.

Video: Social Media Explorer Jason Falls

smallbizsurvival@cox.net (Becky McCray) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:56:53 -0500

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Jason Falls grew up in a small town and works in marketing and new media. He shares some advice for small town small businesses, how social media can level the playing field. Right after he establishes his small town cred. Find more from Jason at Social Media Explorer.

This interview took place in the speaker ready room at BlogWorld Expo, part of a daisy chain interview that went all the way around the table.

Paying for college with Chris Penn

smallbizsurvival@cox.net (Becky McCray) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 08:08:07 -0500

Financial aid expert Chris Penn shares his insight on scholarships and loans, with some special considerations for small towns and for small business owners. Chris also tells us why your credit score is a bigger consideration this year.

Links Chris mentions:

Where to find Chris:

Financial Aid Podcast.com
206-350-1208
Email financialaidpodcast@gmail.com
ScholarshipSearchSecrets.com: free ebook on using Google to find financial aid

[Photo of Chris Penn by C.C. Chapman on Flickr. Used under a Creative Commons License.]

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Quick business plans

smallbizsurvival@cox.net (Becky McCray) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 10:18:26 -0500

Most of us agree we need a business plan, but of course, most of us don't have one. So this week, I took my own advice, and started on my own simplified business plan.

Here are four tips to help you move to start your own plan.

Simplify - I've given you an outline
Reuse - copy and paste info you create for the bank, tax filings, or existing lists
Start on the easy part, the part that interests you
Take advantage of variety - print it out, reshuffle, make visual parts, tell stories. Use your best skills.

This was kicked off by a post from Zane Safrit, referring back to Tim Berry. And Zane's link to an interview of Tim by Guy Kawasaki. And before that, it was kicked by an audio conference from the Business and Professional Women/USA.

New here? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Subscribe. Want more stories? Read our shared stories from all over.

Video: Prune your products and services

smallbizsurvival@cox.net (Becky McCray) — Sat, 12 May 2007 16:17:00 -0500

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If you haven't pruned lately, your line of products or services may be holding back your business. Becky McCray, a small town entrepreneur, talks about the four factors to consider when pruning and adding to your product lines to revitalize your business:

sales
seasonality
customer requests
keyword trends

She also talks about how this applies to those entrepreneurs who run multiple small businesses to make a living.

Video: Helping customers pick a product

smallbizsurvival@cox.net (Becky McCray) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:36:38 -0500

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In a product based business, it can be tough to pull together items from many different manufacturers. To help customers make easier buying decisions, Becky McCray recommends three tips:

Simplify
Standardize
Add ratings

Video: Cheap Microphones

smallbizsurvival@cox.net (Becky McCray) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:36:38 -0500

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You don't need to spend a lot of money on podcasting equipment. Odds are that you have a usable microphone laying around. It's a good way to jump in and try audio without investing too much.

Video formerly posted at Chris Brogan's New Media School. Editing and on screen comments by Chris.

Video: Getting Started With Podcasting

smallbizsurvival@cox.net (Becky McCray) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:36:38 -0500

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Video guide on how to get started with podcasting. How to focus on your content, find your niche, and just enough technical details to get it done.

Formerly published at Chris Brogan's (old) New Media School. Editing and onscreen comments by Chris.

People like to be asked

smallbizsurvival@cox.net (Becky McCray) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:36:38 -0500

People like to be asked.

Sometimes we order the people we work with, or drop tasks on them.

We send out leads, "This will help you."

We tell customers "I have this."

We email direct orders "check this out."

But, people like to be asked.

Music by Frenz, from Pod Safe Audio.

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Nothing New

smallbizsurvival@cox.net (Becky McCray) — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 10:58:37 -0600

Think what we are saying is too basic? Or too repetitive?

“People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed.”
Dr. Samuel Johnson

It's what Mark Taylor calls "a Blinding Flash of the Obvious."

Music by Frenz, from Pod Safe Audio.

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Where do new business ideas come from?

smallbizsurvival@cox.net (Becky McCray) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:36:38 -0500

Podcast:

Gather up all those ideas for getting new business, asking for referrals, and finding new clients into one big file. Then when you need a new idea to grow your business, it will be right at hand.

If you like this show, you may enjoy the group of experts on the Great Big Small Business Show.

small biz rural entrepreneurship management organization

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Podcast: Winning Workplaces

smallbizsurvival@cox.net (Becky McCray) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:36:38 -0500

This week, we have Guest Comments from Mark Harbeke. He stopped by our Brag Basket a couple of times, so we're letting him share some more. If you have something to share, email me!

Hello, Small Biz Survival Readers. My name is Mark Harbeke. I’m manager of content development for Winning Workplaces, a nonprofit in the Chicago area that helps small and midsized businesses create better work environments.
Your host, Becky, asked me to say a few words about Winning Workplaces. I read Small Biz Survival regularly and have posted on it a few times. Perhaps you will identify with what we do.

Winning Workplaces was founded in 2001 by the family that co-owned auto parts manufacturer Fel-Pro, Inc. from 1918 until 1998. Based in Chicago, from the early days Fel-Pro was recognized throughout the city as a great place to work. By the 1970s and 1980s, the company was using people-friendly practices to engage and empower employees – many of which were pioneering at the time. These included not just open book management and hosting regular meetings where employees could voice concerns openly and honestly, but great benefits like a summer camp, tuition assistance and a “time off to volunteer” program. Throughout the 1990s, Fel-Pro was featured as a great place to work in magazines like FORTUNE and Working Mother.
When the family sold the business, they wanted to create an organization that would serve as a resource for small and midsized businesses – a place for that audience, large and contributive to our economy but often underserved, to go to for help in improving morale, their work cultures, productivity and the bottom line. Thus, Winning Workplaces was born.

We have three offerings for small and midsized organizations:
A free information clearinghouse of workplace best practices via our website, WinningWorkplaces.org, and our monthly e-newsletter, Winning Workplaces Ideas;Affordable consulting and training services to help organizations realize their potential, including easy-to-use Tool Kits; andAn annual recognition program for exceptional small organizations.
I want to talk about this third offering a bit more, as it’s undergoing a transition. In the past, we focused on honoring, with a media partner, the Best Bosses of small and midsized businesses throughout North America. You can see all the past winners on our website. Along with announcing the list of winners through our media partner, we’ve held a Conference & Celebration in the fall to honor them in person. In fact, the awards ceremony at this conference is the culmination of a series of workshops where small business owners and leaders can learn directly from their successful peers.

For 2007, we’re shifting gears. We recently announced, in cooperation with The Wall Street Journal, our Top Small Workplaces recognition program for exceptional small organizations. Through January 2007 we are seeking nominations of businesses that fit our criteria. I encourage you to nominate your organization for this honor by visiting StartupJournal.com. You may also wish to forward this link to friends, family and colleagues. As a small nonprofit (we have a full-time staff of 5 people), we’re very excited about this partnership and are trying to assemble a broad pool of nominees.

Nominated organizations will be sent a formal application in January 2007, which will be due back to us in March. Our staff and a panel of judges will then do due diligence on the applications, and the winners will be announced in a special section of the Journal’s StartupJournal paper in October 2007. The same month, as we’ve done in years past, we will also honor these organizations at a conference. The conference will likely be in Chicago; the date will be announced soon.

If your small organization is struggling, whether at the management or employee level, we’re here to help. You can read more about what our Consulting & Training area offers on our website, WinningWorkplaces.org. You can also view a list of past clients on this page, many of which are nonprofits and academic institutions. If nothing else, you can benefit from our experience and research by registerin g to receive our free e-newsletter.

Thanks for listening, and for supporting the good work small businesses do every day by reading Becky’s Small Biz Survival blog, which, she recently announced, was named as the only blog of note on the Montana Tribal State Economic Development Commission’s website.

Here’s to creating and building enterprises that truly are “better for people, better for business”!

Music by Frenz, from Pod Safe Audio.

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Interview with Pat Matthews, CEO of Webmail.us

smallbizsurvival@cox.net (Becky McCray) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:36:38 -0500

Podcast:

Becky interviews Pat Matthews, CEO of Webmail.us, Inc., based in Blacksburg, Virginia. Pat blogs at Small Town, Big Ideas.

Pat talks about advantages of being in a small town, working with the community, and encouraging more small town entrepreneurs.

Watch for a second interview with Pat on the Great Big Small Business Show.

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Your customers

smallbizsurvival@cox.net (Becky McCray) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:36:38 -0500

What do your customers want? Let's ask them!

For more ideas, read Basic Methods to Get Feedback from Customers by Carter McNamara.

Music by Frenz, from Pod Safe Audio.

small biz rural entrepreneurship customer service podcast audio

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Great customer service in three tips and a story

smallbizsurvival@cox.net (Becky McCray) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:36:38 -0500

Is your business synonymous with great service?

Some actions you can focus on today are:

greet everyone who contacts your business
pay attention to every customer who contacts you
provide the little extras that are now mostly gone

small biz rural entrepreneurship customer service podcast audio

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100 Nos

smallbizsurvival@cox.net (Becky McCray) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:36:38 -0500

Want to increase your business? Go get 100 "no"s.

Print the word NO 100 times on a sheet of paper.
Pick out the most important marketing/sales you need to do right now.
Plan a reward for reaching 100.
Start making calls. Each time you get a no, cross off one NO.

You'll get 100 nos, but imagine how many Yes'es you'll also get!
Celebrate!

small biz rural entrepreneurship marketing podcast audio

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How your business looks affects your success

smallbizsurvival@cox.net (Becky McCray) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:36:38 -0500

If customers come to your location (retail, service, home office), you know it matters - first impressions last!

If no customers visit, you still have to work there. The environment does affect your productivity!

Do a walk through with a stranger. Write down everything they notice, without arguing, explaining, or rationalizing.

Ask employees or anyone you work with what's broken, or what they notice.

Create a schedule, and fix it all.

Your business will thank you!

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Guest podcast: Lasting Development Isn't Casinos or CAFO's

smallbizsurvival@cox.net (Becky McCray) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:36:38 -0500

Guest podcaster Zane Safrit discusses what makes lasting rural economic development, and it isn't casinos or CAFOs.

Read more of Zane's thoughts on rural economic development, small business and health care at his Conference Calls Unlimited CEO blog.

Listen for a new podcast on small business, the Great Big Small Business Show!

small biz rural entrepreneurship economic development

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Focus

smallbizsurvival@cox.net (Becky McCray) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:36:38 -0500

Podcast:

Here are four steps you can use to improve your focus.

Set a clear vision. Know what results you want from your business. How do you want it to look in 1 year, 5 years, or 10 years? (See Simplified Business Plans for the Real World for some ideas.)
Decide which tasks are important income producers. What do you do in your business that uses your unique talents? These are the ones for you to keep and focus on. (See Focus on your IPAs: Income Producing Activities.)
Delegate some of the other tasks. If you have other people in your business, start letting them take on more of the "other" tasks. If you are the only one in the business, start being creative in your delegating. (See 10 Ways to Delegate Without Hiring Staff.)
Stop doing some tasks. Make some careful choices. Ask, "what would happen if I just didn't do this?" Think through the consequences, and give up some things. (See Getting Things Done.)

Listen for a new podcast on small business, Great Big Small Business Show, at Grasshopper New Media.

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The State of the Workforce means You and Your People

smallbizsurvival@cox.net (Becky McCray) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:36:38 -0500

Be Excellent quoted the 2006 Employee Review by recruiter Randstad, reported by Management-Issues.

Almost 90% of employees said that feeling valued is an critical factor in job satisfaction, but barely 30% of them felt that they were valued by their own employers.
Only 25% of employees felt that their organizations felt any loyalty towards their staff and barely more than half (56%) felt any loyalty to their organizations in return.
While the majority of employees and employers agreed that the top source of productivity gains was increased employee efficiency, only half of employees of all ages said that leadership practices in their organisations fostered employee development.

small biz rural entrepreneurship workforce podcast audio

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One Universal Truth of Small Business

smallbizsurvival@cox.net (Becky McCray) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:36:38 -0500

Just another day at the office for Vaughan Fulton, owner of Classic Safaris.

small biz rural entrepreneurship attitude podcast audio

You can do everything wrong

smallbizsurvival@cox.net (Becky McCray) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:36:38 -0500

"You can do everything wrong with the right attitude and succeed. You can do everything right with the wrong attitude and fail."

LINK:
At Lifehack.org, Chris Brogan interviews Patricia Ryan Madson, author of Improv Wisdom: Don't Prepare, Just Show Up.

small biz rural entrepreneurship attitude podcast audio

A diamond in the rough - Mentoring

smallbizsurvival@cox.net (Becky McCray) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:36:38 -0500

Read the quotes and lists from this podcast.

small biz rural entrepreneurship podcast audio mentoring

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More examples to help you sell more by layering

smallbizsurvival@cox.net (Becky McCray) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:36:38 -0500

Links:

Original detailed post: Sell more by layering
paper tracking example: Mary Kay layering chart (PDF)
website layering example: Classic Safaris with Vaughan Fulton

small biz rural entrepreneurship marketing sales podcast audio